itel P55 4G review: gets the basics right

Here's an in-depth review of the itel P55 4G, discussing its real-world performance, battery backup, cameras, software, and more.

• By Dhruv Joshi -
Published On: March 25, 2024

The itel P55 4G launched recently is the brand's latest entry in the affordable segment. For the price of Rs 7,499, it offers a 6.6-inch LCD display that supports a 90Hz refresh rate, a 50MP AI rear camera, a substantial 5,000mAh battery, and a decent software experience with some nifty features such as call recording. There's also a segment first: 24GB of dynamic RAM support (8GB of standard RAM + 16GB of virtual RAM), which, on paper at least, helps position the device as a strong contender in the entry-level smartphone market, with enhanced multitasking capabilities and overall performance. Let's take a detailed look at the itel P55 4G and see how the smartphone performs in day-to-day use.  

Verdict

The itel P55 4G stands as a solid offering at a price of Rs 7,499. The smartphone delivers a capable display with a smooth refresh rate of 90Hz, good daylight cameras for the segment, stellar battery life, and respectable performance. 

Design and Display

• The design of the P55 does it justice and does not make the phone look cheap. The rear back panel has a shimmering gradient design that reflects different hues when put under direct light.
• The plastic rear back panel does a good job of hiding fingerprints and smudges, and the phone is quite comfortable to hold in the hand.

• The device features flat edges with thin bezels and a slightly wide chin at the bottom, a common sight in budget phones. At the front, there's a punch-hole cutout for the front camera. 
• The smartphone weighs 190g and feels light, thanks to its even weight distribution. It is also quite sleek at 8mm in thickness.

• The 6.6-inch LCD display offers a respectable visual experience and has good viewing angles. The panel has a maximum resolution of 720 x 1,612 pixels (HD+).
• The display offers an immersive visual experience when streaming content, with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, and can support up to Full HD (1080p) videos on YouTube.  
• There are some minor issues that can affect the visual experience. The panel is not very legible under direct sunlight, and visibility is affected, but considering its price, it does a fair job. 
• There's also an adaptive brightness option, which adjusts the display brightness according to ambient lighting, and it works well. Interestingly, this feature is not present in the itel P55 5G, which was reviewed earlier. 

Cameras

• For photography, the itel P55 features a 50MP AI dual rear camera setup. For selfies and video calls, there's an 8MP camera.
• The daylight photography results are pleasing, with vibrant colours and a sufficient amount of detail. HDR and ultra-HD modes also offer sharp pictures and are useful for taking images of static objects or views. 

• The details tend to get softer around the borders of the images, and there is a noticeable loss of detail when zooming in. 
• Selfies work quite similarly, providing a good output in daylight conditions and striking a balance with facial details, though the skin tone may appear slightly washed out. 

• In low light, however, the smartphone tends to capture blurry images with a significant amount of grain, even with the dedicated Super Night mode enabled. 
• Taking images at night or in places with low light proves challenging and requires a few attempts to achieve satisfactory results.  

Performance and software

• The Unisoc T606 processor powers the itel P55 and comes paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Through MemFusion technology, the initial 8GB of RAM can be further expanded, allowing for a total of up to 24GB (basically an additional 16GB of virtual RAM support).
• The dynamic RAM does not make too much of a difference when it comes to general usage, but for resource-intensive tasks, especially gaming, there's some improvement evident.
• The smartphone performs well for day-to-day usage and general browsing scenarios, and it can even double as a casual gaming device at times. Here are some benchmarks:

• I managed to play BGMI at HD resolution and High frame rate settings, although the gameplay experience is significantly better at lower resolution and offers a better frame rate. 
• Talking about software, the smartphone features Android 13 with itel's custom skin on top pre-installed. The OS is quite easy to get used to and offers some nice animations.
• While the software does come with some pre-installed apps, thankfully, most of these third-party apps can be uninstalled.
• There's also a dynamic island-style feature that pops up for face unlock, call background, charging reminders, and more. Unlike Apple's dynamic bar, this feature is not interactive and is only available for a select few actions.

• The handset comes with a bunch of other special features tailored for different use cases, such as a game mode for gaming sessions, a dual app function for accessing multiple accounts on the same handset, a video assistant, and more. 

• There are also some useful features, such as auto call recording and a Game Space app to enhance gaming performance. The Game Space app also comes with health reminders that alert you if your gameplay time exceeds two hours of continuous playing or 4 hours of accumulated game time. 

Battery and charging 

• A 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support powers the itel P55, and I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed by the battery performance of this device.

• I binge-watched multiple YouTube videos, played some games, did a lot of general browsing, and made some substantially long calls. At the end of the day, the device still had around 19 percent of its battery left in the tank, which is quite impressive. 
• The P55 scored an outstanding 19 hours and 55 minutes on the PCMark battery test. This indicates that even with intensive usage, the handset should easily last an entire day.

• In terms of charging speeds, the handset takes around 2.5 hours to achieve a full charge from 0-100 percent. The charging speed could have been faster, but it is offset by the impressive battery backup. 

Final Verdict

The itel P55 is a compelling choice for its price and offers a good display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, impressive battery backup, reliable day-to-day performance, and good daylight cameras. The smartphone does make some compromises to keep its affordable pricing, such as slow charging speed, lower peak brightness, and cameras that struggle in low light.

Some noteworthy rivals in this segment include the POCO C65 (review) which offers faster performance and good balance of features at a similar price, or the Moto G24 Power (review) for users who prefer a robust battery life and stock Android-like UI. To conclude, the itel P55 4G remains a device that nails the essentials, making it an option worth considering for users seeking a capable device under Rs 8,000. 

Editor's rating: 7.5 / 10

Reasons to buy:

• The smartphone offers reliable everyday performance
• The camera captures pleasing images in daylight conditions
• The device has a stellar battery backup that easily lasts an entire day

Reasons not to buy:

• The display brightness could have been better 
• The low-light camera performance could be improved