Itel A100C

The Itel A100C starts at Rs. 24,549 for the 2GB + 64GB model. Its main appeal is an eye-catching design at a low price; the hardware underneath is very basic.

Strengths:

• A stylish design with a protruding camera module that looks far more expensive than it is
• A 5000 mAh battery with a charger and a good-quality case in the box
• IP65 dust and water resistance, an IR blaster, a headphone jack and a microSD slot

Weaknesses:

• The Unisoc T7100 feels slow and laggy, even with no extra apps installed
• Only 2GB or 4GB of RAM, and the box prints a larger RAM figure that includes virtual RAM
• Slow 10W charging and a dim 720p screen
• Android 15 Go edition with fewer features

The Honor X5c costs more at Rs. 31,995 but has a faster Helio G81, 4GB of RAM, a larger 6.74-inch screen, a 5260 mAh battery, 15W charging and a 50MP main camera.

Verdict: suitable only as a basic secondary phone for calls, WhatsApp and hotspot sharing, or for buyers who mainly want a good-looking phone on a tight budget. If you can stretch your budget, a phone with a stronger chip will be far less frustrating.

The Itel A100C has a 6.6-inch IPS LCD with HD+ (720 x 1612) resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate and a waterdrop notch.

Colours are decent for the price, and indoor visibility is fine. However, brightness is rated at only 400 nits, so the screen can be hard to read in direct sunlight.

Limitations:

• Despite the 90Hz refresh rate, scrolling and app transitions often feel jerky because the processor cannot keep up
• Media viewing is only average
• The notch and bezels make the design look dated from the front

It is a basic screen that matches the phone's entry-level positioning.

The phone uses the Unisoc T7100, an entry-level octa-core chip built on an older manufacturing process, with 2GB or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage expandable via microSD.

Performance is the weakest part of this phone. Even straight out of the box, with no extra apps installed, it feels slow, with stutter and occasional hangs. Once you install more apps and fill the storage, it is likely to slow down further.

What it can handle:

• Calls, WhatsApp, light browsing and hotspot sharing
• Basic daily tasks, if you are patient

What it cannot handle:

• Gaming or heavy multitasking
• Many apps open at once, especially on the 2GB model

Buying tip: the 2GB box shows a large RAM number with the real figure printed in small text below it. Check carefully in the shop that you are getting the 4GB version if that is what you want.

Spending a little more on a phone with a MediaTek Helio G85 or Helio G81 gives a noticeably smoother experience.

The Itel A100C has a single 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP selfie camera.

Outdoors in good light, the rear camera produces decent photos for the price, with acceptable colours and detail. Indoors and in low light, quality drops sharply, as expected from a budget phone.

The selfie camera struggles more, with weak detail in most conditions.

Video: both cameras can record at up to 1080p at 30fps.

The camera is acceptable for documents, WhatsApp photos and video calls, but not for anyone who cares about photography.

The Itel A100C has a 5000 mAh battery. Paired with a low-power processor and an HD+ screen, it gives roughly 6 to 7 hours of screen-on time, which means a day to two days of use depending on how you use it.

Charging:

• Only 10W charging, with no fast charging support
• A 10W charger is included in the box, unlike some brands that ship no charger at this price
• Expect long charging times, so overnight charging works best

Battery life is one of the phone's better points, although slow charging is a clear compromise.

The phone runs itel OS 15 on Android 15 (Go edition). The Go edition is designed for low-memory phones, so it has fewer features than full Android, and some apps run in lighter versions.

Useful touches:

• A clean and attractive Control Center
• A Dynamic Bar that shows charging, calls and music around the notch
• Basic AI features for translation, transcription and search
• Smooth app opening and closing animations, unusual at this price
• An IR blaster for controlling TVs and ACs

Itel has not published an Android update policy for the A100C, so buyers should not expect major upgrades.