itel P33 review: Last longer with the power master

Mister Mobility explores how far the 4000 mAh battery and AI power master go in this entry-level Android phone. Enjoy his itel P33 review.

itel P33 Review: Quick Specs

• Display: 5.5-inch, 18:9 ratio, FullView display
• Selfie camera: 5 MP
• Rear camera: 8 MP + 5 MP dual camera with LED flash
• Software: Android 8.1 Go Edition
• Processor: Spreadtrum SC7731e
• RAM: 1 GB of RAM
• Memory: 16 GB storage; dedicated microSD slot up 32GB
• Battery: 4000 mAh, regular charging

itel P33 Review: Quick Pros And Cons

Before we dive into the review proper, starting with the major pros and cons of this device.

• 8 MP + 5 MP dual camera with LED flash
• Android Oreo Go Edition, which is optimized for entry-level devices
• 16 GB internal storage
• Full View Display
• 8MP + 5 MP dual camera
• Fingerprint scanner

itel P33 Review: What’s In the box

1. the phone itself
2. transparent plastic case
3. power socket adapter
4. USB cable
5. 3.5 mm audio headset

itel P33 Review: Hardware And Design

I loved the polycarbonate-style material used in the P33’s predecessor, and I was looking forward to seeing it again this year. But itel Mobile went with a faux-metal plastic material this time. It doesn’t look or feel as good as last year’s material, and I feel a little let down.

But this is a subjective matter, and there are probably many others who prefer the P33’s build. It isn’t bad. It just does not wow me as much as its predecessor’s. We still have a FullView display, though.  There is a fingerprint scanner at the back too, and we all know how rare that is on an entry-level smartphone.

itel P33 Review: Software

The P33 runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition), which is optimized for low-end hardware. It is customized though so that the home screen has no app drawer – you swipe horizontally to access your apps.

Pre-installed apps include lite apps from Google – Google Go, YouTube Go, Gmail Go, Assistant Go, and Maps Go, as well as other apps like Facebook Lite, Opera Mini, Opera News, Palmstore, WhatsApp, Galleria, App Freezer, and Power Master, FM Radio, among others.

That is quite a bit of bloatware, though this time, the P33 has 16 GB storage, twice what its predecessor has, and so you still have lots of space to store your videos, music, photos, and other files.

itel P33 Review: Network And Telephony

This is a 3G smartphone with support for two SIM cards. Both SIM slots support 3G connectivity. Telephone calls are standard fare. All that you need are in there.

itel P33 Review: Display And Multimedia

As with entry-level smartphones, the display is not exceptional. It looks slightly washed out and does not have great viewing angles, but it is not reasonable to expect a brilliant display at this price point. It works mostly well, and that is all that matters.

You will enjoy music and video on the phone, even if you do not get outstanding performances. If you really want to enjoy music on the P33, get a solid Bluetooth speaker or a solid 3.5 mm audio headset.

itel P33 Review: Photography

The P33 has a dual camera at the back, with bumped up specs from last year’s P32. We took it out for a stroll in the park and retrurned with these shots just for you:

And here is an indoor shot:

We think that the itel P33’s camera handles daylight photos fairly well for its price.

itel P33 Review: Multitasking And Performance

Despite the Spreadtrum SC7731E processor and1 GB RAM, the phone runs fairly smoothly. As long as you do not try to run many apps at the same time, you are good. itel must have chosen to go with Spreadtrum, instead of MediaTek, this time around for cost reasons.

In any case, the performance is okay. We do not perceive any significant difference in performance. Just to  be sure, we fired up Geekbench and ran some benchmark tests. The P33 returned the following scores:

• Single-Core Score: 452
• Multi-Core Score: 1255

These scores are slightly higher than those of the itel A32, as well as the itel S32, which are powered by MediaTek MT6580M and MediaTek MT6737M chips respectively.

itel P33 Review: Battery life

This is a straight one: the itel P33 has solid battery life, and our unit easily went on for close to 3 days on a full charge, and our usage pattern is hectic. By hectic usage pattern, we mean the phone is constantly connected to a 3G network and syncing emails and other services. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are active, and WhatsApp and the web browser are in use regularly. The telephone and SMS are used sparsely.

In standby mode, we couldn’t empty the battery in a week. Which is not something you can say for many smartphones. The combination of 4000 mAh battery and Power Master, which helped squeeze as much as 5 extra hours from the device when we enabled Smart power saving.

In the Power Master app, there is also a Sleep mode, which when enabled, automatically turns off all connections at night when you are likely in bed and do not need them. This squeezes more time out of the battery.

itel P33 Review: Final Words

itel P33 delivers on its promise and provides users with extended battery life. In addition, for the small price of N24,000, you get a fingerprint scanner, dual camera, face unlock, and 16 GB storage. If you require extra space, there is a dedicated microSD card slot. It is a sweet package that follows in the steps that itel Mobile walked last year.

It offers more than the P32 in terms of capabilities, yet costs less. If you require a basic smartphone with some mid-tier features and dislike carrying a power bank around, the itel P33 is what you want to buy.

Other itel P33 Resources

• itel P33 Specifications
• itel P33 Hands-on and Photos

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Author: Mister Mobility

Master storyteller and founder of Mobility Nigeria, Mister Mobility, has used and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001.