Yep, you can still count the so-called “leaders” in the smartphone market in one hand; these are the big brands that release overpriced “flagship” units every year, forcing buyers (and cultists) to “support” them every year even if we’re actually just given token “changes” that, definitely, do not enough to justify the gargantuan prices.
This is definitely why newer players are making waves in the market, offering products with (some) flagship features sold for non-flagship prices. Note that comparing 2022 and 2023 (YOY), Apple only grew by 2%, but Honor experienced a 27% growth, Xiaomi by 23%. In a gist: there is room for more players with better offerings at much, much lower prices.
Enter itel, particularly its follow-up to the P65: itel A80.
Yes, it’s a budget phone; but to start, let’s highlight its selling price, PhP3,999, and always remember this when looking at key features of this unit.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
Opening the white box with that itel logo contained in a speech bubble, you get the unit itself, a plastic case (which has a print of the magnetic ring at the back even if this phone isn’t compatible with wireless charging), SIM card ejector, Type C charging cable, and wall charger/adapter.
A80 is light (undisclosed weight, but 8.5 mm thickness). So for those who associate “premium quality” with weight (like in the earlier days of iPhone), this doesn’t feel that. But for those who know how tedious taking pics can get when you use just one hand when you use heavier phones, then… this one ought to please you.
No buttons at the top part; you get the a MicroSD card slot at the left; the volume bar + power button (which is also the side-mounted fingerprint scanner) at the right; and the charging port + sound jack + speakers at the bottom part.
At the glass-like back, you get the 50 MP, AI camera with autofocus; and at the front, the 8-megapixel selfie camera (via the punch-hole cam).
Oh yeah: there are two A80 colors, and there are different texture patterns depending on the color.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Setting up the A80 took over 2 minutes for me, which is – to be frank – a long time these days (hey, an unpaid IG or Twitter/X reel only lasts 1 minute and 30 seconds). But once you’re in – in a manner of speaking – the very first thing you’d notice is 720 x 1600 resolution. And not because it’s bad (I was expecting pixels all over), but because it’s surprisingly crisp.
With a 120hz touch sampling rate and 500nits of brightness (said to be for a better display experience), A80 doesn’t strain the eyes even when checked outdoors.
A80 uses the Unisoc T603 octa-core processor, and itel OS 14 (Android 14) OS. An observation, if you will: there are times when there’s a seeming “lag” when you use the phone – e.g. when I opened Google, for instance, there’s this nanosecond lag. Nanosecond is nothing, you say, and this is true; but I noticed it all the same.
The 6.7-inch HD+ IPS LCD is… just right, basically the same size as flagship phones out there. Note, though, that it (only) has a 90% screen to body ratio, so you’d notice the bezel (particularly at the bottom), even if it’s easily forgotten the moment you start using the phone.
THE CAMS, THE CAMS
A pleasant surprise for me were the cams. This is due to two things.
One: when you open the A80’s cam, you won’t necessarily be impressed. It has the usual features you could say you’d find in other units with the same price tag – e.g. 2x zoom, special filters out of the box, et cetera. Heck, even what you see on-cam while you’re shooting is not exactly impressive; images that you are about to take tend to appear dark and muddy and undefined and… you get the point. So you actually catch yourself thinking you need to lower your expectations because this is a PhP3,999 phone after all.
Second: But then you see what you shot… and then you’re surprised. While not true-to-life, the photos were actually crisp, able to capture the colors properly. Yep, the zooming is a limitation, but if you’re just into “normal” shots, this is actually… not bad.
The selfie cam is similar to many phones that target the socmed-crazy; that is, it “checks” if you’re in a dark(er) area and auto-adjusts the lighting. Meaning, you’re always well-lit, and yep, fresh-looking.
TAKE NOTE OF THAT BATTERY LIFE
The A80 has a 5000mAh battery (with USB-C charging), and yes, this is more than enough to last you a day (if using extensively) or even more (if on standby, perhaps as your second phone). Even while touring parts of Europe where there were charging outlets even when catching public transportation, you are bound to run out of juice… almost always. So having more juice to start with is always a big plus, and here, A80 delivers.
IN THE END…
For those looking for an under-PhP4,000 price tag phone with not-too-shabby features, then consider A80. Here, you get a 6.7-inch HD+ screen that guarantees a surprisingly not bad screen; Unisoc T603 octa-core processor that allows you to do more than one task without experiencing pronounced lag; and a long-ish battery life. It doesn’t hurt that – even if it doesn’t feel “premium” – A80 doesn’t look bad, too.
Long live affordable phones, indeed!
ITEL A80 SPECS
BATTERY CAPACITY: 5,000mAh battery
CHARGE: 10W Type-C
PROCESSOR: UNISOC T603Octa-core
DISPLAY: 6.7-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) IPS LCD
O.S.: itel OS 14 (Android 14)
RESOLUTION: 720 x 1600
FRONT CAMERA: 8 MP
PRIMARY CAMERA: 50 MP
NETWORK: 4G/3G/2G
