In the highly competitive smartphone market, Itel has carved out a niche by offering affordable yet reliable smartphones for everyday users. The Itel Zeno 10, part of the Zeno series, is one of the company’s latest offerings designed to provide exceptional value without compromising on key features. With its sleek design, efficient performance, and user-friendly features, the Itel Zeno 10 is a great option for those looking for a budget-friendly smartphone that doesn’t cut corners.
Design and Build
The Itel Zeno 10 impresses with its modern and stylish design, a rare feat in the budget smartphone category. The phone features a plastic body with a glossy finish that reflects light in interesting ways, giving it an attractive and premium look. The back of the phone houses a dual-camera setup, neatly arranged in a vertical module, which contributes to the phone’s sleek appearance.
Despite its affordable pricing, the Zeno 10 does not feel cheap in hand. It has a solid build and is lightweight, making it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods. The phone is designed with rounded corners, giving it an ergonomic feel. Its compact form factor ensures that it can be operated easily with one hand, which is an important factor for many users.
On the front, the Zeno 10 features a 6.6-inch display with a small notch at the top for the front camera. This size strikes a good balance between usability and screen real estate, offering an enjoyable viewing experience without being too bulky. The phone’s design is not only attractive but also practical for daily use.
Display Quality
The Itel Zeno 10 sports a 6.6-inch HD+ IPS display, which is quite impressive for a budget phone. The screen offers a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels, delivering decent sharpness and clarity for everyday tasks like browsing, watching videos, and scrolling through social media. The colors are vibrant, and the brightness is sufficient for indoor use. While it may not be as bright or crisp as the more premium OLED displays on higher-end smartphones, the Zeno 10’s screen offers good value at its price point.
The phone also performs decently in terms of viewing angles, with the display remaining clear from various perspectives. For users who like to watch videos or play casual games, the Zeno 10’s display provides an immersive experience, albeit not on the level of flagship phones.
Performance and Software
At the heart of the Itel Zeno 10 lies a quad-core MediaTek processor, which is paired with 3GB of RAM. This combination ensures that the phone runs smoothly for everyday tasks such as calling, texting, browsing, and social media. It can also handle light multitasking, such as switching between apps, without significant slowdowns.
While the processor may not support high-end gaming or intensive apps, it is more than adequate for the price range, offering a stable and fluid experience for the typical user. The phone is powered by Android 11 Go Edition, which is a lighter version of Android designed to run efficiently on budget smartphones. This ensures that the phone runs smoothly and doesn’t slow down over time due to bloatware or resource-heavy apps.
Additionally, the Go Edition of Android is optimized to offer a faster and smoother experience with lightweight apps and features that are tailored to lower-spec devices. Users can expect a clutter-free and straightforward UI with the option to customize various aspects according to their preferences.
Camera System
The camera setup on the Itel Zeno 10 is basic, but it performs well within its price range. The phone features a dual-camera setup on the back, which includes a 13MP main camera and a 0.3MP depth sensor. The 13MP camera offers good image quality for everyday photography, capturing clear and sharp photos in well-lit conditions. It does a decent job with landscape shots, portraits, and even close-ups.
Low-light performance is where the camera setup shows its limitations. While it can capture decent images in dimly lit settings, noise becomes more evident, and the details may not be as sharp as those taken in optimal lighting. However, the Zeno 10 does come with a built-in night mode that improves low-light photography to a degree.
The 0.3MP depth sensor enhances portrait mode, creating a shallow depth of field effect and allowing users to take photos with blurred backgrounds. This is a nice touch, considering the price of the device, and it adds a bit of versatility to the camera setup.
On the front, the Zeno 10 has an 8MP selfie camera, which provides clear and vibrant self-portraits. While it won’t compare to the higher megapixel cameras on more expensive phones, it is more than enough for casual selfies and video calls. The front camera also supports facial recognition for unlocking the phone, adding a layer of security and convenience.
Battery Life
The Itel Zeno 10 is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery, which is a solid capacity for a budget smartphone. With moderate usage, including web browsing, social media, and watching videos, the Zeno 10 can easily last a full day on a single charge. While it may not support ultra-fast charging, the phone can be charged through a micro-USB port, and it offers a reliable battery life that is sufficient for most users.
For those who rely heavily on their smartphones throughout the day, the Zeno 10 provides peace of mind with its battery, reducing the need for frequent recharging. Although fast charging isn’t available, the battery is efficient enough for the intended usage, and users won’t have to worry about the phone running out of juice during the day.
Connectivity and Features
The Itel Zeno 10 supports 4G LTE connectivity, which allows for fast mobile data speeds, making it suitable for streaming, browsing, and online gaming in areas with good network coverage. The phone also includes the essential connectivity features like Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is becoming rare in many modern smartphones.
In terms of storage, the Zeno 10 comes with 32GB of internal storage, which is expandable via a microSD card, allowing users to store additional photos, videos, and apps without worrying about running out of space.
Conclusion
The Itel Zeno 10 offers great value for money, making it an excellent choice for those looking for an affordable smartphone with reliable performance and solid features. While it may not have the bells and whistles of high-end devices, it provides everything that most users need in a budget-friendly phone. With its modern design, decent display, capable camera system, and long-lasting battery life, the Itel Zeno 10 is a fantastic option for anyone seeking a no-frills smartphone that does the job at a budget price. Whether you’re a first-time smartphone user or simply in need of a secondary phone, the Zeno 10 is definitely worth considering.