Infinix has pulled out all the stops for its latest foray out of its mid-range smartphone heartland, calling in the keen eye of automotive design house Pininfarina to help the new Note 60 Ultra stand out from the flagship crowd. The firm known for sculpting some of Ferarri’s best-looking supercars has also contributed to one of the wildest special edition bundles I’ve seen in years.
The Infinix Note 60 Ultra Design by Pininfarina arrives in a massive presentation case, with an unboxing experience that borders on the theatrical. Flicking open the latches on either side and lifting the outer lid reveals the phone itself, nestled between an extensive selection of pack-ins. Beyond a carbon-effect protective case, glass screen protector and charging adapter (which is still a regular inclusion with phones sold in Infinix’s target markets), the highlight is a sculpted wireless charging stand.
It’s styled like a Pininfarina design sketch – all flowy lines that merely hint at the outline of a car – and is seriously hefty. The wireless charging puck itself is also in there, with just the tiniest bit of assembly required before it’s ready to refuel your new phone sans cables.
Pininfarina is no stranger to tech collabs, having only recently helped InkPoster with its mammoth Duna e-ink artpiece.
The handset itself has been given a similar treatment. My Torino Black review unit has a carbon fibre effect across its rear panel, along with the Pininfarina logo etched into its aluminium frame – which is naturally flat, like most modern phones. Around back, a floating ‘taillight’ beneath the huge glass camera island glows red when notifications come in.
It’s also launching in Amalfi Blue, Roma Silver and Monza Red hues. The latter is inspired by the grille on Ferrari’s spectacular Daytona SP3. Each model also gets a bespoke “Racing UI” skin for Infinix’s XOS Android interface.
The underlying hardware is an evolution of the Infinix Note 60 Pro revealed earlier this month. The Ultra keeps that phone’s customisable Quick Launch key and heart rate sensor at either side of the 6.78in AMOLED screen, which maxes out at a 1.5K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It has near-symmetrical bezels, hits a peak 4500 nits for HDR content, and is paired to some JBL-tuned stereo speakers.
While I’ve not had the time to test it thoroughly, photography should be a real highlight: you’re getting a 200MP main snapper and a 50MP periscope telephoto good for 3x optical zoom. There’s also an 8MP ultrawide bringing up the rear, while selfie duties are handled by a 32MP unit up front.
I’m glad Infinix has kept the fun matrix LED display to the right of the camera lenses; it can play retro-inspired minigames as well as show the time and flash for incoming notifications. There’s also an IR blaster lurking somewhere nearby. Two-way satellite communication support (with a
A MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultimate runs the show, backed up by 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. It’s effectively a tweaked version of the chip I last saw powering the Poco X7 Pro, which is very much a budget handset; Infinix likely picked it to keep costs in check for India, Africa and South East Asia, where this phone will mainly be sold.
It has also allowed the firm to splurge elsewhere, like on battery capacity. You’re getting a mammoth 7000mAh cell here, which should comfortably be enough for two whole days between charges. The Note 60 Ultra supports 100W wired and 50W wireless speeds, too – although the bundled one tops out at 30W.
Buyers can expect to get three new Android generations and 5 years of security updates, which is the longest support ever for an Infinix phone.
The only things missing right now? A confirmed price and which countries will be in line to receive it.
The Infinix Note 60 Ultra is on sale in the firm’s usual markets – mainly India, Africa and South East Asia – right now. Pricing varies by region.
