itel kept its color-changing capacity on the S23 design but ditched water drop notch and instead created a punch hole in the recently launched S24.
Itel options are looking more and more positive in 2024, given the balance between cheap phone prices against good displays, cameras, and battery life. Since re-decoration last year, the manufacturer has proven resiliently consistent at dropping phone after phone that offers real value for money.
Their last entry phone into this lineup of S-series is the S24, which should rule the budget roost with a better MediaTek G91 chipset and improved cameras. But does it stand up to last year’s model, or is it all talk?
We will attempt to put the new S24 through its specs, features, and real-world performance to see if it would hold water. We would additionally see if it resembles the Realme 11 5G and if its ₦150,000 price copy on Jumia brings a solid user experience.
Unboxing the itel S24 phone
Upon unboxing, the Itel S24 comes in the standard black box showing the phone’s specifications. Inside, you will find most added up accessories to start you off, such as a silicone case for protection, USB-C charging cable, 18W adapter for fast power delivery, a SIM ejector tool, and the regular user guide.
Itel S24 review: Design
It also keeps the same signature back from the S23, including the color-changing properties, having a slightly larger camera module and subtler branding, and coming in three colour options: Starry Black, Blue, and Dawn White. The white model is also the only one with the color-changing magic. Physical buttons are similarly abundant, with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a 3.5mm headphone jack, making sure to always have wired audio with you.
The S24 this year is dual-speakered—a first in the Itel S series. However, the chin bezels are there and apparent on the display. Still, for a more modern look, the V-notch is replaced with a punch-hole one.
The white model is glossy, and a reviewer felt that it attracted fingerprints and smudges, but the color scheme actually helps camouflage them to an extent. Users would also appreciate the fact that the phone is easy to hold due to the slim profile and rounded edges. The build quality is also tough, with a mix of materials that practically guarantees a premium look and feel.
Show and Speaker
On the front is a display; the big 6.6-inch IPS LCD panel is impressive, with a good 90Hz refresh rate. The resolution is rather not amazing, but the screen is good enough for clarity, with well-represented colors, and this especially battles on for video watching and gaming purposes. The display remains quite all right indoors but can turn a bit squeamish under direct sunlight, mainly due to the low brightness.
The display of Itel S24 comes with a punch-hole cutout for the selfie sensor and thin bezels that are around the edges, with the bezels growing slightly thicker toward the bottom of the panel. You do not get any restrictions when gaming on the device.
On a positive note, the S24 more than compensates elsewhere by its excellent stereo speakers supporting DTS to enhance the quality of sound. The sound is, in fact, good to consume content, but at the same time, vibrates the back panel in case the music being played is loud.
Cameras
The itel S24 comes with significant upgrades from the predecessor S23 model. With the 108MP main shooter, the phone is good at capturing details with balanced exposure during good lighting. However, some photos taken in bright conditions may suffer from oversaturation.
The 12MP mode offers enough detail, so most people won’t even need to use the 108MP feature. Video recording goes up to 2K resolution and 30FPS both from the main and selfie cameras, with stabilization going only in the higher resolutions. Generally, the quality of the camera is decent in good light but can be inconsistent, especially in low-light conditions.
A comparison with another sought-after budget phone, the Moto G24 Power: both phones capture similar amounts of detail and dynamism, with the itel S24 being somewhat warmer in tone, while the Moto G24 is cooler.
The low-light image quality is okay for the price. The Super Night mode might save your images in getting bright, but it greatly reduces detail. Selfie images are reported to be almost the same, with good details in bright conditions and reduced details in low light.
In some aspects, it might not be perfect but the itel S24 camera stretches forward with the rest of its budget segment competitors. It does quite a great job with the large 108MP sensor and wide aperture under different lighting conditions. The 8MP selfie camera does well in taking daylight selfies but disappoints under low light.
Performance and Gaming
While the itel S24 features the MediaTek Helio G91, the it steps up the processor game. Performance increment is less abrupt, and this device is well set for typical tasks and comes in an option with 4GB or 8GB of RAM. Consider the 8GB option for smoother experiences.
Gaming is acceptable on a budget phone. You may get a little frame drop on games like Fortnite, but for the most part, it’s playable. Just manage expectations, based on the price.
The itel S24 does grade similarly to competitors in its price bracket when it comes to benchmarks. But the crux of the matter that the day-to-day use basically attests to is that during basic tasks, the phone is very smooth. However, when it comes to specific scenarios such as scrolling through your actual social media, some hiccups start coming in.
As far as games are concerned, it can run COD: Mobile at medium settings but with a bit of lag. Real Racing 3 runs mostly at its standard setting; again, some frame-drops can be felt. More demanding games like BGMI struggle on the device. In a nutshell—it’s best for casual gaming like Temple Run, Teen Patti, and Candy Crush Saga.
They could play some lighter games, for example, Subway Surfers and Call of Duty Mobile, but there was some lag during intense parts of the latter—a result not exactly shocking, considering the S24 is not meant for heavy gaming.
Software and User Interface.
Itel S24 runs on Android 13 with Itel’s custom UI on top. On the whole, it is clean and, very importantly, available for customization to your taste. It also had some pre-installed Itel apps which luckily one could uninstall.
Other interesting features include Smart Panel, Game Mode, i-gestures for navigation, and a Dynamic Bar that enables quick access to functions. Native NFC support is another highlight, a rare addition to budget phones.
Talking about the software side, the phone runs on Android 13 with Itel’s OS 13.5 on top, and there is no word on the availability of future updates. While features like the Dynamic Bar are interesting, at the same time, you get an older version of Android.
Battery & Charging
A 5,000mAh battery provides all that power to the itel S24, which is a common capacity within that price bracket. It comes with an 18W fast charger and sucks in 1.5 hours to hit 100%, relatively fair for its size.
The battery performance of this device is good, though this may differ according to the kind of use. Light to moderate users will easily pull a full day of work: light gaming, browsing, and running social media. Casual users say that it goes well into the next day. However, heavy gamers or users of multimedia might find themselves needing a top-up during the afternoon.
Why buy:
Turning heads color-changing dazzle design
Amazing stereo speakers
Good camera in the daylight
Support of NFC for any contactless payments
Why considering:
Performance lags behind competitors
Display is not bright enough to shine outside
No 5G connectivity
Pre-installed bloatware apps of little usage
Running
Final verdict: should you buy the itel S24?
Buy the itel S24 if:
You want a good-looking phone with great battery life and a huge screen for multimedia on a budget.
Last year’s edition of Android software is okay with you.
Mostly, you’re a casual internet browser, call maker, and photo snapper in good lighting.
You will never need 5G and are happy with a basic MediaTek chip.
Skip the itel S24 if:
You need top performance – consider Realme C65 5G, Redmi 12 5G, or Redmi 13C 5G.
5G is a dealbreaker (most of the competitors have it for the same price).
You take a lot of photos in poor lighting.
You are looking for absolutely the newest features at this price, with the best value.
In simple words, itel S24 sacrifices performance and some trendy things like 5G in favor of keeping prices low. Take this one depending on what your priorities are in the purchase.
iTel S24 Price in Nigeria and Ghana
This phone comes in two versions: 4GB RAM with 128GB storage, and 8GB RAM with 128GB storage. The prices are ranging from ₦150,000 for the 8GB option and ₦189,000 for the 4GB option. By the way, a better storage variation—8GB + 256GB—can even be picked for less than ₦200,000 ($131).
The handset is available in Ghana from its official stores and other online stores like Jumia Ghana, with prices ranging from GH₵ 1,250 to GHS 1,450.