Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra review - making a mark on the mid-range market

Verdict

Overall, both the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra are impressive Android devices, offering flagship-beating batteries, bright and clear displays, and fantastic gaming quality, all without breaking the bank.

Pros

• High-quality build
• Impressive gaming performance
• Real value for money
• Flagship-beating battery

Cons

• Hard to get in the US
• Sub-par selfie cameras

Since my first-ever phone review of the Tecno Pova 5, I've had a little bit of a soft spot for lesser-known Android brands. That's why I was excited to get my hands on both the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra to put these two devices to the test and see if they can stand out in the increasingly busy mid-range phone market.

The best mid-range phones offer flagship-level features at a significantly lower cost, and both of these devices certainly do that. They're also great competitors for the best gaming phones out there. Want to know why? Keep reading, my friend.

Price and availability

You can purchase the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro for approximately $300-350, depending on the storage, and the NOTE 60 Ultra for roughly $750 USD, but these phones are difficult to get your hands on outside of their key markets in Africa and Asia. Some of Infinix's older models are available on Amazon UK, so there's a chance that the NOTE 60 series will also be available in the future.

As for colors, the NOTE 60 Pro series comes in Mist Titanium, Deep Ocean Blue, Solar Orange, Mocha Brown, Frost Silver, and the co-branded Pininfarina Torino Black. The entire NOTE 60 Ultra line is made in partnership with Pininfarina and comes in four "Italian-inspired" colors - Torino Black, Monza Red, Amalfi Blue, and Roma Silver. For this review, I received the Solar Orange NOTE 60 Pro and the Torino Black NOTE 60 Ultra.

In terms of what you get for your money, as well as the phones themselves, each device also comes with a charging cable and plug, wired earphones, and a protective case with magnetic passthrough charging. I'm a big fan of companies that provide cases with their phones, as so many popular case manufacturers only make shells for the big brands. The NOTE 60 Ultra also comes in a limited-edition box and includes a car-shaped wireless charging stand and Pininfarina SIM card ejector.

Specs

Here are the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra's specs:

Performance and gaming

The Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra both have different chipsets, so I'll have to tackle them separately here. As the flagship of the pair, the NOTE 60 Ultra features the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultimate, whereas the NOTE 60 Pro utilizes Snapdragon's 7s Gen 4 chip. The price difference between these two devices reflects the upgraded hardware, but both hold their ground.

As a hardcore gacha gamer, I tested both phones' gaming performance with Honkai Star Rail, and each device ran the hefty game smoothly, hitting a stable 30 FPS and gliding through the ultimate animations and cutscenes, once I'd settled on the right settings, that is. The only major difference in performance between the pair is that the NOTE 60 Ultra can handle the game on high settings with no problems, whereas the NOTE 60 Pro prefers medium settings to run without stutters. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, and Hoyoverse's vibrant worlds and characters still look wonderful.

When it comes to thermals, both devices perform admirably thanks to their 3D IceCore Cooling systems. The only difference between the two is that the NOTE 60 Ultra has a larger vapor chamber cooling area, but the tech does its job for both phones, even with a case on, which I often find accelerates temperature buildup. After an hour of gaming on HSR, there was barely any difference in temperature.

In fact, as our Hardware Editor, Connor, has mentioned in other reviews before, both phones got significantly toastier during the game's download than the actual play session. I did experience a little bit of heating when playing Pokémon TCG Live, but based on my experience with other devices, that's likely down to poor app optimization rather than the device's capabilities.

Features and software

Both the NOTE 60 Pro and the NOTE 60 Ultra run on XOS 16, built for Android 16, and I would say it resembles your standard Android smartphone experience. As an iPhone user, it took a little bit of getting used to, but the visual language is clear, and it didn't take long to feel at home with both devices. With either phone, you get three years of guaranteed OS update support and five years of security updates, so you don't need to worry about upgrading any time soon.

Compared to some Android phones I've tried in the past, Infinix's devices are pleasantly light on bloatware. Every pre-installed app seems useful, and if you don't want their background processes wearing your battery down, you can use the Freezer app to turn them off. Infinix's AI assistant, Folax, is also chock-full of utility, if that's your thing, or you can utilize Gemini inside the suite of Google apps.

Design

While both phones are exceptionally sleek design-wise, the NOTE 60 Pro is my favorite, purely down to its vibrant orange color. Apple's influence on the phone color market is wild to see in action, but my favorite color is orange, so I'm not complaining. Both feel substantial and well-made without any heft, and the form factor isn't too big for my small hands. I'm used to an iPhone 12, and the NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra are only about a centimeter taller and a teeny bit wider.

My favorite part of these phones is the Active Matrix display. On the island next to the cameras, there's a pixel display that you can program to show a huge range of things - the time, temperature, call reminders, and more. But it's not just for utility, as you can actually play minigames on this thing and set it to show a virtual pet. I immediately set both of mine to Kiki the Cat, and it adds a bit of whimsy to my day.

In terms of safety, on top of the high-strength aluminum-alloy frames and the included phone cases, you can trust that your screen is durable, as it's made of Gorilla Glass 7i, which offers drop protection from up to a meter on asphalt.

Display

Both the NOTE 60 Pro and the NOTE 60 Ultra offer a vibrant display that's perfect for gaming. The 144Hz Ultra HDR display makes for smooth gameplay and fast responses, which is particularly useful if you're playing an FPS game. The brightness goes up to 4,500 nits, too, so you'll never struggle to see anything, even in direct sunlight.

The 6.78-inch screen is a great size for gaming, leaving plenty of room for on-screen controls and making reading small UIs a breeze. Of course, we all know that staring at a screen for too long can be a bad thing, so both devices also feature dimming, natural light eye care, and motion sickness relief options.

Cameras

The cameras are another major difference between the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and the NOTE 60 Ultra. The Pro features a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 13MP front camera, whereas the Ultra upgrades the front camera to 32MP, the main camera to 200MP, and adds a 50MP periscope telephoto lens. Both can record video in 4K, with the Pro hitting 30FPS and the Ultra extending to 60FPS.

I'm not much of a photographer, but both the NOTE 60 Pro and the NOTE 60 Ultra have some nifty features. I was able to take some up-close nature photos with the Pro, and selecting the portrait mode when taking photos of my cat, Beans, made him the focal point of an otherwise busy picture. The Ultra's zoom capabilities are impressive, and the portrait mode offers various focal lengths that helped me capture my other cat, Uno, in the best light.

The selfie cameras are serviceable, but you can definitely tell that the NOTE 60 Pro's is a downgrade from the Ultra. I'm not a huge fan of the way most Android phones with AI camera apps tend to automatically add beauty filters to selfies, but other than that, I've no complaints.

Battery

The battery life on the NOTE 60 Pro and the NOTE 60 Ultra really impressed me. The Pro supports 30W wireless charging and 90W fast charging and reaches 100% from flat in 41 minutes wired. Similarly, the Ultra utilizes 50W wireless charging and 100W fast charging, bringing it up to 100% in 48 minutes when plugged in. Both phones beat out flagships from Apple and Samsung, so that's a big win for Infinix.

Based on my own testing, playing HSR on the previously mentioned settings, both phones depleted about 10% charge during an hour-long gaming session. That means you can lock in for a good few hours without having to worry about recharging, and when you do need to top up, it's lightning fast. It's also nice to see wireless charging offered at all on the NOTE 60 Pro, considering its lower price point.

Should you buy the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro or NOTE 60 Ultra?

Overall, both the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra are impressive Android devices, with the only major differences between the two models being the cameras, the chipset, and the price. If you're looking for your next mid-range gaming phone and want to add a bit of whimsy to your life, either option would suit you well.

The main downside for both of these devices is their lack of availability in the US, so even if you wanted to buy them, you might struggle to get your hands on them. Similarly, that makes accessories for the NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra hard to find, and that's why I'm glad both of them come with cases included.

Alternatives

If we've not sold you on either the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro or NOTE 60 Ultra, check out our suggestions for alternatives below.

Xiaomi 15T

The Xiaomi 15T has similar specs to the NOTE 60 Pro, offering a similarly flagship-eque experience for a mid-range price point. It's also a bit easier to get your hands on outside of Asia, so if you're looking to avoid some hassle, it could be the pick for you. For more on this one, check out our Xiaomi 15T review.

REDMAGIC 11 Pro

If you're willing to spend a little extra and go all-in on gaming, the REDMAGIC 11 Pro is the phone for you. Even the highest-end version of the device is less than $1k, with a huge AMOLED screen, chunky battery, and a fresh Snapdragon chipset to let you play all your favorite mobile games at high settings with ease. For the full lowdown, check out our REDMAGIC 11 Pro review.

That's it for our Infinix NOTE 60 Pro and NOTE 60 Ultra review. If you fancy comparing it to all of your available options, check out our list of the best Android phones and best iPhones next. For more gaming-specific information, our best handheld consoles guide is the place to be.