Smartphone Alcatel One Touch Idol X: description, characteristics, reviews. Alcatel OneTouch Idol X - Technical specifications Alcatel OneTouch Idol X
Contents of delivery:
- Telephone
- Charger with USB cable
- Instructions
- Wired stereo headset
Positioning
In the summer of 2013, Alcatel made a small breakthrough - they created a model that was almost ideal in terms of price/quality ratio, but at the same time offered maximum performance among all second-tier companies. Idol X combined a thin body with a high-quality screen, a 13-megapixel camera, and a fairly capacious battery. The device was released at a price of about 14,000 rubles, which became the most affordable offer in its class. An amazing situation arose, companies with large sales volumes, for example, Fly, were forced to adjust prices down and take Idol X into account.
Within six months, the cost of Idol X dropped to 12,000 rubles, which made it even more attractive. But the company decided that it was time to update the flagship, and carried out a number of cosmetic works - the new phone received an eight-core processor, a number of software changes and a price similar to its predecessor at launch. In my opinion, this device is suitable for those who are looking for productive solutions and understand why they are needed, and most importantly, how they plan to use this power. But there is no big difference with just Idol X; the average consumer should look at the old model - it is cheaper, more profitable and works almost the same. The company, realizing this, added quite a lot of additional functions to the software. But you can notice this only by deeply studying the device and delving into its settings. Currently this device is the flagship of Alcatel.
Design, dimensions, control elements
It has become a tradition for Alcatel to release several versions of the phone - for example, there is a single-SIM device with a memory card. A model with 32 GB of internal memory and two SIM cards will be supplied to Russia; there is no slot for memory cards. There is also a 16 GB version for this device, but they refused to launch it in Russia. This was the one in the review, but this device does not have any fundamental difference with what will be supplied. The difference in memory capacity does not in any way affect the performance of the device in use.
The first thing that catches your eye is the refusal to use matte and multi-colored plastic, as in Idol X. Here we see ordinary, glossy plastic, which is incredibly reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Of course, it was necessary to make the design a little different, but it was definitely not worth giving up the successful discovery of the previous device, which consisted of good, wear-resistant plastic. This is what the device and its back looked like.
Phone size – 140.4x69.1x7.9 mm, weight – 130 grams. The slim body fits well in the hand. The case is monolithic, and as a result, the battery cannot be replaced. On the left side there is a slot for SIM card number one; it has a microSIM form factor, just like the second one. I like the way the connector cover flips up, it's hinged and made of alloy. The design gives the impression of being reliable and durable, but the main thing is that it is convenient in everyday life.
On the right side there is a paired volume key. The bottom end is occupied by a microUSB connector, but at the top we see a 3.5 headset jack, as well as an on/off button.
On the front surface above the screen there is a light sensor, and a proximity indicator right there. There are no mechanical buttons, as on previous devices, these are three touch keys. For those who have used Samsung devices in recent years, it will be unusual that the return key is moved to the left, that is, the location is mirrored.
On the back surface there is a 13.1-megapixel camera lens, and there is also an LED flash that can be used as a flashlight. You can also see the speaker hole at the bottom.
Display
The phone has a 5-inch IPS matrix with FullHD resolution of 1080x1920 pixels, which is still atypical for most second-tier manufacturers. The screen is covered with DragonTrail glass, and an oleophobic coating is also applied to it; fingerprints are not so noticeable.
The viewing angles are maximum, the brightness is excessive, which forces you to turn it up to half, otherwise the white color will be overexposed. There is a light sensor that can adjust the backlight automatically. In the screen settings, you can select the color scheme, this is a fine adjustment of colors.
The screen fades in the sun, but not much, and remains readable. The screen type is capacitive, supports up to 5 simultaneous presses.
Alcatel emphasizes that this model has a very thin frame around the screen (zero frame). In fact, the distance is 2.4 mm, which is extremely small, and visually it seems that the screen occupies the entire space from edge to edge.
The screen is completely identical to that in Idol X, where there could be no complaints about it; it is a very high-quality matrix, and it remains one of the best in its segment.
Battery
The battery is non-removable, lithium polymer (Li-Pol), capacity – 2500 mAh. According to the manufacturer, the device operates on average 12 hours in talk mode in 3G and 20 hours in 2G, and in standby mode - up to 320 and 240 hours, respectively. Music playback time is 36 hours.
With normal use of the device (an hour of calls, two hours of music, about an hour of social networks, several photos), it is quite enough for daylight hours. With less load per day. In the most difficult scenario, it will work with two SIM cards until 5-6 pm. This is quite good, since the Galaxy S4 with a more capacious battery runs out much faster due to the gluttony of the processor; here it is not so powerful, but it lasts longer. The time to fully charge the battery is 2.5 hours (up to 90 percent - 1 hour 45 minutes).
Interestingly, the battery capacity has increased from 2000 to 2500 mAh, but this is impossible to notice. In all modes, the operating time remains the same.
Memory and memory card
The smartphone is equipped with 2 GB of RAM, on average about 1 GB is free after booting the device. The system occupies 3.3 GB of memory. The single-SIM model has a slot for a microSD memory card. The maximum volume is 32 GB.
Performance
It uses the MediaTek MT6592 chipset, eight-core processor, 2 GHz, ARM Cortex-A7. The graphics accelerator is Mali 450. This is a fairly powerful system, but by no means a record holder, even in synthetic tests.
You can run almost any complex toys or applications on your smartphone.
Information from various applications and performance tests:
Camera
The camera interface has been redesigned to simplify it; you can turn on HDR mode, get a panorama, turn off the flash, but that’s all. You can take pictures by pressing the screen, focusing occurs at the point of pressing, then the device takes a picture. Second-tier manufacturers do not yet have such camera modules, so it was interesting to compare it with the Galaxy S4. Unfortunately, no miracle happened - the quality of the matrix in Idol X+ is much worse, which can be seen in the detail of the photographs; they often turn out blurry even during the day. But when shooting indoors, the camera of this device completely floats, noise appears, when shooting with flash, the picture is illuminated, and the focus is mercilessly wrong, turning the picture into soap. In a word, 13 megapixels here is more of a marketing ploy than a reality in comparison with the Galaxy S4 or Sony Xperia Z - the camera is much weaker. However, look for yourself at examples of pictures from this device.
Video recording is supported in 1080p resolution, up to 30 frames per second.
The final conclusion about the camera is that it is typical for budget devices; there are not enough stars in the sky. Many second-tier manufacturers offer high-quality 8-megapixel modules, which shoot very well, but in pursuit of digital they risked installing another module, which resulted in not very good photographs.
Communication capabilities
The phone operates in 2G (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and 3G (850/900/2100 MHz) cellular networks. Available Bluetooth version 4.0 for file and voice transfer. There is a wireless connection Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n. The devices, of course, can be used as an access point (Wi-Fi Hotspot) or modem. USB 2.0 (High-Speed) is used for file transfer and data synchronization. There is a not very popular Wi-Fi Display function, when you can transmit a signal from your phone to another device via Wi-Fi. Traditionally, there is a Wi-Fi Direct function. There is also a remote Wi-Fi display option.
Software features – Android 4.2.2
In Idol X+, just like in its predecessor, Alcatel uses its own software shell, which can be perceived ambiguously by many, since people often prefer “bare” Android and are quite satisfied with its capabilities.
Many functions have been heavily redesigned; Alcatel has added a number of programs that can be downloaded for free anyway, but the fact that they are pre-installed makes the device more interesting for inexperienced users. Let's start talking about the shell with the lock screen.
Without unlocking the device, you can view the weather forecast for the current day. Let's scroll the screen to the right, there will be a calendar and a to-do list for the current day (entering to-dos or viewing another day will not work). You can also view the status bar; it is also available when the screen is locked, if there is no security key or digital code.
The fundamental difference between Alcatel's approach and other shells is that they decided to abandon a separate menu for all applications. On the main screen there is a weather widget and several icons. This is the starting point. We flip the screens to the left, and there will be widgets that you install. Let's go to the right, and these will be program icons, also some programs have already been put into folders, this was done by the manufacturer. You get used to such an organization instantly; it is somewhat logical and definitely has a right to life.
The settings menu now has its own settings, for example, a super saving mode for the battery. The menu itself has also been redesigned in white colors, which is quite nice. In our video, I talk about most of the applications that are in the device, and I don’t want to repeat what has changed compared to previous models.
Next, I could dwell on each program and describe it, but I don’t see much point in this. This is a smartphone, and this software is usually known, or I touched on it in the video. So see the screenshots below.
Another part that I want to describe separately is the multimedia capabilities. The device has support for unconverted video; the chipset plays 1080p perfectly, unlike its predecessor. In terms of music formats, there is support for FLAC, in addition to the usual MP3 and a number of others.
The HiFi Sound mode has appeared, it makes the sound in the headphones more voluminous. I liked him.
Impression
In terms of call quality, there are no complaints about the device, the call volume is excellent, you can hear it even from your bag. Due to the thickness of the case, the vibration alert feels unusual and you often don’t notice it. There are no complaints about the quality of speech transmission.
In March, the device will appear in Russia at a price of 14,990 rubles, it does not look extremely low, especially compared to the cost of the original Idol X, for which they are asking 12,000 rubles. Initially it was assumed that the cost would be 13,990 rubles, but the rise in the dollar exchange rate mixed up all the cards. The device is interesting because it corrects shortcomings in multimedia, plays 1080p video well, and plays music more pleasantly. But other than that, you won't notice any significant differences.
I didn’t like the abandonment of matte plastic in favor of glossy one at all, and the initial choice of white and black cases was also not encouraging. The disadvantages that may make you think is the lack of a memory card; many may need it, unlike the slot for a second SIM card. Good, high-quality screen, balanced functionality. In terms of price/quality ratio, this device does not stand out that much, unlike its predecessor. I would advise you to look at it, and keep this model in mind - it is not so interesting for the vast majority, rather, an object of adoration for geeks.
The "Wow" effect has been achieved!
14.12.2013
Telephone and communications
The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks and copes with it with a bang; there is no support for fourth generation networks (LTE). You can organize a wireless point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels; there is a Wi-Fi Direct mode; NFC and MHL are absent.
The implementation of working with two SIM cards is standard for the platform: there can be only one active conversation, any of the cards can work in both 3G and 2G modes. In a separate settings section, you can assign default conditions to each SIM card so that, for example, voice communication is always carried out using the first one, and data transmission is always carried out through the second SIM card. In the case of the device officially sold on the Russian market, the first slot is locked to work only with MTS SIM cards, but users have already learned to bypass this limitation at the software level.
On the very first version of the firmware, clicks were detected that the interlocutor heard, but after the update on October 10, the clicks disappeared. Now during a conversation you can hear your interlocutor perfectly and he, in turn, hears you perfectly. The volume of the speaker is sufficient to freely hear the voice from the handset even in a noisy place.
It is also possible to record a conversation out of the box. Both talking parties are recorded, the recording of the conversation can be listened to by clicking on the icon with the image of a magnetic tape right in the call list opposite a specific call with time and date - everything is organized extremely conveniently.
The Internet works quickly both when connected via 3G and Wi-Fi. No crashes or slowdowns when scrolling.
Battery
The battery here is not of the highest capacity (alas). A total of 2000 mAh powers the smartphone with very intensive use for an average of about 8 hours. To be precise:
I did not test the device in talk mode, but the manufacturer claims up to 20 hours depending on the signal level of the cellular network.
In the “a few calls, SMS and twenty minutes a day Internet via Wi-Fi” mode, it will live for about three days and there is a screenshot from the screen as proof.
As you can see, it’s not three days, but there’s not much left, and there’s still 27% left.
Navigation
You can safely use your smartphone as a navigator. Finds satellites quickly enough and also quickly clings to them. In just 10-15 seconds, 13 satellites were found, and after another 30, eight of them already showed me my location. This was the result on the fifth floor balcony.
It leads accurately, it has not lost contact with satellites throughout the entire journey from Moscow to my native Kursk, during which I decided to give it a test. On the road, the device maintained contact with at least ten satellites. But it was possible to observe, since I was not driving.
In general, it was surprising to see such confident work with GPS on a smartphone with MediaTek, because before we had never done without “dancing with tambourines.”
Camera
The device, as I said at the beginning of the review, has a 13 MP main camera and a 2 MP front camera. Both cameras cope with their task, I would say, a solid four. Although the front one can be installed perfectly, since it is quite sufficient for video calls and the quality is quite appropriate. But the main camera received a 4 due to poor software photo processing, for which the MediaTek platform is to blame. In daylight there are no complaints and everything is fine (unless, of course, you are addicted to alcohol and your hands are not constantly shaking, I’m kidding of course), but in poor lighting and photography with flash there is a lot of noise. But I want to say that for such a price you shouldn’t be so demanding of your smartphone camera. And, of course, examples of photos in daylight:
And in poor lighting:
Of course, the smartphone shoots video. Maximum resolution 1080p (Full HD) at 30 frames per second. The default container is 3GP and can only be changed in a third-party camera application. The manufacturer, in turn, promises to expand the functionality of the camera in future firmware.
Example video from the device camera:
At night
During the day
The flash can be used as a flashlight, and there is a separate application for this.
Bottom line
Alcatel's smartphone turned out to be gorgeous, not without its drawbacks, but they are insignificant and forgivable given its cost and available advantages. It has a gorgeous and large screen, but is still easy to use even with one hand, is made of quality materials and has enough performance for all the tasks you throw at it. The disadvantages include, perhaps, a weak video chip that cannot cope with Full HD in games and only in games, and even then in very rare cases, as well as a low-capacity battery for such a screen. The location of the power button is compensated by the ability to unlock with the volume keys, and the lack of a memory card slot is compensated by the presence of OTG support.
For me, the device turned out to be ideal, and for the first time I really experienced that “wow” when purchasing it, and even at such a price. There are, of course, negative reviews, but this is probably due to defects that probably exist in all manufacturers. If we do not take into account the defect, which, thank God, my copy avoided, then I experience only positive emotions from the device. For the existing disadvantages, I give Idol a solid nine out of ten possible points.
Thank you for your attention!
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 67.5 mm (millimeters) 6.75 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft (feet) 2.66 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 140.4 mm (millimeters) 14.04 cm (centimeters) 0.46 ft (feet) 5.53 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 6.9 mm (millimeters) 0.69 cm (centimeters) 0.02 ft (feet) 0.27 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 130 g (grams) 0.29 lbs 4.59 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 65.39 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 3.97 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black Yellow Red |
| Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body. | Plastic |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | MediaTek MT6589T |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | ARM Cortex-A7 |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 1024 kB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 4 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1500 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc. | PowerVR SGX544 MP |
| Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications. | 1 |
| GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 357 MHz (megahertz) |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 2 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR2 |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | IPS |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail. | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail. | 441 ppi (pixels per inch) 173 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. | 72.96% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| Dragontrail glass Oleophobic (lipophobic) coating |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. | 4208 x 3120 pixels 13.13 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality. | Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 2000 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| 2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 20 h (hours) 1200 min (minutes) 0.8 days |
| 2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 320 h (hours) 19200 min (minutes) 13.3 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 12 h (hours) 720 min (minutes) 0.5 days |
| 3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 240 h (hours) 14400 min (minutes) 10 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Fixed |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.
| Head SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device close to the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the guidelines of ICNIRP 1998. | 0.264 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
| Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards. | 0.584 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
The smartphone is an interesting solution from a design point of view, has not the most advanced characteristics and an excellent camera. However, it is difficult to talk briefly about this device, since the manufacturer found something to surprise its buyer. When I first saw the packaging of the Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X, I couldn’t help but exclaim: “Well, wow!” When I picked up the device itself, the pleasant surprise was repeated. However, later my head started going, “Hey, wait a minute!” and “It can’t be!”, and these were by no means positive exclamations. We read about all this and something else in our review today.
The name of the smartphone is so big that I didn’t even dare to add anything of my own to the title of this article. Here there is “one touch”, and “idol”, and “alpha” and even the letter “X”, which, as is customary, means something special. In my opinion, there are too many pretentious words for one title. However, the manufacturer did not stop at one name. Let's start with the configuration, fortunately there is something to talk about and show too.
Device kit
Idol Alpha's packaging is radically different from anything we've seen before. Usually, the manufacturer tries to save money on the box, trying to reduce its costs and, thereby, make the price of the device more attractive. Sasmung, for example, produces boxes for its devices from recycled materials. LG uses printing inks made from soy. Using the example of the latter, we see that here the manufacturer still has a chance to get into some fashionable rating of environmentally friendly companies. In the eyes of consumers, this is a definite plus. This is especially true for European countries, where the attitude towards ecology is of a slightly different order.
So, Idol Alpha crosses out all the principles outlined above and comes in a metal tube with appropriate markings. Down with savings and environmentally friendly production! But, you must admit, it looks cool! This “pipe” contains a special stand made of black velvet, in which the smartphone itself rests peacefully. The unpacking system is quite tricky, because all the components are hidden in a special compartment of this holder.
The device includes the following: microUSB cable, charger, headset with call control button, 3.5 mm adapter! (more on this later) and a device for removing the SIM card.
The special clip for opening the SIM card tray is surprisingly reminiscent of the one from the iPhone. In general, the device itself clearly shows many similarities. It's clear where the designers drew inspiration from when developing the 6032X.
Design, materials and use
The appearance is even more impressive. The first thing that catches your eye is the transparent plastic inserts on the top and bottom. Smooth, pleasant to the touch, rounded plastic does not provide any additional functionality. This is just an external “decoration” that looks really cool. In addition, the inserts are illuminated by moonlight with any notification. This illumination looks especially impressive in the dark.
The logos of the system control keys are cut out on the bottom plastic. The first thing I did was try to click on them, but nothing happened. These are just symbols, and the touch keys themselves are located on a dark strip under the screen. The buttons are not marked in any way, so you have to press them somewhere here. There is no other way to express it. Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not bother to somehow allocate touch areas for the keys. Subsequently, I repeatedly caught myself trying to press these labels printed on the plastic. It turns out that the lower part of the smartphone looks very decent, but the ergonomics are not fully thought out.
Along the entire contour of the device there is a metal edging, painted in the color of the body. Obviously, the manufacturer killed two birds with one stone: he brought the antenna to the external circuit, thereby saving on internal space, and made it one of the main features of the device’s appearance. This antenna implementation looks very good, but the idea is far from new. The style and performance are painfully familiar to us. If you haven't guessed it yet, everything will fall into place after a direct comparison of Idol Alpha and iPhone 5.
The screen is covered with protective glass with an oleophobic coating. Thanks to the special design, the body appears to be two-level: as if a small black smartphone is enclosed in a metal ring. An interesting solution from all points of view. Above the display is a speaker grille, to the left of which is the front camera eye. To the right of the speaker there is a proximity sensor and a light sensor. The latter, by the way, works correctly, but with some delay: the change in the screen backlight returns to normal with the ambient light after about 5 seconds.
There are absolutely no elements on the top and bottom ends.
On the right side of the smartphone there are metal volume buttons and below is the power key. The button travel is clear and moderately soft.
The left side contains a tray for the operator’s card, which, by the way, is made of a slightly different material and this is noticeable against the background of the monochromatic edge of the phone. At the very bottom there is a microUSB port. And then I couldn’t believe my eyes. I twirled my smartphone again and it turned out to be true.
Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X does not have a 3.5 mm hole for connecting headphones!
It was a shock for me. In my memory, it’s been about 5 years since almost everyone (even Sony a little later) abandoned their proprietary ports and began to build an audio output into their devices for connecting third-party headphones. And now, in 2014, when all devices have a certain gentlemanly set of options (own shell over the OS, microUSB input, USB-Host, 3.5 mm jack for connecting third-party headsets), Alcatel releases to the market one of its best devices, which turns out to be without one leg.
For the sake of at least some convenience, the company included an adapter from microUSB to a 3.5 mm jack in the kit. Thank you, of course, but this crutch is far from the same as the initially available ability to connect any headphones. The adapter can be forgotten, broken, lost, and so on. And buying a replacement is now relatively difficult, since even budget models have a standard audio output. No demand - no supply. Is it possible to order through Ebay.com and wait about a month for the parcel, involuntarily giving up listening to music on your phone for this period.
By the way, not a single flash drive could be connected to the smartphone, since he thought that an audio headset had been inserted into it.
From here the conclusion arises that OTG mode is not supported.
And this, by the way, is one of the main advantages of the entire Android system. In general, the developers have done something clever here.
Since we are talking about the shortcomings of the device, it is worth mentioning that the main speaker is located on the back cover. If the Idol Alpha 6032X is lying on a flat surface with the screen facing up, the sound is noticeably muffled. If you hold the device in your hand, the sound is muffled. If the smartphone is in your bag or in the front pocket of your trousers, then forget about any audibility of the ringtone or other notification. Of course, the arrangement of the components of any device in the case that the designers have drawn is a very complex engineering task. And any user should understand this. Probably, someday the day will come when manufacturing companies will try their best to meet their consumers halfway and put the convenience and experience of using their products at the forefront. We all already know an example of a company where such an ideology rules everything.
The transparent insert with control button emblems has a recess for the first microphone. The second is located on the back, not far from the rear camera eye and LED flash.
Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X is a very thin (7.5 mm), light (117 g) and ergonomic smartphone. Using the device is a pleasure. All controls are in convenient places and you don’t need to grab the phone to reach any button. In a trouser or jeans pocket it is almost invisible.
Coupled with its excellent appearance, interesting colors (two options are available: dark blue and beige), and well-proven ergonomics, the Idol Alpha 6032X really makes a very positive impression.
Yes, there are shortcomings, but there is no ideal, especially for a price of 13,990 rubles.
At the end of this section, I propose to compare the dimensions of the Idol Alpha 6032X with its closest competitors.
| Length | Width | Thickness | Weight | |
| Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X | 138 | 66,6 | 7,5 | 117,4 |
| Samsung GALAXY S4 mini | 124,6 | 61,3 | 8,9 | 107 |
| Sony Xperia Compact Z1 | 127 | 64,9 | 9,5 | 137 |
| Fly IQ4410 Quad | 135,8 | 68,4 | 8 | 123 |
Display
The display reproduces colors perfectly thanks to the IPS matrix used on its basis. With a diagonal of 4.7 inches and a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, viewing angles remain maximum. I propose to compare the color rendition of the smartphone with the iPhone 5 (the one on top) in the photographs below.
If there are no issues with the image display display, then with regards to sensitivity, everything is not so simple. Up to 10 simultaneous touches are supported, that is, a full-fledged Multitouch. During use, it turned out that the screen sensor does not always respond to touches. This is especially noticeable when surfing the Internet, when you need to click on some small link. For example, the hero of our previous review, LG G Flex, has a display with very good sensitivity: at times it is not even clear whether you touched the surface or not, but the smartphone has already reacted. You shouldn't expect such sensitivity from the Idol Alpha 6032X, and this can be attributed to its disadvantages.
In addition, the corners of the picture display are not beveled, despite the fact that the phone itself has a rather rounded shape. Again, let's return to the iOS interface, where there are no right angles - everything adheres to the general concept. The example below shows what we are talking about. And although most users will not notice this, there are still bores like me who will pay attention to it.
Specifications and performance
- MediaTek MT6589 processor (4 cores) with a frequency of 1.2 GHz
- PowerVR SGX 544MP video chip
- RAM 1 GB
- 16 GB data storage memory (12.64 GB actually available)
- display 4.7" IPS screen with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels
- camera 13.1 megapixels (main) with LED flash, 1.3 megapixels (front)
- Sensors: proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetic compass
- supported music formats WAV, MP3, MP2, AMR, MIDI, Vorbis, APE, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, WMA
- FM radio
- battery 2,000 mAh
- operating system Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
Networks and connections:
- quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS 900/2100 (6032X)
- HSPA: DC-HSPA+
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Wi-Fi direct, Wi-Fi Display, DLNABluetooth 4.0
- GPS with A-GPS technology
- Micro USB 2.0
- microSIM standard
As you can see, the smartphone is equipped with a processor from MediaTek, which provides sufficient performance for most tasks.
However, the proprietary shell sometimes has twitches and barely noticeable stutters.
There is no 100% smoothness of any interface animation here. It's difficult to say why this happens. Perhaps the proprietary shell is not well optimized, or perhaps the processor’s performance leaves much to be desired.
For clarity, here are the test results in the AnTuTu program:
However, the smartphone easily coped with FullHD video playback. Most modern games are also supported, but, of course, at medium graphics settings.
A 13.1 megapixel matrix is used as the main module for photographs. The output photos have a resolution of 4224×3168 pixels. Of course, there is autofocus, which quickly grasps the subject and almost never misses.
There are very few additional shooting scenarios: there is support for HDR, the ability to create a horizontal panorama, sports mode and night photography. For the front camera, the developers have added special settings that are suitable for selfie lovers - this is, first of all, automatic skin retouching and the creation of collages. In my opinion, this is the right approach when the manufacturer does not load the camera interface with many different add-ons. Almost no one uses all this anyway. Those who need additional functionality can always download third-party photo applications from Google Play.
Let's take a look at some sample photos.
Obviously, the Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X camera is one of the device’s strongest points. Detailing, color rendition - everything is at a very decent level. Sometimes your smartphone gets the exposure wrong, so it’s always worth taking a few shots. In such cases, the HDR mode can also come to the rescue, but in order not to blur the picture, you need to hold the device with iron hands for quite a long time - about 3 seconds.
For some reason, the manufacturer did not provide the ability to go directly to the footage from the camera interface. But we have all been accustomed to such functionality for a long time, since the days of 1.3 Mpixel modules.
As for video shooting, the smartphone is capable of shooting video in a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second.
During video recording, the tracking focus is clearly visible, which instantly refocuses on any desired object. The output file format is the good old 3GP (codecs H.263, MPEG4, H.264 depending on the quality preset in the settings). What to say when you can see everything with your own eyes.
Sound and video
As mentioned earlier, the speaker in the Idol Alpha 6032X is located on the back cover of the device. The sound through the speaker is quite quiet and, if we compare the volume with the iPhone 5, the latter sounds about twice as loud as a smartphone from Alcatel. On a noisy street or in the subway, it is impossible to hear a call from the device. Even the pre-installed relatively shrill notification tones do not save the situation.
The quality of music playback through headphones leaves an extremely positive impression.
We are talking about using third-party headphones. The entire sound spectrum, including bass, is clearly audible. For those who do not have enough standard sound, there is an equalizer with a lot of pre-installed add-ons, as well as many other effects, among other things. The Idol Alpha 6032X is also perfect as a music player because it supports many popular audio formats: WAV, MP3, MP2, AMR, MIDI, Vorbis, APE, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, WMA. If it were possible to connect your own headphones without any adapters, that would be very good.
The included headset does not pull out low frequencies at all, although it allows you to control playback and calls. For an undemanding user, it is quite suitable as the main headphones.
There is one more unpleasant feature. For some reason, the player stretches out all the song covers and, accordingly, it looks sloppy.
There is also an FM radio that operates via a headset that acts as an antenna. You can listen to the radio without headphones, but in this case no one guarantees the stability of the signal.
Video playback does not raise any questions, except perhaps that the player itself is very ascetic: there is not even the ability to view information about the file.
Input method
In the phone settings, you can configure input methods in detail using several preset keyboards to choose from. A learning mode and two ways of typing words are available: for fast typers and for those who prefer accuracy.
According to the manufacturer, Idol Alpha 6032X can last 24 hours on a single charge in music player mode. A non-removable battery with a capacity of 2,000 mAh allows the device to stay afloat for one day during active use. The smartphone can last a day and a half without connecting to a power source only under a fairly moderate load (20 minutes of calls per day, 10 pictures per camera, an hour of Internet surfing via Wi-Fi). It looks like a standard for an Android smartphone.
Bottom line
Yes, Alcatel decided to save money on the processor and not install a top-end chip from Qualcomm. Still, the price of 13,990 rubles per device in federal networks dictates its own rules. However, the smartphone is not positioned as a top-end device. The buyer has the right to count on the image component, a nice screen and a good camera - and believe me, all this is already a lot. Yes, there are certain inconveniences: you can’t just connect any headphones and there is no support for OTG mode. Before purchasing, you should definitely consider these points.
Can Alcatel Idol Alpha 6032X be considered as a purchase?
Yes, if not needed high performance, a second SIM card and a passion for a fashion device, but for one reason or another the iPhone is not suitable.
Specifications
- Android 7.1.1
- Display 5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, LTPS IPS, 423 ppi, full lamination, automatic brightness adjustment, Dragontrail 2.5D protective glass
- MediaTek MT6753 chipset, 8 cores with a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz, MALI T720-MP3 GPU
- 3 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory (8 GB available), memory cards up to 128 GB
- Battery Li-Ion 2800 mAh, charging time up to 3.5 hours with a complete device
- Rear fingerprint sensor
- Front camera 8 megapixels (physical resolution 5 megapixels), fixed focus, f/2.4, 1/5 inch sensor, 1.12 micron pixel size, LED flash, 84 degree angle
- Main camera 16-megapixel (physical resolution 13-megapixel), phase detection autofocus, continuous autofocus (CAF), f/2.0, 1/3-inch sensor, 1.12 micron dot size, 76.3 degree angle, LED flash - video recording up to 1080p ( 30 fps)
- FM radio
- Equalizer Dirac
- Two nanoSIM cards, combined slot
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz), bluetooth 4.2, USB 2.0, USB OTG
- LTE cat.4, band 3/7/8/20/28A
- Light sensor, gyroscope, electronic compass, proximity sensor, G-sensor,/
- Size 148x73x7.5 mm, weight 155 grams
Contents of delivery
- Telephone
- Charger with USB cable (5V/1A)
- Wired stereo headset
- Instructions
- SIM Card Clip
Positioning
In past years, Alcatel positioned the IDOL line models as flagships, but starting in 2017 this is no longer the case. The A-series is coming to the fore, while IDOL has become a secondary offering that looks like it will be temporary and it is possible that the line will be abandoned.
Alcatel produces two similar models, the regular IDOL 5 and IDOL 5s, the second device is positioned higher and costs more, but like the IDOL 4 it has stereo speakers, a larger amount of internal memory (32 GB versus 16 GB in the younger model), dedicated Now key, both front and main cameras are better and all this at a cost of 300 Euros. In Russia, this price would quickly turn into 20 thousand rubles or even higher, which would put an end to the model, since the competition in this segment is enormous and the IDOL 5s has no advantages. Therefore, the company chose a junior device, which, by coincidence, is very similar in its characteristics to IDOL 4, in some ways even inferior to it, and in some ways slightly superior.
What's interesting is that both IDOL 4 and IDOL 5 will be on the market at the same time and the choice between them is not as clear as we would like. At a similar price, in my opinion, the old device has all the advantages, but we’ll talk about this at the end of the review.
The internal positioning of IDOL 5 follows from its position in the line; it is a direct replacement for IDOL 4, a slightly updated device, but many characteristics have been formally changed. For example, the main camera in IDOL 4 is 13-megapixel, in the new product it is a 16-megapixel camera, but the sensor itself is 13-megapixel and identical to the previous one, that is, greater resolution is achieved by extrapolation. We can say that Alcatel tried to create a solution without special costs.
The real continuation of IDOL 4 is IDOL 5s, this device will not appear in Russia, but we see a transition to USB Type C, two stereo speakers, more built-in memory and a different chipset - in fact, it is this device that becomes a continuation of the IDOL line. In the photos, the dark graphite phone is IDOL 5s.
For the buyer, the choice of IDOL 5 in Russia is far from optimal; in terms of price/quality ratio, the model is not the most interesting, it has many competitors, including among models from Alcatel. The choice of this device will be influenced by the advice of the seller, as well as based on its availability on the shelf. However, let's understand everything in order.
Design, dimensions, control elements
I have a strong association of smartphones in metal cases with a fingerprint sensor on the back with models from Huawei; they popularized such devices and this design became widespread. If the previous IDOLs had their own recognition, now the devices are similar to Huawei, as well as a large number of models from other companies, and this has a certain problem, they do not have their own face.
The model is available in two colors, black and silver.
At the upper and lower ends of the antenna inserts, in the aluminum case they are clearly visible, especially in silver. It somehow reminded me of the unfortunate gray color in Nokia 8, and it’s about the same thing here. Some will not be touched by this, but others will scream because the little esthete inside will suffer from this color mismatch.
The size of the device is 148x73x7.5 mm, weight is 155 grams. Fits well in the hand, not slippery, great in the pocket. In some descriptions I came across the fact that there are supposedly two speakers, but this is a mistake, there are really two holes on the bottom, on both sides of the microUSB connector (why not USB Type C? Yes, because this is an old friend IDOL 4 ), but the speaker is hidden only behind the right grille.
On the left side there is a slot for nanoSIM cards and right there a slot for a memory card; they are combined, that is, either one SIM card and a memory card, or two SIM cards.
But on the right side there is a paired volume key, as well as an on/off button. The 3.5 mm jack is located on the top end, you can also see a second microphone there, the noise reduction system works well.
In terms of build quality, there is not a single complaint about the device; everything is excellent and usual for this price range. An excellent level, but that's what you expect from such models.
Display
The technical characteristics of the screen are as follows: - 5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, LTPS IPS, 423 ppi, full lamination, automatic brightness adjustment, Dragontrail 2.5D protective glass. On paper everything is fine, in real life the screen lacks brightness and viewing angles. Comparing the screen with the same Alcatel A7, you will see differences in everything, dim and featureless in IDOL 5 and bright, clear in A7.
In my opinion, it is the screen in IDOL 5 that becomes the biggest disadvantage of the device; it does not correspond to its price group and this is sad. There is nothing special to talk about here, other characteristics are secondary, in the sun it becomes very blind, especially in the camera.
Battery
The battery capacity is 2800 mAh, it is Li-Ion, charging is included 5V/1A, but even replacing it with fast charging will not help, it is not supported. Charging time 3.5 hours! They obviously saved on the battery, since when replacing the charger one could expect that the charging speed would increase, but this happens only slightly, since at 5V/2A the charging time is about 3 hours. Which is infinitely large considering the battery capacity.
The video playback time at maximum brightness in MX Player (HD video, AVI container) is a little more than 6 hours, which is not much.
In a normal usage scenario (an hour of talking, up to two hours in the browser, social networks, 4G, minimal music), the device lasts until 7-8 pm from 9 am. This is not much, but given its filling this is typical behavior.
Memory, chipset, performance
The device has 3 GB of RAM, built-in 16 GB (the system and applications take up about 8 GB), plus you can install memory cards up to 128 GB. Chispet MediaTek MT6753, 8 cores with a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz, MALI T720-MP3 graphics processor. This is not the most productive solution, but you won’t notice it in the interface; synthetic tests give such results.
To understand the difference with last year's IDOL 4, which is built on the Snapdragon 617, I will give the test results on it. The new model is inferior to last year, this is, of course, nonsense.
Camera
The front camera has a flash for selfies and its resolution is 8 megapixels. Standard for the latest generations of devices there are skin improvers, facial contour improvers and similar little things. They can be disabled. The quality of the photos is good.
The main camera has phase detection autofocus, a resolution of 16 megapixels (actual 13 megapixels as in IDOL 4). The quality of the images has seriously deteriorated due to extrapolation; any movement causes blurring; the camera does not take good pictures in the dark. If we compare it with its classmates, then the Alcatel A7 takes better pictures, as does the Motorola G5s.
Here are some more photos and an example video.
Communication capabilities
The model supports 4G (LTE FDD 3/7/8/20/28A), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, BT 4.2, USB & BT Modem Tethering - in a word, a standard set of technologies, without any special features.
Software features
Inside there is Android 7.1.1, Alcatel refused any add-ons and this is the right decision. You can read about standard Android features in a separate article.
The device has a built-in FM radio, you need to connect headphones for it to work, there is a broadcast recording, everything is standard and works as it should.
For music, it is possible to use Dirac equalizers, they change the sound, but there is nothing radically better, the device sounds normal. The player, unlike many models, here is its own.
Traditionally, Alcatel has an electronic compass, as well as the ability to enable augmented reality (a picture from the camera is superimposed on the compass).
In the album you can make collages from several photos, including using animation when creating them.
Since the IDOL line had a hardware Now button, but here it was abandoned, it was replaced with a virtual analogue, you can configure the button to call different applications and functions. But the fact that the translucent key constantly hangs on the screen irritates me somewhat, so I turned it off immediately.
In the settings, similar to devices from Samsung, a number of service functions are combined into one utility, including checking the memory, the condition of the battery and other components of the device.
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