itel SelfiePro it1511: Decent entry-level performer (Tech Review)

Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Transsion Holdings recently debuted its first flagship smartphone itel SelfiePro it1511 in the already crowded affordable segment in India.

The Rs 6,999 itel it1511 is powered by 1 GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8GB internal memory and will face tough competition from other Chinese smartphones like Coolpad Note 3 Lite, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime and Meizu M2.

While using the device, we found more against it than in favour.

Here's what works for the device.

The smartphone has decent looks and feels comfortable in the hand. The 5-inch HD IPS Oncell display produced decent colours while watching videos and surfing web and offered good side viewing angles.

The 1GHz quad-core processor delivered modest performance when you are working with one or two apps in background. It also handled high-end games like Asphalt 8: Airborne well.

The speaker at the back of the smartphone delivers a decent quality of sound. Try investing in some Bluetooth speakers if you need more bass and sound.

It also carries a physical camera button that allows you to quickly launch the camera and click pictures.

The 4G-enabled smartphone operates on Android 6.0 Marsh Mallow and comes with dual-SIM/dual standby capability.

The 2,500mAh battery ran for hours and 20 minutes in our video loop test and can easily last a day on average daily usage that includes web browsing, social media apps or watching videos over YouTube.

What does not work?

The touch response of itel it1511 is average and at times you need to press your finger hard on screen in order to register the desired input. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Prime and Coolpad Note 3 Lite smartphones competing in same price bracket delivers much better touch response, brightness levels.

If you are working with various apps in the background, be prepared for performance issues.

When we played Asphalt 8: Airborne with almost four to five basic apps open in the background, it did not perform well and produced slight hiccups during the gameplay.

The camera app is not fast enough and takes a few seconds while opening, saving pictures and during switching between the modes, which is disappointing when you need to quickly move from Normal mode to Panorama mode or HDR mode to get a perfect picture.

The performance of the 8MP rear camera is just above average in daylight conditions and fails to capture details. In the same price range, the 13MP camera of Coolpad Note 3 Lite and Meizu M2 performed far better than itel it1511 and also had good shutter speed.

The 2MP front camera is average for clicking selfies.

Conclusion

The itel SelfiePro it1511 misses more than it hits. The Coolpad Note 3 Lite in the same price range is a better choice than this. It offers 3GB of RAM, a higher processor, a fingerprint sensor and a great camera to capture your precious moments.

(Anuj Sharma can be contacted at anuj.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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