itel P55T Review; A surprisingly capable budget smartphone

itel, the budget smartphone brand, recently released its latest addition to the POWER series in India—the itel P55T. This smartphone is the world's first device to feature Android 14 Go Edition straight out of the box. It features an impressive set of specifications for its price point of ₹8,199.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting the device to amount to much, perhaps because I've been spoilt by the dozens of mid-range, mid-premium, premium, and ultra-premium smartphones, I've tested so far. And a smartphone sporting 4 GB of RAM, powered by a Unisoc chipset, to me, didn't seem all that impressive, on paper, at least.

How wrong I was.

From the unboxing to setting it up, the itel P55T feels very premium, belying its humble price point. The design is gorgeous. The smartphone is available in Astral Black, Astral Gold, and Astral Purple colour variants. itel sent me the Astral Gold variant for review and it looks stunning. It has a stovetop camera setup with two cameras and an LED ring flash, and the back resembles a matte glass texture with an enchanting diagonal glitter spray that shifts depending on the angle at which light hits it.

The setup process was a breeze, and once I was in, I was rather impressed with how the P55T felt.

The device's left side accommodates a triple-slot tray for two Nano SIM cards and a microSD card up to 1TB, adding extra storage to the generous 128GB internal capacity. Ergonomically designed power and volume buttons on the right side, coupled with a built-in fingerprint reader in the power button, offer seamless access. Despite a slightly increased weight and thickness due to the massive 6000mAh battery, the itel P55T maintains a comfortable feel and stability.

The bottom frame houses the mono speaker, a USB-C port, a microphone, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The audio output is clear and satisfactory, while the subtle matte finish on the entire frame contributes to a premium feel. Notably, the absence of the itel logo on the device is replaced by discreet branding text reading "Designed by itel / POWER" on the rear bottom left.

Featuring a 6.6-inch HD+ IPS display with a resolution of 720x1612 pixels and a 90Hz refresh rate, the itel P55t offers an immersive visual experience. The punch-hole design enhances the display's aesthetics. With an auto-switch refresh rate feature, the itel P55T intelligently adjusts screen refresh rates based on usage, conserving battery life, but I kept my review unit on 90 Hz without any discernible impact on battery life.

The display provides vibrant and accurate colours, maintaining readability even under direct sunlight. However, the absence of an auto-brightness sensor poses challenges when using the device outdoors in bright sunlight. The itel P55T offers extensive display customisation options, including light and dark themes, brightness control, screen timeout settings, and more.

Running on Android 14 Go Edition, the itel P55T stands as the world's first device with this operating system. While the Go Edition closely resembles the standard Android version, it is tailored for entry-level devices with less than 2GB of RAM, ensuring smooth performance on the itel P55T's 4GB RAM configuration.

itel has implemented significant changes to the user interface, deviating from the stock Android look. The UI features itel's proprietary software with a simplified home screen setup and a swipe-up app drawer. Preloaded with essential Google and itel apps, the device also includes a selection of third-party apps, offering users the option to delete or disable them.

Equipped with the Unisoc T606 octa-core chipset and a Mali-G57 GPU, the itel P55T handles day-to-day tasks smoothly, complemented by the efficiency of Android 14 Go Edition. With 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the device supports Memory Fusion technology, providing additional RAM boost up to 4 GB for improved performance.

During extensive usage, the itel P55T demonstrated commendable performance without freezing or lag issues. Low-resource games and routine tasks, including social media use, streaming, and email management, were seamless. The fingerprint reader, integrated into the power button, was responsive and secure.

The itel P55T boasts an impressive 6000 mAh battery, providing exceptional battery life during the review period. With an 18W fast-charging capability, the device took approximately 3 hours and 29 minutes to charge from 0-100%. The battery endured nearly two days of routine usage, including calls, messaging, photography, gaming, and multimedia consumption.

The itel P55T features a dual-camera setup at the rear, comprising a 50MP main camera and an AI camera. The front houses an 8MP camera within a punch-hole cutout. AI features, including AI detection for various scenarios, contribute to the camera's versatility. The Ring LED light on the rear acts as a smart notification system, enhancing low-light photography and serving as a torch.

While the rear camera produces satisfactory results in well-lit conditions, the AI features were inconsistent. Low-light scenarios exhibited noticeable noise in photos. The 8MP front camera delivers decent selfies, albeit struggling with edge detection. On the whole, considering the price point, I have no complaints.

Priced competitively at ₹8,199, the itel P55T is an entry-level smartphone offering an array of features, including a 90 Hz display, a 50MP AI camera, a massive 6000 mAh battery, and 128 GB internal storage. While it runs on Android 14 Go Edition, the device deviates from the stock Android feel, incorporating itel's proprietary software. Despite lacking an auto-brightness sensor, the itel P55T delivers an attractive package with a 1-year warranty, free screen replacement, and a complimentary case.

The device excels in battery life, performance, and display quality, making it a noteworthy contender in the budget-friendly smartphone market—a compelling choice for users prioritising affordability, the latest Android version, and prolonged battery life.