A few cheaper than most smartphones have hit SA shores. And while you won’t have people saying “Oh is that the rose gold iPhone 6 or did you get the VR headset with your S7”, it does the job for a fraction of the cost. I put the Hisense Infinity KO to the test – from dropping it on the floor to submerging it in water, and this is what I thought:
The Hisense Infinity KO is waterproof up to 1m and can be dropped due to its gorilla glass and silicone outer layer. I was a bit apprehensive to try this out – when I get review models I still have to look after them but on the HiSense website they say:
The IP (Ingress Protection) rating is an international standard for measuring a device’s levels of protection from dust and fresh water. The phone is rated IP67, which means
IP6X. Dust tight
IPX7. Protected against the effects of immersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes.
So I decided to test it out.
Drop test
I was really scared to put this to the test, so I started out with carpet and then moved onto tiles.
Water test
This felt like I was throwing R4k away. I once dropped my iPod into the bath and it (I) still hasn’t recovered. I keep it as an expensive paper weight and a reminder. I first gently put the phone in water and then threw it in. The video has been muted because I kept on dropping the F bomb and screaming when it went into the water. Every inch of my being was saying no, this is not going to end well.
[Tweet “We threw the Hisense Infinity KO on the ground & in water… this is what happened. “]
The camera
13 MP back camera and 5 MP front camera are what you would expect. Features include baby mode, beauty mode and the usual night and panoramic mode. To test out the camera I decided to make a recipe video. You can see I’ve been influenced by YouTubers, but obviously lack the production value. Here is Cooking beef stew in a onesie on a cold day, flimed on the Hisense Infinity KO.
What I like:
- The phone comes loaded up with helpful apps which makes getting started much easier.
- I used the phone for a day and a bit before it had to be charged, which is pretty impressive.
- It can take a few knocks, so you don’t need to have a heart attack when you drop your phone and then have to check the damage.
- The silicone covering and gorilla glass makes this all possible.
- It’s waterproof and can be submerged up to 1m – hopefully this means that it will survive an accidental swim in the bath or toilet. (Don’t judge – most of us take our phones into the bathroom with us).
What I don’t like:
- Although it has dual sim, the sim cards are the normal size (micro sim). Like Nokia 3310 size (not really, but might as well been). Most phones have a nano sim, so swopping sims to the Hisense is a mission.
- You need to open a flap to charge the phone, which is a bit annoying, but necessary to make it waterproof. You do however get a message if you forget to close it properly, which is helpful.
- I’ve become accustomed to Fast Charge and waiting 3 hours for a phone to charge is not the new normal.
This is the perfect phone for someone who drops their phone more than most, and will get it wet here and there. For only R3999 it is great value for money.
Technical Specs:
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- Octa Core 1.36GHz Processor
- 3200mAh battery
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB on-board memory
- 5.0″ Capacitive Multi-touch IPS OGS Display
- 13MP Camera with LED flash + 5MP front camera