The market is already saturated with smartphones boasting skyrocketing megapixel counts, so a 108MP camera is neither groundbreaking nor surprising. But a 108MP camera for less than 6,000 pesos? Now, that’s something unheard of. Down from 8,999 actual price, itel now offers the S24 for only 5,999.
Surprisingly, itel managed to incorporate a 108MP lens into a smartphone while maintaining its entry-level price. The itel S24, featuring the brand’s first 108MP camera, is set to revolutionize the way people perceive budget-friendly smartphones.
Does the 108MP really deliver?
Since 108MP camera is the main key-selling point of the model, let’s now address the elephant in the room question: does it really deliver or it is just an on-the-sheet feature yet again that do not transpire on actual experience?
Housing a sensor from the brand that first introduced the 108MP camera to the market, the itel S24’s hardware does not disappoint. Equipped with the Samsung HM6 ISOCELL, which utilizes Nonapixel Plus technology by merging nine pixels into one to allow more light per pixel, this smartphone greatly enhances image clarity and excels in night photography.
Additionally, S24 features a 3X in-sensor zoom, enabling users to shoot farther and capture more details with ease. This is of course thanks to the 108MP camera lens.
Aside from its hardware features, itel also put in much effort in its camera software. The phone has multiple camera modes for both photography and videography including portrait, movie master, dual video and the fancy photo filters.
Now enough of the features and let’s dig further into the actual camera experience.
The default camera mode of the phone is what itel calls as AI CAM but surprisingly, there is another AI mode which on paper, helps in analyzing and improving the color of photos. In actual experience, at first glance, one may not notice the difference but if someone is to nitpick here, there is a subtle difference between the default and the actual AI mode–the latter produces more vibrant colors. As seen in the photos below, the roof color is quite punchier in AI mode.
Users can easily switch to 108MP mode via the top of the screen, next to the AI mode. This allows them to use the high-resolution option deliberately, as photos taken in 108MP mode obviously consume more storage. On average, a photo taken in 108MP mode is around 25MB, compared to just 5MB for a shot in the default AI mode.
In actual usage, the 108MP mode really did produce more crisp and detailed images. This is even more pronounced on landscape shots where details are all the more important. The 108MP mode is also useful in scenarios where users need to crop their photos—more pixels mean more details, and when cropping, more details are preserved.
Another surprising difference between shots taken in 108MP mode and the default AI CAM is the overall dynamic range. Photos in 108MP mode exhibit a higher dynamic range. For example, the sky appears more true to life and with better color variation as compared to the flatter interpretation from the default AI CAM.
More photos in 108MP mode in outdoor and indoor environments. The details and highlight control exhibited in the photos are superb. For the indoor shot, product names are actually readable. In the outdoor shot, the highlight control is perfectly seen in the clouds. No excess light and the clouds are actually detailed.
In front, the 8MP selfie camera is housed in a punch-hole setup. It captures decent photos, particularly in good lighting conditions. Additionally, the front camera supports most of the modes available in the 108MP rear camera, including portrait and dual video modes.
For videos, the maximum resolution is at 2K in 30 frames per second which is better than entry-level usual 1080p but not quite on the 4K side offered to most flagship phones.
Night Photography
There are three important factors in judging how good night photos are: noise reduction, dynamic range and of course, overall exposure. Now, let’s try to assess the night shots in S24 using its advertised super night mode.
None is more infuriating than having night photos with grains all over the place. itel must have done their research well on what to focus on their super night because it really delivers. Shots are crisp, clean and well-lighted.
The sky-rendition in the shot almost resembles the actual color. Dynamic range and highlight control are great as seen in the TUP logo. Although the yellow color rendition is quite punchy and saturated, the highlight control maintains a balanced exposure overall without eye-sore unnecessary light from the bright logo. Good job!
Overall exposure in itel super night mode is up there with older flagship phones from 2020 and 2021. The shots are not too bright like what most flagship phones do nowadays but it’s bright enough to ensure that details are captured well. This is perfect for users who are looking for phones with night photography that actually maintain the ‘night feels’ rather than turning night shots into day shots because everything is just overly bright.
Here are more photos shot using the super night mode. Everyone must have been to or at least seen Jollibee’s red color at night so people can actually judge the photo’s color accuracy here. The red color, like the yellow in the TIP logo, is actually punchier.
Going back to the question, yes, the 108MP camera really delivers. It produces crisp images with high dynamic range which makes it standout in landscape photography in broad daylight. For night photography, the big camera sensor helps in making the images brighter overall.
Chipset and storage size
Chipsets serve as the brains of smartphones, making them the most crucial factor in determining overall performance. One of the key selling points of the itel S24 is its MediaTek Helio G91 chipset, which promises a smooth gaming experience.
The Helio G91 is a mid-range chipset designed for gaming enthusiasts. It offers a balanced mix of power and efficiency, tailored to handling everyday applications and gaming with ease. Casual games like mobile legends, Honor of Kings, Roblox and Call of Duty can run smoothly in S24.
The memory specifications of the Helio G91 chipset support seamless multitasking. This capability is paired with the itel S24’s generous storage, offering 256GB of internal storage and 16GB of extended RAM (8+ 8). With RAM expansion options up to 16GB and 256GB of storage, the S24 ensures enhanced smoothness in performance and ample space for storing memories.
Overall screen and media consumption experience
The itel S24 features a large 6.6-inch HD punch-hole display with a 90Hz refresh rate, perfectly complementing the chipset’s gaming capabilities. Its screen resolution of 1612 x 720 is surprisingly crisp and detailed for its specs, providing a media consumption experience that rivals higher-priced smartphones.
Audio experience is also something to look forward to in S24. It boasts a dual DTS speaker which generates multi-dimensional audio quality for a more immersive and lifelike audio experience. This quality is comparable to the Dolby Atmos audio found in higher-priced smartphones.
Battery and charging
Big battery and fast charging capabilities have been the norm nowadays. Gone are the days when charging time took a day and the consumption would only last for a few hours. S24 packs in a 5000mAh battery coupled with 18W fast charging. This is not a highlight but more on the standard these days.
The 5000mAh lasts for an entire day on average social media and games consumption which is decent enough for casual users who charge their phones every night. The 18W fast charging can full charge the phone in two hours from zero battery percentage.
Looks and design
For the Philippine market, there are two available color options, the starry black and dawn white. The dawn white in particular has this what itel calls as color changing technology. Basically, if sunlight hits the back of the phone, the white colors will change into pink which surely is a gimmick, but still it shows that itel does try to put effort in conceptualizing their designs.
The design of the S24 feels surprisingly premium for its price point. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like a phone under 10K. While it’s slightly heavy at 192 grams, its 8.3mm thickness and balanced ergonomics make it comfortable to hold, so the weight isn’t really noticeable in hand. Sure, it doesn’t have the titanium and glass body of the newest iphones and samsung flagships but the feeling that someone can get while holding it isn’t far off although on paper, it is made of high-end plastic material.
Overall verdict…
Before anything else, remember that the itel S24 is priced at just 5,999 pesos, with an even bigger discount during its launch—down to 4,899 pesos. At this price point, it’s nearly impossible to find another phone that can match its specs and performance. With a 108MP camera, MediaTek G91 Ultra chipset, 16GB + 256GB memory, and a design that feels far beyond the entry-level segment, you simply can’t go wrong with this device.
