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
- Chispet MediaTek MT6753, 8 cores with a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz, GPU MALI T720-MP3
- 3 GB random access memory, 16 GB built-in (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, pixel size 1.12 microns, led flash, angle 84 degrees
- 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, this particular device 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 right side 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
Specifications The screens 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
Battery capacity – 2800 mAh, it is Li-Ion, charging included 5V/1A, but even replacement with fast charging will do nothing, 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 typical usage scenario (an hour of calls, up to two hours in the browser, in social networks, 4G, minimum 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. New model loses 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 correct solution. About standard features Android, you can read in a separate material.
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 photographs, 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.
Guest 2 years ago
Yandex Market
I've been using this beast for a week. I bought it in black. Looks great, much more expensive than it costs. Collected very high quality. You can’t find covers for sale, you can only order them from China. While I bought a universal book, the cover is a little too big, but no big deal. The power of electronics is felt in everything. In games like Asphalt 8, of course, it gets hot, but from experience I can say that some other models, both more expensive and less powerful, get hotter. The battery lasts for conversations of 30-40 minutes a day, constant mobile Internet and always-on Wi-Fi, high display brightness, games for no more than half an hour or an hour for almost a day. Yesterday I left it at 35% in the evening and turned it off at night. Even though it was in standby mode. Perhaps the native firmware is to blame. The quality of the camera compares favorably with many competitors at a higher price. The screen is juicy, bright, and clear. Coming soon official update up to 4.4 Kitkat. The manufacturer, unlike HTC, does not abandon its customers, it supports them. This is cool. Serves faithfully for 4 years! The battery only began to run out faster, performance decreased, and the body became damaged. Otherwise everything is fine. Everything is original!
Dmitry R. 3 years ago
Yandex Market
Eh, Alcatel missed... and why did they install the ES9018 Saber DAC, housewives still don’t know what it is. People, this is a music phone first and foremost. With a top DAC and a good amplifier. But for VKontakte there are better ones. Although he didn’t lose face, the responsiveness of the interface is better than his wife’s S7, the screen is simply chic, I saw about the same color rendition on the LG G2, it’s perfect
Guest 3 years ago
Yandex Market
I've been using it for almost 3 years. Android 4.2 is frankly outdated. The charge lasts a day, almost all applications run without strong brakes, but not without glitches, of course.
Guest 3 years ago
Yandex Market
At first they gave me this phone, but a year later it broke when it fell on the screen. I bought the same one and a year later it broke again. Again the sensor. The camera and flash didn't work for six months, and lately it hasn't held a charge well. But I think all these problems are my fault) overall I really like the device. I was more than satisfied with the 13.1 camera. The screen is very large. It works quickly and doesn't glitch. You just need to not download everything like I do)
Guest 3 years ago
Yandex Market
If there was such an opportunity, I would take another phone
Guest 3 years ago
Yandex Market
The first problems began after 2 years of operation. The SIM card slot stopped working, or rather lived its own life. The screen shows 2 SIM cards (active), but the call was not made and, accordingly, received. Resetting to factory settings didn't help. I decided to let it be “one-size-fits-all.” But then it started snowballing. The laminated film on the back cover peeled off, and the phone itself began to turn off (fully charged). One day it still didn't turn on. IN service center They diagnosed that the board had failed. Draw a conclusion.
chaos46reg 3 years ago
Yandex Market
I lived for a little over a year of careful use (I would have died 2 weeks earlier, they would have done it under warranty), I won’t say that the model is unsuccessful, maybe I was just unlucky...
Mansur 3 years ago
Yandex Market
Great phone, reliable. It has been working properly for 2 years now.
Yaroslav A. 4 years ago
Yandex Market
Almost 2 years of use. The first half of operation is completely problem-free. For “office” use plus games such as card games, charging once every 2 days. There is enough performance for everything (there are no heavy games). The glass and body are durable. Does not die inside wet pockets (fishing in the rain). Except that the case slides on any table: it’s a problem to lean it against something at lunch, everything slides off :) After a year of use, the battery and (IMHO) the GPS module begin to degrade. Sometimes SIM card slot #1 started giving an error. Now charge at least once a day. Satellites are lost every 10-15 minutes. The upper part of the body gets very hot. After another fall, a layer of laminating plastic peeled off from the back, and over time the rags increase in size. The phone is reliable, it worked honestly, the money once spent on it is well worth it
Alexander 4 years ago
Yandex Market
I really liked the smartphone both externally and internally, and the price is also very attractive - 11,500, for 13,000 I would strongly consider it. Ideally I wanted it for myself Huawei Honor 6, on Ali in October it cost around 14 thousand rubles, after the rise in price of the dollar in November - 16 thousand rubles. lack of warranty, etc. So I started looking official phone. Before this, I used SGSIVmini for a year - everything was fine except for the lack of a 2nd SIM card and the screen size. I decided not to overpay for the brand - smartphones from other manufacturers (Sony, Samsung, LG, not to mention iPhone) with similar characteristics cost at least 15 thousand rubles. Regarding the camera, I can’t classify it as either a plus or a minus of the smartphone. She's kind of mediocre. I won’t say that the photos are better than the 8 megapixel Samsung camera. It should be noted that the camera settings have a maximum resolution of 9.4 megapixels (everywhere in the specifications and in Antutu - 13.1 megapixels). Despite this, the photo editor has a wide range of tools, which I liked. P.s. I've been using it for a year and a half -
In average price category It's rare to see a device with a record breaking performance in any sense. But Alcatel One Touch Ultra at the time of release was the most thin smartphone: its thickness is some six and a half millimeters, which is less than that of Apple iPhone 5. At the same time, in domestic stores it costs about 2,700 hryvnia (10,800 rubles).
Specifications Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra
| Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra | |
|---|---|
| operating system | Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) |
| Display | 720x1280 pixels, 4.65 inches (~316 ppi), AMOLED, 7-finger multi-touch, Dragon Trail Glass protection |
| CPU | dual-core Cortex-A9 1.2 GHz, MTK 6577 chipset, PowerVR SXG531T graphics |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| Storage device | 16 GB, external cards memory not supported |
| Camera | main: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, geotagging, push-to-focus, 720p video, front: 1.3 MP |
| Wireless technologies | Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 A2DP |
| Battery | lithium-ion, 1800 mAh, non-removable |
| Dimensions and weight | 134.4x68.5x6.5 mm, 115 grams |
Design and construction
The thickness is really comfortable: the smartphone easily fits into a tight pocket of women’s jeans and doesn’t stick out much from there. In the same way, it can be located in the pocket of a light summer T-shirt or shirt: with the exception of the main camera module that rises somewhat above the surface, the phone is really very elegant.
And thanks to this, it looks more beautiful than the average Android “remnant”. Although here everything depends on taste. Compared to the huge devices with screen diagonals of 5.5 and higher that flooded our editorial office this summer (that is, most likely the market too), OneTouch looks small. It fits perfectly in a woman's hand, while the second hand is not necessary to control basic actions.
Although, say, reaching the power button located on the top edge is not so easy with my type of grip. However, “my type” was developed over a year of working with the iPhone 4s, which is still much smaller in thickness and height.
The back of the device is made of dark gray plastic; the Android buttons are visible only when the screen is active, surrounded by a medium-thick frame.
The cover is non-removable; the SIM card slot (micro format) can be found under a tight plug on the right side. On the left there is a volume rocker, and on top, next to the power key, there is a microUSB connector also hidden under a flap.
“Where is the audio jack?” - you will probably ask. But he is not here. I suspect that the smartphone also comes with a headset that is connected to the device via an audio output adapter, but I can’t confirm this: we received an engineering sample for testing. Most likely, the presence of a light stripe visible at the junction of the screen with the body is connected with the “pre-sale”; it is unlikely that such a specific decoration will appear in the versions for sale. But there won’t be a slot for a memory card: you’ll have to be content with the 16 gigabytes that the manufacturer gave the OneTouch Ultra.
The assembly of the smartphone is normal, the only thing I didn’t like was this dubious line of light, and also the small gap between the screen and the top edge, and also the inconvenient plugs. However, with a high degree of probability these may be shortcomings of a specific industrial design. In general, the gadget seems monolithic, and its thinness gives it a certain beauty.
Display
The display here is on par, I must say. It is made using Super Amoled technology and has wide viewing angles. On the street on a sunny day you can’t see it very well, but you can see something at maximum brightness, fortunately, it’s high here.
Contrast measurements showed near-ideal blacks, resulting in a very good 10394:1. Not infinity, like some new Samsung devices, but within a certain approximation, not far from it.
The measurements also showed that the screen's color gamut is adequate, the screen produces a good green color, but is not calibrated in the best way. The resolution of 720x1280 pixels for a 4.65-inch screen is a clear picture with a high pixel density (315 ppi). The colors feel very rich, but somewhat unnatural. But thanks to the contrast, it looks good on the display text information. Yes and bright picture interesting, many users will like it.
System and performance
MTK6577 Cortex-A9 1.2 GHz with two cores was average a year ago, but today it is, if not yet a budget processor, then close to it in speed. Equipped with a gigabyte of RAM, the smartphone, as expected, lacks stars: the results of performance measurements are very average. Let's say Dead Trigger and Real Racing 3 slow down. So those who like to play 3D games on smartphones should take a closer look at other solutions. True, casual players may well be satisfied: angry birds in contrasting, bright and sufficiently big screen with deep blacks they look very attractive, and their flight is not hampered by the weakness of the processor. The Android 4.1.1 interface is somehow in no hurry. More precisely, it does not slow down, but it does not fly either. The interface here, by the way, is standard in terms of capabilities, but slightly different in appearance. They slightly reminded me of the rendering of iOS, Meego and modern non-smartphone Nokias at the same time. Overall, a nice drawing, pleasant. I was surprised by the main screen: you can open the smartphone from the main desktop, but for some reason the camera is drawn (it’s not clear without trying!), or you can immediately launch the call menu, SMS or camera.
Moreover, the smartphone supports gestures. Which? And here they are, as in the screenshots below.
The device is also not ideal as a multimedia combiner. The first reason is the lack of a normal headphone jack. Secondly, the smartphone can’t handle movies in HD quality. However, this is the case; it is unlikely that anyone will lose much if they compress the videos to an acceptable format. Finally, the third reason is the 13 GB available to the user from the 16 GB storage. For those who are used to carrying a lot of information on their smartphone, this will not be enough. By the way One Touch The Ultra is equipped with a radio, but due to the lack of a headset, we were not able to check its operation. For the same reason, it is difficult to say what the built-in player sounds like. Using an external speaker is tolerable for such a thin device, but who will listen to music on an external speaker?
Camera
An eight-megapixel camera clearly requires ideal lighting. The slightest deviation from it - and the photographs turn out very grainy. The color rendition here is pleasant, and the module copes well with macro photography (in good lighting, of course). Focusing is fast, and you can select the part of the picture on which, in fact, the camera will focus attention. But overall - average.
An example of video shooting with a built-in camera
And another example of video shooting (in the evening)
Autonomy and heating
With an average smartphone load (20 minutes telephone conversations, SMS, periodic Internet) was enough just until the evening, but if you watch videos and play more often, the 1800 mAh battery discharged a little faster. However, for the “very thin” class it is quite normal.
The phone gets quite noticeably warm at the top, especially when running tests or playing games. At rest it is quite cool.
Competitors
Among the competitors we can name several “old guys” who are still on the move. For example, Sony Xperia S or Huawei Ascend P1, Samsung Galaxy Nexus. And also the expected new product, also distinguished by a very thin frame. But it will be more expensive, at least at the start of sales.
Bottom line
I doubt that Alcatel managed to create an idol in the face of this smartphone, despite its name. However, for the user who cares about thinness and attractive design combined with good screen Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra might be to your liking. You should, of course, keep in mind its average performance and the absence of a memory card slot and (a real shame!) a minijack.
3 reasons to buy Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra:
- Very thin and light body;
- good screen;
- nice design.
3 reasons not to buy Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra:
- No audio output;
- mediocre hardware;
- lack of memory card slot.
22.04.2014
Lyrical introduction
A smartphone in which as many as eight processor cores do nothing very quickly? It’s no longer news, it’s nothing unusual, it’s already commonplace - thanks to the well-known company MediaTek.
Competitors
Well, first of all, for 15 thousand you can buy a “gray” Galaxy S4... Will we continue to look for competitors?
Okay, let's continue. What else do we have that is similar? Same screen and same chipset.
My tests, all sorts of trivial actions such as opening pages or launching programs.
Sensors - all the main ones are there. Unfortunately, there are no frills - thermometers and barometers. But the gyroscope, accelerometer and compass are in place. Not to mention the light and proximity sensors.
Communication with the outside world
3G Internet is present and works fine. 4G (LTE), alas, no. We are looking forward to when MediaTek finally starts churning out inexpensive LTE chips.
Wi-Fi - yes, of course. The sensitivity is good, the speed is also good, it can handle 35 Mbit/s without problems. There are mentions that it is dual-band. But something is doubtful to me. Unfortunately, I can’t check it myself; I haven’t started the dual-band router yet.
Of course, there is Bluetooth, where would we be without it? But there is no NFC.
Connecting to a computer via USB is only in MTP mode. There is no ideologically correct Mass Storage.
Connectivity external devices(USB-OTG) no.
There is also no option to output the signal via wire to a TV or monitor (MHL or HDMI). But there is a “Wireless Screen”, that is, Miracast - i.e. you can output the signal to the TV wirelessly (if, of course, the TV supports this technology).
Screen
Five-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels (i.e. FullHD).
The screen deserves exceptionally warm words. Very high quality, very slippery, excellent viewing angles, oleophobic coating, decent behavior in the sun. They weren’t greedy, what can I say.
The sensor is also completely problem-free and clear. For ten simultaneous touches.
Maximum brightness is under 400 cd/m2 with a contrast ratio of 770:1. Excellent result. Sometimes I came across screens that were brighter (Huawei Honor 3) and more contrasting (Sony Xperia Z Ultra), but not often, not at all often.
It is possible to adjust the white point in the range from 6100K to 7000K (British scientists consider 6700K ideal). It is possible to adjust color saturation. What's funny is that the photograph, which is used to judge how colors change with such adjustments, shows something suspiciously reminiscent of an orange long-eared Cossack.
Color gamut- 98% sRGB.
Operating system and other software
The smartphone runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system, on top of which Alcatel has piled its proprietary shell. It turned out beautifully, but a little strange in places. For example, the leftmost screen - what is it? Picture viewer? Why does he need a separate screen? It doesn't seem to be good for anything other than pictures.
Second screen. Also unusual. "Widget Wall" There may be only widgets. Those. widgets can be on any screen at all, but on the second screen they can be and only them; application shortcuts cannot be there. For what??? Mysterious Chinese soul. Fortunately, the first two screens can be easily hidden so as not to get in the way. You can admire the first and second screens in the video “Demonstration of work”.
Otherwise, the branded shell is quite ordinary. Labels, folders, etc. The review on Mobile-Review says that there is no general list of all applications. At the same time, they have a specific icon (lower right, four by four squares) in the screenshots. So here it is. I have it too. And he lives behind her full list all applications.
Well, so - Android and Android. Nothing unusual.
Mountain of preinstalled third party applications. Fortunately, almost everything can be removed without problems. With the exception of Deezer, Facebook and Flashlight. For some reason, these three received the status of untouchables.
Battery
The battery capacity, although not a record, is not bad - 2500 mAh. On average, according to my numerous battery tests - 125% of the Galaxy S4 results. Very worthy.
Full charging time is average charger(5V, 1A) - a little less than three hours.
The device can shoot video in “full HD”, 30 frames per second. The quality is reasonable, examples are in front of you.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini- This compact smartphone from the Idol line. It is not devoid of the company's corporate style, which makes it look great. Unfortunately, there were some simplifications; they affected the processor and RAM. Let's see what this smartphone is capable of.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is made in a similar style to other ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol models and that’s good. The design of the smartphone is recognizable and original. The case is non-separable, perfectly assembled and very thin, by the way, the thickness is only 7.9 mm. The length of the smartphone is 127.1 mm, width 62 mm, and weight 97 grams. With these parameters, the smartphone is practically not felt in your pants pocket.
The location of the keys and interfaces is as follows: at the top of the front panel there is a light sensor, proximity sensor, voice speaker, 0.3 MP front camera and an indicator of missed events. At the bottom of the front panel there are three backlit hardware touch keys. At the ends of the smartphone there is a power button and a 3.5 mm jack (top), microUSB and the main microphone (bottom), a slot for micro-SIM and microSD (right) and a volume rocker on the left (left). On the back cover there is a camera lens, it protrudes slightly above the surface of the body and has a silver rim, a flash, a second microphone, a manufacturer’s logo and a multimedia speaker. Back cover made of plastic simulating metal. Fingerprints on the lid are only visible from a certain angle and are easily erased.
In general, there are no critical comments about the ergonomics of the smartphone. The connector plugs fit securely and tightly. It is convenient to use the smartphone with one hand, even despite the location of the power button on the top end. Mechanical keys have a tight, but clearly distinguishable stroke. Thanks to the thin body, low weight and pleasant materials, the device is pleasant to use.
Operating system and shell
The smartphone runs under the operating system Android systems 4.2.2 using its own interface. The proprietary shell is pleasant to look at and is to some extent a symbiosis of MIUI and Android Jelly Bean.
The interface is almost completely the same as that of older models. The lock screen can accommodate up to nine widgets, from which you can switch to full-screen mode. In addition to widgets, the lock screen has four icons (dialing, messages, camera and unlock), which are enclosed in a circle. Selecting icons and unlocking the smartphone is done using a small circle. It also changes its location relative to the tilt of the body thanks to the built-in accelerometer. This feature looks interesting and funny. By the way, during charging, the charge level is indicated in the middle of the circle. Without unlocking your smartphone, you can go to the notification panel and mode switches. It is impossible to change or move mode switching icons.
After unlocking, we find ourselves on one of five desktops, where widgets and program icons are located. For older models this is the main menu, but for Idol MINI it is just a desktop with widgets and program shortcuts. You can create folders on your desktop by dragging and dropping application shortcuts. When you long press on a widget, sliders appear that you can use to change the size of the widget.
By clicking on the icon located in the lower right corner, we get to the application menu. The application menu has three tabs: general programs, downloaded programs and widgets. Despite the refusal of some manufacturers to have more pre-installed programs, ALCATEL ONE TOUCH did not follow this path and installed a large number of programs, fortunately, they can be easily removed. Among the preinstalled programs you can find an antivirus, an office application, a large number social services and almost all services from Google. It is possible to block notifications from selected programs, as well as select the memory where applications will be installed.
The interface works well, twitching occurs rarely, but in cases where a heavy application is launched and then exited, the desktop shortcuts are redrawn.
As standard keyboard SwiftKey installed. The browser loads pages quickly and its performance is flawless.
I would like to note that some standard applications redrawn according to the general design style. Among them are a compass, calculator, flashlight and radio.
Hardware platform
It is worth noting that the smartphone can be presented in two versions: 6012X and 6012D. The first version with the index 6012X is distinguished by the presence of one SIM card, a microSD slot, and 4 GB of internal memory. The version with the index 6012D already has two slots for SIM cards, 8 GB of internal memory, but no microSD slot.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is powered by the budget SoC MT6572 from MediaTek. This processor is built using a 28 nm process technology and has two Cortex A7 cores with a frequency of 1.3 GHz. The well-known Mali 400 MP acts as a video accelerator. Although this SoC is considered budget, it shows good results in synthetic tests. The amount of RAM is modest by the standards of the end of 2013, amounting to 512 MB. During normal use, there was no more than 140MB of RAM remaining. The built-in storage capacity is 4 GB, of which about 2 GB is available to the user.
Playing video files
| Codec/Name | FinalDestination5.mp4 | Neudergimie.2.mkv | s.t.a.l.k.e.r.avi | Spartacus.mkv | ParallelUniverse.avi |
| Video | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×798 29.99fps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×816 23.98fps | Xvid 712×400 25.00fps 1779kbps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×720 29.97fps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×536 24.00fps 2726kbps |
| Audio | AAC 48000Hz stereo 96kbps | MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo | MPEG Audio Layer 3 48000Hz stereo 128kbps | Dolby AC3 44100Hz stereo | MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo 256kbps |
This smartphone is not positioned as a gaming smartphone, but, nevertheless, the performance will be sufficient for undemanding games.
The volume and sound quality from the speakers is good. Thanks to the thoughtful placement of the speaker, it will be difficult to miss a call, since even when the phone is lying on the table, the speaker is not blocked. The microphone transmits speech qualitatively. The sound in the headphones is good.
During most tasks, the smartphone body did not heat up. Work in Wi-Fi networks did not raise any questions, everything works quickly and without interruptions in the connection. Searching for satellites is slightly faster than on other devices with MediaTek chipsets.
Autonomy
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini shows average battery life results. Hid inside the thin body accumulator battery capacity 1700mAh. Under average loads such as: about an hour of calls, with data transfer always on, the smartphone can last a day. If the device is used more actively, then it is likely that it will not last until the end of the working day. There is an energy saving mode. The results of autonomy tests can be found below.
| Operating time indicators | ||||
| Mode\Model | ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini | Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 | ALCATEL OT SCRIBE HD | Fly IQ444 Diamond 2 |
| Music | 5% | 6% | 2% | 6% |
| Reading | 22% | 15% | 23% | 25% |
| Navigation | 27% | 22% | 26% | 33% |
| Watch HD video | 24% | 28% | 27% | 20% |
| Watching HD videos from Youtube | 25% | 30% | 30% | 21% |
| Antutu Tester (points) | 689 | 655 | 644 | 906 |
To listen to music, we used a standard player, volume at 12 out of 15 possible, MP3 files with a bitrate of 320 Kbps. In reading mode, all wireless communications are disabled, including data transfer to mobile network, and the display brightness is set to 50%. Navigation includes plotting a route in Google app Navigation. The brightness is set to 50%, all data communication modules are disabled. When playing a video, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at level 12 out of a possible 15. The video file format is MKV, resolution 1024x432 pixels, frame rate 24. When playing a video from Youtube, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at 12 out of 15 possible levels.
Display and cameras
Currently even budget smartphones began to equip IPS displays. ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini boasts a 4.3-inch IPS display with a resolution of 854×480 pixels, there is a sensor automatic adjustment brightness The display accepts up to five simultaneous presses. The viewing angles of the screen are close to maximum, the colors are rich, and the brightness is high. The display fades in the sun, but the information remains readable. The maximum brightness is 394 cd/m², the average brightness is 199 cd/m², and the minimum is 43 cd/m². An overestimated minimum value negatively affects the use of the device at night. The smartphone screen displays shades of gray that are slightly darker than they should be. The color gamut is only slightly larger than sRGB. But if you don’t find fault, the smartphone is equipped with an excellent display for its price category.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini has two cameras of 5 MP and 0.3 MP. As mentioned above, you can call the camera from the lock screen. The camera interface is simple and intuitive. The video is recorded at 720p resolution.
The camera has HDR, panorama and night modes. In addition, in the settings you can change the flash mode, turn on the timer and select the photo size. Examples of photos can be found below.
Examples of photos taken with the ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini smartphone
Examples of HDR photos taken with the ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini smartphone
The camcorder settings are even simpler. They only have a choice of quality and flash mode.
Results
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is a pleasant smartphone, which primarily differs from its competitors in its attractive design, high-quality display, good build and beautiful visual shell. The disadvantages include the small amount of RAM.
According to TCT Mobile, in Ukraine the smartphone will be sold in a version with two SIM cards. The recommended retail price will be 1399 UAH, and the start of sales is scheduled for December 2013.
Liked
+ Assembly
+ Design
+ Screen
Did not like
- Small amount of RAM
The product was provided for testing by TCT Mobile Europe S.A.S. in Ukraine, www.alcatelonetouch.com.ua Standard
High speed data transfer GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA/HSUPA
Dimensions (mm) 127.1x62x7.9
Weight (g) 96
Processor (for smartphones) MediaTek MT6572 (2 Cortex-A7 cores, 1.3GHz) + GPU Mali 400MP
Memory RAM 512 MB + 8 GB ROM
Expansion slot —
Main screen IPS, 4.3″, 854×480, oleophobic coating
Keyboard type screen input
Accumulator battery 1700 mAh
Operating time (manufacturer's data) up to 20/9h talk time (2G/3G), up to 540/450h standby time (2G/3G) Micro-SIMNumber of SIM cards 2
CPU MediaTek MT6572 + GPU Mali 400MP
Number of Cores 2
Frequency, GHz 1,3
Battery 1700 mAh
Diagonal, inches 4,3
Permission 854x480
Matrix type IPS
PPI 228
Dimming sensor +
Display Features oleophobic coating
Main camera, MP 5
Video shooting 720p@30fps
Flash +
Front camera, MP 0,3
Communication standards GSM 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS 900/2100
WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS +
IrDA -
FM radio + (RDS)
Audio jack 3.5mm
NFC -
Interface connector USB 2.0 (micro-USB)
Height, mm 127.1x62x7.9
Weight, g 96
Protection from dust and moisture -
Type of shell monoblock
Housing material plastic
Keyboard type screen input
More Contents: charger device,USB cable, headset, user manual
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