iVoomi i2 Lite Review: Cheapest smartphone with Android 8.1 Oreo

The iVoomi i2 Lite at first looks like a premium smartphone for the price it has been launched for. However, when you take it out of the packaging, you get to see its true colours. Though the smartphone feels well built the plastic body feels a bit bothersome. After turning on the smartphone, you might feel a bit excited due to the fact that the device is running on the latest build of Google's Android 8.1 Oreo operating system in its stock avatar. But, after you fully set it up you will be greeted by a lot of bloat and minor lags here and there. We got to test out the device for a period of 7 days extensively, below are our views on how the device faired.

Specifications

As far as the specifications are concerned, the iVoomi i2 Lite features a 5.45-inch InCell display with a resolution of 1440x720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MTK6739 chipset which is a Quad Core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. The device packs in 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which is further expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The handset runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 4,000mAh battery powering up the device.

Design

The iVoomi i2 Lite, being a budget smartphone, is housed inside a plastic body. Up front, the phone has an 18:9 display with minimal bezels. The back panel is removable and is completely made out of plastic. However, iVoomi has given it a glossy feel which makes the plastic look like glass from a distance. The glossy feel results in the invitation of a lot of fingerprints which is why we would recommend putting a case on.

In terms of placements, just above the 5.45-inch display rests the earpiece. To the left of the earpiece are the front-facing camera and the selfie flash while the right is equipped with a couple of sensors. The volume rocker and the power button sit on the right of the device while the left remains empty. The bottom of the phone showcases two grills out of which one is equipped with the mono speaker whereas the primary mic rests on the other. The 3.5mm headphone jack and the microUSB port are located on the top which is actually a weird place for such ports.

Software

The software was one of the most interesting aspects of the iVoomi i2 Lite. While most smartphones at this segment are currently shipping with Android Nougat, iVoomi managed to provide the latest Android 8.1 Oreo on the i2 Lite. The smartphone runs on an almost stock Android operating system with a different launcher and a few customizations made by the company.

The whole operating system on the i2 Lite was pretty responsive. However, at times we did notice a few lags here and there. This can be easily fixed using an OTA update.

Performance

As the iVoomi i2 Lite is a budget-oriented smartphone, you cannot expect much when it comes to the performance. During our testing, the smartphone was able to handle day-to-day tasks like messaging and calling quite smoothly. Most apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram ran without an issue.

When it comes to gaming, the handset was able to handle games like Subway Surfers and Hill Climb Racing. However, the phone did tend to struggle with games like Asphalt 8 and PUBG Mobile. The phone was able to play these games but there were occasional frame drops while playing.

Camera

iVoomi i2 Lite features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 13-megapixel primary and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. The dual-cameras look like they have just been placed to enhance the looks of the device and look good on paper. When it comes to real life performance, the images taken from the device were overexposed. The portrait mode shots do not come out well and it seems that the images are being processed after the image is taken.

Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter with a Soft LED flash. The front camera also delivers overexposed images. The device manages to take acceptable pictures under good lighting conditions while it struggles a lot under low light.

Battery

The iVoomi i2 Lite comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery. The battery might sound large enough on paper. However, during our testing, we witnessed that the battery barely made it through the day with heavy usage. Light or moderate usage can get you through the day but you will need to charge it at around 9 or 10 PM.

Verdict

iVoomi smartphones have gotten better, comparing the iVoomi i2 Lite to the iVoomi i1 and the Me3 launched a few months back. But the device still has a lot of room for improvement considering the fact that smartphones at this price level offer a lot more than what they have been able to deliver. Even at this price point, they failed to add a fingerprint sensor to their smartphone. As a replacement, they did provide face unlock which is currently available as Android's Smart Lock feature and does not work that well. However, the company will soon bring native Face Unlock feature to the i2 Lite via an OTA update.

If you are considering to buy the iVoomi i2 Lite, we recommend you take a look at other smartphones like the 10.or E and the Xiaomi Redmi 5A as they pack in a lot more features. However, if the looks are what matter to you the most, the iVoomi i2 Lite is one of the better-looking smartphones at this price point.