Itel A70 is the latest budget phone, which comes for Rs 8,499. This phone is a noteworthy contender for those eyeing a smartphone with an appealing design and solid performance on a budget. In this quick review, we’ll look at the features that make the A70 a pocket-freindly package.

Design and build quality

The A70, with a design reminiscent of premium smartphones, particularly iPhones, manages to strike a visual chord.While the camera module may lead you to believe it has a triple-lens setup, the LED flash plays the imposter role.
The A70 can be found in four flashy colourways. For this review, we have the Brilliant Gold hue. The back panel features a coarse texture, slightly helping with the grip. It weighs around 187 grams, and the weight distribution on the device is quite balanced. If you are afraid of dropping the phone, the MagSafe-like case provided in the box should help.

The phone’s right side features a power button that also functions as a fingerprint sensor, which works well. You will also find the volume rocker on this edge. A SIM tray is located on the left side of the frame, while the USB Type C port, a headphone jack, and a speaker grille are located at the bottom.

Display and audio

While the A70 falls short of supporting Full HD content, the display performs well for the price. The panel offers vibrant colours, accompanied by minimal side bezels. This ensured our content viewing experience was enjoyable. Legibility under direct sunlight was also decent, with the panel reaching a maximum of 500 nits.
The Itel A70 also includes the iPhone-inspired Dynamic Bar, which, although not practical, adds a unique touch. The animations are smooth, and you get a bunch of options to tweak around with.
For audio, the single-bottom speaker surprises with its robust performance, delivering a balanced mix of punch and clarity. Retaining the 3.5mm headphone jack is a thoughtful inclusion for users who prefer a wired audio experience.

Performance

Performance is where the A70 faces a bit of a challenge. While daily tasks and navigation are relatively smooth, more heavy apps can strain the device. However, a swift recovery from occasional stutters indicates a robust system. The RAM management was also entirely up to the mark, with the device remembering apps even after a certain period.
The A70 runs on Android 13 Go Edition with minimal bloatware, which in turn reflects a good UI experience. You also get many customisation options, with a slew of themes to change the look of your homepage.
The scrolling experience throughout the UI was good, with no jitters or lags, indicating good optimisation. While the device will get two years of security updates, there’s no word on the software update cycle.
Despite being an entry-level offering, the A70 has not compromised on the battery capacity. The 5,000mAh battery easily lasted us an entire day on a single charge — clocking around five to six hours of screen time.
The 10W USB Type-C charging may seem slightly sluggish by contemporary standards, but it proves effective. During our testing, the device took around two and a half hours to go from 15 percent to 100 percent. Its endurance, coupled with reasonable charging times, ensures a dependable daily driver for users with moderate usage patterns.

Camera

In the camera department, the A70 holds its ground considering its price point. The camera UI is quite straightforward, with all the necessary options at arm’s reach.
Pictures taken during the daytime exhibit good contrast, but the images tend to lean towards a warmer tone. The images also have a decent amount of detail. While the dynamic range was mostly under control, we noticed certain situations when the highlights in the sky were overexposed. Regardless, the primary camera gave us consistently satisfactory and usable output.
Surprisingly, the handset shines in the selfie department, even indoors, capturing detailed and impressive shots. This means that buyers seeking a competent selfie shooter on a budget might get swayed toward the Itel A70.

Verdict

In conclusion, the Itel A70 emerges as a noteworthy option for those eyeing a sub-Rs 8,000 smartphone. Its appealing design, robust build, satisfactory performance for daily tasks, and surprising prowess in the camera and audio departments make it a good choice.
However, pragmatic expectations are key, as this budget offering isn’t tailored for intensive tasks. If you seek a well-rounded device that ticks most boxes without breaking the bank, the Itel A70 merits serious consideration. Moreover, it can be a fitting choice if you are looking for a secondary smartphone for making calls and handling emails.