Itel has released it lastest device, the Itel S24. This device is a refresh to very popular Itel S series which has served as the company’s flagship line for a while now.
So as we all know, Itel has been working very hard to throw off its tag of entry level phone producer and it’s working. The Itel S23 and Itel S23+ were well received by the general public so Itel has gone on to build on the success of those devices. That’s where the Itel S24 comes in.
The Itel S24 is a lower mid-range phone that is designed to cement Itel’s position at the bottom of the lower mid-range category. Since most of the feedback on the Itel P55 series say that they’re rather expensive. The Itel S24 should serve as a cheaper alternative for their target audience.
Itel S24 Specs
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Body | Plastic frame and back, rounded edges |
| SoC | MediaTek Helio G91 |
| GPU | ARM Mali G52 MC2 |
| Software | Android 13, Itel OS 13 |
| Benchmarks | AnTuTu 10: 270,020 |
| RAM | LPDDR4X, 4GB, 8GB |
| Storage | eMMC 5.1 (128GB/256GB) |
| Display | 6.6″ 720p IPS-LCD, 90Hz |
| Camera (Rear) | 108MP main + 0.08MP depth, 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie | 8MP |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, 18W |
| Connectivity | 4G, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C (2.0) port, 3.5mm audio in/out, side mounted Fingerprint reader |
Itel S24 Review
As it is my fashion, we’re going to cut straight to the heart of the matter. So let’s get started.
Body
This phone as with all Midrange phones is made of plastic. 100% plastic. However, due to the category and price range, it is to be expected. The phone weighs around 193g and uses a variation of the design of the older Itel S23.
Display
This one comes with a 6.6″ 720p LCD with support for up to 90Hz refresh rate. You guys already know how I feel about high refresh rates on low end devices. It has a decent brightness of 480nits which should do okay outdoors, but I’m not sure how will it’ll performance under direct sunlight.
Performance (SoC)
This was the first thing I ran to check out and believe me, I was a bit confused. Because I saw a MediaTek Helio G91 SoC there. Helio G91 Ultimate they called it. If I see one more rebrand from MediaTek, I swear, I’ll pop a blood vessel. 😂
The G91 name threw me for a loop and I initially thought it was something on the level of the Helio G90 or G90T. However a look at the specs quickly changed my mind. The Helio G91 is an updated Helio G88 with support for 108MP sensors. So when you hear Helio G91, think Helio G85, Helio G88 performance. It performs exactly the same as those older SoCs.
This means you should be able to run 64-bit apps like Facebook, Snapchat and co. This SoC should also handle eFootball, CoDM, PUBG mobile etc at medium settings. It should also handle DuckStation (PS1) and some AetherSX2 (PS2) emulation as well. Phones with similar performance as the Itel S24 include:
- Redmi 10
- Redmi 12C
- Infinix Hot 30
- Tecno Spark 10 Pro
- Tecno Pova 3
- Infinix Hot 40
- Infinix Note 12
- Tecno Camon 18
RAM and Storage
This device ships with LPDDR4X RAM variant. One is 4GB RAM and the other is 8GB RAM. Nothing to see here.
However for Storage, the Itel S24 has been downgraded from UFS storage to eMMC 5.1 storage. This is due to the modified Helio G88 SoC that it uses. It has two storage variants, 128GB and 256GB.
Cameras
This is the big one. The key selling point of this phone is it’s main 108MP cameras. The other camera on the back is a 0.08MP depth sensor. On the front, there is an 8MP selfie.
For video, this phone records a max resolution of 1080p at 30fps. This to me is unacceptable. I mean, this is akin to putting a racing car engine on a taxi and then slapping a speed limit of 60 on it.
It is my opinion anyway, because if this is truly a 108MP camera, it is capable of at least 4K video at 60fps. And I am yet to talk about the photography. The G88 was never the best with photography and I doubt that the baptized G91 would fix that.
I’m only saying this because I know some people will soon start screaming 108MP cameras soon. This 108MP is underpowered, underutilized and may probably perform well below it’s capacity. Not all 108MP cameras are 108MP.
Battery life and charging
This one comes with a 5000mAh battery and supports 18W fast charge. It should go one day on a single charge and with moderate use.
For connectivity
It is a 4G LTE phone because it uses a Helio G91 SoC. The phone also supports Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi with USB 2.0 and OTG. I would also like to point out that the modem on this G91 SoC is the the same 4G LTE Cat 7 modem on the G88. So expect mid download speeds too.
For security, there’s a side mounted Fingerprint sensor as is the modern style.
Prices
While the prices have not been confirmed, online sources state that this phone could cost anything between 112,000 to 150,000 (Nigerian Naira).
With the rising inflation and the refusal of business to lower prices with the crashing dollar, I guess this is the new normal.
Conclusion
Here’s my take. For the performance on offer, this is a very decent phone. But we know that Itel are going to market it’s 108MP cameras and that’s where I take umbrage. It’s 108MP cameras will not perform to the standard set by other phones using 108MP cameras powered by better upper Midrange and flagship SoCs. But the uneducated and uninitiated buyer out there will probably fall for the gimmick. Screenshot this page, we shall hear the lamentations in the future.
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