Introduction
In the ever-expanding world of smartphones, finding the right balance between quality and affordability can be a challenge. Enter the itel S24, a budget-friendly device that promises to deliver more than what you pay for. In this detailed review, we’ll dive into every aspect of the itel S24, from its design to its performance, and see if it truly stands out in the crowded market of budget smartphones.
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Design and Build Quality
The itel S24 boasts a sleek and modern design that can easily rival more expensive phones. Its slim profile and rounded edges make it comfortable to hold and use. The back panel features a subtle texture that not only adds to its aesthetic appeal but also provides a better grip. Despite its budget-friendly price, the build quality is surprisingly solid, with durable materials that can withstand everyday use.
Display
The itel S24 comes equipped with a 6.5-inch HD+ display, offering a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. While it may not be the sharpest display on the market, it delivers vibrant colors and decent brightness levels, making it suitable for daily use, whether you're browsing the web, watching videos, or playing games. The screen's performance is impressive for its price range, providing a pleasant viewing experience overall.
Itel claims the panel incorporates colour-changing technology, which changes the rear panel’s colour under direct sunlight. I tested it out, and it certainly works, turning the rear panel’s white hue into a soft pink, similar to the colour of a Sakura blossom. The right edge houses the volume and power button, which doubles as a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and swiftly unlocks the device. The SIM card tray is placed along the left edge. You can find the Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a speaker grille on the bottom edge of the smartphone, while the other speaker grille is situated on the top edge. The smartphone is comfortable to hold in the hand and weighs about 194g. For visuals, the smartphone features a 6.56-inch IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution (720 x 1612 pixels), 480 nits of peak brightness, and a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz. The display comes with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera and thin bezels around the edges, with thicker bezels towards the bottom of the panel. When it comes to the smartphone design, it looks quite similar to many recent Realme and Vivo smartphones available in the market. It has a circular rear camera module on the back, which includes two different sensors. The phone has a marble-textured design on the back panel, similar to the Redmi Note 13. The side edges are made of plastic but have a metallic finish.
Performance and Hardware
Under the hood, the itel S24 is powered by a quad-core processor that ensures smooth performance for basic tasks. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card. While it may not be a powerhouse for heavy multitasking or intensive gaming, it handles everyday activities like social media browsing, messaging, and light app usage with ease.
The MediaTek Helio G91 processor powers the itel S24, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The RAM can be extended by an additional 8GB using the MEM fusion feature. When it comes to performance, the itel S24 doesn’t really offer anything that stands apart from other offerings in the price bracket. There are some occasional hiccups when browsing through apps, but it’s mostly a smooth affair. Here are some performance benchmarks against some key competitors. The smartphone operates smoothly but experiences some lag when multitasking. Additionally, it comes with numerous unnecessary apps and duplicate software. You can uninstall some of them, while others can be force-stopped to free up storage space. The smartphone comes with Android 13 pre-installed, along with a suite of smart features aimed at making your everyday experience smoother. I found features like the smart panel, game mode, and i-smart gestures particularly useful. The dynamic bar also adds a neat little touch to the overall UI. I’ll include some images showcasing all of these features. There’s also a generative wallpaper function, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work as of now. One feature I’m particularly happy about is the NFC support, which is not common at this price.
Software and User Interface
Running on Android 10 (Go Edition), the itel S24 offers a clean and user-friendly interface. The Go Edition is optimized for low-end devices, ensuring a smooth and lag-free experience. The pre-installed apps are lightweight and designed to take up minimal storage, which is a big plus for a budget phone. Additionally, itel has included a few custom features to enhance usability, such as gesture navigation and a dark mode.
Camera Performance
One of the standout features of the itel S24 is its camera setup. The rear camera boasts a 13MP main sensor, accompanied by a 2MP depth sensor for portrait shots. The camera performs admirably in good lighting conditions, capturing clear and detailed photos. The 8MP front camera is ideal for selfies and video calls, delivering sharp and vibrant images. While low-light performance is not its strong suit, the camera's overall quality is commendable for a budget device.
The itel S24 comes with an upgraded primary camera compared to the itel S23. The new device features a 108MP Samsung HM6 ISOCELL primary camera with an aperture size of f/1.6, paired with an AI lens. At the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera. The camera takes good daylight images but tends to overexpose them in bright surroundings. There’s a dedicated 108MP mode to capture more detailed images, resulting in slightly better images with more details and balanced exposure levels. Here’s a comparison with the Moto G24 Power, another popular budget smartphone. Both the itel S24 and Moto G24 Power offer nearly identical levels of detail and dynamic range in their photos. The key difference lies in their colour grading: the Moto G24 Power slightly boosts colours and leans towards a cooler hue, while the itel S24 favours slightly warmer tones. In this case, the itel S24 more closely represented the actual scene. The low-light camera performance of the itel S24 is not on par with its daylight performance, but it is satisfactory given its price. With the super night mode enabled, the images do gain extra illumination, but this comes at the cost of details. The sharpness levels are low, and there is significant lens flare in low-light images. Selfies perform similarly, with pleasing daylight images but less appealing low-light results.
The Itel S24 comes with a camera app that offers various features, including Portrait mode, Super Night, Panorama Mode, Pro mode, and more. In terms of camera performance, the Itel S24 provides good picture quality considering its price range. Photos taken in daylight show nearly true colors and decent details. The front camera also works well, capturing good details, and the photos taken from it are decent. The Portrait mode also performs well.
Battery Life
Battery life is a crucial factor for any smartphone, and the itel S24 does not disappoint. With a 4000mAh battery, it easily lasts a full day on a single charge with moderate use. Whether you're streaming videos, browsing the web, or using social media, the battery holds up well. Additionally, the phone supports fast charging, ensuring you can quickly top up the battery when needed.
A standard 5,000mAh battery powers the itel S24, supporting up to 18W fast charging with the charger brick included in the retail box. In our PCMark battery benchmark test, the itel S24 registered a score of 12 hours and 20 minutes, which is slightly below average in its price segment. In our extensive testing, which includes a variety of intensive tasks such as video streaming and gaming, the itel S24 logged an aggregate battery drain of 21 percent. The phone easily offers an entire day of battery life for average users. The itel S24 takes around 1 hour and 43 minutes to charge from 20 to 100 percent battery capacity, which is close to the standard charging time for smartphones in this segment.
Connectivity and Network
The itel S24 supports 4G LTE, providing fast and reliable network connectivity. It also features dual SIM slots, allowing you to manage personal and work numbers on a single device. For wireless connectivity, it includes Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2. These connectivity options ensure you stay connected and productive throughout the day.
Audio Quality
Audio quality is often overlooked in budget smartphones, but the itel S24 manages to deliver decent sound. The speaker produces clear and loud audio, suitable for calls and media consumption. When using headphones, the audio experience is enhanced, providing a more immersive listening experience. Call quality is also satisfactory, with clear and crisp voice transmission on both ends.
Security Features
Security is a priority for any smartphone user, and the itel S24 comes equipped with a fingerprint sensor for quick and secure unlocking. The sensor is responsive and accurate, adding a layer of convenience to your daily use. Additionally, the phone supports face unlock, providing an alternative method to unlock your device swiftly and securely.
Gaming Performance
While the itel S24 is not designed as a gaming phone, it can handle casual gaming quite well. Popular games like Candy Crush and Subway Surfers run smoothly, though more demanding games may experience occasional lag. The graphics performance is adequate for its category, making it a suitable choice for those who enjoy light gaming.
Value for Money
When it comes to value for money, the itel S24 stands out. Priced competitively, it offers a range of features that are typically found in more expensive devices. Its combination of decent performance, good camera quality, and solid build make it an attractive option for budget-conscious consumers. Compared to its competitors, the itel S24 provides excellent bang for your buck.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable price
- Decent camera performance
- Good battery life
- Solid build quality
- User-friendly interface
Cons:
- Limited RAM and storage
- Average low-light camera performance
- Basic gaming capabilities
Customer Reviews and Feedback
Customer feedback for the itel S24 has been generally positive. Users appreciate the phone's affordability and solid performance for basic tasks. The camera quality and battery life have received particular praise. However, some users have noted that the phone can struggle with more demanding applications and games. Overall, the itel S24 is well-received for its intended market segment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the itel S24 is a strong contender in the budget smartphone market. It offers a well-rounded package with decent performance, good camera quality, and solid battery life, all at an affordable price. If you're looking for a reliable and cost-effective smartphone for everyday use, the itel S24 is worth considering. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a flagship device, but it delivers where it matters most.
FAQs
Q.1 Is the itel S24 good for gaming?Ans. The itel S24 can handle casual games well but may struggle with more demanding games due to its limited RAM and basic processor.
Q.2 Does the itel S24 have a good camera?
Q.3 How long does the itel S24 battery last?
Q.4 Can I expand the storage on the itel S24?
Q.5 What security features does the itel S24 have?
