Itel on the 5th of October 2020, released the iTel S16 series as part of their rebranding efforts. The Itel S16 device though happens to be one of the few new 3G devices that are existing at a time when the world is moving to 5G.
Commenting on the new brand direction and products, Marketing Manager (West Africa 1), itel Mobile, Oke Umurhohwo said: “The Enjoy Better Life slogan expresses our commitment to listening to consumers and meeting their most pressing needs with value-driven offerings. Enjoy Better Life is an open invitation to everyone for an amazing user experience with the new category of products.
“The S16 series, itel TV, TWS earbuds and smart bands come with customized features and they are affordable. With the products, our consumers are getting convenience, comfort and a better life filled with love and happiness.”
Itel S16 Specifications Summary
| OS | Android 10 Q Go |
| DISPLAY | 6.5 inch IPS display with 720p resolution. |
| CAMERA | 8MP selfie 8MP main + 2MP Macro + QVGA depth sensor |
| RAM | 1 GB of RAM space |
| STORAGE | 16GB storage with expansion card slot |
| PROCESSOR | SC7731E Quad-core Chip, 28nm fabrication, 1.3GHz |
| BATTERY | 4000 mAh |
| SECURITY | Face Unlock and Finger Print |
Design and Display
The S16 is the latest member of the Itel Selfie Series and the successor of the Itel S15 smartphone. The 6.5 inch smartphone has a waterdrop notch display with the centred placed camera placed under the speaker grille. The S16 is about 0.4 inches larger than the Itel S15.
The tiny top bezel houses the front sensors and the bottom notch is still present. The S16 has a plastic frame which is common amongst low entry devices.
The backside of the smartphone has a triple camera cutout arranged in a vertical manner at the top left side, while the dual-tone LED flash with the triple camera label occupies a second column in the camera cutout.
A fingerprint sensor sits close to the camera modules withthe external speaker and Itel brand label placed at the bottom left side.
The S16 has a 2.5D glass covering with 1600*720 screen display resolution. The phone is available in 3 colors; Ice Crystal Blue, Cosmic Shine and Dazzle Black.
Camera
In the camera section, it is worth mentioning that the Itel S16 selfie camera is lower than the one found in the S15 series. The S15 has a 16MP selfie cam while the S16 uses an 8MP camera.
The rear camera modules consist of an 8MP Main Camera, a 2MP Macro Camera and a QVGA Depth-Sensing lens.
Hardware Specifications and Memory
The processor of the S16 is not different from that on the S15 and the speed is similar to that found on devices found 5 years ago. The S16 uses the SC7731E quad core processor with 1.3GHz speed. Made with 28nm fabrication, this processor is not power efficient.
The smartphone is not built for gaming and heavy apps. The phone has a 16GB storage and 1GB of RAM space.
OS and Battery
The Itel S16 runs on Android 10 Go operating System. There is a 4000mAh battery available of this device, a step up from the 3000mAh on the S15.
Conclusion
I am not expecting much from this device like almost every other device with similar specifications. A 3G device in 2020 is crazy. It might be worth getting if the user just needs a smartphone to use or strictly under a tight budget. This device can be best used for just a year as the limited RAM space and processor power will greatly limit its functionality.
Itel S16 Overall Specifications
Network
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / |
| 2G | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 |
| 3G | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G | No |
| Sim Type | Dual Nano SIM |
| Network Speed | Information Not Available Yet |
Design and Display
| Dimensions | 166 mm x 75.9 mm x 8.3 mm |
| Height | 166 mm |
| Width | 75.9 mm |
| Thickness | 8.3 mm |
| Weight | Information Not Available Yet |
| Display Size | 6.6 inch |
| Display Resolution | 720 x 1600 |
| Display Technology | IPS |
| Build | Plastic Frame, Glossy Polycarbonate Back, 2.5D Front |
| Protection | Durable Polycarbonate, 2.5D Front |
| Colors | Ice Crystal Blue, Cosmic Shine and Dazzle Black. |
Platform and Hardware
| OS | Android 10 Go |
| Processor Name & Technology | Unisoc SC7731E |
| No. of Processor Cores | Quad core chip |
| Processor Cores Speed | 4 x 1.3GHz |
| Graphics Chipset | Information Not Available Yet |
| RAM | 1GB of RAM space |
| Internal Storage | 16GB of storage space |
| External Storage | Yes. Dedicated MicroSD card slot available up to 32GB |
| Sensors | Fingerprint Sensor, G-Sensor, E Sensor, Gyro, Touch Sensor, Electronic Compass |
Camera Specifications
| Front/Selfie | 8 MP, |
| Rear Camera | 16MP main + 8MP Ultrawide + 2 MP depth sensor triple camera, LED Flash |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, AI Bokeh, Portrait, AR stickers, AI Scene detection, AI Beauty Mode, |
Multimedia
| Video | FLV, MP4, MKV, AVI, 3GP |
| Audio | WAV, MP3, MP2, ACC, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MIDI |
| Image | Jpeg, Png, Gif, Bmp |
| Speaker type and Chipset | Information Not Available Yet |
| Audio Jack | Yes, 3.5mm |
Connectivity
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE |
| WLAN (WiFi) | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| USB | Yes, USB 2.0 |
| NFC | No |
| GPS | Yes |
Battery
| Battery Capacity | 4000mAh |
| Battery Technology | LiPo |
| Fast Charge? | No |
| Removable? | No |
