Itel S23, has stood the test of time, remaining the most popular itel smartphone in Zimbabwe more than a year after its release.
The budget smartphone broke with tradition including more features for higher value phones, such as a 50 Megapixel camera, at a time when smartphones in the $100 bracket had 13 Megapixel cameras.
A check on search interest tracking platform Google Trends, shows that the S23 beats all newer itel smartphones in popularity. it has maintained uniform interest throughout the year, despite the release more newer and more capable itel smartphones such as its successor the itel S24.
Outside the S series, there was also the release of the P65, the RS4 this year. All these phones are yet to make a dent in the S23’s popularity.
The higher end version of the phone, the itel S23+ also remains extremely albeit at a lower level than the standard version.
What about itel A70?
Following the release of the S23, the itel A70 also broke records by being the first smartphone in Zimbabwe phone to have 256GB and still be less than $100. That record is yet to be beaten, and that has also made the A70 relatively more popular than its successor. Still, it’s not as popular as the S23.
At the end the S23 is a more capable device on many other fronts compared to the itel A70.
Reduction in price
As with all phones after release, the price has continued to go down as newer phones are released. From a about $120 at release, the itel S23 now ranges below $100.
This affordability contributes to its popularity. While the prices of other phones have reduced slowly, the reduction in price for the S23 has been drastic. Even though it’s a more power phone, it’s now priced less than the itel A70.