itel S23+: In-Depth Hands-On

You don’t usually expect a lot from a smartphone priced under PHP 10,000USD 170INR 14,446EUR 162CNY 1,241, more so a phone with an SRP of under PHP 8,000USD 136INR 11,557EUR 130CNY 993. They are super budget-friendly phones, after all. At best, you get an LCD screen, a decent camera, and average performance. But itel seems to be changing it up when it comes to affordable smartphones with the new S23+.

The itel S23+ is priced at just PHP 7,499USD 128INR 10,833EUR 122CNY 931, but it seems to punch beyond its weight class at least on paper. It features a large 6.78-inch OLED screen, 8GB of RAM, a 32MP front camera paired with a 50MP rear main shooter, and even an AI GPT assistant similar to Amazon’s Alexa.

But it’s one thing to read about a phone’s specs on paper. We got our hands on the itel S23+, and today we’ll be checking it out in detail. So if you’re curious about the itel’s newest budget smartphone, I suggest you read on.

Design and Construction

When you first look at the itel S23+, you wouldn’t think it’s a smartphone that retails for PHP 7,499USD 128INR 10,833EUR 122CNY 931. The design and construction are at par with those of more expensive models. The back panel is made out of plastic and appears to be quite scratch-resistant and even smudge-resistant. Perfect if you have sweaty hands since you won’t be leaving any nasty fingerprints. Like the panel, the frame is also made out of hard plastic and feels quite sturdy.

The back panel itself features a clean, minimalist design. There’s no itel branding whatsoever. Instead, you’ll only find a “super” word somewhat hidden at the bottom of the phone. However, the center of attention is the large dual-camera housing featuring two lenses and the flash.

The Lake Cyan colorway you see here is quite nice, and it reflects light differently depending on how it hits. It’s a bit loud and attractive, but if you want something more subtle, there’s also a Force Blue color.

On the right side of the phone, you’ll find the volume rocker and the power button, which are easily accessible by one hand despite its size. At the bottom, you’ll find the loudspeaker, USB-C port, and the dual-sim card slot.

The phone itself is quite slim too, measuring only 7.5mm. It’s also relatively lightweight, weighing only 176.5g. Easy to fit in your pockets and bags, or even when you’re just holding it in your hand.

Display and Multimedia

Most smartphones under PHP 10,000USD 170INR 14,446EUR 162CNY 1,241 come with an LCD display as AMOLED displays are usually reserved for more expensive units. But itel decided to give the S23+ a large 6.78-inch full HD+ AMOLED curved screen to give users a more immersive visual experience. You also get nice viewing angles too, making it great for watching with friends or a group.

Since it is an AMOLED display, the colors on the display look great out of the box. You get rich and vibrant colors along with deep blacks, making it great for watching your favorite movies or series. According to itel, there’s a 400000:1 contrast ratio, which is a significant improvement over it’s predecessor. You also get an in-display fingerprint sensor to match as well.

The borders on the phone are relatively thin too, which is not something you’d usually see on smartphones in this segment. While there is a screen protector that comes with the phone, the display is also quite resistant made with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. So even if you do accidentally drop the itel S23+, you’re sure it’s going to be safe. But of course, try to be careful with it too.

Perhaps the only downside of the itel S23+’s screen is the refresh rate. It’s limited to just 60Hz, not even 90Hz. But I find that’s an okay trade-off for having an AMOLED screen at this phone’s price point.

The loudspeaker is mono, and it’s adequate at best. Just be sure not to cover the speaker, which you can easily do with your finger.

Camera

One of our favorite feature on the itel S23+ are the cameras. It features a 50MP main rear shooter, which captures some really nice images. The photos are sharp all around, and even if you use 2x zoom, you don’t get a lot of noise.

The colors are relatively accurate as well. However, if you want punchier colors and a sharper image out of the box, you can turn AI and HDR mode on. If you’re not too OC, you can even upload these straight

The maximum zoom on the itel S23+ is at 10x, but you do have to set expectations when shooting at 10x mode. It’s not as sharp, and you will need to have steady hands to prevent the phone from shaking. But still, having the capability to shoot at 10x zoom is nice to have, especially for its price.

For budding photographers and videographers, there are various modes you can work with such as Super Night, Beauty, and even a short video mode which is quite interesting. Speaking of video, the itel S23+ captures video at a maximum of 1080P@30FPS.

If you thought the rear camera was nice, the front camera of the S23+ is also great as well. It’s a 32MP shooter, meaning you can take great selfies with friends, family, and more. This makes it probably one of the few smartphones to have a 32MP front camera in this price range.

Check out some of our initial batch of photos we took using the itel S23+ below.

Performance

The chipset and RAM on most budget smartphones aren’t the best, but you do have to set expectations. While most smartphones in this segment comes with 4GB or 6GB RAM at most, itel decided to switch things up with the S23+.

The itel S23+ comes with 8GB of physical RAM as standard and can be virtually expanded by another 8GB for a total of 16GB. It’s also paired with a UNISOC T616 chipset, which is relatively capable of handling most tasks.

It’s not the most powerful chipset, but it can handle several tasks and some light gaming at the same time. You also get more than adequate storage capacity at 256GB. We managed to run Mobile Legends and Asphalt 9 on the phone without any issues. But the graphics were toned down a bit in order to get smooth consistent gameplay.

So yes, you can game with the itel S23+, but you might have to pick less graphic-intensive titles.

OS, Apps, and UI

The itel S23+ runs on itel OS 13, which is based on Android 13. The OS itself is nice and easy to use, but our favorite feature the S23+ has is the AI GPT assistant. It’s called Aivana, and the AI supports calls, playing music, navigation, doing searches, and many more. It’s like itel’s own version of Alexa. Aivana does appear to be turned on from boot up, but you can go to the settings to turn it on.

Imagine being able to send messages, set alarms, and everything else you can think of. Since it’s also supported by ChatGPT, you can easily get the information you need without having to open Google or any other app. You don’t even have to unlock your phone since Aivana works from the lock screen. All you have to do is hold the power button for a second or two, and just ask away.

It’s a pretty neat feature to have since not even some higher-end phones come with an AI GPT integrated assistant.

Battery

The itel S23+ packs a 5,000mAh battery pack, which is the standard for most phones. It lasts a relatively long period of time almost an entire day. This allows you to take photos, play games, and even do your usual day-to-day tasks without having to worry about your battery life. But when you do need to recharge the phone, there is an 18W charging. According to itel, the battery can be fully recharged in two hours.

Conclusion

So far, we like what the itel S23+ has the offer. It hits above its weight class with the beautiful OLED display together with the nice camera. It’s not the most powerful, but you can still enjoy some light gaming to pass the time.

Then there’s the price – PHP 7,499USD 128INR 10,833EUR 122CNY 931. There’s even a sale price at launch where you can get the phone for only PHP 5,699USD 97INR 8,233EUR 92CNY 707 via Shopee vouchers. There are other freebies too including an itel ICH-61 Power Brick & I678 Glass Screen Protector per Shopee order. Customers can also choose between a free itel ISW-31 Smartwatch or itel N75 OpenAir Air Conduction Earphone as well.

But what do you think of the itel S23+? Share your thoughts in the comments below.