itel RS4 Full Review
We recently unboxed and shared our first impression of itel's first-ever gaming phone - the itel RS4. In this review, we will examine the features of this smartphone in greater detail to help you decide if it is the right choice for you.
Design and Walk Around
The Elegant Beige variant of the itel RS4 has a design that may look familiar to some. It features a large protruding camera module and a vegan leather finish on the back panel with stitches across the middle, similar to the realme 12 series. On the other hand, the Silvery White and Lurex Black colorways have a different design and patterns on the back.
The front of the phone boasts a 6.56-inch HD+ (720 x 1612) IPS display with an 8MP hole-punch camera at the top, along with the earpiece. The side bezels are relatively slim, but the chin is pretty thick. The phone comes with a pre-installed screen protector.
On the back, there's a large protruding camera module that houses a dual-camera setup along with a dual LED flash. The two cameras are a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera.
The left side of the phone features a card tray with a 3-card slot for two nano-SIM cards and a dedicated slot for a microSD card.
On the right side, you'll find the standard volume rocker button and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button.
The top of the phone is clean, with only the speaker grille present.
At the bottom of the phone, you can find the USB Type-C charging port, downward-firing speaker, microphone, and 3.5mm audio jack.
In addition to its design, the itel RS4 is 8.15mm thick and weighs about 198g. The phone has a squared-off box-type build paired with rounded edges at the corners for added comfort and ease of use with one hand.
Display and Multimedia
The itel RS4 features a 6.56-inch IPS display with a high 120Hz refresh rate, providing smooth visuals and minimal lag, making it great for gaming. However, it has an HD+ (1600 x 720) resolution.
Despite the low resolution, the IPS panel of the itel RS4 produces vibrant colors and offers decent viewing angles. On the other hand, you might face difficulties while using the device in direct sunlight, even with its peak brightness.
The stereo speakers on the itel RS4 are decent and can deliver loud sound, which is a plus given that most devices in this price range come with a single downward-firing loudspeaker. However, for better audio quality, it's recommended to use headphones or a Bluetooth-enabled external speaker.
Camera
Rear Cameras
The itel RS4 is equipped with a dual-camera setup, featuring a 50MP F1.6 main camera with Phase Detection autofocus (PDAF) and a 2MP depth lens.
Although the camera is not the phone's primary feature, the camera performs well in bright lighting conditions, but there is room for improvement in dynamic range in some scenarios.
Indoor and low-light photos may appear muddy in certain situations, but still serve well for casual social media use.
Front Selfie Camera
The phone's front camera is an 8MP F2.0 shooter, capable of producing decent-quality photos, particularly in well-lit conditions.
Video
In terms of video, the itel RS4 can capture videos up to 2k@30fps or 1080p@60fps using the main camera. However, the recorded video from the main camera may appear shaky as it lacks optical video stabilization.
itel OS, Apps, and Security
The itel RS4 uses a customized UI called itel OS 13.5, which is based on Android 13. This UI is easy to navigate and comes pre-installed with Google's standard app suite and some unnecessary apps.
In terms of security, the itel RS4 has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, as well as a facial recognition feature for device unlocking. While the fingerprint sensor works quickly and accurately, the face unlock feature may slow down in low-light situations.
Hardware and Performance
The itel RS4 runs on a rare MediaTek Helio G99 Ultimate processor manufactured using a 6nm process. It boasts two Cortex-A76 cores that can reach speeds of up to 2.2GHz, along with six Cortex-A55 cores that can reach speeds of up to 2.0GHz, and a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.
Despite its affordable price, the itel RS4 offers decent performance, handles demanding applications, and provides a good gaming experience with support for a wide variety of games. However, the phone still feels warm when running demanding apps such as games.
Additionally, the itel RS4 supports MemFusion, allowing it to utilize additional virtual RAM from internal storage, providing up to 24GB of RAM for the 12GB variant and 16GB for the 8GB variant.
In the Philippines, the itel RS4 is available in two storage variants - 128GB and 256GB. In the 256GB version, the phone initially used 22.70GB of storage. If you need more storage, you can expand it up to 1TB via its dedicated microSD card slot.
Below are the benchmark scores from this device:
- AnTuTu v10.2.5 – 423,129
- AnTuTu Storage Test v10.2.5 – 43,309 (1,024.7 MB/s Seq. Read, 806.0 MB/s Seq. Write)
- Geekbench 6.3.0 – 745 (Single-core), 2,046 (Multi-core)
- PCMark – 11,112 (Work 3.0)
- 3DMark – 2,682 (SSE – OpenGL ES 3.1), 2,518 (SSE – Vulkan)
Battery and Connectivity
The itel RS4 comes with a 5,000mAh battery that can last a whole day with moderate usage. In the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Life Test, the device scored 14 hours and 57 minutes. It also features 45W PowerCharge technology, allowing the phone to charge from 1% up to 80% in just 30 minutes.
Another feature is Bypass Charging, which keeps the phone powered up without charging the battery, allowing the user to keep playing and the phone to work while reducing heat generation.
In addition to the battery and charger, the itel RS4 offers standard connectivity features such as dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), 4G LTE, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, a 3.5mm audio jack, and USB Type-C.
itel RS4 Specifications
6.56-inch HD+ (720 x 1612) IPS display, 269ppi, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Mediatek Helio G99 Ultimate, 6nm
Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
8GB/12GB RAM (LPDDR4X)
128GB/256GB of internal storage (UFS 2.2)
microSD card up to 1TB (dedicated slot)
Dual-rear cameras (50MP F1.6 main + 2MP depth)
8MP F2.0 front camera
Dual-SIM / 4G LTE
WiFi / Bluetooth 5.2 / NFC / GPS
USB Type-C / Fingerprint scanner (side)
Dual Stereo Speakers
itel OS 13.5 (Android 13)
5,000mAh Battery with 45W PowerCharge
163.69 x 75.69 x 8.15mm (dimension)
198g (weight)
Colors: Silvery White, Elegant Beige, and Lurex Black
What’s inside the box
In case you missed it, the unboxing of the itel RS4 included several items: the smartphone, a SIM card ejector tool, itel warranty policy, a 45W PowerCharge power adapter, a USB type-C to USB-A charging cable, and a silicone case.
Price and Availability
The itel RS4 is offered in three different variants to meet various needs and budgets:
- 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM variant - Php6,299
- 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM variant - Php6,999
- 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM variant - Php7,499
All variants are available for purchase in stores nationwide and online on platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok.
Verdict
The itel RS4 sets a new standard for mobile gaming by combining decent hardware performance with gamer-centric features, a sleek design, long-lasting battery, and three variants that cater to various needs and budgets. If you're looking for an affordable yet high-performing gaming smartphone, the itel RS4 is definitely worth considering.
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