Budget phones are usually made of plastic or polycarbonate. It has always been tradition. Sometimes, you get a glossy finish to mimic glass or metal if you go a bit higher than $400. Underneath the cheap production is cost as a major influencer. High-end materials are more expensive to produce, which is why you mostly see them on flagship.
If you do buy a budget phone with a metal body, there’s a high chance it’s fake or the material is of low grade. Believe it or not, some lesser known manufacturers leverage deceptive coating to make the phone look premium. These material deep fakes should disappear gradually if more brands copy the technology used on the Note 50 series phones.
Cars inspired Note 50 series design
Infinix launched the Note 50 Series in Indonesia at MWC 2025, alongside their new SolarEnergy-Reserving Technology and E-Color Shift 2.0. SolarEnergy-Reserving Technology will allow smartphones and cases to convert ambient light into battery life.
Meanwhile, E-Color Shift 2.0 brings a dynamically changing back panel that would make you never want to touch a case. As if that wasn’t enough, a new major leak reveals that the brand has brought cars to phones.
Well, more like they borrowed ideas from how cars are built. Infinix has used metal casting techniques that Tesla and other automakers are into on both phones. The new Note 50 Pro+ will also adopt it. ArmorAlloy, as they call it, is the end product of mixing Damascus steel layering concept and aluminum.
Damascus steel on its own is a stack of multiple metal layers. Aluminum, on the other hand, doesn’t scratch easily because of its natural oxide layer, as seen on the Note 50 phones. If you do the math, the result is nothing short of an extremely durable phone back.
600 tons of pressure won’t break Infinix’s bones
Infinix’s not-so-secret ingredient at the forge is HyperCasting. It sounds futuristic, but it’s pretty much a fancy name for intense metal casting. It’s the same thing that’s already applied in automotive industries around the world. The technicalities behind the name are the more impressive parts.
The casting process starts with melting aluminum alloy at around 700°C, injecting it into a mold with 600 tons of pressure, and shaping a phone’s body in one go. Normally, this is the point where manufacturers would weld or glue them together to form the frame.
But welding is known to create weak spots where the phone could break under stress. You’re basically putting two parts together like Lego blocks. The point where they meet is vulnerable with impact.
Note 50 turns camera into a luxury statement
Another norm Infinix is breaking is in camera design. Having it look like a car air intake probably isn’t among your expectations, but that seems to be the idea behind the Note 50 series. The octagonal module has deep black lenses that resemble the layered openings of a powerful sports car intake.
It also seems to be what Mufasa thought of when he said, “Everything the light touches is your kingdom”. With that many lenses and reflections, it really does catch the light in an attractive way. Yet again, it owes its inspiration to Harry Winston jewelry.
Harry Winston jewelry is known for its exquisite diamonds and staggering price tags reaching $1000 and over. You can’t just go around buying the pieces unless your wallet is built like a trust fund. But at least, you can now have a phone that mirrors its elegance.
Speaking of, the Note 50 Pro+ will launch globally on March 20th this year. It’ll come with Infinix AI, as promised, and 5G connectivity. Like its siblings in the series, the phone will be among the world’s first smartphones priced under $500 with a full metal body.
