The Alcatel smartphone brand (owned by the Chinese company TCL Communication), which was practically in oblivion (in our country, for sure), woke up this year and presented a fairly extensive line of Android smartphones. All of them are united by the ideology of thin design, bright colors and the name OneTouch. Alcatel OneTouch Idol X is the flagship model in the line. It is thin (6.9 mm), light (120 g), bright, and interesting. Interesting first of all with a FullHD display with a diagonal of 5 inches and an IPS matrix, and in addition - a 13-megapixel camera, Android 4.2 and a price of about 3200-3500 UAH at the start of sales. The smartphone definitely looks like the most desirable among its OneTouch relatives and not only among them - with such and such characteristics and for such and such money. But Alcatel turned out to be the perfect device, and we’ll look at whether this device has any chance of becoming an idol for technophiles in this review.
Specifications
With the growth of smartphone diagonals and the ongoing arms race, the need for Full-HD screens was brewing naturally. By the end of 2013, only the lazy did not release an Android smartphone with a display resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a pixel density of more than 400 ppi. Among the pioneers were primarily first-tier smartphone manufacturers: Samsung (Galaxy S4), HTC (One), Sony (Xperia Z /), LG (Optimus G Pro), but less famous Huawei (Ascend D2) and Oppo (Find 5), and then other Chinese. And now, by the second half of 2013, we have a good selection and a very wide range of prices. If the major players for their flagship devices also chose the most advanced processors available at the time of the device’s release (Exynos 5 Octa 5410, Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro), then the companies managed better than God sent. Huawei in its Ascend D2 limited itself to a processor of its own production, HiSilicon K3V2. An excellent processor by the standards of 2012, but already rather weak as of today (how rapidly everything is changing in the smartphone segment). And its performance is not the same (for a large FullHD display), and its energy efficiency is poor. Alcatel (more precisely TCL Communication) also chose a more budget-friendly option for its flagship - a quad-core Mediatek MT6589T with a clock frequency of 1.5 GHz and PowerVR SGX544 graphics. In Fly smartphones (namely, in them we first encountered this processor), it showed itself to be quite powerful and energy efficient. And definitely inexpensive. Thus, in the end, Alcatel ended up with an inexpensive smartphone with a gorgeous Full-HD display in an impressively thin body (seriously, even thinner than the Galaxy S4 by a whole millimeter). It remains to check how well the Mediatek MT6589T and 2 GB of RAM correspond to the immodest resource requirements of a Full-HD screen and how much the battery resources with a frankly modest capacity of 2 Ah are enough to work in real conditions, whether it makes sense to pay more for smartphones with cool brands on the nameplate, when there are such affordable and attractive solutions and is there life on Mars.
| Specifications Alcatel OneTouch Idol X | |
|---|---|
| operating system | Android 4.2.1 |
| Sim card | microSIM, there is a model for one and two SIM cards |
| Display | IPS, 5 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, 441 ppi |
| Dimensions and weight | 140x68x6.9 mm, 120 g |
| CPU | Mediatek MT6589T, 4 cores Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz |
| Graphic arts | PowerVR SGX544 |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 8 GB, support for microSD memory cards for the version with one SIM and 16 GB without support for memory cards for dual SIM |
| Camera | 13 MP (4208x3120 pixels), autofocus, flash, HDR mode, 1.3 MP front camera |
| Wireless technologies | Wi-Fi b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi-direct, Wi-Fi-dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| GPS | Yes |
| Battery | 2000 mAh |
Frame
Those who designed this smartphone clearly did a good job and deserved, if not a prize, then certainly the right to be especially noted. After all, they broke two records at once for another “smallest five-inch smartphone” - the Samsung Galaxy S4. Alcatel OneTouch Idol X is a millimeter thinner and 2.3 millimeters narrower than the top-end Samsung smartphone of 2013. This slight difference is clearly felt when the device is in your hands. Although it cannot be said that after the Alcatel flagship, the Samsung device seems like a huge shovel. They are both compact and both comfortable. I don’t know why, but in OneTouch Idol X it’s not annoying even that the device’s screen lock button is on the top edge.
In terms of design, the OneTouch Idol X did not bring anything new to the smartphone segment. With the screen off, the device looks equally like the Oppo Find 5 and the Huawei Ascend P6. This is probably all thanks to the universal black color and touch keys that blend into the body, as well as the perfect assembly and the absence of pronounced design frills on all three devices. However, the OneTouch Idol X is a well-built smartphone. It fits well in the hand and its back cover (non-removable) is made of pleasant plastic. If the device had metal or LEDs on its body, it could easily be mistaken for an HTC or Sony smartphone - those few manufacturers who still care about using beautiful and pleasant materials.
Apparently, the connectors for the SIM card and memory card were placed according to the residual principle. Both are located in unusual places behind the plugs - on the left and right ends, respectively. Under the memory card slot there is a volume rocker key. It rises slightly, but it is difficult to feel it blindly.
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X and its kit
In general, the impressions from the assembly of the device are very good, as are the ergonomics of the case. OneTouch Idol X is not inferior to top devices from first-tier manufacturers either in terms of comfort of use or integrity of assembly.
Screen
Screen under the sun
Five inches, FullHD, IPS - and all this for fairly modest money. Sounds like a fairy tale. Looks the same. OneTouch Idol X has a practically reference screen. It is bright, with rich colors, ideal sensitivity, oleophobic coating and good color rendering. In terms of tactile sensations, the screen resembles those that respond to touches with gloves. I, of course, checked this suspicion. But the screen refused to work with thick winter gloves.
But despite the fact that the screen brightness of the Idol X is higher than that of the Samsung Galaxy S4 (see table), under the sun the screen of the Samsung smartphone looks better than the Alcatel in both manual and automatic settings. And the auto-brightness adjustment of the Alcatel flagship works strangely. Or even bad. On sunny days, I had to force it to turn off and set the screen brightness to maximum, because otherwise nothing could be seen on the screen at all. The same problem was observed in the ZTE Grand S smartphone.
| Device name | White field brightness, cd/m2 | The brightness of the black field, cd/m2 | Contrast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcatel Idol X | 360,76 | 0,24 | 1503:1 |
| Huawei Ascend D2 | 310,52 | 0.30 | 1037:1 |
| Sony Xperia ZL | 394 | 0.66 | 596:1 |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 | 320 | 0 | ∞ |
| Sony Xperia T | 421 | 0.28 | 1503:1 |
| iPhone 4S | 434 | 0.53 | 818:1 |
The color gamut and color temperature of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X screen are close to ideal. There is some slight color distortion, but it's fairly minor for a smartphone.
Sound
The OneTouch Idol X smartphone has a strange sound in the player. If you listen to music on headphones, which, in principle, have little bass, then with the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X there will be no bass at all, and the equalizer doesn’t really help the situation. In headphones that have nothing wrong with low frequencies, the bass will be weak and poorly developed. In general, a person who loves music so much that he listens regularly, but not so much that he lacks the capabilities of a “regular smartphone,” is better off taking a closer look at any other model in this price category. Most likely, simply everything will sound better. In addition, with this device you don’t have to worry about going deaf; its maximum volume is low. Although in conversation mode the interlocutor can be heard clearly and well.
Autonomy
The smartphone received a battery with a capacity of 2 Ah. I'm not the most active user, but even in my hands the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X barely survived until the evening. For a 2013 device, especially a flagship one, this is a weak indicator. If you are on the road with a smartphone with constant access to mail, browser and all sorts of social networks, then the battery charge will evaporate in half a day, or even faster. Thus, a test of autonomy in web surfing mode (using only a browser, screen brightness in the middle, Wi-Fi active) showed that approximately 80% of the smartphone’s battery is ready to be discharged in 3.5 hours. Perhaps this is one of those cases when one could forgive a thicker case for the sake of a higher-capacity battery.
Performance and interface
The smartphone demonstrates performance at the level of last year's flagships in benchmarks, and in real life too (gallery with screenshots below). In my opinion, for its price range it is simply wonderful. The smartphone copes with FullHD video, and a heavy load in “working” conditions also does not burden it too much. Although just in the mode of active use and constant switching between tasks, it begins to think and slow down slightly. I had approximately the same sensations from working with Huawei Ascend D2. This is not the performance of a top A-brand smartphone, but it is a very decent performance for a mid-range mobile device.
OneTouch Idol X runs on Android operating system version 4.2. The smartphone interface is closest to the interface used in top-end Huawei devices. There is no separate application menu, there are only six common desktops. There are not enough options for personalization. Thus, desktops can only be added automatically when space on existing ones runs out. The gallery is securely attached to the first desktop; transition effects cannot be changed. If the user is accustomed to a large number of widgets, applications that do not fit will have to be hidden in folders. But everything is drawn very nicely. Perhaps too cute for some grown-up and important guy. Out of the box, the device received a huge number of applications, including many games and useful (and not so useful) tools. In my opinion, the OneTouch Idol X interface lacks practicality and seriousness, but lovers of bright colors and beautiful pictures should be pleased. I suggest looking at the smartphone interface in the screenshots below or in a short video review.
Camera
The Alcatel OneTouch Idol X smartphone is equipped with a 13-megapixel camera. Our experience (one, two, three) has shown that more does not always mean better. The cameras of smartphones from second-tier manufacturers are most often unable to compete with industry giants (the exception, perhaps, is the Huawei Ascend D2, whose images are superior in quality to those taken by the Sony Xperia Z/ZL camera). So Alcatel OneTouch Idol X is not one of the best camera phones of 2013. However, this is not to say that its camera takes downright disgusting pictures. They are good, but if in place of the 13-megapixel module there was a good 8-megapixel module, no one would lose. The camera takes a long time to focus (especially against the background of the Samsung Galaxy S4), and in low light it may not focus at all; it takes a long time to process the image. In HDR mode, your hand can literally get tired of holding the smartphone. The output in most cases is normal photos, but they are weaker than, in particular, the best camera phone (if you do not take into account the Galaxy S4 Zoom) 2013 Galaxy S4, which we just had in our hands and with which we had the opportunity to compare the results . Below are examples of pictures. They can also be seen in a separate gallery on Torba.
Another disadvantage of the Alcatel camera is the almost complete lack of settings.
Competitors
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X's closest competitors are Huawei Ascend D2, Oppo Find 5 and ZTE Grand. They demonstrate exactly the same autonomy (the only exception is the more durable Oppo Find 5) and performance. Everyone received a beautiful IPS display with FullHD resolution. Smartphones (again, all except Oppo) have an almost identical interface. There is a difference in price (Alcatel is cheaper by about 500-1000 UAH), the thinness of the case (again, the advantage is on Alcatel’s side). But Huawei has a better camera and is waterproof, while ZTE and Oppo have a Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, which is more powerful than the MTK6589. But in general, all devices make the same impression: in terms of reliability, build quality, and capabilities. These are all smartphones of the same level. Alcatel, due to its more attractive price tag, looks more interesting compared to the others, that’s a fact. But let me remind you that it has a rather strange sound in the player. If music is not an important issue for you, then there is a reason not to overpay and stick to a budget solution.
Video review
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Bottom line
The Alcatel OneTouch Idol X smartphone is not without its shortcomings. Rather, on the contrary, this is a device that has plenty of them: mediocre battery life, not the best camera (in general compared to other 13-megapixel cameras, but decent considering the price of a smartphone), and strange sound in the player. But this is also the most affordable FullHD smartphone today. It's almost impossible to find fault with its screen. Since it is through the screen that the user interacts with the device and through it the attractiveness and convenience of the model is primarily assessed, we can say that Alcatel has done a good job of making an affordable and very attractive smartphone. It will satisfy an audience that does not need top-end performance, but still wants a fairly fast and efficient gadget. In my opinion, the device honestly earns its money. But if you are looking for a flagship device, with cutting-edge performance, reasonable battery life and an exemplary camera, then the Idol X will not suit you, you should look at the top devices of A-brands.
4 reasons to buy Alcatel OneTouch Idol X:
- Android 4.2;
- excellent build quality, very thin body;
- almost standard screen;
- delicious price;
3 reasons not to buy Alcatel OneTouch Idol X:
- poor autonomy;
- strange sound in the player;
- Performance is lower than most other smartphones with a Full-HD display (but normal for the money).
In addition to a cable for connecting to a PC and a charger, the device comes with a good wired headset, which is perfect for an undemanding user.
Dimensions - 4.5
We consider the main competitors of this smartphone to be the Explay Dream and Lenovo Vibe X models, so we will compare its dimensions with them. The thickness of the 6040D is 6.9 mm, weight 130 grams. For comparison, the Explay Dream weighs 133 grams and is 9.4 mm thick, while the Lenovo Vibe X weighs 120 grams and is the same 9.4 mm thick as the 6040D. Separately, we note that the smartphone we are considering today is one of the thinnest. The main material used is matte smooth plastic; the back cover and ends of the device are made of it. From a practicality point of view, the use of such plastic is justified: the model does not slip in your hands and is simply pleasant to hold. In terms of assembly, we had almost no complaints about the device - all parts fit tightly together, there is no play. The only drawback we can name is that the power button is too deeply recessed into the body; pressing it is not very convenient.
Screen - 4.3
Display diagonal is 5 inches, screen resolution is 1920×1080 pixels, matrix type is IPS. This screen uses OGS (one-glass-solution) technology - that is, there is no air gap between the screen and the protective glass. This solution allows you to improve image quality and make the picture visually closer to the user. The screen has maximum viewing angles, good brightness levels, excellent picture clarity and natural colors. We tested the Alcatel One Touch Idol X display in sunny and dim conditions. In the first case, the display goes almost completely blind, and in the second, the minimum brightness level was not enough for comfortable reading, I wanted to reduce it a little more. In general, the model’s screen left a positive impression; it has good viewing angles, a clear picture, natural color rendition and a high level of maximum brightness. Thanks to Full HD resolution, any text, even the smallest one, looks as clear as possible, and the same applies to viewing photos. We consider the main disadvantage of the display to be the lack of an oleophobic coating; when using gestures, the finger often gets stuck, and the screen itself is more difficult to wipe off fingerprints and dirt.
Camera
The smartphone has a 13 MP camera with LED flash. The maximum resolution for video recording is 1920x1088 pixels, recording speed is 30 frames per second, sound is recorded in stereo mode. The camera quality is average, it is suitable only for undemanding users. The Alcatel One Touch Idol X is clearly not worth considering as a replacement.
Working with text - 5.0
The manufacturer did not preinstall its own keyboard, but decided to leave the built-in keyboard from Google. This solution has both pros and cons. Among the advantages, we note the convenient location of the keys, the ability to quickly dial numbers by holding a key, as well as support for gesture input (Swype). The key drawback, in our opinion, is the very meager dictionary in the keyboard; it does not know most Russian words, so if you make a mistake when entering, you should not count on the keyboard to automatically correct the typo. Thanks to the large screen, you can type text with both hands, with minimal typing errors.
Internet - 1.0
As with the keyboard, the manufacturer did not replace the built-in browser with its own. Specifically in this case, we do not see any problems in such a solution, since the standard browser from Android 4.0 is one of the best in terms of ease of use and speed. The browser supports automatic text adjustment to the screen size, for this, after enlarging the text, you need to double-tap on the screen and the text will automatically adjust, this is a very convenient option. There is no separate reading mode, and this is a minus.
Interfaces
The smartphone contains the following interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n) (there is no support for dual-band Wi-Fi), Bluetooth and GPS. But NFC and LTE are missing. In our tests, the GPS “cold start” took quite a long time; unfortunately, this feature is present in all devices using MTK chipsets.
Multimedia - 4.6
We tried to play various video files on Idol X: the smartphone supports most popular formats and codecs, the player plays videos in high quality, up to 1080p. Supported video codecs include H264, DivX and xVid, and MP4, AVI and MKV formats. The audio player in the smartphone plays only popular formats MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV. In our opinion, you can use the 6040D as a portable media player without any problems.
Working hours
The smartphone has a non-removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh. The results of our tests are as follows: when watching HD video at maximum brightness, the device is discharged in 4.5 hours (7 hours for the Galaxy S4), when listening to music - in 30 hours (50 hours for the Galaxy S4).
Performance - 1.9
The device uses the MediaTek MT6589T platform with a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, a PowerVR SGX 544MP graphics subsystem, and 2 GB of RAM. Unfortunately, the power of MediaTek chipsets is not always enough to ensure maximum smartphone performance at FullHD resolution. So, when working with the browser and all modern games, there are no problems (the same Asphalt 8 runs at maximum settings), however, when flipping through desktops and navigating through the smartphone settings, we noted that the device does not work smoothly enough.
Memory - 1.0
The volume of internal memory in the smartphone is 16 GB, 12 GB is available to the user. There is no memory card slot. In our opinion, this is a significant drawback of the device.
Peculiarities
In its devices, Alcatel uses its own shell with a number of interesting features. For example, the dialer has a Smart Dial function (when you dial the first numbers or letters of a contact, it is automatically displayed in the list), the lock screen now has quick access to the camera and other applications, and the desktop interface has changed slightly (the icons of built-in applications have been completely changed). We also note that the device supports working with two SIM cards at once. However, due to the use of only one radio module, when making calls from one SIM card, the second one becomes inaccessible.
A stylish smartphone with impressive technical characteristics is the Idol X. Initially (in 2013) it was positioned as a mid-price solution. But now, 2 years after the start of sales, this device can safely be classified as a budget device. It is its capabilities and technical parameters that will be described and discussed in detail in the proposed material.
Equipment
This “smart” phone has typical equipment (as for a device from this manufacturer). There is nothing unusual about her. It includes the following accessories and components:
- The smartphone itself has a 2000 mAh battery.
- Charger.
- Entry-level wired stereo headset.
- Interface cord.
- Brief instruction manual (it also contains a warranty card at the end, on which, when purchasing a device, the seller must put his stamp and fill it out completely).
The list above clearly lacks a cover. The body of the device is almost entirely made of plastic, it is not difficult to damage it, but it will be quite problematic for the owner of this gadget to do without this accessory. Although the front panel of the smartphone is protected by impact-resistant Dragontrail glass, in order to prevent various types of damage, it is recommended to glue a special protective film to the front panel of the device. It is also not included in the package, and this accessory will have to be purchased at an additional cost. Also, owners of the single-SIM version of this phone will have to purchase an external flash drive. The phone has only 8 GB of internal memory, and this is clearly not enough for comfortable work today.
Gadget design and its features
Most of the front panel of the gadget is occupied by a touch screen. Its diagonal is impressive even by today's standards - 5 inches. The frame width on the left and right is only 2.4 mm. Not every mid-level smartphone currently can boast of such a characteristic. The length of its case is 141 mm, width - 68 mm, and the thickness is “fantastic” 6.9 mm. Its weight is very small - 130 grams. For a device with such dimensions and characteristics, these are truly phenomenal indicators. Above the screen there is a front camera window, there is an earpiece and several sensors. Under the display there are backlit controls. It consists of three standard buttons. On the bottom side of the smartphone there are harmoniously located: a hole for a speaking microphone and a USB port. On the right are buttons that control the volume. If Idol X does not turn on after briefly pressing the lock button (located on the top edge of the smartphone), then you need to press it for 5-15 seconds and wait until the device turns on. Here, on the top edge of the device, there is an audio port (3.5 mm). With its help, the audio signal is output to a wired speaker system. These can be either speakers or headphones with a microphone. On the back cover, in addition to the manufacturer’s logo, there is also an “eye” for the main camera with LED backlight and a loud speaker.
Computational basis
Alcatel One Touch Idol X is based on one of the most productive 4-core chips from MediaTek - MT6589T. It consists of four computing modules based on an architecture code-named “Cortex-A7”. The maximum frequency of each of its computing modules can reach 1.5 GHz, and no other CPU from this manufacturer can boast exactly the same values or higher. At the time of the release of this gadget, this semiconductor crystal made it possible to solve any problem. But now, 2 years later, he will no longer be able to cope with the latest generation of the most demanding toys. And here the problem is not in the CPU itself, but in the fact that software has appeared designed to run on 64-bit platforms, but this processor can only perform 32-bit calculations. All other tasks on this computing platform are performed without problems (watching videos, simple games, reading books, listening to audio, and so on).
Device video card
PowerVR SGX544MP is used as a graphics accelerator in this device. At the time of the start of sales, this video accelerator allowed solving all problems without exception. But now more demanding games of the latest generation have appeared that will simply run on it. But at the same time, this graphical solution still allows you to solve most everyday problems. This includes browsing the Internet, reading books, playing videos (including movies), and even mid-level toys - all this is possible with the Alcatel One Touch Idol X with such a graphics card.
Display
The Alcatel One Touch Idol X phone has a 5-inch display. Its resolution is equal to what is impressive today - 1920 x 1080. It is based on a matrix made using IPS technology (hence the impeccable color rendition). Well, with the help of OGS technology, the picture on the screen is not distorted even at angles that are very close to 180 degrees. Even now, two years later, not every mid-range gadget, let alone entry-level devices, can boast a display with similar characteristics. In addition to everything else, the screen in this device is protected by Dragontrail glass (an analogue of which is applied to the surface (with its help, fingerprints do not remain on the front panel of the phone).
Cameras
The main camera of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X also has impressive parameters. The photos taken with its help are of really high quality. It has a 13 megapixel sensor, which is also produced by Sony, a leading manufacturer of “sensitive” elements for phones and cameras. A similar sensor is used in the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z. The developers did not forget to equip this gadget with an autofocus system and LED backlight. This camera can record video in 1080p format (with an image refresh rate of 30 frames per second). The front camera has a more modest sensor - only 2 megapixels. But this will be quite enough for selfies or making video calls using the same Skype, for example.
Memory
Now let's look at the Alcatel One Touch Idol X from the perspective of the memory subsystem. The amount of RAM in different modifications of this gadget is always the same and equals 2 GB. At the same time, system processes occupy about 700 MB. The remaining 1300 MB can be used by the smartphone owner to run application software. The capacity of the built-in storage in the 2-SIM version of this device is 16 GB. However, there is no slot for installing an external drive. But the single-SIM version of this device is equipped with only 8 GB of disk space, but in this case, instead of a slot for a second SIM card, there is a slot for installing a 32 GB flash card. If for some reason the specified capacity of the integrated drive is not enough, then you can use “cloud” information storage services, for example, Yandex disk.
Smartphone autonomy
The Alcatel One Touch Idol X is equipped with a rather modest battery, by today's standards. Its characteristics are really not impressive: 2000 mAh based on lithium-ion manufacturing technology. According to the manufacturer, the specified capacity in standby mode should be enough for 320 hours in second-generation cellular networks and 240 hours in 3G mode. In reality, with such a battery and similar technical characteristics, you can count on 2 days of battery life in maximum saving mode. If you use this device to the maximum, then the battery will have to be charged every evening. However, there is no guarantee that he will be able to finish the work until the evening. As a result, it is imperative to purchase an additional one that can be used when the main battery charge level is low. In this case, your phone will definitely not let you down. But in this case, you will have to carry an external battery with you and also monitor its charge level.
Communications
The communication set of this smartphone includes the following interfaces:
- Wi-Fi is the main way to exchange information with the World Wide Web.
- Mobile networks of GSM and 3G standards. They allow you to make calls and exchange SMS. You can also use them to connect to the Internet. In the latter case, it will even be possible to make video calls.
- The GPS sensor allows you to determine the location of the device with a high degree of accuracy. Also, A-GPS technology can sometimes be used for these purposes.
- Bluetooth is perfect for those cases when you need to use a wireless headset or exchange data with a similar mobile device.
- The wired speaker system can be connected to a smartphone using the audio port (3.5 mm).
- Micro USB allows you to charge the battery or synchronize the device with a PC.
Software
The Alcatel One Touch Idol X smartphone, as expected, runs on the most popular operating system for various mobile devices - Android. Its version is 4.2. Of course, this is far from the latest system software today, but its presence is quite enough to run most applications. The only thing that will not work on this 32-bit version of the operating system is the latest 64-bit application programs of the latest generation. The proprietary shell of this mobile gadget manufacturer is installed on top of the operating system. Its interface is quite reminiscent of a similar MIUI shell from Xiaomi. In addition to standard applications (calendar, calculator, organizer, etc.), the installed software includes clients of international social networks (for example, Facebook) and a set of mini-utilities from Google (Gmail+, Chrome, and so on) . The user will have to install everything else from the content store (“Play Market”).
Current price
Although 2 years have passed since the start of sales, the price has remained virtually unchanged for the Alcatel One Touch Idol X. Reviews highlight its rather high cost. The smartphone itself has long been discontinued and can now only be purchased from stock. Well, regional dealers bought the device at a fairly high price, below which they now cannot lower its market value. It is currently priced at $375. Its starting price was $500. On the one hand, the device has fallen in price by $125, on the other hand, now for the same money you can buy an Xperia M4 from Sony or Mi4 from Xiaomi. Any of these devices is technically an order of magnitude better than the Idol X. As a result, this smartphone no longer looks like such a good buy compared to its analogues, which can offer their owner much more for the same money.
The smartphone is an interesting solution from a design point of view, has not the most advanced characteristics and an excellent camera. However, it is difficult to talk briefly about this device, since the manufacturer found something to surprise its buyer. When I first saw the packaging of the Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X, I couldn’t help but exclaim: “Well, wow!” When I picked up the device itself, the pleasant surprise was repeated. However, later my head started going, “Hey, wait a minute!” and “It can’t be!”, and these were by no means positive exclamations. We read about all this and something else in our review today.
The name of the smartphone is so big that I didn’t even dare to add anything of my own to the title of this article. Here there is “one touch”, and “idol”, and “alpha” and even the letter “X”, which, as is customary, means something special. In my opinion, there are too many pretentious words for one title. However, the manufacturer did not stop at one name. Let's start with the configuration, fortunately there is something to talk about and show too.
Device kit
Idol Alpha's packaging is radically different from anything we've seen before. Usually, the manufacturer tries to save money on the box, trying to reduce its costs and, thereby, make the price of the device more attractive. Sasmung, for example, produces boxes for its devices from recycled materials. LG uses printing inks made from soy. Using the example of the latter, we see that here the manufacturer still has a chance to get into some fashionable rating of environmentally friendly companies. In the eyes of consumers, this is a definite plus. This is especially true for European countries, where the attitude towards ecology is of a slightly different order.
So, Idol Alpha crosses out all the principles outlined above and comes in a metal tube with appropriate markings. Down with savings and environmentally friendly production! But, you must admit, it looks cool! This “pipe” contains a special stand made of black velvet, in which the smartphone itself rests peacefully. The unpacking system is quite tricky, because all the components are hidden in a special compartment of this holder.
The device includes the following: microUSB cable, charger, headset with call control button, 3.5 mm adapter! (more on this later) and a device for removing the SIM card.
The special clip for opening the SIM card tray is surprisingly reminiscent of the one from the iPhone. In general, the device itself clearly shows many similarities. It's clear where the designers drew inspiration from when developing the 6032X.
Design, materials and use
The appearance is even more impressive. The first thing that catches your eye is the transparent plastic inserts on the top and bottom. Smooth, pleasant to the touch, rounded plastic does not provide any additional functionality. This is just an external “decoration” that looks really cool. In addition, the inserts are illuminated by moonlight with any notification. This illumination looks especially impressive in the dark.
The logos of the system control keys are cut out on the bottom plastic. The first thing I did was try to click on them, but nothing happened. These are just symbols, and the touch keys themselves are located on a dark strip under the screen. The buttons are not marked in any way, so you have to press them somewhere here. There is no other way to express it. Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not bother to somehow allocate touch areas for the keys. Subsequently, I repeatedly caught myself trying to press these labels printed on the plastic. It turns out that the lower part of the smartphone looks very decent, but the ergonomics are not fully thought out.
Along the entire contour of the device there is a metal edging, painted in the color of the body. Obviously, the manufacturer killed two birds with one stone: he brought the antenna to the external circuit, thereby saving on internal space, and made it one of the main features of the device’s appearance. This antenna implementation looks very good, but the idea is far from new. The style and performance are painfully familiar to us. If you haven't guessed it yet, everything will fall into place after a direct comparison of Idol Alpha and iPhone 5.
The screen is covered with protective glass with an oleophobic coating. Thanks to the special design, the body appears to be two-level: as if a small black smartphone is enclosed in a metal ring. An interesting solution from all points of view. Above the display is a speaker grille, to the left of which is the front camera eye. To the right of the speaker there is a proximity sensor and a light sensor. The latter, by the way, works correctly, but with some delay: the change in the screen backlight returns to normal with the ambient light after about 5 seconds.
There are absolutely no elements on the top and bottom ends.
On the right side of the smartphone there are metal volume buttons and below is the power key. The button travel is clear and moderately soft.
The left side contains a tray for the operator’s card, which, by the way, is made of a slightly different material and this is noticeable against the background of the monochromatic edge of the phone. At the very bottom there is a microUSB port. And then I couldn’t believe my eyes. I twirled my smartphone again and it turned out to be true.
Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X does not have a 3.5 mm hole for connecting headphones!
It was a shock for me. In my memory, it’s been about 5 years since almost everyone (even Sony a little later) abandoned their proprietary ports and began to build an audio output into their devices for connecting third-party headphones. And now, in 2014, when all devices have a certain gentlemanly set of options (own shell over the OS, microUSB input, USB-Host, 3.5 mm jack for connecting third-party headsets), Alcatel releases to the market one of its best devices, which turns out to be without one leg.
For the sake of at least some convenience, the company included an adapter from microUSB to a 3.5 mm jack in the kit. Thank you, of course, but this crutch is far from the same as the initially available ability to connect any headphones. The adapter can be forgotten, broken, lost, and so on. And buying a replacement is now relatively difficult, since even budget models have a standard audio output. No demand - no supply. Is it possible to order through Ebay.com and wait about a month for the parcel, involuntarily giving up listening to music on your phone for this period.
By the way, not a single flash drive could be connected to the smartphone, since he thought that an audio headset had been inserted into it.
From here the conclusion arises that OTG mode is not supported.
And this, by the way, is one of the main advantages of the entire Android system. In general, the developers have done something clever here.
Since we are talking about the shortcomings of the device, it is worth mentioning that the main speaker is located on the back cover. If the Idol Alpha 6032X is lying on a flat surface with the screen facing up, the sound is noticeably muffled. If you hold the device in your hand, the sound is muffled. If the smartphone is in your bag or in the front pocket of your trousers, then forget about any audibility of the ringtone or other notification. Of course, the arrangement of the components of any device in the case that the designers have drawn is a very complex engineering task. And any user should understand this. Probably, someday the day will come when manufacturing companies will try their best to meet their consumers halfway and put the convenience and experience of using their products at the forefront. We all already know an example of a company where such an ideology rules everything.
The transparent insert with control button emblems has a recess for the first microphone. The second is located on the back, not far from the rear camera eye and LED flash.
Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X is a very thin (7.5 mm), light (117 g) and ergonomic smartphone. Using the device is a pleasure. All controls are in convenient places and you don’t need to grab the phone to reach any button. In a trouser or jeans pocket it is almost invisible.
Coupled with its excellent appearance, interesting colors (two options are available: dark blue and beige), and well-proven ergonomics, the Idol Alpha 6032X really makes a very positive impression.
Yes, there are shortcomings, but there is no ideal, especially for a price of 13,990 rubles.
At the end of this section, I propose to compare the dimensions of the Idol Alpha 6032X with its closest competitors.
| Length | Width | Thickness | Weight | |
| Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X | 138 | 66,6 | 7,5 | 117,4 |
| Samsung GALAXY S4 mini | 124,6 | 61,3 | 8,9 | 107 |
| Sony Xperia Compact Z1 | 127 | 64,9 | 9,5 | 137 |
| Fly IQ4410 Quad | 135,8 | 68,4 | 8 | 123 |
Display
The display reproduces colors perfectly thanks to the IPS matrix used on its basis. With a diagonal of 4.7 inches and a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, viewing angles remain maximum. I propose to compare the color rendition of the smartphone with the iPhone 5 (the one on top) in the photographs below.
If there are no issues with the image display display, then with regards to sensitivity, everything is not so simple. Up to 10 simultaneous touches are supported, that is, a full-fledged Multitouch. During use, it turned out that the screen sensor does not always respond to touches. This is especially noticeable when surfing the Internet, when you need to click on some small link. For example, the hero of our previous review, LG G Flex, has a display with very good sensitivity: at times it is not even clear whether you touched the surface or not, but the smartphone has already reacted. You shouldn't expect such sensitivity from the Idol Alpha 6032X, and this can be attributed to its disadvantages.
In addition, the corners of the picture display are not beveled, despite the fact that the phone itself has a rather rounded shape. Again, let's return to the iOS interface, where there are no right angles - everything adheres to the general concept. The example below shows what we are talking about. And although most users will not notice this, there are still bores like me who will pay attention to this.
Specifications and performance
- MediaTek MT6589 processor (4 cores) with a frequency of 1.2 GHz
- PowerVR SGX 544MP video chip
- RAM 1 GB
- 16 GB data storage memory (12.64 GB actually available)
- display 4.7" IPS screen with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels
- camera 13.1 megapixels (main) with LED flash, 1.3 megapixels (front)
- Sensors: proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetic compass
- supported music formats WAV, MP3, MP2, AMR, MIDI, Vorbis, APE, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, WMA
- FM radio
- battery 2,000 mAh
- operating system Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
Networks and connections:
- quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS 900/2100 (6032X)
- HSPA: DC-HSPA+
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Wi-Fi direct, Wi-Fi Display, DLNABluetooth 4.0
- GPS with A-GPS technology
- Micro USB 2.0
- microSIM standard
As you can see, the smartphone is equipped with a processor from MediaTek, which provides sufficient performance for most tasks.
However, the proprietary shell sometimes has twitches and barely noticeable stutters.
There is no 100% smoothness of any interface animation here. It's difficult to say why this happens. Perhaps the proprietary shell is not well optimized, or perhaps the processor’s performance leaves much to be desired.
For clarity, here are the test results in the AnTuTu program:
However, the smartphone easily coped with FullHD video playback. Most modern games are also supported, but, of course, at medium graphics settings.
A 13.1 megapixel matrix is used as the main module for photographs. The output photos have a resolution of 4224×3168 pixels. Of course, there is autofocus, which quickly grasps the subject and almost never misses.
There are very few additional shooting scenarios: there is support for HDR, the ability to create a horizontal panorama, sports mode and night photography. For the front camera, the developers have added special settings that are suitable for selfie lovers - this is, first of all, automatic skin retouching and the creation of collages. In my opinion, this is the right approach when the manufacturer does not load the camera interface with many different add-ons. Almost no one uses all this anyway. Those who need additional functionality can always download third-party photo applications from Google Play.
Let's take a look at some sample photos.
Obviously, the Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha 6032X camera is one of the device’s strongest points. Detailing, color rendition - everything is at a very decent level. Sometimes your smartphone gets the exposure wrong, so it’s always worth taking a few shots. In such cases, the HDR mode can also come to the rescue, but in order not to blur the picture, you need to hold the device with iron hands for quite a long time - about 3 seconds.
For some reason, the manufacturer did not provide the ability to go directly to the footage from the camera interface. But we have all been accustomed to such functionality for a long time, since the days of 1.3 Mpixel modules.
As for video shooting, the smartphone is capable of shooting video in a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second.
During video recording, the tracking focus is clearly visible, which instantly refocuses on any desired object. The output file format is the good old 3GP (codecs H.263, MPEG4, H.264 depending on the quality preset in the settings). What can I say when you can see everything with your own eyes?
Sound and video
As mentioned earlier, the speaker in the Idol Alpha 6032X is located on the back cover of the device. The sound through the speaker is quite quiet and, if we compare the volume with the iPhone 5, the latter sounds about twice as loud as a smartphone from Alcatel. On a noisy street or in the subway, it is impossible to hear a call from the device. Even the pre-installed relatively shrill notification tones do not save the situation.
The quality of music playback through headphones leaves an extremely positive impression.
We are talking about using third-party headphones. The entire sound spectrum, including bass, is clearly audible. For those who do not have enough standard sound, there is an equalizer with a lot of pre-installed add-ons, as well as many other effects, among other things. The Idol Alpha 6032X is also perfect as a music player because it supports many popular audio formats: WAV, MP3, MP2, AMR, MIDI, Vorbis, APE, AAC, AAC+, FLAC, WMA. If it were possible to connect your own headphones without any adapters, that would be very good.
The included headset does not pull out low frequencies at all, although it allows you to control playback and calls. For an undemanding user, it is quite suitable as the main headphones.
There is one more unpleasant feature. For some reason, the player stretches out all the song covers and, accordingly, it looks sloppy.
There is also an FM radio that operates via a headset that acts as an antenna. You can listen to the radio without headphones, but in this case no one guarantees the stability of the signal.
Video playback does not raise any questions, except perhaps that the player itself is very ascetic: there is not even the ability to view information about the file.
Input method
In the phone settings, you can configure input methods in detail using several preset keyboards to choose from. A learning mode and two ways of typing words are available: for fast typers and for those who prefer accuracy.
According to the manufacturer, Idol Alpha 6032X can last 24 hours on a single charge in music player mode. A non-removable battery with a capacity of 2,000 mAh allows the device to stay afloat for one day during active use. The smartphone can last a day and a half without connecting to a power source only under a fairly moderate load (20 minutes of calls per day, 10 pictures per camera, an hour of Internet surfing via Wi-Fi). It looks like a standard for an Android smartphone.
Bottom line
Yes, Alcatel decided to save money on the processor and not install a top-end chip from Qualcomm. Still, the price of 13,990 rubles per device in federal networks dictates its own rules. However, the smartphone is not positioned as a top-end device. The buyer has the right to count on the image component, a nice screen and a good camera - and believe me, all this is already a lot. Yes, there are certain inconveniences: you can’t just connect any headphones and there is no support for OTG mode. Before purchasing, you should definitely consider these points.
Can Alcatel Idol Alpha 6032X be considered as a purchase?
Yes, if not needed high performance, a second SIM card and a passion for a fashion device, but the iPhone for one reason or another is not suitable.
2 years ago
the price is so reasonable for the functionality available, it works, it’s bright, beautiful, the display is simply wonderful! functional, loud sound, they can hear me well and I can hear, the camera is super, the photos come out good, just what I need! I looked for him and found him! BUT! continued see comments..
2 years ago
1.) The screen is juicy, clear, with a good margin of brightness. Very sensitive sensor. Glass is “slippery” and does not pick up fingerprints much. How it protects against scratches - I don’t know yet, I won’t specifically check))) 2) The ratio of characteristics and price: a smartphone with flagship hardware, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory for 14990 is good. In AnTuTu I scored 31 thousand points, there is not a hint of brakes. Judging by the forums, people buy the same device from the Chinese under the TCL brand even cheaper, but the official price is quite adequate. 3) Dimensions - for a 5-inch “shovel recorder” the body is very compact and light. 4) The camera interface - everything is very conveniently organized. The camera itself could be better - see below. 5) Interesting (albeit not without some problems for IOS) proprietary shell. I'm generally a supporter of naked Android and oh
2 years ago
High-quality screen, sound, good headphones included. Slim body
2 years ago
good screen, oleophobic coating, powerful hardware, especially considering the price (9990), very decent headphones. Excellent sensor sensitivity - 10 touches (strictly without film!).
2 years ago
SCREEN! APPEARANCE! CAMERA! PERFORMANCE!
2 years ago
Speed.Ergonomics.Brightness.
2 years ago
1) A pleasant first impression - a neat, elegant box made of white cardboard and neatly folded contents. 2) PRICE! 3) The phone looks more expensive than what they are asking for. 4) Appearance. I have a white smartphone and people pay attention to this, and for some reason they often confuse it with an iPhone, I don’t know if this is good or bad. Externally, white looks just great! Very neat assembly. Nothing creaks or crunches. 5) Very nice custom Android shell - looks nice. 6) 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory and a good fast processor. 7) Excellent screen with a resolution of 1080p 8) The interlocutor can be heard clearly, the connection is tenacious, even where it is really problematic and where only cheap Nokias (such as 100 or 1100) can work stably. 9) No battery waste like in smartphones with a chipset
2 years ago
1. The screen is gorgeous.2. The sound using the built-in headphone amplifier and low-impedance headphones (for example SoundMagic e30) is simply fire. Detailed, loud, deep bass pumping.3. Design. There are no inscriptions on the front panel. We put on a matte black plastic bumper, and it looks like 5+++.4. The performance is sufficient for all currently existing applications.5. Interesting headphones from the well-known JBL company included. They play with dignity.6. Compact.7. 2 gigs of RAM is good.8. USB OTG - as it turned out to be very convenient.9. Camera with 2.0 aperture = good pictures.10. Duality. It helps a lot sometimes.
2 years ago
I was very pleased with the display. It fits very comfortably in a woman’s hand. Weight, before that I had a Lenovo p770, so it’s so heavy compared to the 6043d.
2 years ago
Screen camera, performance, battery.
2 years ago
the first white - the camera striped, the second attempt was also white - the polyphonic speaker did not work, the third attempt - I got a black one, so far the flight is normal)))
2 years ago
1) Android 4.2.2. The current version has long been 4.4 KitKat. And it should be a shame for the manufacturer to launch a new device on some other operating system.
2) Sound. No, it is not bad, and even quite decent - but in the advertising of the device they placed special emphasis on the sound characteristics, they said that there was an audio DAC. So be kind enough to comply - you expect the sound quality to be above average, but here it is just average.
3) And again about the sound, namely the built-in Hi-Fi mode. When you turn it on, the sound becomes like coming from the bottom of a well, and it starts to click unpleasantly in your ear. Either this is a feature of my device specifically, or Alcatel has a strange idea about Hi-Fi sound))
4) Camera. We were chasing permission, but in vain. They would make it 8 megapixels, but with better quality. And so 13 MP: with chorus
2 years ago
Relative disadvantages include the lack of a memory card and a non-separable case. The power button is on the top panel, it’s not always convenient to activate the phone with one hand.
2 years ago
Built-in battery, weak for such hardware. There is no film on the screen. All accessories are only through Aliexpress. At first, the RAM was 70% full of something. After resetting to factory settings, it was 30%. It’s not clear... Micro SIM - I had to cut off my SIM cards .
2 years ago
2 years ago
not found
2 years ago
There really aren't any.
2 years ago
The camera is defective. I noticed that all the photos taken with the rear camera have small specks in the upper left corner, like small splashes. There are not many of them, but you can see them. This is frustrating. But I still can’t bear to hand over the phone, for such a price of 11,550 rubles. I won't buy anything.
2 years ago
There are no covers or spare parts. Order only from China. If something breaks, you can throw away the phone.
2 years ago
If desired, shortcomings can be found in any device; IDOL X+ is also not without them, but they are not important against the background of its advantages. There is perhaps only one significant drawback today - the lack of 4G/LTE band.
