TFT IPS- High quality liquid crystal matrix. It has wide viewing angles, one of the best indicators of color rendering quality and contrast among all those used in the production of displays for portable equipment.
Super AMOLED- if a regular AMOLED screen uses several layers, between which there is an air gap, then in Super AMOLED there is only one such touch layer without air gaps. This allows you to achieve greater screen brightness with the same power consumption.
Super AMOLED HD- differs from Super AMOLED in its higher resolution, thanks to which you can achieve 1280x720 pixels on a mobile phone screen.
Super AMOLED plus- this is a new generation of Super AMOLED displays, differs from the previous one by using a larger number of subpixels in a conventional RGB matrix. The new displays are 18% thinner and brighter than displays made using the old PenTile technology.
AMOLED- an improved version of OLED technology. The main advantages of the technology are significantly reduced power consumption, the ability to display larger color scheme, smaller thickness and the ability of the display to bend a little without the risk of breaking.
Retina-high pixel density display designed specifically for Apple technology. The pixel density of Retina displays is such that individual pixels are indistinguishable to the eye at a normal distance from the screen. This ensures the highest image detail and significantly improves the overall viewing experience.
Super Retina HD- the display is made using OLED technology. The pixel density is 458 PPI, the contrast reaches 1,000,000:1. The display has a wide color gamut and unsurpassed color accuracy. Pixels in the corners of the display are smoothed at the sub-pixel level, so edges are not distorted and appear smooth. The Super Retina HD reinforcing layer is 50% thicker. It will be harder to break the screen.
Super LCD is the next generation of LCD technology, it is characterized by improved characteristics compared to earlier LCD displays. The screens not only have wide viewing angles and better color reproduction, but also lower power consumption.
TFT- A common type of liquid crystal display. Using an active matrix controlled by thin-film transistors, it is possible to significantly increase the performance of the display, as well as the contrast and clarity of the image.
OLED- organic electroluminescent display. It consists of a special thin-film polymer that emits light when exposed to an electric field. This type of display has a large reserve of brightness and consumes very little energy.

The quality of a smartphone is determined primarily by its parameters. Based on them, you can talk about how long the device will last you and whether it is worth purchasing such a smartphone at all. But what do they say about idol 2? mini specifications?

Visual component

IN Alcatel one touch idol 2 mini characteristics rest on visual data. Based on them, the developers assembled all the other components of the device. Its weight is only 110 grams, taking into account the thickness of less than 8 mm. Impressive, isn't it?

Before you is a standard candy bar with three touch-sensitive keys on the bottom. His unique feature The metallic silver frame is considered to give the phone an elegant look. The case is made quite well. It is simply unrealistic to find fault with any backlash or other problems. The device gives the impression of a premium class although, in fact, it is a budget device.

There is a power button on the right, and a volume rocker above. It is also used to block the device’s sensor. On the left is the SIM card slot, covered with a plug. At the bottom there is a USB connector and a microphone. The charger and headset connectors are very well separated. Many users noted this as one of the bright advantages of this device.

On the back plastic cover there is a main camera, a LED flash and an additional microphone for high-quality sound in videos. The front part of the device, in addition to touch keys and a screen with an oleophobic coating, has a speaker grille and a front camera.

Camera

If we talk about cameras, then the characteristics of idol 2 mini are more than acceptable. The main camera takes pictures at a resolution of 5 megapixels, and videos at 1280x720. All this is complemented by fairly high-quality autofocus and an elegantly integrated flash. At the same time, the quality of the pictures is noticeably higher than that of smartphones from other brands, the cameras of which, according to statements, reach eight and even 13 megapixels.

The front camera in such a smartphone is a disadvantage for a modern person, since it is not intended for selfies, but only for communication, and by modern standards it has a very modest resolution - only 0.3 megapixels. If you are not a fan of taking pictures of yourself, then this device is just right.

Battery

The battery in the smartphone is lithium-ion and non-removable. Its capacity is 1700 mAh. The manufacturer promises that the battery is capable of autonomously spending at least 400 hours in standby and 5 in active use. Excellent result for budget smartphone. Considering one SIM card and a minimal set of applications, battery consumption is really low. And not very productive hardware contributes to even greater savings.

Memory and performance

We can safely say that the memory characteristics of idol 2 mini are not encouraging, but they are not disappointing either. These are standard 1 gigabyte of RAM and 4 gigabytes of non-volatile or random access memory. Based on the latest technical innovations, these are not the best indicators. Although if you remember that the device was released in 2014, there is nothing to be surprised about.

Regarding the “iron” component, one should also not expect any special miracles. The device has a processor capable of overclocking each of its four cores to a frequency of 1.2 GHz. These indicators are sufficient to work with simple programs, like instant messengers, but nothing more. Do not forget that the device is primarily positioned as a fashion device and at the same time a budget one. And in the case of an attractive appearance at a low price, it is rare to find more or less productive hardware.

To improve performance, you can root the device and remove some built-in applications. This will allow, in addition to reducing the load on the processor, to unload a certain amount of non-volatile memory, of which there is not too much here anyway.

conclusions

The Alcatel one touch idol 2 mini smartphone is a 4.5-inch reliable touchscreen phone with IPS matrix. This is a smartphone with a low price, 4 nuclear processor and Android 4.4 has made thousands of people fall in love with it. He will become suitable option for those who value light and The disadvantages include a slot for only one SIM card, which may not be enough in today's conditions of fierce competition among operators, and not the most productive hardware, which reduces the comfort of use. It will ideally fit into the role of an additional gadget for use in rare cases; as a main smartphone, it will not be able to provide the full range of capabilities provided by the modern electronic world.

Releasing junior versions of flagship smartphone models has long been an indicator of good form among most representatives of the mobile industry. The first to come to mind are Samsung, HTC and even Apple, with their sometimes manic attitude to positioning their own products on the market. The list can be continued, but the essence will remain the same - the release of a smaller copy of the flagship gadget is nothing more than a signal to buyers: “Look, we offer an advanced product with many advantages, but for less money!” This step allows you to attract a larger number of potential buyers and reach new market segments. But the main thing is that over time, attracted users who want to reach new level, perhaps, will pay attention to more expensive branded products.

In our case, we are talking about TCL Communication. This Chinese industrial giant, after a complete buyout in 2005 mobile business the famous French manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent, began to confidently conquer the European mobile market. Using the experience of its direct competitors, and strictly following the current market conditions, already at the end of 2013, following its first flagship model ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL, its junior copy was successfully presented on the market - compact, designed in the same style -.

How good was the product? What compromises did the engineers have to make when creating the smaller version? Is it worth saving and how will this ultimately affect quality and productivity? We will have to answer all these and other questions in our review of ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI.

Specifications

Manufacturer	TCL Communication
	ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI (6012D)
Type, form factor	Smartphone, monoblock
Communication standards		850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
		900 / 2100 MHz
High speed data transfer	GPRS (32-48 Kbps), EDGE (236 Kbps), HSDPA (up to 42.2 Mbps), HSUPA (up to 5.76 Mbps)
SIM card type
CPU	MediaTek MT6572: 2 cores (ARM Cortex-A7), up to 1.3 GHz, L2 cache - 256 KB, 28 nm process technology
Graphics adapter	ARM Mali-400 MP1: up to 500 MHz, support OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenVG 1.1
	4.3", 854 x 480 pixels (228 ppi), IPS, touch (capacitive), multi-touch up to 5 touches, protective glass, oleophobic coating
RAM
	4 GB (one SIM card 6012X), 8 GB (two SIM cards 6012D)
Card reader	microSD up to 32 GB (only in version 6012X)
	1 or 2 x Micro-SIM 1 x 3.5mm mini-jack audio jack
Multimedia
	Microphone
	Additionally		Wideband Audio (HD Voice)
	Main		5 MP, HDR support, f/2.8 aperture, autofocus, face detection, single led flash, video recording in 720p 30 fps format
	Frontal		0.3 MP, f/3.0 aperture, video recording in 480p 30 fps
Communication capabilities			802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) (Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot)
	Navigation
	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, digital compass
Battery	Li-ion, non-removable: 1700 mAh
Charger	Input: 100~240 VAC eg at 50/60 Hz Output: 5 VDC e.g. 1.3 A
	127.1 x 62 x 7.9 mm
	Grey, silver, pink
operating system	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean + proprietary shell
Official guarantee	12 months
Products webpage

Delivery and configuration

The ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI smartphone came to us for testing in the form of an engineering sample, so there is no need to talk about the quality of the contents of the delivery kit and possible accessories. But if you turn to the manufacturer’s website for help, you can find out the following: useful information. On sale on store shelves in a box with a smartphone should be:

• Charger;
• USB cable;
• wired headset;
• quick user guide.

As we can see, there are no frills, everything is pretty standard. This is quite natural, if you consider how price segment this model applies.

Appearance, arrangement of elements

Externally, ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI looks quite nice. The smartphone is a classic candy bar and has a rectangular shape with slightly rounded edges.

The case is created in a non-separable form, and visually it can be divided into two parts: the front side with the display and back cover, including sidewalls. The front side is made entirely in black. There are no emblems, names or other tinsel here. This adds rigor to the design and looks quite beautiful. The display is securely hidden under protective glass, which is framed by a thin and elegant glossy edge that rises slightly above the screen.

At the top is the earpiece grille and the front camera lens. An event indicator is found near them, and there are also proximity and lighting sensors.

Below the display there are three touch buttons: “Menu”, “Home” and “Back”. When the screen is locked, they are not visible, and “wake up” only after the start of use. They use low-brightness white backlighting, which is not irritating or distracting when working in the dark.

In production models of the smartphone, an oleophobic coating is applied to the screen, but it was not found in our engineering sample. Therefore, the display got quite dirty and had to be wiped often.

On the top edge of the device there are: a power button and a 3.5 mm audio jack for a headset. It is worth noting that the button mentioned above is located in the right place and allows you to operate the power-on process while holding the smartphone with one hand.

On the left side there is a volume rocker.

On the right, under thick rubber plugs, there are two slots for SIM cards.

A micro-USB port and a microphone hole have found their place on the bottom edge of the smartphone.

The back of the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI case is made of high-quality plastic. It has the texture of polished metal and is very pleasant to the touch. Back panel painted in a complex semi-gloss gray-blue color, the shade of which depends on the lighting. In terms of design, this looks quite good. It is also worth noting that the device is sold on the market in several rear panel colors. We are offered a choice of: gray, silver and pink colors. In our opinion, such a solution will appeal not only to men, but also to the fair sex.

At the very top of the back of the case is the main camera lens, framed by a chrome-plated metal rim. Nearby is a single-section LED flash and a noise-canceling microphone. In the center is part of the name of the smartphone model - “ONETOUCH”. In the lower right corner you can see the speaker grille, above which is part of the brand name - “ALCATEL”.

However, during the testing process we discovered a very unpleasant point. The design of the main camera protrudes excessively, so its chrome-plated rim is highly susceptible to mechanical stress.

A good distinguishing aspect of the smartphone is its light weight (96 g) and very modest dimensions (127.1 x 62 x 7.9 mm). Compared to the flagship ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL (size - 133 x 67.5 x 7.9 mm and weight - 110 g), this allows you to easily hold the device in one hand, almost without feeling it. The screen size also contributes to this. As you know, the 4.3-inch diagonal has long been recognized among manufacturers as a kind of standard option. So to speak, the right compromise between size and convenience, which has a positive effect on the overall ergonomics when using the device.

ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI is available in two versions. In the first case, this is a model with one SIM card and 4 GB of internal memory (6012X), which has support for microSD cards. The other has a version with two SIM cards and 8 GB of internal memory (6012D), but without a memory card slot. We received an engineering sample for testing, the distinguishing feature of which was the presence of only 4 GB of memory, despite support for two SIM cards.

As for the build quality, it is at a fairly decent level. The case has good rigidity and nothing creaks in it. The only thing that disappointed us a little were the small gaps, especially between the front glass and its edge, where dust accumulates over time.

If you fail subtotals, then we can say that ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI is a fairly easy-to-use device. The gadget has good design, which is a classic of the genre, as well as good ergonomics. Yes, it cannot boast of advanced stylistic solutions, but overall the smartphone leaves a pleasant impression.

The ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI model is equipped with a 4.3-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. The pixel density is 228 ppi, which is a good indicator that provides fairly good image detail. Yes, if you look closely, you can distinguish individual pixels, but this state of affairs cannot be seen in all display operating modes. The only serious complaint on our part is the low clarity of the fonts, which sometimes look a little blurry.

But otherwise, we have a good and high-quality IPS display. Matrices of this type traditionally characterized by excellent viewing angles, high contrast and pleasant color rendition. Our case was no exception, although Colorful temperature noticeably moves towards cooler shades. Separately, it is worth noting the display backlight. It has a good adjustment range and is highly bright, allowing you to work even outdoors on a sunny day. But the minimum level is slightly higher than what is required for comfortable work in the dark. Additional settings There is no screen backlight.

The display unit of the smartphone is made using OGS technology, that is, there is no air gap between the glass and the screen. Thanks to this, the picture becomes more detailed and the colors are brighter. The absence of any obstacles between the finger and the display creates the effect that the image can actually be touched. But it would be a good idea to warn potential buyers that if such a screen fails or the glass is damaged, repairing the smartphone will cost much more, since the entire display unit must be replaced.

The built-in multi-touch technology sensor processes up to five simultaneous taps on the screen. The display is very sensitive and responds even to light touches, but there is no support for working with gloves.

It is worth noting very good time response, which will not be superfluous in games. Despite the absence of an oleophobic coating in our test unit, sliding fingers on the protective glass is quite pleasant and does not cause discomfort. In general, there are no serious complaints about the display of the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI smartphone: everything is done at a good level.

The device is equipped with a single multimedia speaker, which is located on the back of the device. It is loud enough and provides quite good sound in almost the entire available range. Only when the sound level approaches the maximum value does minor distortion appear in the sound stream.

This state of affairs allows you to use your smartphone for games, watching videos on the Internet, calls and notifications, without using additional devices. For real music lovers, we recommend purchasing good headphones or an external media system.

ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI has a built-in radio module that allows you to listen to FM radio stations operating in frequency range from 87.5 to 108 MHz. Traditionally, to turn on the radio, you must connect a headset, which is used as an antenna.

There are no complaints about the conversational speaker. He copes well with his direct responsibilities. The sound is good and moderately loud (given the quality of the operator and the state of the interlocutor’s phone), which ensures pleasant voice transmission.

Camera

The presence of several digital cameras in the current smartphone will not surprise anyone for a long time. The ability to take beautiful pictures of a beautiful landscape on vacation or a newfangled selfie in the bathroom are already standard requirements for modern gadgets.

The tested ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI is also equipped with two digital cameras - the main one and the front one.

The main one has a 5-megapixel module with an f/2.8 aperture. It is equipped with a single-section LED flash, autofocus and facial recognition system, and is also capable of shooting video with a resolution of up to 720p at 30 fps. True, the captured video cannot boast of high quality. The camera can also work in widescreen mode, but the matrix resolution is reduced to 3.7 megapixels.

The quality of the resulting photos is average, but if you delve into the settings and choose the optimal lighting conditions, you can get quite good copies. In other cases, you can’t count on really high-quality pictures. Despite the seemingly good resolution of the matrix, image detail is at an average level. The camera noticeably distorts color reproduction, and the white balance tends to go into cold shades. There is also a lack of dynamic range, and even the presence of an HDR shooting mode does not help the situation.

The only advantage of the front camera of a smartphone is the fact that it is present in this device. Otherwise, this is a weak 0.3-megapixel module with an f/3.0 aperture, fixed focus and the ability to record video in 480p format.

The software that is responsible for controlling the operation of the cameras is distinguished by a good level of performance and an intuitive interface. The menu is made in the same style as the entire proprietary operating system shell. It has a simple and concise design, as well as easy access to settings, the location of which is remembered after the first use. Unfortunately, there is a small set of functions available in the menu. But if we take into account the level of the device, then the situation, in our opinion, is completely justified.

Examples of photography

Video examples

Example daytime shooting from the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI smartphone in 720p resolution with basic settings

User interface

ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI comes preloaded with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system.

The interface, already familiar to many, is complemented by a slightly stripped-down proprietary shell, which has not yet received its own name. Visually it looks very attractive, but in terms of functionality it is not much different from pure Android, except for a small number of additional functions. This includes a device power saving mode and support for some gestures for working with incoming calls, an alarm clock and a music player.

If the smartphone is locked, you can view the time, weather and calendar on the display. This information is brought up by swiping sideways. You can unlock the device using context menu in the form of a circle, which allows you to get not only to the main screen, but also to launch the digital camera mode, as well as access messages and the phone book.

Enough interesting solution The idea seems to be to divide the available smartphone desktops for specific tasks. So, to the left of the home screen there is a table for widgets (there is no vertical scrolling), and to the right - with application icons, some of which are already distributed in folders. However, the user has the opportunity to sort the content at his own discretion. When swiping from bottom to top on home screen and desktops with applications, a menu opens with shortcuts to all programs installed on the device.

In general, the smartphone interface leaves a pleasant impression. The speed of its operation does not cause significant complaints and is very fast, although in some cases and there are slight slowdowns.

The really controversial aspects of the operating system of the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI model include a large number of pre-installed software and all kinds of games. On the one hand, an experienced user who has bought a new gadget will be able to install everything on his own required applications, therefore, a memory jammed to capacity on a smartphone will cause him, at best, bewilderment and require additional time to delete unnecessary programs. On the other hand, for beginners and inexperienced users Android pre-installed the set of programs will be an advantage rather than a disadvantage, as it will allow you to start using the device right out of the box. By the way, it is worth noting that Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, according to the manufacturer, is the only and final version of the operating system for of this device, so you shouldn’t wait for updates to 4.4 or at least 4.3.

Hardware platform and performance

ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI is based on a 2-core MediaTek processor MT6572 with a maximum clock speed of 1.3 GHz and L2 cache memory capacity of 256 KB. Its performance level can be described as average. The processor is based on the ARM Cortex-A7 microarchitecture using a 28 nm process technology.

The integrated graphics is ARM Mali-400 MP1 with one cluster (core), operating clock frequency of 500 MHz and support for OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1. Let us remind you that the smartphone is available for sale in two versions. The first is equipped with 4 GB of internal memory, of which 2 GB will be available to the user. The second has 8 GB, but only 5.6 GB will be available to the user. It is also worth recalling that devices with 4 GB of internal memory support microSD memory cards up to 32 GB.

The RAM capacity of ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI is only 512 MB. The consequence of this is unstable work heavy applications, especially games.

Some demanding programs refuse to start, others may crash if there are already running applications in the device’s memory. Therefore, there is no need to talk about multitasking. General weak level performance is clearly visible in gaming tests. Demanding games like Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8 run relatively well only at low graphics settings.

There is some heating of the smartphone body under active load, but it is not critical, although some may find it a little unpleasant.

Thus, in terms of performance, ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI does not have enough stars in the sky and is clearly focused on performance daily tasks and running undemanding games. If you do not set insurmountable heights in front of it, then the device’s resources will be quite sufficient and working with it will not cause serious inconvenience.

Communications

The smartphone can work with many modern mobile networks: GSM, WCDMA / HSPA+. The only thing that ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI cannot boast of is support for high-speed networks of the new generation - 4G LTE.

The version of the smartphone with two SIM cards operates according to the Dual standard SIM Dual Standby. This means that the device has only one radio module, so when talking from one SIM card, the second will be temporarily unavailable. During the tests, call quality and voice transmission were at a good level: no interruptions or independent drops were observed. However, it's worth noting that this also depends on the carrier you're using.

A set of communication capabilities is presented Bluetooth modules 4.0 with support for A2DP and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz). Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Hotspot functions are also present.

Additionally, ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI is equipped with a GPS module with A-GPS support. The quality of its work is at a good level: searching for satellites and connecting to them takes only half a minute. On average, there were about 7 pieces during testing. At the same time, the accuracy of location determination reached an error of only 3 meters.

Autonomous operation

The device under test is equipped with a non-removable lithium-ion battery capacity 1700 mAh. When performing everyday tasks (surfing the Internet, checking email, listening to music), this is enough for more than a day of work in offline mode.

Let's move on to the test results. While watching HD video at 50% display brightness and Wi-Fi modules and the GPS smartphone worked for almost 7 hours. In the case of a gaming simulation using the game Dead Trigger 2 (“Vault”, medium graphics settings), the device lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes with 100% display brightness and Wi-Fi and GPS modules turned on. To restore the original battery charge conditions, you need to spend 3.5 hours.

Results

Paying attention to any copy, even one made with love for detail, the buyer involuntarily asks the question: “Is it worth it? Perhaps the original is better?

By releasing , TCL Communication, knowingly or not, doomed its junior model to this comparison. Therefore, it is natural that the desire to clarify the situation reached our test laboratory. At the beginning of the review, we posed a number of questions to which, after conducting a comprehensive study, we will try to answer.

So, before us is a lightweight and compact smartphone ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI with nice design. It has a 4.3-inch IPS screen with good viewing angles, high-quality backlighting and an oleophobic coating (in the commercial version), which is securely hidden under protective glass. The body of the new product is well made and has comfortable ergonomics, so you can control the main functions and navigate the operating system with one hand. Deserves positive feedback and the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI audio subsystem: the multimedia speaker is moderately loud, with pleasant sound over almost the entire range. The speaker provides high-quality sound transmission. We should not forget about the presence of all the necessary network modules, the operation of which does not cause any complaints, as well as the support capacious battery. The advantages of the smartphone include the presence of a model with support for two SIM cards.

Now about the sad stuff. Reducing the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI and driving it into the price range, engineers still had to make a number of unpopular compromises. The most striking of these is support for only 512 MB of RAM. This will be quite enough to perform typical everyday tasks, but you won’t be able to play resource-intensive games. The quality of the camera modules is also not particularly impressive. True, all this allowed us to put a good price tag on the device.

In the end. Is it worth spending 2300 UAH? ($190) now and buy ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI or save up for a more productive model in the ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL line? Ultimately, it is up to the potential buyer to decide. Let’s just add that the tested smartphone is a fairly high-quality solution with an average level of performance, so if you are not a fan of heavy Android games and can easily do without a dozen applications running simultaneously, then it deserves your attention.

Advantages:

• quite nice appearance and comfortable ergonomics;
• good build quality;
• compact size and weight;
• protective glass on the screen with oleophobic coating (in the commercial version);
• good 4.3-inch IPS display made using OGS technology;
• high responsiveness of the touch substrate;
• good sound quality of multimedia and conversational speakers;
• good autonomy;
• availability of necessary network modules;
• ability to work with two SIM cards (in version 6012D);
• affordable price.

Flaws:

• mediocre camera modules;

• availability of only 512 MB of RAM.

We would like to thank TCL Communication for providing us with the smartphone for testing.

All prices for Alcatel+One+Touch+Idol+Mini+6012D

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Inexpensive model with support for 4G networks

When we mentioned the Chinese company TCL and its Alcatel brand, this year we first of all remembered the very noticeable top model of the TCL Idol X+ smartphone, which is based on the latest Mediatek platform with a maximum frequency of eight processor cores. However, the company, naturally, did not limit itself to releasing one flagship model in the new season: at the beginning of the year, during the MWC 2014 exhibition in Barcelona, ​​TCL presented a whole line of new mid-level smartphones, including Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 and One Touch Idol 2S and their various modifications. In accordance with the tradition that has emerged in the mobile market, the company could not help but release a version of the smartphone with the word “mini” in the name.

Such a device for the company was a reduced-size smartphone from the line mentioned above, which received a rather long and inconvenient name to pronounce: Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S. This small-sized smartphone is not a top-end device in terms of characteristics - it also belongs to the middle price level, like its “full-size” brothers in the line mentioned above. The domestic operator Beeline, for example, a few days ago introduced the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S to the market as an exclusive offer: the smartphone itself is offered in the operator’s showrooms at a “tasty” price of 7,990 rubles, and in addition it comes with three months of free mobile internet. True, in this case, the buyer will have to sacrifice something: the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S model purchased in Beeline stores is “locked” to work only with SIM cards of this operator and will not fully function with any other cards. In addition, the phone is stuffed to the brim with additional proprietary Beeline applications, as is usually the case, but this issue can be completely resolved standard methods. But to make such a device work with SIM cards from other operators, you will have to find unconventional means - if anyone is even interested in such an option. Be that as it may, it is the modification of the smartphone offered by Beeline (6036Y) that is the maximum and best configuration of this model - it even has support for LTE networks, which at such a low price makes Idol 2 mini S one of the most inexpensive devices with 4G in our market. In any case, the described smartphone seemed to us a device quite interesting and worthy of making a full review of it.

Main characteristics of Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S (model 6036Y)

	Alcatel Idol 2 mini S	Huawei Ascend G6	Asus Padfone E	LG G2 mini
Screen	4.5″, IPS	4.5″, IPS	4.7″, IPS	4.7″, IPS
Permission	960×540, 245 ppi	960×540, 245 ppi	1280×720, 312 ppi	960×540, 234 ppi
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A7) @1.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A7) @1.4 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A7) @1.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 305	Adreno 305	Adreno 305	Adreno 305
RAM	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB
Flash memory	8 GB	4 GB	16 GB	8 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
operating system	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.4
Battery	non-removable, 2000 mAh	non-removable, 2000 mAh	non-removable, 1820 mAh	removable, 2440 mAh
Cameras	rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP)	rear (8 MP; video - 720p), front (5 MP)	rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.2 MP)	rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.3 MP)
Dimensions	130×64×8.5 mm, 116 g	130×65×7.5 mm, 115 g	140×70×9.1 mm, 126 g	130×66×9.9 mm, 121 g
average price	T-10724720	T-10724716	T-10686990	T-10833941
Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S offers	L-10724720-10

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226), 1.2 GHz, 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores
• GPU Adreno 305
• operating room Android system 4.3
• Touch display IPS, 4.5″, 960×540, 245 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 1 GB, inner memory 8 GB
• Supports microSD memory cards up to 32 GB
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G 850, 900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer speed max 4G LTE up to 150 Mbps
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, hotspot Wi-Fi access
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass
• Camera 8 MP, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 2 MP (front)
• Battery 2000 mAh
• Dimensions 129.5×63.5×8.5 ​​mm
• Weight 116 g

Contents of delivery

In our case, we received a test copy of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S without packaging and, accordingly, a set of accessories, so we can judge the richness of the smartphone’s equipment only by the description on the company’s website. It states that in the box with the smartphone you can find a universal compact charger, a Micro-USB connecting cable, in-ear headphones and a user manual.

Among the additional accessories purchased separately, we can note a book case with a unique built-in event indicator, made in the form of perforated illuminated icons - it looks nice and is probably not too energy-consuming. Without opening the lid, the user can receive information about incoming SMS messages, mail, incoming calls, etc.

Appearance and ease of use

In design and shape, the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S smartphone resembles previous products in the Idol series; most of all, it is similar to the first flagship Idol X, which users liked so much at one time. To a lesser extent, it is similar to the updated Idol X+, although common design features can be traced here.

The smartphone has a rather small-sized, elegant and thin body that fits perfectly into the average hand. The device has rather slippery glossy side edges, but due to the matte non-slip back surface, as well as its small dimensions and weight, the smartphone is comfortably held in the palm of your hand. The size of the device is slightly larger than Apple iPhone- more similar to another compact modern model, Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

The entire body of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S is made entirely of plastic, there is no metal here. The case has a monoblock structure, the back cover has a slight bend and a matte, non-marking surface, which has a favorable effect on both ergonomics and the neat overall appearance of the device. The side edges are made to look like chromed metal, but this is not real metal, but just a coating on the same plastic. The edges of the case have practically no bevels; they are quite wide and slippery to the touch.

From this structure of the case comes the corresponding method of installing a SIM card: the card, in the same way as in previous models of the Idol series, is inserted into the side slot, which is covered on top with an unusual cover. This cover does not need to be removed with a special needle-clip; it opens like a door on hinges. To open it, you need to press one end of the lid and push it inward. In principle, this method of opening was quite convenient for the full-size representatives of the Idol series, but in the smaller model all these elements also turned out to be reduced in size, making it not very convenient to manipulate these miniature lids. In this case, you have to use something sharp to press one end of the lid. You have to do the same with the card itself - the usual length of the nail is not enough to sink the SIM card to the depth required for capture.

The adjacent slot for installing a memory card has exactly the same structure - microSD cards up to 32 GB are supported. Both lids have short leads; they can be pulled out quite a bit so that they do not interfere with the installation of cards. In general, the whole process is quite uncomfortable; the method of installing cards in the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S is far from the most convenient.

On the back of the smartphone, all the elements are familiar and arranged in the traditional order: on top there are the eyes of the camera and LED flash, on the bottom there is a row of holes for sound output from the ringing speaker.

The speaker grille overlaps the surface of the table, which partially muffles the sound of a lying smartphone. The single-section LED flash has pre-installed software to control it as a flashlight.

On the front surface, almost the entire front panel is covered with flat protective glass without edges; a hole is cut out in it for a large shiny chrome-plated hearing speaker grille; the eyes of the front camera and sensors are visible nearby.

Below the screen there is space left for hardware buttons to control the system and applications. These buttons are touch sensitive and have a white backlight of medium brightness, for which there was no item in the menu to adjust it.

There are only two mechanical hardware keys on the sides of the device, and both of them are located on the right side, one next to the other. The volume and lock keys have a fairly short travel, are small in size and protrude quite a bit beyond the body. In general, the implementation of controls is not the best, but you can get used to it.

The Micro-USB connector is placed at the bottom end - next to the microphone hole. The headphone output is implemented at the top end; nearby you can see the hole for the second, auxiliary microphone.

The smartphone connectors are not covered with any plugs or covers, because the device is not protected from water and dust. There was no hook on the case to attach the strap.

The product traditionally goes on sale in several color options: there are options in light gray and dark gray shades, and there are also pink and chocolate options. In different versions, the front panel under the glass of the smartphone also turns out to be of different colors: for example, in the chocolate version it is black, while in the others it is white.

Screen

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S smartphone is equipped with an IPS touch matrix. The physical dimensions of the display are 56x99 mm, diagonal - 4.5 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 960×540, the dots per inch density reaches 245 ppi.

The display brightness has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 5 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S is even a little darker (brightness according to photographs is 84 versus 92 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, much like the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 500 cd/m², the minimum was 42 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be high level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. In stock automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (located in the upper left corner on the front panel). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 42 cd/m² (acceptable), in an artificially lit office (approximately 400 lux) the brightness is set to approximately 500 cd/m² (this is the maximum and excessively bright), in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) - increases to the same 500 cd/m². As a result, the auto-brightness function does not work adequately for external conditions, and the whole point is in the software implementation, since the light sensor itself shows quite plausible results. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

IN this smartphone An IPS type matrix is ​​used. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large deviations of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting (except for the very darkest when the gaze is deviated to the right) shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field in full screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. White field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

Color reproduction is good and colors are rich on both screens. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the image quality at this angle on the Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S screen has noticeably deteriorated. And a white field:

The brightness of the screens at an angle has decreased (by at least 6 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S has a noticeably darker screen. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened to a medium degree and acquires a purple tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is average, since there are areas with increased black brightness along the edge of the screen:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is not the highest - about 680:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 24 ms (13 ms on + 11 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 38.5 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 1.86, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve strongly deviates from the power-law dependence:

Such a deviation is usually a sign of the presence of dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the output image (since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray almost to the entire screen), but we did not receive additional evidence of its existence. But just in case, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a consistently average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen.

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale does not cause any particular delight, since the color temperature is noticeably higher than the standard 6500 K, the deviation from the spectrum of an absolutely black body (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device, however, ΔE varies significantly from shade to shade - this negatively affects the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

To summarize: the screen has a high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. The mode with automatic brightness adjustment is practically useless, since already in a lit room it increases the brightness to the maximum, which, of course, leads to unnecessary energy consumption. Significant advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, as well as color gamut sRGB. The remaining characteristics are not outstanding, but not disastrous either. In general, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality can be considered high.

Sound

In terms of sound, the smartphone is nothing special. Both speakers produce a fairly clean sound, but without noticeable presence. low frequencies The sound is also not loud enough. However, this does not particularly affect the perception of sound during a conversation - the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable. From settings - standard features equalizer with preset values ​​and some additional effects.

The device can use built-in tools to record a conversation from the line, both talking parties are recorded, and the recorded files are automatically stored in the appropriate folder. The smartphone is equipped with a built-in FM radio, which traditionally only works with headphones connected as an external antenna.

The main rear camera here has an 8-megapixel module and shoots with a maximum resolution of 3264 × 1836. The quality of the images is average, most often the photos come out overexposed and slightly blurry. The settings are quite clearly laid out and conveniently arranged, but the capabilities contained here are quite modest.

The camera can shoot video at a maximum resolution of 1080p (30 fps), examples of test videos are presented below.

• Video #1 (35 MB, 1920×1080, daylight)
• Video #2 (33 MB, 1920×1080, indoors)
• Video No. 3 (18 MB, 1920×1080, at night)

Examples of photographs with our comments are presented below.

	The sharpness in distant shots is quite good.
	The camera cannot fully resolve foliage, but overall it does a good job.
	Sharpness across the frame is fairly uniform.
	In the background, the foliage hardly blends together.
	Noise in the shadows is not so strong, and, apparently, well processed.
	The camera performs relatively well indoors.
	Even when shooting at night, the camera does not show such bad results.
	The camera also copes well with macro photography.

What we have in front of us is exactly what can be safely called a balanced camera. Let's start with the fact that the camera simply does not have any significant shortcomings. It copes with its 8 megapixels, perhaps not perfectly, but very well. The camera has a good sensor, good optics and moderate software processing. It is all these three parameters in symbiosis that give the camera that very balance. The sensor copes well in the shadows, so the noise reduction does not need to be reworked. The optics process the image well across the field of the frame and across the plans, so there is virtually no sharpening in the images. Oddly enough, the camera’s merits are not limited to this: it works quite well in low light. The camera resorts to sensitivity values ​​above ISO 100 only when absolutely necessary, but even a night shot (ISO 232, 1/17 second) demonstrates relatively good performance.

As already mentioned, the camera turned out to be good and balanced and is quite suitable for most scenes.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for fourth generation (4G) networks used in Russia. With a SIM card from the domestic operator Megafon, the smartphone in practice confidently finds and works with LTE network. The data transfer speed, accordingly, in theory can reach up to 150 Mbit/s of incoming traffic. Among additional network capabilities, support is available. Mode for connecting external devices to USB port(USB Host, OTG) is, unfortunately, not supported here, so flash drives connected via an OTG adapter will not be recognized. The navigation module supports both GPS and domestic Glonass and works very clearly and quickly, there are no problems with this.

There were no spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing, as well as system slowdowns or freezes. The LED notification sensor here modestly shines as a small whitish dot in the upper left corner of the front panel, unobtrusively signaling various incoming events. The light sensor adjusts the brightness level automatically, but does not do it entirely correctly.

The drawing of letters and numbers on virtual keyboards is quite small and not very comfortable to operate. The layout and location of the keys is standard: switching languages ​​here is done by pressing a special button with a globe image; there is no separate row with numbers - you need to switch the layout each time. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing phone number A search in contacts is also carried out immediately.

OS and software

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S is currently running on software platform Google Android is not the latest version 4.3. Signature shell stretched over standard interface Android here has a fairly heavily redesigned and expanded functionality: sections have been added to the settings menu, there are rudiments of support for gestures, and even the ability to unlock the screen by tapping has appeared. In general, everything is very familiar from previous models of the Idol series. There is an application menu in this user interface; most of the already pre-installed applications are carefully arranged in thematic folders by the developers themselves. Creation of folders/groups is supported on desktops.

As mentioned above, our test laboratory included a modification of the smartphone, branded specifically for the Beeline operator, with all the ensuing consequences. The smartphone interface not only has special themes with the familiar black and yellow coloring, but is also crammed with a mass of all kinds of proprietary applications, which in general are not of particular interest. However, it is not difficult to return appearance The interface has an original, more relaxed look. In our case, to test all the capabilities of the device, it was also unlocked, and after that it worked perfectly with SIM cards from other operators, and even registered in LTE networks.

Performance

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S hardware platform is based on a single-chip system (SoC) Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226). CPU it has 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores operating at a frequency of 1.2 GHz, although the maximum possible frequency here is up to 1.6 GHz (SoC production technology is 28 nm). Random access memory The device has 1 GB, and the storage available to the user for uploading their own files is about 5 GB of the nominally designated 8 GB - the rest is spent on the system itself and applications. Memory can be expanded using microSD cards up to 32 GB. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to connect a flash drive via an OTG adapter - the device this mode do not support.

To get an idea of ​​the performance of the platform of the smartphone under test, we will conduct a standard set of tests. We have already tested devices based on the MSM8226 SoC: a recent and very recent example is the LG G2 mini, which operates on exactly the same platform. For comparison, let's take the results of the same platform, but with a slightly faster core frequency (1.4 GHz, Asus model Padfone E), and also add the results of another similar platform from Qualcomm - Snapdragon 200, which has exactly the same cores and their number, but the SoC itself is made using 45 nm technology. This relatively new budget platform is called Snapdragon 200 (MSM8212), and we tested it using an example Huawei smartphone Ascend G6, which is currently being heavily advertised on television, and a review of which is also being prepared for release.

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed their “obstacle courses” on previous versions test programs.

Based on the test results, it is clear that the Snapdragon 400 MSM8226 SoC, made using a 28 nm process technology, turned out to be slightly faster in all respects than the Snapdragon 200 MSM8212 SoC, manipulating the same cores, but made using a 45 nm process technology (Huawei G6 platform). The results of the LG G2 mini turned out to be identical, which is logical, because they have the same platforms, and the slightly faster cores of the Asus Padfone E showed a slight superiority, which is also quite logical and meets our expectations.

In general, according to the results of all tests, the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S smartphone can be safely classified as a device with average, or even slightly above average performance. At the moment, the hardware performance of this smartphone should be enough to perform most tasks that can be performed by any games or other applications from the Google Play Store.

Test results in MobileXPRT, as well as the latest versions of AnTuTu 4.x and GeekBench 3:

When testing the graphics subsystem in the cross-platform 3DMark test for the most powerful smartphones, it is now possible to run 3DMark in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Results of testing the graphics subsystem in the Epic Citadel gaming test, as well as Basemark X and Bonsai Benchmark:

	Alcatel Idol 2 mini S	Huawei G6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, 4 cores ARM [email protected] GHz)	Asus Padfone E (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4 cores ARM [email protected] GHz)	LG G2 mini (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4 cores ARM [email protected] GHz)
Epic Citadel, High Quality	57.7 fps	54.4 fps	56.8 fps	57.1 fps
Epic Citadel, Ultra High Quality	47.3 fps	34.8 fps	33.0 fps	48.7 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	30 fps/2139	16 fps/1115	25 fps/1779	31 fps/2197
Basemark X, Medium Quality	4561	3488	4579	4323

Playing video

To test omnivorousness when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, for example subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices It is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to testing results, Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S was not equipped with all the necessary decoders, in this case audio ones, which are necessary for full playback of most of the most common files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, even in it you will first have to change the settings, switching from hardware decoding to software or to a new mode called Hardware+(not supported by all smartphones), only then will sound appear. All results are summarized in a single table.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3	Hardware+
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹

¹ MX Video Player only played sound after switching to software decoding or a new mode Hardware+; The standard player does not have this setting

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). In the tests, we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware+” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Fine No Fine No Fine No Fine No

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

In general, according to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and, with rare exceptions, without skipping frames. When playing 720p and 1080p video files with an aspect ratio of 16:9, the image of the actual video file is displayed exactly along the edge of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to standard range 16—235—all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S is 2000 mAh, small for a modern smartphone. However, according to the test results, the test subject did not lose face, demonstrating a very respectable time battery life in a variety of standard use cases. The device even outperformed most of its direct competitors in this regard, except for mini-models Samsung and LG - Korean modern smartphones have recently demonstrated the best optimization performance in terms of energy consumption.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted almost 16 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When continuously watching YouTube videos in high quality (HQ) with the same brightness level through home network The device lasted about 9 hours in Wi-Fi mode, and about 4 hours in 3D gaming mode. The smartphone charges quite quickly: a full charge takes less than 2 hours.

Bottom line

As for the cost of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S - or rather, the best configuration of this device (6036Y), with support for LTE and NFC, which we tested, it is offered on the domestic market only as a branded device of the domestic operator Beeline. Such a smartphone costs 7,990 rubles - this is a couple of thousand more than the previous mini-model of the Alcatel Idol series, which was recently advertised on television by actor Konstantin Khabensky. And yet, even this price seems quite acceptable for such a nice, compact, but quite powerful and technically advanced device of a solid mid-level. For small money by the standards of the domestic market, the user receives a very high-quality product with high-quality materials, unquestionable assembly, efficient hardware, and a well-designed screen for its level, which allows the device itself to remain within a comfortable frame for the hand. Finally, we can state that not only among the “shovels”, very high-quality mobile devices that meet most modern technical requirements have begun to appear, such as the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact or the even more affordable hero of today’s review - the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S smartphone.

, Alcatel One Touch 6012X Idol Mini - Review... More precisely, a tale about why the Little Idol should be single-SIM

17.12.2013

Lyrical introduction

While spaceships continue to ply the expanses of the Bolshoi, Middle and Small Avenues of theatres, smartphone marketers are quietly carrying out their work, invisible to the general public. And as a result of this work, very strange devices appear from time to time.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Mini comes in two varieties. Single-SIM and dual-SIM. The usual thing. But, unfortunately, the difference between the models is not limited to the number of SIM cards.

A fun little feature. When you take a photo with your smartphone, a small icon usually appears somewhere in the corner of the screen. You click on it and look at the last frame. And here - alas - this icon is not there! At first I cursed for a long time, then I realized that to see the last frame, you just need to swipe from right to left.

We can shoot video with resolutions up to HD (1280x720). Examples in front of you:

The front camera is modest, VGA (640x480). The quality of the pictures is frankly not good.

Alcatel One Touch 6012D Idol Mini as a GPS navigator

In full accordance with the declared performance characteristics. Satellites are caught in a very reasonable time. There is no GLONASS support. It will do well as a pedestrian navigator. Just remember to keep an eye on the battery charge level.

Alcatel One Touch 6012D Idol Mini as a video player

The pre-installed player is no different. He can play a lot. But with soundtracks- regular problems.

Traditionally installed MX Player. There are no problems when watching videos up to HD size inclusive. The main problem is the small amount of memory where video could be recorded.

Alcatel One Touch 6012D Idol Mini as an audio player

And you know, it’s very nice.

Alcatel One Touch 6012D Idol Mini and Internet

If only you knew how hard it is to switch from a five-inch screen to a 4.3! But, in general, the device copes with tasks such as viewing news and reading Twitter/VKontakte. Just don’t open too many tabs in your browsers.

Alcatel One Touch 6012D Idol Mini as a toy

In general, everything is not bad. Except Pitfall! Traditionally, this chipset is capricious. Well, and some little things. There wasn't enough room for Nova 3 at all.

A game	Problems?
Angry Birds Star Wars	Everything is fine
Angry Birds Go!	Everything is fine
Pitfall!	It slows down too much and is uncomfortable to play.