Itel A300+ Arrives with a Rear Camera That Previews Your Frame Before You Shoot

Itel has launched the Itel A300+ in Indonesia, bringing a secondary rear display to a phone priced around $140 or KES 18,165, similar to what Xiaomi has been doing with the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and the 18 Pro Max, but those are much more expensive.

The secondary 2.01-inch interactive display will be the main selling point if these device, but the phone also packs other impressive features such as a 7000mAh battery.

How the 2.01-Inch Rear Display Works in Daily Practice

The 2.01-inch rear display is useful for two main things: taking better selfies and checking notifications without picking up the phone. Instead of relying on the lower-resolution 8MP front camera, you can use the 13MP rear camera and frame your selfies using the smaller screen.

The display also works as a desk clock, shows notifications, and lets you control music. I can see myself placing the phone face down on my desk and glancing at the rear display whenever a notification comes in. However, I would like to know whether you can customize the notification lights for individual apps, making it easier to tell which notifications need your attention and which can wait.

Core Performance: MediaTek Helio G81 and Display Specs

Underneath the dual-screen setup is the MediaTek Helio G81(12nm), which is a pretty old chipset released back in 2024. For casual gaming, scrolling through social media, and sending and receiving emails, the chipset can handle it just fine, but for heavy gaming, expect some stuttering and heat buildup near the camera module.

According to benchmark results, the G81 scores 432 on the single-core score and 1416 on the multi-core score on Geekbench 6, and on AnTuTu 11 the results are 358608.

On the storage front, the phone comes in four storage configurations: 64GB ROM 8GB(3+5GB)* RAM, 64GB ROM 12GB(4+8GB)* RAM, 128GB ROM 12GB(4+8GB)* RAM, 128GB ROM 18GB(6+12GB)* RAM. From this, we can see that the highest physical RAM configuration is 6GB; the rest is virtual RAM, which is understandable given that we are currently experiencing a RAM shortage.

Moving on to software, the Itel A300+ comes with Android 16 Go edition out of the box, so we don’t get the full suite of Android 16. Regarding software support, I don’t expect any major OS updates, considering Itel’s reputation for not supporting its devices, but what we might get is a year or two of security patches.

The display is a pretty huge 6.78-inch HD+ LCD panel, not the sharpest for a budget phone, but that is what you get from a budget device; it's paired with a 120Hz refresh rate, so scrolling through the UI should feel smooth.

Other notable features include the ability to make free calls up to 1.5km with Ultra Link Free Call using Bluetooth; there is also satellite messaging and smart noise control, which helps suppress background noise for clearer calls and voice chats, which will be useful in the noisy Nairobi streets.

Who the A300+ is for

Based on the specifications, I would recommend this phone for students, first-time smartphone buyers, bodaboda riders, and cab-hailing drivers because, apart from the big 7,000mAh battery, the phone supposedly can survive drops up to 1.5m, has an IP65 rating, and has MIL-STD-810H shock resistance

Itel A300+ Price and Availability in Kenya

The Itel A300+ has been launched in Indonesia as of publishing this article, but we should expect a Kenyan launch pretty soon. I estimate the price to be around KES 18,000-KES 20,000; however, I will keep you updated with the full details once it launches in Kenya.

Early Verdict: Useful Innovation or Budget Eye-Catcher?

The rear display is a fun feature and a good way to take selfies with the rear camera. For most Kenyans, though, the 7000mAh battery is the bigger draw. If you want a big battery at a budget price, it is worth waiting to see whether the Itel A300+ launches in Kenya, and if you want a standout design feature, the rear display is the reason to look at this phone.

Would you buy a phone with a rear display? Tell us in the comments.

Also read: Best 6000mAh Battery Phones in Kenya Under KSh 30,000 (2026 Guide)