Itel has just added a new device to its portfolio. The new device, the Itel S32 LTE, comes with two cameras on the front and it does support VoLTE (Voice Over LTE). This should essentially work with Faiba 4G but I have tried doing that but it just does not work.
Update: The company has confirmed with me that this phone does not support Faiba 4G. It does work with Safaricom and Telkom.
That Itel S32 LTE is available in Kenya for Ksh 13,500, You can get it from 3C HUB in Ronald Ngala and Moi avenue. The phone has just been launched in Kenya so you should expect it to be available from other retailers as time goes by. AS you can tell from the name, this is the LTE version of the Itel S32 that has been on the market for a while. With the penetration of 4G LTE in the country, the company saw it fit to upgrade the S32 and make sure it supports LTE.
4G LTE support and dual selfie camera setup are the two main selling points on the Itel S32 LTE, will these make it stand out from the test? We will have to see that in the full review that will be up in a couple of days.
Unboxing
The box that comes with the Itel S32 LTE has all the goodies we have come to expect from smartphone manufacturers. Below are some of the items you should expect inside the box.
The Phone
Earphones (Red)
USB Cable
Wall adapter (for charging)
Battery
Back Case (black)
User manual and guide
All these items are neatly arranged inside the box. I had to mention this as it is not something most other manufacturers within this price range tend to do.
First Impressions
When I took the phone out of the box for the first time, the back cover is what caught my eye. The Itel S32 LTE has a mirror finish at the back that is very shiny and will demand your attention all the time. The one I got has an Amber gold finish that looks good but may not be for everyone. This colour is in your face and if you are a person who doesn’t like attention, then it may not be perfect for you. The good news is the company has included a free back cover (in black) that I put on immediately I switched the phone on. You can also get the Itel S32 LTE in black, the company is calling that ‘Piano Black’.
The back cover looks metallic but is actually plastic. This makes the phone light and comfortable to carry around. Still on the back, this is where the fingerprint sensor sits and above it there is the 8MP camera with Auto Focus and LED flash. This back cover is also removable to give you access to the two SIM card slots and the MicroSD card slot. The 3000mAh battery is also removable in case you were wondering.
Itel S32 LTE battery
The included back cover is not the usual TPU cover we are used to seeing around, it is bulky but at least it feels durable and different. This is needed as I am sure without it I will scratch the back of this phone in just a couple of days.
At the very bottom of the phone is the Micro USB slot for charging and data transfer and the speaker grille. The headphone jack is at the top with the volume and power buttons are on the right of the phone.
Flipping the phone, we get to see the display and the two selfie cameras. The display used here is a 5.5-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) one. It comes with a screen protector already installed and this is a nice addition. For the few minutes I have spent with this phone, I found the display to be very responsive and to be a bit curved on the edges. The curving of the display gives it a nicer look and its responsiveness gives a much better experience. I will be using the phone extensively within the next couple of weeks to determine if this display is that good.
As I have already mentioned, above the display are the two front facing cameras. One is an 8MP unit and the other one is a 2MP unit with a wide-angle lens. This is perfect for group selfies when you do not want to crop anyone out of a group photo. As you may have guessed already, these two cameras work independently, they do not work together as some of the dual camera setups we have seen on devices such as the Infinix Zero 5, Huawei P10 and even Tecno phantom 8.
Below the display are the navigation keys, these are physical navigation keys so they take some screen space with their presence.
Switching on the phone for the first time, I was greeted with the colourful OS that is based on Android 7.0 Nougat. Even though the company has customized the OS, it has not changed everything and if you have used Android before, you will see some aspects of stock Android from time to time. I like this as it feels familiar and not that different from what I have seen before. There is no information if we will be getting Android Oreo anytime soon and considering the price, I would not be surprised if we never get to see that update.
In addition to Android Nougat, The Itel S32 LTE comes with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage space (expandable) and is run by the MediaTek 6572. I will be putting this to the test in my full review to decide whether this combination is worth the price tag and if this phone is worth your money.
Conclusion
The Itel S32 LTE seems like a promising device. It is slightly upgraded when compared to the initial S32 and I am interested to see if the upgrades are worth your money. I will have the full review in a couple of weeks so make sure you follow us on social media not to miss out.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime Pro 2018 Review