Packed and innovative, the itel P55 has surprising functions not usually found on other entry-level smartphones.
A new affordable smartphone has joined the market, brought to us by #itelPH. The #itelP55 is a definite option for users looking for charming looks, great battery life, and performance in a single phone.
This handset has #iBoost game engine to push performance past its limits and 18W charging rate for #FastChargeGameOn vibe all-day, all-night. Here, we reviewed the many aspects of itel P55, including camera and gaming.
Unboxing
The itel P55 comes in a rectangular box, which showcases the phone’s front and back, splash art, and NFC logo. Our smartphone features 8GB onboard memory and 256GB internal storage. The onboard memory may be expanded using a special phone feature.
Lifting the top half revealed the handset in a protected plastic lying comfortably on a white separator. This separator hides the card tray ejector pin, phone case, user manual, charging brick, and charging cable.
We finally got to see something very rare these days, especially among expensive phones. The itel P55 package includes a 3.5mm earphone, ready to entertain users from the get-go.
The phone case is a clear jelly case with a definitive cutout of the device’s camera module and other physical buttons and ports.
Design
The itel P55 sports a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display panel that supports up to 90Hz refresh rate. You should enable that so you can scroll through content smoothly and without delay.
The punch hole and light streaks are a couple of things you’ll first notice on this device. Moving away from the waterdrop notch to punch hole is a refreshing sight.
The model we received is the Astral Purple that gives off god rays-like light effects. Providing contrast to that is the reflective light streaks on the camera module, which houses two sensors and the LED flash.
The overall body has curved edges with the volume rockers and power key on the right side. You can insert your SIM cards on the card tray placed at the left side.
Another find here is the three-slot card tray for two SIM cards and microSD card. You can expand the onboard storage for more room for your pics, vids, and other files.
The USB-C port is at the bottom of the phone, along with the speaker and 3.5mm headphone jack; nothing is found at the top. It’s a bit sad that the device doesn’t come with two speakers.
Performance
Powering the itel P55 is the Unisoc T606 octa-core processor and 5000mAh battery. To ensure that apps load consistently and smoothly, the smartphone is loaded with 8GB physical memory and MemFusion.
MemFusion lets you use a part of the storage as memory. Our itel P55 has three memory expansion options: 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB.
Files are handled by the 256GB internal storage, which can store up to 4,000 apps or up to 102,000 images. You can boost that up with a microSD card.
During our test, the user interface is fluid and you can scroll in and out apps without much issues. Apps actually last longer in the memory, thanks to the already sufficient 8GB physical RAM and MemFusion.
Most apps don’t change during switching, however, keep in mind that some do update their content after a while. The Google app and Chrome browser seem to keep their content though.
Gaming
The itel P55 can play many games but don’t expect it on graphical-extensive gaming. We tested three games on this handset and all ran with little to no issue depending on the graphics settings.
For Call of Duty: Mobile, you can play matches smoothly at low graphics and high FPS. If you go for medium graphics and high FPS, expect sluggishness here and there. We recommend that you lower the graphics since this is a shooting game and your priority is steady frame rates.
If you’re into Mobile Legends Bang Bang, the game limits the device to high frame rates but permits up to ultra graphics. The itel P55 ran the matches on brawl and the main maps on max settings. Clashes and visual effects didn’t cause noticeable frame drops, stutters, or lags.
Those who are addicted to the sweetness of Candy Crush Saga will find the game smooth on the device. The only time we noticed a minor issue is when multiple Jelly fish (aka Swedish fish) appear due to Sugar Crush. Frame drops occurred briefly but had no effect in the gameplay since the objectives were done.
itel P55 might handle similar puzzle games, such as Gardenscapes and Pucca Puzzle Adventure.
Camera
There are two camera sensors at the back of itel P55: a 50MP main shooter and an AI lens. An 8MP sensor handles selfies and front-facing video calls.
The captures are decent for social media postings. With excellent lighting, you can get the best possible stills on itel P55. We recommend getting a bit closer to the subject to avoid detail loss.
The selfie camera is also decent but requires good lighting to capture details. Since the front-facing sensor is closer to the user, some degree of sharpness is apparent compared to the main sensor.
Both rear and front cameras can do typical pics and vids. However, the best camera feature of itel P55 is the Beauty mode. The Smart Beauty, by default, doesn’t go too much on blemishes and beauty marks. It prioritizes the chin, forehead, and cheeks to make the person look younger and avoid turning them into a mannequin.
Check out the video recording performance of itel P55 below.
Battery
A 5000mAh battery keeps the itel P55 running throughout the day. Once it runs out of juice, you can charge it up using the 18W fast charger or use the following native tweaks:
| Battery Features | Description |
| Power Boost | Optimizes battery by lowering power consumption of apps and features. You can tweak this to meet preferences. |
| Ultra Power Saver | Turns the smartphone into a basic phone to extend battery life. |
| Screen Off Sleep | If enabled, five minutes after the screen goes off, background apps are “shut down.” |
| Screen Off Scheduled Push | If enabled, prevent apps from frequently waking up from standby status. |
| AI Smart Charge | If enabled, the phone learns your charging routine and charges based on that. |
Special Features
The itel P55 offers a native gaming app called iBoost Game Booster, accessible by clicking the Game Space. This is a control center where you can add gaming titles, optimize game graphics, manage notifications when playing, and more.
A Dynamic Bar is featured on this handset as well. It’s a neat software add-on for showing notifications. The effect appears around the punch hole to display device interactions, such as charging, face unlock, and background call.
Other handy features on itel P55 include:
| Special Feature | Description |
| Aivana | Aivana voice assistant to navigate your phone easier. |
| Smart Panel | Shortcut for chosen apps and tools. |
| Peek Proof | Shade a part of the screen so others can’t see it. |
| Social Turbo | Exclusive features for WhatsApp. |
| Video Assistant | Get a better viewing experience on select apps. |
The itel P55 has NFC too – uncommon for entry-level devices. This short-range wireless connectivity lets you pay with NFC-enabled credit and debit cards, share small data payloads with an NFC tag or another Android device, and use contactless payment services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Verdict
The itel P55 comes in four colorways: Brilliant Gold, Aurora Blue, Moonlit Black, and Astral Purple. It has two price points of ₱4,599 for the 8GB/128GB variant and ₱5,499 for the 8GB/256GB variant.
This newest itel smartphone has a launch date from January 28 to February 5, 2024.
