Alcatel smartphones Alcatel. Alcatel One Touch: review, characteristics, advantages, customer reviews Alcatel van touch touch phone

Alcatel products occupy their specific niche in the Russian market, as well as in the CIS countries. These are mainly middle-class youth smartphones. But there are also exceptions. Each model is unique in its own way, each has its own audience of admirers. And, of course, everything has its shortcomings.

Alcatel: a little history

Initially, this company had French roots. It received its name in 1985. Its main task was to compete with and even displace such giants as Siemens and Manufacturing in the market mobile phones became one of several areas of activity of the French company.

In 2004, the Alcatel brand was purchased by the global electronics corporation TCL. Today it can be called the largest Chinese manufacturer of equipment with its main representative office in Huazhou.

At the moment, Alcatel works with such well-known Russian companies as MegaFon and MediaTek. Therefore, not only individual, but also joint samples of smartphones appeared in the manufacturer’s line.

In addition, when expanding the model range, the creators do not forget about the technical characteristics and new systems. That is why many buyers choose this particular brand of mobile phones.

Consumer reviews and main problems in work

Like any modern phone, the Alcatel smartphone One Touch has its own strengths and weak sides. And after the purchase, many users discover a number of problems and shortcomings. Among them, we can distinguish standard ones, which are found in almost all modern lines of smartphones, and individual ones, which are typical mainly for Alcatel models. The most common include:

  • Problems or delays in work software. These are system freezes, SD search, problems with Internet connection, inability to configure one or another option, application errors, etc. Such shortcomings, according to reviews from owners, can be caused by both factory defects and inept use of the smartphone.
  • Problems connecting individual modules or devices. Often this is GPS or Wi-Fi, as well as working with a computer or laptop via USB. Those who purchased Alcatel One Touch leave reviews that these modules do not work quite stably and constantly turn off.
  • Playback problems music files and applications. This can be caused, among other things, by using the wrong format or damaged tracks. They are trying to fix this by installing a new player.

The main competitive advantages of Alcatel smartphones

Nowadays our electronics market offers a huge variety of equipment. At the same time, you can find models for every taste. What makes consumers choose Alcatel One Touch products over many other smartphones?

The main advantages of these models include:

  • Competitive price. The presented models have an optimal price-quality ratio. Here you can find many quite budget options for smartphones and phones with good hardware and design.
  • Corresponding to the times specifications and opportunities. Despite the fact that the phones are in the average price segment, they have all the qualities modern models large and well-known manufacturers. There is Wi-Fi, support for SD cards of various formats, etc.
  • Ergonomic design. Chinese manufacturers, unlike many competitors, pay great attention to the appearance of Alcatel One Touch smartphones. Consumer reviews speak of the functionality and convenience of all keys and the phone as a whole.

Otherwise, each individual buyer will have their own pros and cons. After all, this is a deeply individual matter.

The lineup

To date, Alcatel has already released more than 7 series. There are both executive and youth models. Some of the most popular, according to Alcatel One Touch buyers, were:

  • Idol Series. This flagship phone has conquered not only the Chinese but also the Russian market. It was he who became the founders of such models as Ultra, Mini, X and X+.
  • Hero. These are smartphones with a huge 6-inch screen. It is on him that the entire bet is placed. It's bright, fast and responsive.
  • Scribe Pro and HD. This gadget was released in 2013. It can be called, rather, musical, since the sound quality and volume here are at the proper level.
  • Star. A well-equipped and quite budget smartphone. A version with two SIM cards is also available.
  • Fire. This one is special. Instead of the usual Android and Windows operating systems, it has a completely new, unique Firefox OS system.
  • Pixi. This is an inexpensive, but quite reliable and functional smartphone. It is perfect for children, because it has a screen with high resolution and easy to operate.

One Touch Idol X: characteristics and reviews

Let's start with the stated benefits and functionality. Firstly, this is the first smartphone in the Alcatel line with a Full-HD screen. Its main differences are the MTK processor and the thinnest display frames. They are even less than 2 mm. The case itself is also thin - only 7 mm. For its price, the smartphone is quite well made and multifunctional.

Now let's take a closer look at this Alcatel One Touch. Customer reviews indicate several positive aspects:

  • Dimensions and weight. With such a large screen, this smartphone weighs only 120 g.
  • Build quality. Despite the low cost, this smartphone is made to last.
  • Sensitive sensor. The screen responds easily and quickly to any action. There is virtually no slowdown when scrolling through windows.
  • Loud speakers and good sound quality.

It is also worth noting the characteristics of this Alcatel One Touch smartphone. There is 2 Gb of RAM here, good camera and a fast processor.

There are also several disadvantages:

  • When recording video, autofocus constantly jumps, and therefore clarity is significantly lost.
  • Volume control often fails.
  • The minimum screen brightness is too high.

Otherwise the phone is quite competitive.

One Touch Idol Mini

This is, one might say, a mini version of the usual branded smartphone with a recognizable design. From the name it is clear that it is quite miniature. The width of the smartphone is only 8 mm. And it weighs 97 grams.

Alcatel One Touch Mini runs on Android OS and, of course, like all Alcatel, uses exclusively its own interface. They produce two versions of this gadget - with one or two SIM cards. U this phone has its advantages and disadvantages. Its positive qualities include:

  • Brand recognizable design. Moreover, all the buttons are located quite conveniently, despite the size of the smartphone.
  • Good sound quality and volume. The speaker is located in such a way that even when the phone is lying on the table, it does not overlap at all.
  • Great display. It accepts up to 5 clicks at a time. The brightness of the screen is adjusted automatically. Viewing angles are quite wide.

If you study about this Alcatel One Touch reviews, then we can highlight several main disadvantages:

  • The smartphone shows average battery life results. Therefore, with active use, it discharges in a few hours.
  • Small amount of memory - only 512 MB. At the same time, the phone has a lot of pre-installed programs.
  • Weak front camera - only 0.3 megapixels.

Alcatel Pop

A good budget multifunctional gadget. You can choose a model with two SIM cards, which is quite convenient. The most popular representatives of the series can be called Alcatel One Touch C5 and C3. Their main differences are in cameras, display size and dimensions.

Pop series models have a bright, cheerful shell. Despite the quite affordable price, they are assembled with quite high quality. The design of these smartphones is simple and recognizable.

Like many other models, Pop phones have their pros and cons. Good qualities include:

  • Optimal balance of functionality, performance and price.
  • High-quality assembly - nothing flies out anywhere, does not wobble or creak.
  • Built-in worker that makes work easier for travelers.

There are several tangible disadvantages:

  • The cameras do not meet modern requirements. Agree, 3.2 and 5 megapixels weakly compete with 12 megapixels and more.
  • Low quality display. This concerns brightness - they look rather dim.

One Touch Ultra

Another representative of the Idol family. Ultra is the most in the Alcatel line. Its width is only 6.5 mm and weighs 115 g. The company presented it at CES 2013 as a flagship, along with the Idol model.

The Alcatel One Touch Ultra smartphone has the following advantages:

  • Large (4.65 inches) and bright screen. The picture is colorful thanks to AMOLED technology.
  • Good battery capacity. A charge of 1800 mAh is enough for almost the whole day.
  • Decent sound quality and volume. However, this is only on a hard surface.

Despite the fact that the manufacturer positions this gadget as a flagship, its only competitive feature is its thin body. Otherwise, this is a completely standard budget smartphone, which has a number of disadvantages:

  • No standard headphone jack. This is due to the same subtlety.
  • There is no flash card slot. There is only built-in memory, which sooner or later may not be enough.
  • The smartphone is quite slow. Despite 1 GB of RAM, the device constantly slows down, even when taking photographs.

Alcatel Star: review

A very compact budget smartphone. Externally, it almost completely copies the famous iPhone. Introduced by manufacturers in 2013 as a good budget gaming smartphone.

Let's move on to the main characteristics and features. We are pleased with its small size and weight of only 119 g. The surface of the screen is perfectly protected by special glass and the display itself is made according to unique technology Amoled, which provides it with bright colors and a good viewing angle.

Alcatel One Touch Star runs on two MediaTek chipset processors. The RAM is only 512 MB. The ability to operate two SIM cards has been implemented, and there is a slot for a flash drive.

The advantages include:

  • Convenience and ergonomics. Thanks to its compact size, it fits perfectly in the hand, and the buttons are located so that they are quite comfortable to operate.
  • Good sensitive sensor. Thanks to the technology used, the screen responds to the slightest touch.
  • Bright and rich colors that are visible even in the sun.

Now you can pay attention to the main disadvantages of this gadget:

  • Enough quiet speakers and vibration alert. You can hear it only if the phone is very close.
  • The battery charge does not last long. With active use - a maximum of a couple of hours.

One Touch Idol Alpha

This smartphone has become pleasant surprise for the market mobile devices not only in terms of an extraordinary and very attractive design, but also from the point of view of modern technical stuffing and opportunities.

The main advantages of this device are a 4.7-inch HD display, a fast 4-core processor and a 13 megapixel camera. The RAM is a full gigabyte, and there are 16 GB of storage in stock.

This Alcatel One Touch review reveals several nice features:

  • Unusual, but very interesting and ergonomic design.
  • Decent quality display with bright colors and wide viewing angles.
  • Excellent build quality.

It should also be said about several unpleasant features for the average user:

  • Lack of ability to expand memory via microSD.
  • Using a non-standard audio jack.
  • No USB OTG support.

Alcatel Fire

This series uses a unique operating system. Fire C, E and S models run Firefox OS. If we talk about technical characteristics and functionality, then these smartphones can be classified as the budget segment.

The main difference between the three models is the screen size, RAM and permanent memory, as well as support for networks of different generations. For example, the S series supports the fourth, unlike other Alcatel One Touches. The characteristics indicate quite decent filling and capabilities.

Main advantages of the series:

Main disadvantages:

  • "Raw" OS. Usually there are many more problems with new systems than with older ones.
  • Weak cameras.
  • Many pre-installed programs.

Scribe HD Series

This budget smartphones using an auxiliary stylus. Therefore, the possibility of handwritten information input and its recognition is fully realized here. The main thing about this Alcatel One Touch is the price. It is quite affordable for a smartphone of this level and ranges from 8,800 rubles. up to 10,250 rub.

The main advantages of this model include the following features:

  • Nice and functional design.
  • Good performance.
  • High-quality materials were used for the body.
  • Good build quality.
  • Expanded equipment.

Flaws:

  • The design of the stylus is flawed. It is inconvenient to operate, and the smartphone does not always respond adequately to working with it.
  • Quite a weak camera. With the stated 8 megapixels, you can take high-quality pictures only in good, bright lighting. In addition, autofocus often gets lost.

One Touch Hero

This smartphone is presented as a continuation of the flagship Idol X. This is an enlarged version with some improvements. The Full HD screen of the model is 6 inches. Thanks to the thinnest frames, the display seems simply huge. The review presented in this article allows us to identify positive and negative aspects for buyers of this Alcatel One Touch model. Among the advantages of the gadget are the following:

  • Quality materials and workmanship.
  • Huge bright display supporting Full HD and stylus.
  • Quite decent speaker volume.
  • Good battery capacity.
  • Multi-window mode.

Negative points include:

  • Weak main camera. The pictures come out dull and expressionless.
  • There is no memory card slot.
  • Animations and videos are sometimes jerky and not as smooth as we would like.

Salon consultants have a great trick that allows them to sell Alcatel smartphones like hot cakes: they simply tell customers that Alcatel is a French company, therefore, their gadgets are French. This argument works very well with those clients who frown in disgust at the word “ China».

In fact, there is nothing French about Alcatel smartphones. Back in 2004, the Alcatel division engaged in the production of mobile equipment merged with the Chinese company TCL - all the “smart” devices that came out after that moment came from the Middle Kingdom. TCL turned out to be the main one in the pair, and only the trademark remained from Alcatel - well-known and successful from a marketing point of view.

The fact that Alcatel smartphones are made in China should not confuse the buyer - on the contrary, this is precisely why the gadgets have reasonable prices. This article will tell you about the current Alcatel lines and the most notable of the company’s smartphones.

Which Alcatel smartphone lines are active in 2017?

Alcatel is a real record holder for the number of smartphone lines; the company has as many as 6 of them:

  • A. This is the latest line - the first A-series devices appeared only in 2017. Now the line includes completely different smartphones, but most of them still have a common feature - huge displays with a diagonal of 5.5-6 inches.
  • U- a line for people who cannot imagine life without.
  • Shine. There is only one Shine smartphone so far - this Lite model. Key Feature– premium glass and metal design at a low price.
  • Idol– the most advanced and functional Alcatel smartphones. This line should be considered the flagship. Alcatel Idol devices, as a rule, have very thin bodies and amazing contrast quality.
  • Pop- intended mainly for teenage audiences. A characteristic feature of the design of the devices in the line is rounded corners.
  • Pixi– a line of ultra-budget devices with functionality corresponding to the price. Note that the line between the Pop and Pixi lines has begun to blur: the most expensive Pixi now costs almost 6 thousand rubles - while a Pop smartphone can be bought for 4 thousand.

We will present the most notable Alcatel smartphones in more detail.

The most affordable

Alcatel Pixi 4 4034D

  • Chipset: 4-core MediaTek MT6580M, 1300 MHz.
  • Screen: 4 inches, resolution 800x480.
  • Battery: 1500 mAh
  • RAM: 512 MB
  • Built-in storage: 4 GB

Price: from 2,368 rubles

There are few smartphones on the market costing up to 2,500 rubles - and those that can also boast Android versions 6.0 out of the box, generally only a few models. One of these is Alcatel Pixi 4 4034D.

There is no need to talk about the advantages of Pixi for a long time - it is clear that the most fastidious users can pass by. Among the advantages of the gadget, in addition to minimum price should be attributed unexpectedly powerful processor. The 4-core Pixi “stone” from MTK is capable of overclocking to 1300 MHz. Exactly the same clock frequency appears in the characteristics of most Alcatel devices - even those that cost 10 thousand rubles.

Advantages:

  • Many color options.
  • Minimum cost.
  • Supports 2 SIM cards.
  • Not a bad chipset for an ultra-budget device.

Flaws:

  • A small screen with a resolution that is ridiculous in today's times.
  • Boring and banal design.

Other inexpensive smartphones: One Touch Pop (5070D), Pixi 4 (5) (5045D), U5 (4047D), U3, Pixi 3 (4) (4013D).

For selfie lovers

Alcatel U5 HD

  • Chipset: 4-core MediaTek MT6737M, 1300 MHz.
  • Screen: 5 inches, HD resolution.
  • Battery: 2200 mAh
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Built-in storage:

Price: from 4,690 rubles

Alcatel awarded the budget model U5 HD great cameras– 13-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front. Front-camera equipped with a flash - you can do “selfies” even in low light conditions. Young users will certainly be pleased with the presence of many photo effects - for example, the popular “ Mask", which allows you to transform into a pirate, a bear, or a zombie.

Alas, with the exception of the U5 HD cameras, there is really nothing else to brag about - in all other characteristics, this is a rather primitive budget gadget.

The HD model is worth buying. The simple U5 may be a little cheaper, but its screen is no good.

Advantages:

  • Decent selfie camera with big amount filters and effects.
  • 4G support.
  • Supports 2 SIM cards.

Flaws:

  • Mediocre autonomy.
  • Small amount of user memory.
  • Overpriced - for the same money you can buy a gadget with better characteristics.

Other selfie smartphones: A7, A3, A3 XL, Idol 4S.

Modest "cute"

Alcatel Shine Lite

  • Chipset: 4-core MediaTek MT6737, 1300 MHz.
  • Screen: 5 inches, HD resolution.
  • Battery: 2460 mAh
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Built-in storage: 16 GB

Price: from 7,990 rubles

The Alcatel Shine Lite model was presented at IFA 2016, where it was definitely a success. The smartphone fully corresponds to the epithet assigned by the manufacturer (“shining”) and looks absolutely fantastic. Visitors to the exhibition opened their mouths in amazement when they were informed that this gadget was budget.

The secret of Shine Lite's design lies in the fact that the smartphone body does not contain an ounce of plastic. Both the front and back edges of the device are covered with durable 2.5D Dragontrail glass; there is also an oleophobic coating on the front. The frame of the case is made of metal.

Due to the fact that the smartphone is made exclusively from premium materials, it has a significant weight - more than 150 grams. However, you must agree: this sacrifice was worth making for such an amazing design!

Advantages:

Flaws:

  • The chipset is not the most productive - in terms of processor characteristics, the gadget is not far behind the Pixi 4.
  • The device supports only 1 SIM.

Biggest

Alcatel A7 XL

  • Chipset: 8-core MediaTek MT6750S, 1500 MHz.
  • Screen: 6 inches, FullHD resolution.
  • Battery: 4000 mAh
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Built-in storage: 32 GB

Price: from 13,000 rubles

If the Shine Lite model became an exhibit at IFA 2016, then Alcatel presented A7 gadgets at the same exhibition a year later. The simple A7 wasn’t really memorable, but the A7 XL was impressive – it’s really huge!

The smartphone is equipped with a laminated 6-inch IPS display covered with Dragontrail glass. The screen resolution is 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD), and this is a big improvement compared to the A3 XL, a device that was nicknamed the “eye killer” for its display of a similar diagonal with HD resolution. Despite its large dimensions, the A7 XL is very easy to use - and in addition, it is attractive and pleasant to the touch. The device has a classic metal design that will obviously never go out of style.

Advantages:

Flaws:

  • Impressive weight - 175 grams.
  • Significant thickness - 9 mm. An even more capacious battery could be placed in such a case.
  • Mediocre rear camera. A 12 megapixel resolution will not help if you are using a budget sensor - as is the case with the A7 XL.

Other smartphones with large screens: A2 XL, A3 XL, POP 4 (6), Pixi 4 (6).

Most musical

Alcatel Idol 4S 6070K

  • Chipset: 8-core
  • Screen: 5.5 inches, QuadHD resolution
  • Battery: 3000 mAh
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Built-in storage: 32 GB

Price: from 14,489 rubles

Such luminaries as JBL and Waves worked on the sound of Idol 4S - so it is completely logical that this smartphone is one of the most “musical” on the modern market. The device from Alcatel is equipped with two speakers, as well as Waves professional audio technology, making it sound much louder and clearer than most other mobile devices.

An interesting feature of the device is the so-called reversibility; Whichever way you turn the device, the right audio channel will remain on the right, and the left on the left. Everything here is for the glory of symmetry. For example, the speakers are located on both the front and back edges, so if you place the Idol 4S on the screen, the music will not sound muffled. Microphones are located at the top and lower parts case - as a result, you can talk on an Alcatel smartphone even if you hold it upside down.

Advantages:

  • High-quality headset from JBL included.
  • Availability of Waves MaxxAudio music manager, which allows you to customize the sound for specific headphones.
  • VR headset support.
  • Large amount of memory. In this parameter, Idol 4S compares favorably with the Idol 4 model, which has half the ROM capacity.

Flaws:

  • There is no fingerprint sensor.
  • The autonomy of the smartphone leaves much to be desired.

The best of the best

Alcatel Idol 5

  • Chipset: 8-core MediaTek MT6753, 1300 MHz.
  • Screen: 5.2 inches, FullHD resolution.
  • Battery: 2800 mAh
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Built-in storage: 16 GB

Price: from 11,693 rubles

Paradoxically, the best smartphone From Alcatel, we recognize Idol 5, a gadget that balances on the line separating the budget and mid-price segments. The device does not contain any sensational technologies, but it boasts a very high-quality build and an attractive design. The case is cast, made of aluminum, the battery cannot be removed. Thanks to its minimal thickness (only 7.5 mm) and 2.5D Dragontrail glass with oleophobic coating, the smartphone looks modern and will not “get lost” even if it ends up on the same shelf as the dazzlingly bright Shine Lite.

Advantages:

  • Premium appearance.
  • The presence of a fingerprint sensor.
  • Supports Dirac digital audio optimization technology.
  • The presence of a unique Now key, the function of which the user can determine himself.
  • Support function " Duplication of applications”, thanks to which the user can “log in” to messengers on the device under two accounts at the same time.

Flaws:

  • Autonomy is mediocre.
  • The camera, despite the resolution of 16 megapixels, does not take the best pictures.
  • The SIM card slot is combined - you will have to choose between SIM 2 and a flash drive.

The Idol 5S smartphone deserves to be called the best, as it sounds better and has more user memory. However, at the end of 2017, this device is not sold either in Russian retail or in the official Alcatel online store.

Conclusion

There is not a single expensive device in Alcatel’s 2017 smartphone catalog – apparently, the manufacturer is desperate to compete for a “place in the sun” in the premium segment. But Alcatel's position in the budget segment is very strong - the Pop and Pixi lines will probably soon become legendary.

Alcatel has a good chance of success in the mid-price segment. The company offers users low prices bright smartphones with an original design - which makes it different from many Chinese manufacturers, which are only capable of churning out boring and trivial ones.

Russian buyers have long been familiar with Alcatel products. There is a wide range of mobile devices from this company on the market. Unfortunately, they are not sales leaders, but they have their own audience. As part of this article, a review of the Alcatel One Touch Hero phone will be presented. Let's take a closer look at its features and technical characteristics. We will also provide customer reviews about this device.

Equipment

This phone model is packaged in a small white box. The name of the device is presented on its front panel. Under the cover there is a plastic substrate in which the smartphone itself lies. The manufacturer, having chosen a laconic design, wanted to show that this model does not need flashy advertising. Note that this solution is currently used by most manufacturers.

What else is in the box besides the Alcatel One Touch Hero phone? As mentioned above, there is a plastic backing at the top. It ensures safe transportation of the device. Directly below it is Charger. It is of a modern format, consists of a power supply (adapter) and a removable USB cable. The manufacturer also provided the buyer with a branded book case and a stereo headset. However, the latter entry level. In addition to these accessories, the box contains instructions, a certificate and a warranty card.

Appearance

The Alcatel One Touch Hero smartphone is a typical mobile device. Considering that it has a 6-inch screen, the dimensions of the device are accordingly quite large. As for the height of the case, it is almost 159 mm. Thanks to its width of 80.6 mm, the device looks proportional. This model received most positive reviews due to its small thickness. The case is quite narrow - only 8.5 mm. As for the weight of the smartphone, it is in the average range (150 g). The designers of this company, despite its rather large size, were able to create a convenient device, therefore, according to many buyers, they can safely be proud of it. When interacting with the phone, the user does not feel discomfort. The device fits well in the hand. It is convenient to use.

The layout of the controls is standard. On the front panel, in the upper part, there is a front camera, a sensor, and a speaker hole. There are three touch keys below the screen. On the back panel, engineers placed the main camera lens, flash and noise-canceling microphone. All three of these elements are at the top. Below them is the name of the One Touch line. At the bottom there is a large output speaker hole. There is also a magnet that is designed to attach the cover case. At the bottom of the case there is a small recess used for the stylus. On the right side there is a connector for installing micro SIM cards. Below it is the lock key. There is also a rocker for adjusting the volume. Many users paid attention to its location. Due to the fact that it is located under the lock key, out of habit they constantly touch it.

On the left side there is a slot into which memory cards are installed. A standard port for connecting audio devices is located on the top end of the case. On the opposite side there is a microUSB connector.

Please note that the manufacturer used matte plastic. Thanks to him, the body turned out to be non-marking. It does not slip in your hands, so the risk of accidental falls is reduced to a minimum.

Screen Specifications

Most of the positive reviews were addressed to the screen characteristics of the Alcatel One Touch Hero. It is ideal for those users who prefer smartphones with large displays. This model has a 6-inch screen with a fairly high Full HD resolution. It is based on a high-quality IPS matrix. It is worth noting that the manufacturer outperformed competing companies in this model, since such characteristics were still new for mid-level devices.

The designers also worried about protecting the display. It is covered with DragonTrail glass. Due to the fact that it is coated with a special oleophobic coating, users will not have problems with the accumulation of fingerprints.

The IPS matrix provides wide viewing angles. There are no problems with brightness. The smartphone is convenient to use both in a dark room and outdoors in bright sunshine. If necessary, in the settings you can select brightness adjustment in automatic mode. There is a multi-touch function, which is designed for 5 touches made simultaneously.

A huge advantage for this phone model is the thin screen frame. Its width is about 2 mm. This gives the impression that the screen completely occupies the entire space of the front panel.

Autonomy

The Alcatel One Touch Hero phone also has decent results in terms of battery life. The manufacturer used a lithium polymer battery with a capacity of 3400 milliamps per hour. It is worth noting that such a battery provides at least 18 hours of talk time. For those who like to listen to music, this device is perfect, since the battery in this state will last for 24 hours. If you put your smartphone in standby mode, you can count on approximately 500 hours of operation.

In their reviews, users 100% agree with the characteristics presented by the manufacturer. If the device is used in combined mode, then it will need to be charged no more than once every two days. If you reduce the load, you can achieve an increase in time by 24 hours or even more. In order to restore the battery life, it will take about 3.5 hours.

Performance

The “heart” of Alcatel One Touch Hero is Chinese MediaTek processor. Model MT6589 operates at a frequency of 1500 megahertz. Thanks to this indicator, this chipset well deserves the Turbo title. It is based on four computing modules. The type of each is Cortex-A7. The main processor is paired with a PowerVR SGX544 MP graphics accelerator.

Users noticed that there are no impossible tasks for this smartphone. It copes well with all resource-intensive applications, and also easily runs “heavy” games. This result was achieved due to the fact that the manufacturer integrated 2 GB of RAM. The system takes up about half. The rest is for the user's needs. Considering that there are two modifications on sale, the amount of integrated memory will be different. The device, which only works with one SIM, has 8 GB installed. But a dual-SIM device has twice as much memory.

Camera

The manufacturer used a 13-megapixel sensor as the main optics module of the Alcatel One Touch Hero. There is a flash and autofocus. However, as users have noticed, the quality of the images is not up to the stated level. This shows up in poor detail. It is impossible to achieve better quality even during the day, in good lighting.

The front module also did not please users. Unfortunately, the selfie camera uses a 2 megapixel sensor. There is no need to talk about the quality of these pictures. Naturally, noise, blur, and poor color rendition are clearly visible in the frame.

Software and basic settings

Android version 4.2 is installed on board this device. Naturally, at present this operating system is already considered very outdated. But do not forget that in Russia this model went on sale at the end of 2013. At that time, such equipment was considered relevant. The main advantage of this device is that the manufacturer used its own on top of the operating system shell software. It is quite convenient and has a beautiful interface.

When you turn on Alcatel One Touch for the first time, settings can be made through special application. It's called the Setup Wizard. Here you are asked to select a language, activate the keyboard, set the current date and time, and also, if desired, configure account Google. After this, a window appears on the main screen in which “Ready!” will be written in large letters. After confirmation, the device is completely ready for use. For those who have already dealt with the new shell from Alcatel, you can skip this step and configure the phone manually.

Alcatel One Touch: reviews

What conclusions arise after studying the characteristics of this phone model? Note that users did not have any serious comments about this device. The following features were noted as positive:

  • excellent connection quality;
  • high speaker volume;
  • excellent vibration alert;
  • speech transmission without distortion.

As for performance, it also did not disappoint. The device copes well with all modern tasks. Many laudatory comments were made about the screen. Its characteristics are undeniably impressive.

However, not only the benefits were found by users. Like many other models, the One Touch Hero is not without its drawbacks. These include:

  • quite high cost (at the start of sales about 16,000 rubles);
  • low camera resolution.

Perhaps these are the most significant disadvantages of this model.

The area of ​​activity of the French company Alcatel is the production of software, computer and telecommunications equipment, and the development of communication networks. The company did not produce phones for a long time. Only in 2004, a division of this brand merged with the division of the famous Chinese company TCL that produced this product. Thus, an enterprise called TCL & Alcatel Mobile Phone was born, and the production of these devices in China began with it.
Since 2005, all Alcatel smartphones have been products of TCT Mobile. Their products are of excellent quality among devices of a similar price category. They have stylish design, pretty good characteristics, and with each new model They use increasingly advanced new technologies. For example, Alcatel One phone Touch Idol Ultra is presented as the thinnest smartphone in the world at the moment.
In our online store you can buy an inexpensive Alcatel phone in Moscow. The lineup This brand in the catalog on the website starts at a ridiculous price - 590 rubles. Due to the fact that the store has special discounts bonus program, you have the opportunity to purchase a device with the necessary characteristics at a very low price. We also quite often hold various promotions and sell out various models from our warehouse.

Most readers probably know that the same ubiquitous Chinese are now hiding under the once European brand of Alcatel smartphones - in this case, it is the TCL company, which bought the trademark several years ago and continues to produce and sell devices under this brand. So when buying mobile equipment with the Alcatel label, you need to understand that you are no longer buying a French device, as it was once before, but a Chinese one. However, this in no way detracts from the advantages of Chinese products of this class - modern factory China is quite ready to oppose itself to HTC, Samsung and Sony, which have established themselves as leaders, and our latest reviews of fresh products of high-quality Chinese production can serve as an example of this (the list of such companies includes , primarily Oppo, Meizu, Xiaomi, as well as the ubiquitous Huawei). However, TCL also sells smartphones under its own name, but usually in its home market. By the way, you can also find an “original” model on it, related to the hero of today’s review, and even with a similar name: TCL One Touch Idol X. However, the devices are not exactly exact copies of each other, there are also minor differences between them. However, today we are interested in the European version, which is officially presented on our market, and it is called Alcatel One Touch Idol X.

If we talk about the prerequisites for writing this review, then it’s worth reminding what we stand for Lately We have already repeatedly addressed the topic of high-quality Chinese mobile products with a high level of performance (Oppo Mirror, Oppo Find 5, Jiayu G4, Meizu MX2, Meizu MX3 and others). Quite recently we reviewed another advanced chinese smartphone, sold here under the Fly brand (Fly Luminor IQ453), which turned out to be quite high-quality, interesting, but for the “Chinese” - an expensive smartphone. Users themselves on numerous forums compare this model primarily with the Alcatel One Touch Idol X - the devices have very similar characteristics, so the occasional comparison of these two models on the pages of this review will be quite natural and not accidental. It is also worth immediately noting that today’s testing involves a model with support for two SIM cards - 6040D (there is still exactly the same device in nature, only with one SIM card - OT Idol X 6040, but it supports microSD memory cards) .

Key Features of Alcatel One Touch Idol X (Model 6040D)

Alcatel OT Idol X Fly Luminor IQ453 Oppo Mirror R819 LG Optimus G Google Nexus 4 Sony Xperia ZR
Screen 5″, IPS 5″, IPS 4.7″, IPS 4.7″, IPS 4.7″, IPS 4.55″, IPS
Permission 1920×1080, 440 ppi 1920×1080, 440 ppi 1280×720, 312 ppi 1280×768, 317 ppi 1280×768, 317 ppi 1280×720, 322 ppi
SoC MediaTek MT6589T (4 cores ARM Cortex-A7) @1.5 GHz MediaTek MT6589 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A7) @1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064) @1.5 GHz (4 Krait cores) Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064) @1.5 GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait)
GPU PowerVR SGX 544MP PowerVR SGX 544MP PowerVR SGX 544MP Adreno 320 Adreno 320 Adreno 320
RAM 2 GB 2 GB 1 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB
Flash memory 16 GB 32 GB 16 GB 32 GB 8/16 GB 8 GB
Memory card support — — — — — microSD
operating system Google Android 4.2 Google Android 4.2 Google Android 4.2 Google Android 4.1 Google Android 4.2 Google Android 4.1
Battery non-removable, 2000 mAh non-removable, 2000 mAh non-removable, 2000 mAh non-removable, 2100 mAh non-removable, 2100 mAh removable, 2300 mAh
Cameras rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (5 MP) rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.3 MP) rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.3 MP) rear (13 MP), front (0.3 MP)
Dimensions 140×68×6.9 mm, 120 g 144×69×7.7 mm, 131 g 137×68×7.3 mm, 110 g 132×69×8.5 mm, 145 g 134×69×9.1 mm, 139 g 131×67×10.4 mm, 138 g
average price T-10467810 T-10533924 T-10470422 T-8461088 T-8490976 T-9383887
Alcatel One Touch Idol X offers L-10467810-10
  • SoC MediaTek MT6589T, 1.5 GHz, 4 cores, ARM Cortex-A7
  • GPU PowerVR SGX 544MP
  • operating room Android system 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • Touch IPS display, 5″, 1920×1080, 440 ppi
  • Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, inner memory 16 GB
  • GSM communication 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  • Communication 3G WCDMA 850/1900/2100 MHz
  • SIM card format: micro
  • Bluetooth 4.0 A2DP
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, point Wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Dispay
  • GPS, A-GPS
  • Dual SIM support
  • Position, proximity, lighting sensors, electronic compass
  • 13 MP camera, automatic and manual focusing
  • Camera 2 MP (front), video recording 720p
  • Li-ion battery 2000 mAh
  • Dimensions 140.4×67.5×6.9 mm
  • Weight 120 g

Contents of delivery

The smartphone goes on sale in a small cardboard package. A rectangular box made of simple, unvarnished cardboard cannot be called chic, but it does not cause rejection either. There is no lurid variety of colors, there is no overload of information either, everything is quite neat and concise.

The box contained: a charger, a Micro-USB cable, a wired headset and some papers. The headphones are equipped with in-ear gel ear pads and a regular, non-noodle-shaped wire that constantly tends to get tangled into a ball. No additional accessories in the form of cases or the like included in the kit flagship smartphone They didn’t invest in it at the factory, but it’s a pity - for a Chinese this device is not so cheap, it would be possible to take care of additional “goodies”.

Appearance and ease of use

In terms of its external characteristics, the smartphone is very good: comfortable dimensions, balanced weight, neat appearance, bright but non-irritating multi-colored back covers, reliable assembly, high-quality materials - all this is Alcatel One Touch Idol X. To be honest, I liked the smartphone much more than the recently reviewed Fly Luminor IQ453: it was clearly made with a bias towards the already popular products of brands such as Apple and Sony, and the Alcatel One Touch Idol X has no claims to anyone else’s account - the design is simple, cheerful, easy to look at, direct and original, and it is precisely this independence from other people’s opinions that inspires respect.

In addition, the device, in terms of the technical arrangement of the case, is not without its own “opinion”: I really liked the way the developers implemented the method of installing the SIM card. More precisely, even two SIM cards: the monoblock case of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X 6040D has one slot-like slot embedded on both side edges, but the method of opening their covers is non-standard. There are no annoying secret buttons and keys here, and you don’t even need a paper clip. The covers of both slots open perfectly without special master keys; you just need to press on one of the edges of the cover, which has a magnetic latch, and it immediately opens unhindered access to the SIM card - a very convenient solution, reminiscent of the first Nokia Lumia devices.

The smartphone lies comfortably in the hand: due to the small width of the body achieved thin frames around the screen (no more than 3 mm), very thin thickness (7.7 mm) and, most importantly, a non-glossy, matte, rough back cover, the device fits well in the palm of your hand and is held there perfectly. If we take into account the recently increased standards for the size of mobile devices, which have become the norm, then the Alcatel One Touch Idol X model can even be called neat and not too large. It is definitely also quite suitable for a woman’s hand, and the design of this line of smartphones can definitely be classified as unisex.

The materials used are plastic, there is no metal here. There are two types of plastic: matte, but hard (without the soft-touch effect) on back cover and shiny lacquered on the sides. The plastic on the sides has the texture of a rough sanded material, but it still feels smooth to the touch and appears shiny due to the layer of varnish.

The back cover here is non-removable, access regular means You can't connect to the battery, and there's no slot for a memory card at all. More precisely, the microSD slot is provided, as we have already said, in the 6040 version of the smartphone, and in this (6040D) it is replaced with an additional slot for a second SIM card. By the way, it would be appropriate to immediately note that one of the slots can only work with SIM cards from the MTS operator - such a slight injustice. But you can insert any card into the second slot.

In addition to two SIM card slots covered with magnetic covers, there are also a paired volume key on the side faces, as well as connectors: Micro-USB at the bottom, and a 3.5 mm audio output at the top.

There, at the top, there is also a power button, which is a noticeable disadvantage of the device - the body itself is too big for you to comfortably reach up to the power button with the fingers of the hand that holds the smartphone. Probably, it would still be possible to place the lock key on one of the side faces.

The landscape of the rear surface consists of a camera window that protrudes slightly from the plane, a single-section LED flash and a number of small holes in the lower part that make up the speaker grille.

The front panel is completely covered protective glass, scratch resistant. It is stated that here, as in Oppo smartphones, it uses not the familiar Corning Gorilla, but a Japanese competing solution called Asahi Glass Dragontrail. Let us repeat that the thickness of the side frames from the edge of the screen to the edge of the body is just under 3 mm, which is a very good indicator. Most users who pick up the Alcatel One Touch Idol X for the first time immediately note this point.

Below the screen there is a block of buttons for controlling the system and applications. The buttons, naturally, are touch-sensitive, have a bright whitish backlight, the duration of which cannot be changed in any way.

There are no rubber pads, protective edges or even a hook for a wrist strap here - we are looking at a typical pampered city dweller, designed for use in “greenhouse” conditions.

And finally, traditionally, about color options: this smartphone, unlike the Fly Luminor IQ453, presented in only one color, black, has a much more diverse range of body colors. At foreign exhibitions there are samples of almost all the colors of the rainbow, but on our market, apparently, only three main ones are officially presented: red, black and yellow. There are no functional differences between models of different colors, and the front panel under the glass is the same black.

Screen

The Alcatel One Touch Idol X smartphone is equipped with an IPS touch matrix measuring 62x110 mm with a diagonal of 127 mm (5 inches), a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (which gives a very high density pixels - 440 ppi).

The display brightness has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. The multi-touch technology here allows you to simultaneously process up to 10 simultaneous touches - it seems not very popular, but, nevertheless, a noticeable difference from the Fly Luminor IQ453, which, for some reason, only has five-finger control. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear.

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, there is a very effective anti-glare filter, superior in reducing the brightness of reflection to the screen filter of the Google Nexus 7 2013. The ghosting of reflected objects is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, but slightly worse than that of the Google Nexus 7 2013), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 470 cd/m², the minimum was 80 cd/m². The maximum brightness is quite high, which, given the high efficiency of the anti-glare filter, will ensure excellent readability even on a sunny day outdoors. True, in complete darkness, the minimum brightness may seem excessive. Eat automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front camera). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness is reduced to 108 cd/m² (too much), in an artificially lit office, the brightness is set to 206 cd/m² (acceptable), in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight light) increases to 470 cd/m² (which is to be expected). As a result, this function works adequately, although in the dark the brightness could be lower. At lower brightness, there is some brightness modulation, but its amplitude is small, and the frequency is tens of kilohertz, so the flickering of the screen cannot be visually seen, and the presence of such modulation cannot in any way affect the comfort of working with this smartphone.

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

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are photographs at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen, in which the same images are displayed on the Alcatel One Touch Idol X and LG G Pro Lite Dual D686 (it is larger) screens, with the brightness of both screens set to approximately 200 cd /m².

Black and white field:

From this photo we can judge that the Alcatel smartphone maintains color balance and that its brightness drop is slightly less than that of the LG D686.

It can be seen that from this angle the Alcatel colors are better preserved.

When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens quite a bit and acquires a red-violet hue. A photo from the LG D686 shows this for comparison (the set brightness of the white areas on both screens is the same!):

When viewed from a perpendicular perspective, the uniformity of the black field is acceptable. The contrast is high - about 935:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 19 ms (10 ms on + 9 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 27 ms. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 2.05, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve noticeably deviates from the power-law dependence:

Due to the aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image (in light images the brightness increases, in dark images it decreases), the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out in sequential displaying shades of gray on the entire screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates, and not single-color fields in the entire screen. As an example, we present a graph of the transition from a black field to a white field and back for the case of displaying fields in full screen (100%) and when alternating display of black and white fields on half the screen (50/50% line, average brightness does not change and dynamic adjustment does not work ):

You can see how the brightness is adjusted stepwise and that within 0.5 s it does not reach the maximum value.

Color gamut is sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters mix the components with each other to a moderate extent. As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is not bad, since the color temperature, although higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the spectrum of a completely black body (delta E) is significantly less than 3, which is considered an excellent indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and delta E change little from hue to hue, which has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not have of great importance, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The screen has a high maximum brightness and an effective anti-glare filter, so you can use the smartphone without much difficulty even on a clear sunny day. But in complete darkness, the minimum brightness may seem excessive, for example, for comfortable reading from the screen. Also, although automatic brightness adjustment changes the brightness in accordance with external conditions, in a not very bright environment it sets the brightness slightly higher than a sufficient level, which will lead to some waste of energy on the screen backlight. The advantages of the screen include a very good oleophobic coating, the absence of flicker and air gap in the layers of the screen, high contrast, excellent stability of black color to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen, sRGB coverage and a fairly good color balance. In total, and at the moment, this gives a top-level screen.

Sound

In terms of sound, the smartphone is average. Both speakers produce a fairly clean sound, but without noticeable presence. low frequencies a sound mixed with some barely noticeable metallic notes. However, this does not particularly affect the perception of sound during a conversation - the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable. At this point I would like to especially note one point: in their reviews on the forums, users who have already bought an Alcatel One Touch Idol X often complain about some extraneous clicks during telephone conversations. Moreover, it is the interlocutors on the other side of the line who hear them. We carefully checked our copy many times for such clicks: as a result, none of the interlocutors listening on the other side were able to detect any extraneous sounds. The sound is clear, maybe slightly reminiscent of ringing metal, but completely free of foreign “impurities”. Obviously, this is due to a software flaw: perhaps users who discover such a problem should bother updating the firmware or take the device for repair, because this problem, as it turned out, is not widespread.

By the way, the Alcatel smartphone offers the ability to record a conversation from a line using standard built-in tools, which is now extremely rare. Both talking parties are recorded, the recording of the conversation can be listened to by clicking on the icon with the image of a magnetic tape right in the call list opposite a specific call with time and date - everything is organized extremely conveniently, really worthy of praise. In fact, such functionality should be an integral part of any intercom device, and even more so modern smartphone. Surprisingly, such rich functionality is found in Chinese flagship solutions much more often than in generally recognized A-class brands. To be fair, it is worth noting that Fly Luminor IQ453 can also record telephone conversations both sides. Alcatel One Touch Idol X also has a separate regular voice recorder, which is used only for creating audio notes, and there is also an FM radio.

Camera

Alcatel One Touch Idol X comes standard with two digital camera modules. The front camera here has a 2 MP sensor, takes photos with a maximum resolution of 1792×1008, and can shoot video at a maximum resolution of 720p (the Fly Luminor IQ453 also has 720p).

The main rear camera is equipped with a 13-megapixel module. By default, the camera shoots with a wide aspect ratio, and you must switch to the maximum resolution (13 megapixels) manually, then the pictures are obtained with a resolution of 4224 × 3168. Examples of photos taken in automatic mode “out of the box” are given below with comments.

Sharpness is generally good, falling slightly towards the left edge of the frame.

The grass and leaves are worked out quite well. The number plate of the nearest car is clearly visible.

The branches are quite clear, albeit due to sharpening.

In the center of the frame, small details are worked out well, although sharpness decreases towards the edges.

The license plate of the car that is not closest is clearly visible. Noise is processed quite moderately.

Macro photography is quite acceptable if you know where the focus is.
Lighting ≈1300 lux. The camera does a good job.
Lighting ≈460 lux. When the lighting deteriorates, everything is still not bad.
Lighting ≈240 lux. With a further decrease in lighting, the situation worsens significantly.
Lighting ≈240 lux, flash. The outbreak hardly changes the situation.
Lighting<1 люкс. В темноте камера не справляется, но контуры различимы.
Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. В данном случае вспышка работает относительно неплохо.

The image quality of this camera is not flagship, but quite decent. Quite standard shortcomings for cameras on inexpensive smartphones are noticeable: aggressive noise reduction in places, noticeable sharpening, a drop in sharpness towards the edges of the frame. The flash is also not very well adjusted and does not allow you to shorten the shutter speed, but nevertheless, it helps in the absence of lighting. The center sharpness of the camera is very good.

Perhaps one of the obvious and few advantages of this camera allows us to classify it as a documentary camera. I would still like to note that the camera shoots quite well, has good sharpness and moderate noise - but only in the central part of the frame, and towards the edges all these advantages are gradually lost.

The camera can shoot video, does it without visible delays or artifacts in the image, and there is only one shooting mode and resolution to choose from. An example of a test video is presented below. Videos are saved in a 3GP container (video - MPEG-4 Visual (Main@L4), sound - AAC LC, 128 Kbps, 48 ​​kHz, 2 channels).

  • Video No. 1 (75.9 MB, 1920×1080)

There are very few settings for controlling shooting - mostly the capabilities are left to automation. Shooting can be done either by clicking on a virtual icon on the screen or by using the hardware volume rocker - at this moment it works as a photo button. You cannot take photos while recording video here.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks; There is no support for fourth generation networks (LTE). In general, the network capabilities of the smartphone today are minimal: the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band is not supported, and there is no support for NFC technology either. You can organize a wireless point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels; there is a Wi-Fi Direct mode.

There were no freezes or spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing. The screen is large, so drawing letters and numbers on virtual keyboards is quite comfortable to control. The layout and location of the keys are standard: switching languages ​​here is done by pressing the button with the image of a globe; there is no separate top row with numbers; you need to constantly switch the layout from letters to numbers and back.

The implementation of working with two SIM cards is standard for the platform: there can be only one active conversation, any of the cards can work in both 3G and 2G modes. In a separate settings section, you can assign default conditions to each SIM card so that, for example, voice communication is always carried out using the first one, and data transmission is always carried out through the second SIM card. In the case of the device officially sold on the Russian market, the first slot is locked to work only with MTS SIM cards, however, users have already learned to bypass this limitation at the software level, just google the topic.

OS and software

The system uses the Google Android software platform version 4.2.2 and a third-party graphical interface, which significantly changes the appearance and introduces noticeable changes to the internal structure and the entire organization of work with the system as a whole. Here, like many Chinese products, there is no application menu as such, and all the icons of installed applications are simply placed on the desktop, like the unforgettable MIUI. Naturally, it is possible to create folders, and the developer himself, in principle, has already “combed” the appearance of the workspace as best he could: most programs are carefully arranged by topic. There is also a whole set of colorful functional widgets - the interface is full of colors, but now it is already becoming fashionable.

A section for managing gestures has been added to the settings menu. Using familiar manipulations, you can, for example, reduce the ringer volume, turn off the alarm clock, or shuffle tracks in the media player. There are a lot of pre-installed programs, there is a full-fledged office suite, a file manager, an antivirus, and even several pre-installed games. In general, the interface is nice and quite flexible in customization.

Performance

The Alcatel One Touch Idol X hardware platform is based on the MediaTek MT6589T single-chip system (SoC). The central processor here has 4 Cortex-A7 cores operating at 1.5 GHz. It is assisted in graphics processing by the PowerVR SGX 544MP video processor. The device has 2 GB of RAM, which is quite modern. The smartphone doesn't have a lot of built-in memory - 16 GB of internal memory nominally and only about 12.7 GB of free flash storage in reality. The smartphone does not support memory expansion using microSD cards (the 6040 model has such support). The problem is partly solved by the ability to connect external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG). This, by the way, is a significant difference between the Alcatel One Touch Idol X and its main competitor: the Fly Luminor IQ453 does not have the ability to connect external devices.

Based on the data obtained during testing, the Alcatel OT Idol X system demonstrated quite expected average performance indicators, at the level of other devices we have previously tested, which operate on the same platform. In nature, there is also a regular version of MediaTek MT6589 with an operating core frequency of not 1.5 but 1.2 GHz (on which, for example, the Oppo Mirror R819 is based), and a comparison of the results of these platforms showed a natural advantage of the MT6589T version. Well, a comparison with its closest competitor, Fly Luminor IQ453, revealed an almost absolute coincidence of results, which is logical, since both devices are built on the same platform.

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

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. 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.

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 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 tests we used the MX Player video player in Hardware. The test results are summarized in the table:

File Uniformity Passes
Screen
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4 Fine a lot of
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4 Fine a lot of
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4 Fine No
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4 Fine No
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4 Fine No
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4 Fine a lot of
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4 Fine a lot of
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4 Fine No
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4 Fine No
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4 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 associated with the playback of the corresponding files.

The intervals between frames (or groups of frames) alternate slightly unevenly, and in the case of 50 and 60 fps files, some frames are skipped. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one, exactly along the border of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the extended range (that is, the range 0-255). And since most video files are encoded in the video luminance range of 16-235, the white color of such video files appears as light light gray on the screen of this smartphone, and the black color appears as dark dark gray, which obviously does not improve the image quality.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Alcatel OT Idol X is small by today's standards of 2000 mAh. However, all ultra-thin Chinese models that we have tested recently are equipped with the same amount of energy - this applies to both the Fly Luminor IQ453 and the Oppo Mirror. The battery here, as already mentioned, is non-removable, so you cannot remove it, replace it, or take a spare one with you on the road.

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 about 10 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos from YouTube in high quality (HQ) with The device lasted less than 7 hours at the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network - these are average figures. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone lasted just over 4 hours.

Bottom line

Currently, the official price of Alcatel OT Idol X is set in our market at around 14 thousand rubles. The competitor's price is slightly higher: Fly Luminor IQ453 now costs 15 thousand rubles, but it is difficult to find anything that would make it more preferable in comparison with the hero of today's review. Perhaps a larger amount of built-in memory. Otherwise, it turns out that Alcatel OT Idol X looks better in all respects and is even cheaper. Of course, the list of competitors is not exhausted by these two models, however, most of them are characterized by either much worse characteristics (most often the screen is not Full HD) or a significantly higher price - 20 thousand and above.

  • nice design
  • comfortable dimensions
  • great screen
  • OTG support
  • average performance
  • weak graphics subsystem
  • low battery life
  • lack of memory expandability
  • inconvenient location of the power button