The itel A50 has been launched in India in two configurations. The base variant with 3GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at Rs 6,099.
Highlights
itel A50 has been launched in India in two configurations
Its base 3GB RAM and 64GB storage variant is priced at Rs 6,099.
The 4GB + 64GB variant (reviewed) was launched at Rs 6,499
was recently launched in India in the budget segment. The smartphone is positioned in the entry-level segment, where its main competitor is the Poco C61, launched in March this year. Despite its low price, itel has tried to pack all the practical specifications into the A50. I used this smartphone for a few weeks and found that the itel A50 performs better than expected in some areas. However, as with every smartphone model, the itel A50 also has some areas where improvement is needed. In this Itel A50 review, we'll look at every aspect of this smartphone, both good and bad, to make it easier for you to decide whether this model is a good choice for you.
itel A50: Price in India
The itel A50 has been launched in India in two configurations. The base variant with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is priced at ₹6,099, while the 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (the one we reviewed) was launched at ₹6,499. The phone is offered in Mist Black, Lime Green, Cyan Blue, and Shimmer Gold color options. The company claims that buyers will also receive a free screen replacement for the first 100 days of purchase.
itel A50: Design and display
As we mentioned, the smartphone is positioned in the entry-level segment. However, considering its low price, I liked its design. The phone features an iPhone-inspired camera island, which houses two camera sensors and an LED flash within three large rings. At 8.7mm thick, it's relatively thick, but the display is slightly raised while maintaining a slim plastic frame, making it feel less bulky. It also doesn't feel heavy. I had the Cyan Blue color for review, which features a glossy back panel. The panel features a textured pattern with wavy lines that shines when illuminated. The display has thick bezels, but they're not too thick for an entry-level offering. The power button and volume rockers are located on the right side of the frame, and their placement is also good. The fingerprint sensor is located on the power button, which is accurate and unlocks the phone quickly and without any hassle. The bottom features a single speaker, a Type-C port, and a 3.5mm audio port.
The itel A50 features a 6.56-inch (1612×720 pixels) IPS LCD screen that supports a standard 60Hz refresh rate, 267 PPI pixel density, and a peak brightness level of 480 nits. It features a waterdrop-style notch that houses the selfie camera. For a budget phone, the display quality is above average. Videos at HD resolution showed vivid colors and sharp details. I didn't have much trouble reading text on the display even in bright sunlight outdoors. However, you might need to seek shade in direct light.
itel A50: Performance
The itel A50 is a 4G smartphone that features an octa-core Unisoc T603 budget chipset. It's a 12nm chipset paired with a Mali G57 MP1 GPU. Gaming-level performance isn't expected from the chipset, but it handled my everyday tasks with ease. I had the 4GB RAM variant, which I used without virtual RAM throughout my review. RAM management was average, with two to three apps loaded in the background at times. I did experience some lag when switching between heavy social media apps, but scrolling and app loading were smooth.
In the Geekbench test, itel A50 scored 219 in single-core test and 857 in multi-core test. In AnTuTu benchmark testing, it scored 151565. One certainly shouldn't expect high scores from a smartphone in the entry-level segment. The A50 isn't designed for heavy gaming. I ran graphics-intensive games like Call of Duty: Mobile and BGMI at base graphics settings, and I experienced significant lag. The virtual RAM didn't help much here either. However, the phone handled low-graphics demanding games like Ludo, Candy Crush Saga, and Clash of Clans with ease. Fortunately, the phone didn't heat up even after 30 to 40 minutes of continuous gaming.
itel A50: Software and battery
The itel A50 runs on Android 14 (Go Edition), which is a lightweight system. However, I found a lot of bloatware on first boot, most of which could be removed. After a short period of use, native apps started spamming me with notifications. However, disabling some apps fixed this issue. This was expected, considering it's an entry-level smartphone. The Go Edition's UI is clean, simple, and easy to understand. Even after a full update, my review unit was running on the June 5th security patch, which was about three months old at the time of writing this review.
The itel A50 has a 5000mAh battery. The phone comfortably lasted about a day and a half with everyday tasks, including social media scrolling, calling, and streaming content. Android Go Edition doesn't record screen time, which prevented me from performing an HD video loop test. It supports 10W charging, and you also get a charging brick of the same capacity in the box. With this, the phone charged from zero to 19 percent in 30 minutes, 38 percent in one hour and 100 percent in 3 hours 30 minutes.
itel A50: Camera
The itel A50 features a dual rear camera setup, which includes an AI-powered 8-megapixel primary sensor. The camera island also houses an LED flash. For selfies and video calling, the front camera includes a 5-megapixel sensor with a screen flash.
The main rear sensor captures average quality photos in daylight. Sample photos had good colors, but sharpness was lacking. Details were present on the subject in focus, but other areas were dull. The camera wasn't very consistent, but one out of two to three shots was shareable on social media with some light editing. There's also a portrait mode, which attempts to create a bokeh effect by separating the subject and background, and is somewhat successful. However, edge detection didn't do its job properly here. Being an entry-level smartphone, it's not right to expect too much from the camera setup. Overall, the itel A50's rear camera can give you some good shots in daylight.
The primary camera performed averagely even in low light. Noise is visible in the viewfinder when taking photos indoors, but software processing removed it after capturing the shot. However, this sometimes washed out details. Similar to daylight, finding a good shot may require multiple attempts. However, the good news is that some shots were worthy of sharing on social media, with good contrast and natural colors.
Selfies taken in daylight were decent. Faces had natural tones, but some shots lacked detail. Edge detection in portrait mode was also not accurate. Nighttime shots taken with artificial light were also average. If there was a lack of light, the built-in screen flash feature could help. The good news was that with the screen flash on, the subject's skin tone was natural and details were captured.
Both the front and rear camera sensors can record video at a maximum of 1080p 30fps. Videos captured in both daylight and indoor lighting were below average. Videos were quite shaky, lacking detail. Jitter was also noticeable in the viewfinder as well as in captured videos. As mentioned above, expecting too much from a camera system in this price range would be unfair to the itel A50.
itel A50: Should you buy it?
There isn't much competition in this price segment. The itel A50 offers good value at a starting price of ₹6,099. It offers a large and capable display and sound output for a smooth content experience. The phone offers a long-lasting battery that can easily last a day on a single charge. However, performance could have been better, and the camera system isn't impressive. Still, if you're on a tight budget or switching from a feature phone to a smartphone, the itel A50 is a good option. If you're willing to stretch your budget a bit, you can also consider the Poco C65 , which offers a slightly better display and processing performance , and the Moto G04s, which offers better camera performance.
