By What if you could get a phone with a sleek, curved screen and all-day battery life without a premium price tag?
That’s the proposition of the itel S26 Ultra. While its name might draw comparisons to much more expensive devices, the phone aims to deliver a high-end feel on a budget. Here’s a closer look at its strengths.
- A Smooth and Impressive Display
The screen is the phone’s main attraction. It’s a 6.78-inch 3D-curved AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. While it’s marketed as having a 1.5K resolution, the actual native resolution is 1080 x 2400 pixels (Full HD+). The 1.5K claim seems to be achieved through software upscaling.
In practice, the display is sharp, vibrant, and offers a very smooth experience for scrolling and gaming. The 144Hz refresh rate can adjust automatically based on the app you’re using, which helps conserve battery.
Itel advertises a peak brightness of 4500 nits, but independent tests have shown it reaches closer to 2000 nits. Even so, that is still plenty bright for comfortable outdoor use. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for added durability against scratches.
The 3D curved edges contribute to a more premium look and feel in the hand. A curved AMOLED display is unusual in this price range and does enhance the viewing experience for videos and games. The display also includes an “AI Rainproof Touch” feature, which aims to improve responsiveness and prevent mistouches when the screen is wet.
- Reliable Battery Life
A 6000 mAh battery is becoming more common, but its effectiveness depends on the efficiency of the chipset powering the phone. The itel S26 Ultra uses the Unisoc T7300, which is built on a power-efficient 6nm process.
This combination generally delivers about 1.5 to 2 days of battery life with typical use like web browsing, social media, and video streaming. A bypass charging feature is included to reduce heat while charging, and itel claims the battery should retain over 80% of its health for up to four years.
- A Design That Punches Above Its Weight
The phone’s design clearly takes inspiration from more expensive flagship models. It features a matte-finish back and a vertical camera layout. While the body is plastic, the construction feels solid and doesn’t come across as cheap.
Despite the large battery, the phone is surprisingly slim at 6.8mm thick. For protection, it has an IP65 rating for resistance to dust and water sprays, along with “TitanShield” technology for better survival from drops of up to 1.5 meters. Standard security features like an under-display fingerprint scanner and face unlock are also present.
- Capable Performance for the Price
Powering the device is the Unisoc T7300 chipset. Its performance is roughly on par with a MediaTek Helio G99. In benchmark tests, it scores around 490,000-510,000 in AnTuTu v10.
For everyday tasks and casual gaming (think Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile), the phone handles itself well. It comes with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and uses UFS 2.2 storage, which is faster than the eMMC storage often found in budget phones, available in 128GB or 256GB options.
- A Versatile Camera System
The camera setup is robust for its class. It includes a 50 MP main sensor, a 2 MP macro camera, and a 32 MP front-facing camera.
A standout feature is the video capability: both front and rear cameras can record 2K video at 30fps. An “Ultra Steady” stabilization mode is available to reduce shakiness. There’s also a dual-video mode that records from both cameras simultaneously and a High Frame Rate (HFPS) mode, though it operates at a variable 40-50 fps rather than a full 60 fps.
The built-in gallery app includes AI-powered editing tools like an object eraser, portrait enhancer, and sky enhancer. In good lighting, the main and selfie cameras produce clear, detailed photos with accurate colors.
- Up-to-Date Software
The itel S26 Ultra runs on Android 15 with itelOS 15.1.2 on top. Having the latest version of Android is a significant advantage for a budget phone. The software offers a relatively clean interface with features like a gaming mode, personalisation options, and a dynamic bar.
AI features are integrated throughout the software, including live call translation, meeting summarisation, and photo editing tools. The phone also includes support for two digital assistants, Sola and Gemini. An Always-On Display (AOD) is included but needs to be manually activated.
- A Full Suite of Sensors
The phone is well-equipped with connectivity options. It has a functional NFC for payments or topping up e-money cards. This also works with a bonus “DIY Digital Case” that uses E-Paper technology to display images sent via NFC.
Other useful inclusions are an infrared blaster to use the phone as a universal remote, and a full set of sensors including a hardware-based gyroscope for more accurate gaming.
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