itel Mobile in December of 2023 launched its P55 series — a new set of handsets and the latest in the P-series (P dubbed for “Power). The P55 series comes in four variants, P55 5G, P55+, P55T, and P55 — however, only the P55T and the P55+ are available in Uganda.
Currently, the P55T is available for purchase, while the plus version will be available starting next month (Feb), according to a representative with itel Mobile Uganda who confirmed to PC Tech Magazine on this matter. She didn’t comment on why the two other variants; P55 5G and P55 won’t be sold in Uganda.
The itel P55 series is an entry-level smart series and more “ish” capable of being in a mid-range series.
We reviewed the phone last week and we found it not so different from its predecessors but it comes with some improvements that we did find okay a phone in its price bracket. In our conclusion, we noted and recommended that the phone is very fit for first-time smartphone users with a limited budget of buying a phone.
itel Mobile smartphones have always not been pricy this is because the smartphone manufacturer plays a huge role as well as helping the government increase smartphone penetration in the country. And with its budget-friendly phones, at least users can purchase one and be connected to the digital world.
Why would this phone be good for first-time smartphone users with a limited budget, here’s why; —
Price and specs at a glance
The phone is priced at UGX399,000 and is available at all itel outlets, MTN Uganda service centers, and authorized phone shops across the country, ensuring easy accessibility for interested buyers.
- Body: 75 x 164 x 8.4mm, weight; 190g; plastic back, plastic frame.
- Display: 6.6-inch IPS LCD, 90Hz, 720 x 1612px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 24 bit.
- SoC and Processor: Unisoc Tiger T606 (12nm): 4x 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A55, 4x 1.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A55, 8 Cores
- Memory: 128GB + 8GB RAM; with dedicated slot: microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC.
- OS/Software: Android 14 GO Edition, itel v13.6.0.
- Rear camera: 50 MP (primary camera) + AI Camera (depth).
- Front camera: 8 MP.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 6000mAh; 18W wired.
- Connectivity: 4G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; Bluetooth 5; 3.5mm earphone jack.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers.
Why?
- It is a huge phone with a big display: The weighs about 190g which is not that heavy at all. Even with its thick bezels, it has a punch-hole IPS LCD of 6.6 inches which is very good enough for reading, entertaining yourself watching movies, music, playing games, and web scrolling among other reasons — with a 1080p resolution.
With a huge phone like this, as a first-timer, you would love to show it off. With its classy and simple build and design, it gives a sort of comfort that might prompt your colleagues without smartphones to think of owning one which might not be the P55T in their case but for a budget, it be considered.
- The battery: As a first-timer, you want your new smartphone to last as long as your feature phone did. Just like any other smartphone user, the battery is a very essential feature.
The itel P55T comes with a massive 6,000mAh battery. This powerhouse ensures endurance throughout the day, catering to the needs of users with demanding schedules. With the phone running on a not-so-demanding Unisoc Tiger T606 chipset, the user gets more power to push them throughout the day. A first time with little to do and just getting familiar with the smartphone can go up to 2 days on a single charge. And you get to fast charge your battery in about 2 hours.
- Android GO Edition: The itel P55T runs on the Android 14 GO Edition operating system, optimized to give users the best and smooth smartphone experience. A first-timer user with a P55T shouldn’t get stressed with the phone because of being slow considering that it is even running on a 4GB RAM.
The GO Edition operating system ensures a smooth performance minimizing lags and shutters. Lighter apps are the best to run on the phone to minimize lags and first-timers can be guided on this while purchasing the phone.
- 128GB storage: The P55T comes with 128GB onboard storage which is good enough for a first-timer user to store their photos, videos, and download & install apps, among other uses. The storage can be expanded with a microSD card offering more and more space.
itel smartphones have evolved a lot when it comes to onboard storage and I think for this storage it is not only fit enough first-timers but also other users. 128GB is pretty enough good space for those who don’t overpack their storage with a lot of content.
Honorable mentions: The P55T comes with cameras that produce pretty decent photos and videos with sufficient sharpness and a respectable amount of detail for the most part. The phone comes with a 50MP rear shooter and an 8MP front camera and with these will believe first-timers with this phone will find it pretty amazing.
The verdict same as our review, as a user who prioritizes battery life, the itel P55T is a device that you could opt for. In addition to its display, memory & storage, cameras, and general performance — for a device in its price range — put side to side with other devices, it can be taken up.
