itel has announced the availability of their new smartphone in the Kenyan market. The itel A56 falls in the ultra-budget segment. The company has set the recommended retail price at KES. 6,699 only. You can pick it up at retail stores country-wide.
The new itel A56 is an Android GO smartphone. Android GO is a stripped-down version of Android made for budget devices to ensure your phone runs smoothly without lags, and without slowing down. You get the necessary GO Apps from Google already installed, and you’re advised to use LITE apps which are available on the Play Store.
As an Android GO device, the new itel A56 competes directly with all Android GO smartphones available in the Kenyan market. These include devices from Nokia, TECNO, and other companies. itel has managed to offer a better value proposition for the device when compared to other Android GO phones. Despite being more affordable, it packs some specifications we see in more expensive smartphones.
At this price point, the company is offering a 6-inch big display. People love big screen devices. They’re great for media consumption. You also get a huge 4000mAh battery. With the phone being an Android GO device, and with its low-resolution screen, the battery should last very long. itel is promising crazy standby time, and crazy long hours of music playback. For normal use which includes social media, and a couple of videos, this phone should easily last two days before requiring you to charge it.
Talking of use, there’s 1GB RAM, and 16GB storage. With GO and LITE apps, the 1GB of RAM will be sufficient. The 16GB of storage will also be enough. If that’s not enough, you can insert a MicroSD Card, up to 32GB. The company is using a Unisoc 1.3GHz processor. This could be the only phone in the market with this 28nm process chip.
If you’re looking for a budget phone, or know someone who needs one, this is a device to consider. It doesn’t support 4G/LTE though. But if that doesn’t matter to you, go ahead and pick it up. The bigger display, bigger battery, support for Face Unlock, and inclusion of a rear Fingerprint scanner, makes it a better deal than many other Android GO phones that cost more than KES. 8,000.
Specifications of the itel A56:
| PRICE | KES. 6,699 RRP Buy from Jumia |
| Display | 6 inch FW+ IPS Screen 960×480 pixels |
| Main Camera | Dual: 8MP AF main lens VGA lens Flash |
| Selfie Camera | 5MP FF with flash |
| Processor | 1.3GHz Quad Core Unisoc SC7731E Chip |
| Memory | 1GB RAM |
| Storage | 16GB Storage SD Card Slot – Up to 32GB |
| Operating System | Android 9 Pie GO Edition |
| Battery | Li-ion 4,000mAh |
| Network | 2G, 3G only |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi Bluetooth GPS Micro-USB |
| Colour options | Black, Gradiation Blue, Gold |
| Other Features | Face Unlock Fingerprint Scanner |
The phone lags and the network is too slow it pains me as it’s not 4g so annoying
The phone is okay