Itel City 100 4G Full Review: Price, Features, Cameras and Specs.

We’re going straight for the Itel City 100, the recent budget-friendly phone from the budget king, starting at just N120,000.

Jun 1, 2025, 9:42 PM

Check this out... The Itel City 100 4G is really sleek, only 7.65mm thin, weighs about 185 grams, and feels so light it’s like holding air. I really fancy the Navy Blue colourway, but you can also grab the Fairy Purple or Pure Titanium.

This is the full review, so I’m breaking down everything, from the Design, to the Display, AI features, Camera, and Battery.

Design, Build, and Price.

The ITel City 100 4G looks like a million bucks without costing a dime. The unibody design has a metallic shine to it that screams premium, and for ~N120,000 naira, that’s a big win. And for the glossy finish, it’s fingerprint-resistant, so it stays clean even when I’m scrolling YouTube shorts all day.( don't scroll YouTube shorts all-day 😉)

Over at the left side, you’ve got the power button, which is also the fingerprint sensor, it’s not the fastest finger print sensor ever, but for a budget phone, it works just right. The Volume rockers are right above it. We've got a USB-C port, a speaker, a mic, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Additionally, this phone is IP64 dust and water-resistant, so a little rain or dust won’t mess with your vibe.

Our review of Itel City 100 4G

6 / 10Review score

Positives

Affordable
Clean design
Excellent for casual users
AI features available
Infrared remote app

Negatives

Poor gaming performance
Not for intense users
Can't handle multitasking
Lagging during intense or prolonged use

At the back, it's rocking a 13MP camera and a dual LED flash. There is an LED flash at the front too, and you switch ON both lights at the same time. It doesn't come with a dual speaker, nor does it use the earpiece speaker as an extra speaker. Now, it’s not rocking a glass back or fancy materials, but for a budget phone, it feels premium and looks dope.

Let’s see if it’s more than just a pretty face.

Display:

Let’s talk about the display. The Itel City 100 4G has a 6.75-inch HD+ IPS screen, 720x1600 resolution, and a silky 90Hz refresh rate. Yeah, I know some of you are like, “HD+ In 2025?” But hold up—this screen is not bad, It’s bright at 700 nits, colors are popping, and scrolling through socials is a smooth experience thanks to that 90Hz.

I watched some Burna Boy videos, and it was a vibe. There’s a waterdrop notch for the 8MP selfie cam, which feels a bit old-school. And yeah, the resolution isn’t razor-sharp like flagship phones, but for gaming, Netflix, or just vibing on social media, this display is manageable for ~120,000 naira. What do you think about HD+ screens?

Performance:

The Itel City 100 4G runs on the Unisoc T7250 octa-core chip with a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU. I’m testing the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage model, but you can also get 8GB RAM with 256GB storage.

Itel’s MemFusion tech is fire, it adds up to 8GB virtual RAM, so my 4GB feels like 12GB sometimes. It’s running Android 14 with itel OS 14.5, which is clean, with barely any bloatware. At the time of reviewing this phone, I received a software update. For daily stuff,WhatsApp, YouTube, browsing, this phone is manageable, but not the fastest. I had a few apps open, and the lag kicked in.

For gaming, this isn't a powerhouse, but you can play light games like Subway Surfers. If you want to play games like COD or PUBG, you have to opt for the lowest settings. So this phone isn’t for heavy gaming or crazy multitasking. If you’re a small business owner, or just need a reliable phone, it’s a champ. Hardcore gamers... you might need more juice.

Camera:

The Itel City 100 has a 13MP main rear camera with a depth sensor and an 8MP selfie cam. In bright daylight, the rear cam is actually pretty nice, colors are on point, and details are good enough for your social posts. I snapped some shots, and they looked good.

The selfie cam is solid for video calls and daylight selfies, with portrait mode and HDR. But for low light, that’s where it struggles. The rear cam gets noisy, and details fade in dim settings. The selfie cam isn’t great at night either. Both cameras record 1080p@30fps, which is cool for short clips or vlogs.

The camera app is simple, with a dual LED flash and digital zoom. The front LED flash is adjustable, and it has super night mode, which is still hard for me to differentiate from the normal camera. Pro mode and a Beauty mode with AI beauty effect, so for N120,000 naira, the cameras are decent. What’s your go-to editing app? Drop it in the comments

Battery Life:

This battery is a beast! The Itel City 100 packs a 5200mAh battery, and it’s one of the best things about this phone. I got almost two days of heavy use gaming, streaming, calls, you name it. For Light users, you could hit three days easily. The 18W fast charging is clutch, about 2 hours to go from 0 to 100% with the included USB-C charger.

No wireless charging, but who’s stressing about that at this price? The only small downside is no super-fast charging like some expensive phones, but 18W is solid. If you’re always out and about, this battery life will keep you covered. You also get Bypass Charging, which can be handy for gamers, and AI charging protection.What’s your must-have phone feature? Let’s hear it in the comments!

Software & Extra Features:

The itel City 100 4G runs Android 14 with itel OS 14.5. The interface is clean, with next to no bloatware, so you’re not stuck deleting junk apps, plus, you can uninstall most pre-installed apps.

Itel's AI is called “Aivana”; it can do a lot of things like play music, take selfies, send text messages, sing to you, or have a decent conversation with you. It's integrated with Deepseek R1, and you need a data connection to use it.

You can customize most parts of the device, including the icon style, status bar, and others. You can generate wallpaper using the AI Wallpaper Generator, It supports AOD, but not that Always On Display you're thinking about, because the screen turns off after a few seconds.

You also get the usual special functions like Dynamic Bar, Smart Panel, Game Mode, Kids mode, and others. The Action and Gesture feature is here to stay, where you draw certain gestures as a shortcut. One of my favorite perks is the infrared remote app— you can control your TV or AC with this feature. Itel says this phone will stay smooth for 60 months, but we all know that's just a marketing slogan. This software is super friendly and a strong point, but also note that it might lag sometimes, of course, it does.

Verdict:

This phone is a budget king for anyone who wants a reliable 4G phone without spending big, but it’s not flawless.

The HD+ resolution isn’t the sharpest, so don’t expect flagship-level visuals, the cameras are solid in daylight but struggle in low light, and this phone isn’t built for heavy gaming or multitasking.

Also, no 5G, so if you’re planning for the future, that might sting. Still, for casual users, or your Auntie who just needs WhatsApp and calls, this is a steal in 2025. For the price, itel brought their A-game. So, who is getting this one?

Cheers 🍻 ❤

Review