It’s still surreal to think about just how the mobile phone has become an indispensable tool in the modern world. It’s almost impossible to function without one, in an urban setting especially. We need our phones to keep in touch with family and friends, obviously, but with electronic transactions becoming the default, a phone is much more than a communication tool.
So, it is always interesting to find out from people what the primary reason for getting their phone was. The smartphone allows users to do pretty much whatever they want but what do people actually do with them?
That usually informs on which particular phones people end up purchasing. Of course, budget plays a major role in those decisions too.
We talked to some people who recently purchased some itel phones to find out what factored into their decisions to get those phones. It was a small sample size but we got some interesting answers.
Why did they get the phones?
As you would expect, most want smartphones to be able to use social media apps, with WhatsApp and Facebook being the most cited ones. The second most popular reason was online research/ lessons, both for work and school. Only a few said their primary use was media and entertainment.
There’s nothing surprising about those answers. What is more interesting however is, with so many options to pick from, why did they pick the Itel brand?
Why Itel?
There are those among us who love dunking on Itel and so the brand is not high on most people’s lists. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its fans, it’s just to say Itel owners often have to explain that their phones are actually not bad.
Itel phones are competitively priced and so it is no surprise that some cited that as the reason why they settled on Itel. However, that was not the main reason for most. Battery life and durability were the two most popular reasons.
I expected that to be the case. Some Itel models are packed with humongous batteries and for the most part, their plastic constructions are solid.
Good reception, plenty storage and accessories
The reasons I found interesting were; good reception and accessories in the box. Why are people praising Itel’s network reception? It’s not as if Itel uses superior modems or anything.
I think it boils down to what the Itels are being compared to. We do have a lot of Samsung imitations and other less dependable Chinese phones on the market. It is these phones that are the only real competition for Itel in their price range.
With those particular phones, you do find a lot of cases of the phones just failing to stay connected. So, I think those praising Itels for their strong network reception are comparing them to those ‘Dubai Samsungs.’
One person had an interesting one, said “the Itel P38 Pro allows me to transfer software and files with ease from a computer.” I know where they are coming from, those Dubai Samsung’s sometimes come without USB drivers and you won’t be able to download them.
The same goes for those praising the Itels for having plenty of storage space. I know for certain that that’s not really Itel’s strong point. However, when coming from the funny brands that sometimes claim to have 64GB whilst having 4GB in storage for example, an Itel that claims to have 16GB and actually has that is a blessing.
When it comes to accessories in the box, the same applies. Itel has an official presence in Zimbabwe and when one buys an Itel phone brand new they get a sealed box with all accessories intact. That’s not the case with some other budget brands. Resellers have the habit of opening the boxes and selling the accessories separately.
Those that go the second-hand premium brand route know not to expect accessories.
Itel has some brand loyalty
The snobs can say what they want but it turns out those that actually use an Itel are likely to stay with the brand when the time to upgrade comes.
A good number of those who were purchasing Itels were coming from other Itels. No one sticks with a brand that disappoints them and so Itel is meeting its customers’ expectations.
One of the people we talked to bought the same model they had before, the P17 Pro 4G. I totally get that. I’ve had devices that I loved so much that if something had happened to them I would have replaced them with the same exact model.
The most popular model was the P38 Pro 4G which retails for $117, but one could snag one for $114 in September. Its party piece is a massive 6000mAh battery. It has a UNISOC SC9863A CPU, clocked at 1.6GHz, that is not too powerful and so is not too power-hungry. That means the battery life on this phone is pretty good. You won’t be depleting it in a day.
Its 64GB storage space will be enough for most people too. As these phones will also be used for research the huge 6.8-inch screen comes in handy.
It all sounds good but would I pick it over a refurbished Galaxy S10e that has a much more powerful processor, better cameras and a better screen? I don’t think I would, especially considering that I can get that S10e for $110.
That’s just me though. The P38 does look good.
Have you used an Itel?
What has your experience been with an Itel? I think the bad perception of Itel is tainted by those that get the cheapest ones available that are guaranteed to give a sub-par experience.
Android has been streamlined over the years but it’s still not quite nimble enough to run satisfactorily on processors that are only listed as 1.3Ghz Quad Core and only 1GB of RAM. You won’t get the best of experiences with that setup but it beats not having a smartphone at all so the $55 A33 has its uses.
I’m curious, what do you consider when choosing which phone to buy? I imagine battery life has been moving up the priority list with the never-ending power cuts in this country. What else is important to you and do you have a ceiling on how much you are willing to pay for a smartphone? Let us know in the comments below.
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What’s your take?