With the itel A70 out in the market, the battle in the entry-level smartphone segment has heated up. The new handset offers plenty in terms of technology and user experience and it does that while keeping its price very competitive. On the other hand, the Redmi A2+ and the Redmi 12C are almost a year old. Despite their age, they are still going for similar prices as those of the new itel A70. That is why, there’s a good reason to put these three handsets under the scanner for a detailed comparison of their offerings. Let’s get going then.
Design – Stylish and functional wins the battle
Right off the bat, it’s the itel A70 that impresses the most with its design. Its futuristic appearance comes from its gorgeous rear camera array. Moreover, the use of sandblasting technology gives its rear surface an extremely elegant glass-like look and feel. Plus, there are four gorgeous color options to choose from. The Redmi A2+, on the other hand, comes in only three color options and features a pretty bland rear surface. The striped design on its back doesn’t quite evoke any wonder. The Redmi 12C is very similar to the Redmi A2+ in design, so the story stays the same for this device. In terms of comfort too, the itel A70 has an upper hand, being thinner at 8.6mm and lighter at 187gm, again surpassing the Redmi 12C (8.8mm, 192gm) and Redmi A2+ (9.1mm, 192gm).
Addressing the fingerprint scanner placement on these phones, it’s noteworthy that, in this price segment fingerprint sensors are typically present in rear, but the itel A70 stands out by featuring a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. This not only offers a faster and more intuitive user experience but also adds a stylish touch. In contrast, the rear placement, chosen by the other two devices, can be hit or miss depending on the size of your fingers and palms. All these factors make the A70 a clear winner in the design department, giving buyers a perfect combination of looks and comfort.
Storage and RAM – More the better
In a market segment where the standard storage capacity remains at a maximum of 128GB, itel A70 has taken a strategic leap by offering double the storage space. Constrained storage has long been a concern for users, especially considering the abundance of data encountered daily. Contrasting this, both Redmi A2+ and Redmi 12C still provide a maximum of 128GB of built-in memory, expandable only up to 1TB, while the itel A70 offers an impressive 2TB expansion capability, further solidifying its position as a forward-thinking option in the storage department.
The base models of all three handsets come with 4GB of RAM but there’s an advantage to the A70 here as well. Its RAM expansion technology gives you access to a total of 12GB worth of effective RAM. Both Redmi devices do ship with their own RAM expansion features but they can only offer a maximum of 7GB worth of effective RAM via their base variants. The itel A70 has clearly defeated Xiaomi’s entry-level options here, signalling to potential buyers that their storage and multitasking needs will be easily satisfied by the handset.
Display – Close fight
Most entry-level smartphones these days come with HD+ IPS panels so it’s no surprise seeing them on all three of these handsets. While the A70 gets a 6.56-inch panel, the Redmi A2+ is home to a 6.52-inch one and the Redmi 12C gets a 6.7-inch display. However, what truly distinguishes the itel phone is its remarkable dynamic display bar which is typically observed in higher-end phones as a premium offering. This unique feature not only covers the area around the water drop notch subtly and beautifully but also functions as an optimized indicator showcasing essential information, this dynamic bar offers an innovative and aesthetically pleasing approach to basic notifications, setting the itel phone distinctly apart from its Redmi counterparts.
Camera – Megapixels or better dynamic range?
All three of these devices ship with dual camera setups on their back, with the secondary snappers acting as portrait assistants. At 50MP, the Redmi 12C has the highest resolution main camera, while the Redmi A2+ has the lowest megapixel count at 8MP. The itel phone ships with a 13MP main camera and comes with Super HDR support. With a high dynamic range, the phone manages to click decent pictures, however, the high-resolution camera on the Redmi 12C gives it the edge. As for the front camera, the A70 comes out on top with its superior 8MP shooter, compared with the 5MP front cameras on the other two phones.
Battery – Clear winner!
5,000mAh batteries are common in all price ranges nowadays so it’s no surprise seeing them onboard all three phones, which also have 10W charging capacity in common. But the charging apparatus is where the difference lies. The itel A70 gets the modern USB Type-C port that also enables quick transfer speeds, while the two Redmi smartphones have to settle with the slow micro-USB port. Even in the littlest of details, the A70 seems to be cutting ahead of the two Redmi devices that it’s competing against.
Performance and added value
The itel A70, Redmi A2+, and Redmi 12C are powered by octa-core processors, but it’s worth noting that the itel A70 operates on Android 13 GO, distinguishing it from the Redmi A2+ and Redmi 12C, both of which run on Android 12. Furthermore, choosing itel phones offers an added benefit, as they come with the advantage of free screen replacement. This valuable feature enhances the overall appeal of itel devices, providing users with extra reassurance and cost savings in case of accidental screen damage.
Verdict
In our comparison, the itel A70 came out on top in terms of design, storage, RAM, and charging capabilities. In some other departments such as performance and display, there was a close fight between the Redmi 12C and the A70. From our comparison, it is easy to conclude that with good features at an attractive price point, the itel A70 could be a good choice for you as it managed to hold the upper hand over other handsets in most departments.
