The quest for affordable yet feature-rich smartphones has led to remarkable innovations. Among these, the itel P55 series stands out as a significant milestone in the budget smartphone market, offering an unprecedented blend of affordability, advanced features, and connectivity options. Comprising the itel P55, P55+, P55T, and the P55 5G, Each smartphone in this lineup promises to deliver on the essential aspects of modern mobile technology—connectivity, performance, and multimedia capabilities, all while maintaining an attractive price point.
At the heart of the series is the itel P55 5G, touted as the cheapest 5G device available, making next-generation connectivity accessible to a broader audience. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 680 chipset, it combines high-speed performance with energy efficiency. Alongside, the P55+, with its distinctive dual-tone leather design and 45W fast charging, stands out as a device that defies the typical budget phone conventions. The P55T, with its larger battery and Android 14 Go edition, promises extended use and up-to-date software, while the base model P55 offers solid performance and value for those seeking an entry-level smartphone.
All models in the series share some core features, such as a 6.6-inch display, a 5,000mAh battery (6,000mAh for the P55T), a 50MP primary rear camera, and an 8MP selfie camera, ensuring a consistent baseline of quality and performance across the range. So, As we delve into the details of the itel P55 series, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview that highlights the unique attributes of each model, helping you decide which device best fits your lifestyle and budget.
Unboxing the itel P55 Series: What’s Inside the Box?
The itel P55 series, comprising the itel P55, P55+, P55T, and P55 5G, offers a tailored unboxing experience across its range, subtly reflecting the unique selling points of each model. While the core contents remain consistent, ensuring every buyer gets the necessary accessories for a full smartphone experience, the distinctions lie in the specific enhancements and features that define each model.
The shared items—charger, USB Type-C cable, earphones, protective case, SIM ejector tool, and quick start guide. However, the differences lie in the specifics designed to highlight the unique selling points of each model within the same family. The itel P55+ distinguishes itself with a 45W charger, a step up from the 18W chargers included with the other models, underscoring its premium positioning in the lineup.
Design and Build Quality
The itel P55 presents a straightforward yet elegant design ethos, with a plastic body that is both lightweight and durable, the device is designed to withstand the rigors of daily use. Its 6.6-inch display is encased in a slim profile, offering a comfortable grip and ease of navigation. The device features a matte finish on the back, reducing fingerprint visibility and enhancing the overall feel of the hand.
Elevating the design narrative within the series, the itel P55+ boasts a premium dual-tone leather finish on the back, distinguishing itself with a luxurious texture rare in the budget segment. This model not only feels great in the hand but also stands out for its aesthetic appeal. The build is solid, with a frame that balances lightweight design with structural integrity. The P55+ also features a slightly more elaborate camera module, emphasizing its advanced photographic capabilities.
The itel P55T introduces a unique element with its ring LED light on the back, adding a functional yet stylish flair that sets it apart. The device’s build is robust, and designed to accommodate a larger battery while maintaining a comfortable hand feel. The textured back cover enhances grip and minimizes the appearance of fingerprints, ensuring the device remains sleek and clean throughout use.
As the flagship of the series, the itel P55 5G incorporates a modern design with a focus on enabling 5G connectivity. Its build quality is reflective of its premium status within the lineup, featuring a design that accommodates the advanced technology within. The P55 5G maintains the series’ ergonomic design principles, with a sleek profile and a back cover designed to offer a secure grip. The water-drop notch on the display is a nod to traditional design.
Display and Visuals
All models in the itel P55 series feature a 6.6-inch display, a deliberate choice that provides ample screen real estate for various activities, from browsing and social media scrolling to watching videos and gaming, with a focus on delivering clear, vibrant visuals. While they might not boast the highest resolution in the smartphone market, they offer a resolution that strikes an optimal balance between quality visuals and battery efficiency. The screens are tuned to produce bright, vivid colors, with contrast ratios that make for pleasant reading, viewing, and gaming experiences, even in outdoor conditions.
Understanding the importance of eye comfort, especially with increased screen time, the itel P55 series incorporates adaptive brightness technology. This feature adjusts the display brightness based on ambient light conditions, ensuring the screen is comfortable to view in both dimly lit environments and under direct sunlight. Additionally, the series includes eye comfort modes that reduce blue light emission.
The displays across the itel P55 series perform admirably under various lighting conditions. The screens are designed to be sufficiently bright for outdoor use, ensuring that texts remain readable and visuals clear even under bright sunlight. Indoors, the displays show their strength by presenting content with clarity and depth, enhancing the user experience regardless of the lighting environment.
The series features different notch designs, including the traditional waterdrop notch and the more contemporary punch-hole notch, each serving distinct aesthetic and functional purposes. The waterdrop notch, seen in models like the itel P55 5G, offers a minimalistic approach that maximizes screen real estate while accommodating the front-facing camera. From a usability standpoint, the waterdrop notch design minimizes the impact on content display, particularly in full-screen applications or media playback. It allows for an immersive experience with minimal distraction.
The punch-hole notch, featured in other models of the itel P55 series, represents a modern design trend that aims to further minimize visual interruptions on the display. Positioned at the center of the screen, this design approach allocates a small, circular space for the camera, maximizing the usable display area. The punch-hole notch is favored for its sophisticated look, lending a high-end, where edge-to-edge screen utilization is desirable. The punch-hole placement is often perceived as less intrusive compared to other notch styles, providing a more engaging and visually appealing interface for interactive content.
The incorporation of a 90Hz refresh rate across the itel P55 series models—marks a notable improvement in how content is displayed and interacted with on these devices. At 90Hz, the display refreshes 90 times per second, offering a noticeable difference in the smoothness of scrolling through web pages, social media feeds, and during the navigation of the user interface compared to the standard 60Hz found in many budget smartphones. This enhancement makes animations and transitions look and feel more fluid, significantly improving the user’s overall experience.
Performance and Hardware
The itel P55 series, encompassing the P55, P55+, P55T, and P55 5G models, is designed to deliver commendable performance and hardware capabilities within the budget smartphone sector. The base models of the series, the itel P55, P55T, and P55+ are equipped with hardware that aims to balance efficiency with functionality. Powered by a Unisoc T606 (12 nm) processor, it’s optimized for everyday tasks such as web browsing, social media, and standard multimedia consumption. Coupled with a standard 4 or 8GB of RAM, which is expandable via virtual RAM technology, offers smooth performance for basic applications (itel P55T only 4GB RAM). Storage options are generous for its class with 128 or 256Gb, providing ample space for apps, photos, and media.
The crown jewel of the series, the itel P55 5G, is built around a MediaTek Dimensity 6080 chipset, enabling 5G connectivity. This model not only brings faster internet speeds to the budget segment but also boasts improved overall performance. With 6GB of RAM and virtual RAM support, the P55 5G is more than capable of handling more intensive tasks, including moderate gaming, seamless multitasking, and quick app navigation.
Android with Custom UI
Each model in the itel P55 series runs on the Android 13 operating system, ensuring access to a wide range of apps and services available on the Google Play Store. However, itel enhances the standard Android experience with its custom user interface layer, which is designed to provide additional features and optimizations tailored to the needs of itel users. This custom UI layer includes visual enhancements, added functionality, and performance tweaks that distinguish the itel software experience from stock Android.
Notably, the itel P55T model is run Android 14 Go Edition, a variant of Android optimized for lower-end hardware. Android Go Edition is designed to provide a streamlined experience that includes modified versions of Google apps that use less memory, storage, and data. This ensures that users of the most budget-friendly model in the series still enjoy a smooth and responsive UI, despite the device’s modest hardware specifications.
Camera Capabilities
The itel P55 is equipped with a dual-camera setup, featuring a primary sensor that captures clear and detailed photos under various lighting conditions. The secondary sensor aids in depth sensing for portrait shots, allowing users to achieve a blurred background effect, enhancing the focus on the subject. The device includes basic photography modes such as HDR, panorama, and beauty mode, catering to everyday photography needs. The front-facing camera is designed for selfies and video calls, with features that adjust lighting and skin tones to produce more flattering images.
Building on the foundation of the P55, the itel P55+ introduces an upgraded camera system with enhanced sensors that offer better low-light performance and more detailed captures. The P55+ focuses on providing a more dynamic range and color accuracy, making it suitable for users who prioritize photographic quality. Additional software features, such as improved night mode, AI scene detection, and professional settings, allow users to experiment with various photography styles and conditions. The front camera on the P55+ also benefits from higher resolution and advanced beautification algorithms, ensuring high-quality selfies.
The itel P55T and itel P55 5G maintain a similar camera setup to the P55 , with optimizations for faster focus and improved image stabilization, making it ideal for capturing moving subjects and video recording. The device’s camera software is streamlined to offer an intuitive photography experience, with quick access to frequently used modes and settings. The P55T’s camera is designed to be reliable and straightforward, ensuring users can capture moments quickly and easily without navigating through complex settings.
Battery Life and Charging
The itel P55 is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, a sizeable capacity, ensuring a full day of moderate use without the need for mid-day charging. Coupled with an 18W fast charging capability, this model strikes a balance between longevity and quick recharge times. The itel P55+ takes a step further by not only offering a 5,000mAh battery that supports extended usage but also enhancing the user experience with a 45W fast charging technology. This significant upgrade in charging speed means the P55+ can be recharged much faster than its counterparts.
Designed with endurance in mind, the itel P55T boasts a 6,000mAh battery, the largest within the series, offering up to two days of usage on a single charge under typical conditions. Despite its larger capacity, the P55T maintains an 18W fast charging feature. The itel P55 5G, while focusing on delivering the advanced connectivity of 5G, balances its 5,000mAh battery to efficiently manage the increased power consumption associated with 5G networks. Equipped with 18W fast charging, the P55 5G ensures that you can enjoy the faster data speeds and enhanced connectivity of 5G without constant concerns about battery depletion.
Pricing and Value Proposition
The itel P55 series offers a strategic blend of affordability and functionality. Each model within the series—the P55, P55+, P55T, and P55 5G—brings forward a specific set of features aimed at enhancing the user experience while maintaining a competitive price point. The inclusion of features like high-refresh-rate displays, sizeable batteries with fast charging capabilities, and versatile camera systems across the series highlights itel’s dedication to keeping pace with current smartphone trends while maintaining accessible price points.
Starting with the itel P55, designed as the entry-level model, it could be priced around $80-$100. This makes it an ideal choice for first-time smartphone users or those in need of a reliable secondary device, offering essential smartphone functionalities without stretching the budget. The itel P55+, with its upgraded features such as a better camera and faster charging capabilities, might see a slight price increase, potentially positioned at $120-$140. This model targets users looking for enhanced performance and additional features at a modest price increase, offering significant value for those willing to spend a bit more for improved functionality.
Moving the itel P55T, which emphasizes superior battery life, it could also be placed in the $120-$140 range. This model appeals specifically to those whose primary concern is battery longevity. At the top of the series, the itel P55 5G introduces 5G connectivity, a premium feature within the budget category, which might be priced around $150-$180. This pricing strategy positions the P55 5G as an affordable option for users eager to experience the latest in mobile data technology, balancing cost with cutting-edge features
