Infinix Hot 9 Play: Specification, Features, and Price

Laurence Inyang
March 12, 2021
Infinix Hot 9 Play

Hello guys, welcome to the features review and specifications listing of yet another Infinix Mobility device, the Infinix Hot 9 Play.

Seems like Infinix may be rebranding the “Lite” series of its smartphone line with the new “PLAY” tag.

After releasing the Infinix Hot 9 and Infinix Hot 9 Pro in selected markets, the Infinix global website listed another smartphone; The Infinix Hot 9 Play.

Going by its size and some of its specifications, this pone is meant to compete with the Tecno Spark 5 Air for market share and customers.

Here are the features and specifications of the Infinix’s Latest entry device, the Infinix Hot 9 Play.

Infinix Hot 9 Play Specifications Summary

OS Android 10.0 Q Go XOS 6
Display 6.82 inch TFT HD+ Infinity V Water Drop Notch Display, 720 x 1640p resolution, 20.5:9 aspect ratio.
Camera 13 MP main + QVGA, 8 MP Dot-In (Water drop display) selfie
RAM 2GB RAM
Storage 32GB, Expandable to 256 GB
Processor MediaTek Helio A25
Battery 6000 mAh
Security Fingerprint ID (rear mounted), Face Unlock

Design

When it comes to phone design, Infinix has always experimented with different textures and colors. The texture of the Hot 9 Play comes out just right. The glossiness is not overdone and the rear comes with a gem cut texture like the other Hot 9 devices.

Unlike the other two Hot 9 devices, the Hot 9 Play comes with a water drop Infinity V display design. The phone’s bezels are greatly minimized to an acceptable degree, with the frame being thin enough.

The top of the screen features a dual-LED flash (single LED on either side of the camera) and the receiver speaker grille is also on the frame.

The rear side of this device houses a circular rectangle cut out for the rear camera. There are two lens cutouts, a triple LED and an “AI 13 MEGAPIXEL” inscription.

A square-shaped fingerprint sensor sits next to it and an emblazoned Infinix brand name. Moving downwards is the HOT brand inscription.

The base as usual holds the external speaker, 3.5mm Jack, USB 2.0 port, and dedicated mic. The SIM slot placement remains at the left side of the phone while the right hand side holds the volume buttons. The buttons are a bit high so you may mistakenly press the power button if you are used to the normal placement.

The front is made of glass and the rear side of the phone has a polycarbonate material. The frame is plastic. The color options available are Midnight Black, Quetzal Cyan, Violet, Ocean Wave

Display

Infinix chose to use a 6.82 IPS TFT HD+ display panel for the Hot 9 Play. This is almost similar to the 7 inch of the Spark 5 Air.

The display offers 1640 x 720 pixels resolution and a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. Somehow though, the display may feel stretched. The screen to body resolution should be around 86%

Many movie lovers will enjoy the cinematic experience the large display gives. Will it be great for gamers? We will find that out as we move on.

Camera Specifications

The selfie camera of the infinix Hot 9 Play is 8MP. The selfie camera is on par with the  Tecno Camon 15 Air, Infinix Hot 9, and Infinix Hot 9 Pro.

Infinix camera software helps deliver some awesome photographs and videos. The output is expected to be on par with that of the Hot 9 and Hot 9 Pro.

The rear camera features a 13MP main shooter and a QVGA lens (dubbed AI lens). Triple LED flash assists it for superb night shots.

Hardware Specifications and Memory

Honestly speaking, I was surprised that Infinix chose to use an octa-core processor on a Play device. The Inifnix Hot 9 Play uses the MediaTek Helio A25 processor, the same processor found on the Infinix Hot 9.

The Helio A25 has 8 cores with a maximum speed of 1.8GHz. 4 Cortex A53 cores are clocked to reach the 1.8GHz speed while the other Cortes A53 chips are clocked at 1.5GHz.

The processor is assisted by the Imagination IMG PowerVR8320 Graphics Processing Unit with 650MHz speed. The processor is not meant for heavy gaming and my cause the phone’s temperature to rise when subjected to heavy use.

I guess a PLAY (LITE) device with those specifications shouldn’t be subjected to heavy use in the first place.

The Infinix Hot 9 Play has 2GB of RAM space and 32GB storage space.

OS, Connectivity, and Battery

The Infinix Hot 9 Play runs Android 10 Q Go under the XOS 6 skin. The skin contains third party apps and adverts, although there are options to turn off the adverts, they can be pretty annoying.

The Infinix Hot 9 Play is a 4G device and has WiFi, OTG, Hotspot, and Bluetooth enabled. The official website it can connect to the following FDD bands: B1 / B3 / B7 / B8 / B20 / B38 / B40 / B41. Other sensors available are G-Sensor, E Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, and Fingerprint sensor.

Infinix outdid itself with the Infinix Hot 9 Play battery as the device comes with a large 6000 mAh battery. This is Infinix’s largest battery to date.

Should You Buy The Infinix Hot 9 Play?

If you are not looking for a powerful gaming device than the Infinix Hot Play is for you. The device has a nice display, resolution, and storage.

What About The Camera?

If you are a camera freak, then you may have little issues with the 13MP rear camera. But the selfie camera is on par with the Infinix Hot 9 Pro device.

Does the Infinix Hot 9 Play have a long lasting battery?

Yes! It has the largest battery ever found on an Infinix device to date. There is a 6000 mAh battery onboard and that is much for an Android device running Android 10.

How Much Does The Infinix Hoy 9 Play Cost?

Infinix has not stated the cost of this device but seeing the specifications, it will cost around N36,000 to N42,000.

Network

Technology GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
2G B2/B3/B5/B8
3G HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G B1 / B3 / B7 / B8 / B20 / B38 / B40 / B41
SIM Type Dual nano-SIM slot
WIFI 2.4G

Design and Display

Dimensions 171.82 x 77.96 x 8.90 mm
Height 171.82mm
Width 77.96 mm
Thickness 8.90 mm
Weight information Not Available
Display Size 6.82 inch
Display Resolution 720p HD+ (720 x 1640 pixels)
Display Technology TFT
Build Plastic Frame, Plastic Back, Glass Front
Protection 2.5D glass
Colors Midnight Black, Quetzal Cyan, Violet, Ocean Wave.

Platform and Hardware

OS Android 10.0 Q Go Under XOS 6
Processor Name/Technology MediaTek Helio A25, 12nm Fabrication
Number of Processor Cores 8 Cores, Cortex  A53 Chips
Processor Speed 1.8 GHz (4 Cortex A53 x 1.8 GHz, 4 Cortex A53 x 1.5 GHz)
Graphics Chipset IMG PowerVR 8320 clocked at 650MHz.
RAM 2GB
Internal Storage 32GB
External Storage Yes, Up to 256GB
Sensors Fingerprint Sensor, G-Sensor, E Sensor, Gyro, Touch Sensor, Electronic Compass

Camera

Front 8 MP, Camera 1080 Video @30 fps, Dual LED Flash
Rear 13 MP main + QVGA Low Light Sensor, Triple LED Flash, 1080p Video@30fps
Features AI scenes detection, Macro mode, Portrait mode, HDR, AI Beautify,  Triple LED flash, Face recognition, Real-time filters

Multimedia

Video FLV, MP4, MKV, AVI, 3GP
Audio WAV, MP3, MP2, ACC, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MIDI
Image Jpeg, Png, Gif, Bmp
Speaker Chipset DTS audio processing technology
Audio Jack Yes, 3.5mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth Bluetooth® 4.2
Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4
USB Yes, USB 2.0.
NFC No
GPS GPS

Battery

Battery Capacity 6000 mAh
Battery Technology LiPo
Fast Charging No.
Removable No

Extra Features

Security Features Finger Print Sensor, Face Recognition

Price

Starts Around N36,000

Will you get this device? Let us know your thoughts by using the comment box.