He's a touch idol. Alcatel OneTouch Idol X - Specifications
Mobile phones sold under the Alcatel brand have long been familiar to domestic buyers. Recently, quite decent smartphones have appeared in their line, which can compete with devices from well-known manufacturers. For example, Alcatel One Touch Idol X.
It's no secret that these gadgets are produced by the Chinese company TCL. Whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage is a moot point. Currently, many smartphones produced in the Middle Kingdom are excellent, balanced devices running Android. Surprisingly, it is the gadgets of this manufacturer that can easily compete with brands such as HTC, Sony, Samsung.
Alcatel One Touch Idol X has a prototype that is being produced only for the domestic market. The Chinese sell it under their own name - TCL. However, within the framework of this article, we will consider the European version of the device, which is officially sold in Russia.
Equipment
The first impression of a gadget is formed by its packaging. Here the manufacturer did not skimp on advertising. The front panel of the box shows the smartphone from a favorable angle. Above it is the model name. Naturally, the manufacturer mentioned the brand affiliation.
When disassembling a set of accessories, the buyer will not encounter any unusual elements. Currently, all manufacturers use approximately the same configuration. Alcatel One Touch Idol X is no exception. A wired stereo headset, an AC adapter, a USB cable, and a 2000 mAh battery are sold along with the device. Looking at these elements, you can notice that they correspond to the entry-level segment. Of course, there is documentation in which the user will find an instruction manual and a warranty card.
Those who have already purchased a smartphone noticed that the manufacturer did not include a case. Alcatel One Touch Idol X has a completely plastic body, so purchasing protective accessories is quite important. The use of impact-resistant glass - Dragontrail - was a bonus. Although it will protect the screen, it is still recommended to use a special film. It is not included in the kit, so you must purchase it additionally. Devices with integrated memory of 8 GB have a slot for a flash drive. However, the external storage does not come with the phone.
Design Features
Externally, the Alcatel One Touch Idol X smartphone looks solid and presentable. Its body consists of straight, clear lines with barely rounded corners. 80% of the front panel is occupied by the screen. The frame around it is quite narrow - 2.4 mm. The only thing is that there are black stripes at the top and bottom, which serve as a place to place important elements. For example, above the screen there is a front camera “eye”, a standard earpiece hole, and sensors. There are three control buttons at the bottom. They are sensory. And most importantly, the developers used backlighting, thanks to which the keys can be easily recognized even in the dark.
On the back cover at the top there is a main camera lens. Below it there is a single-position LED flash. The output speaker grille is located in the lower right corner.
As mentioned above, the body of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X is entirely made of plastic. Thanks to this, the weight of the gadget is only 130 g with dimensions of 141 × 68 × 6.9 mm.
As for the connectors and mechanical buttons, they are located on the side faces and ends. The USB cable port and microphone are on the bottom, and the headphone or speaker jack is on the top. The audio jack is standard; most equipment does not require an adapter. The lock and volume keys are located on the right side.
Hardware "stuffing"
What do most buyers pay attention to when buying Alcatel One Touch Idol X? Processor characteristics. This criterion is quite important, since the phone is a kind of mini-computer. The device is equipped with a MediaTek brand chipset that is quite good by modern standards. It is based on four cores.
The computing modules use the basic Cortex-A7 architecture. The MT-6589T processor provides high performance, during which the core can be overclocked to 1500 MHz. At the moment, in this segment, such indicators are considered quite high.
Considering that the gadget was released in 2013, it easily coped with the most complex tasks, running any resource-intensive applications and games. However, at the moment, the only thing it cannot do is software that is developed for 64-bit platforms. In this smartphone, the chipset is configured only for 32-bit computing. If the buyer sets tasks such as high-quality video display, music playback, surfing the Internet, then all of them are performed flawlessly by the device.
Graphics accelerator
An equally important indicator of the high functionality of a gadget is the video card. In this device, the developers used the Power VR SGX544MP model. Just three years ago she could cope with any task. But when it comes to modern games that require high performance, the graphics accelerator is simply not enough to run them. According to many users, nowadays a video card allows you to easily solve most tasks. The restrictions only apply to games, so you will have to be content with mid-level applications.
Memory
When reviewing the Alcatel One Touch Idol X, it is imperative to pay attention to the memory characteristics. Despite the fact that there are several modifications of this model, the developers used the same amount of RAM in all of them. It is 2 GB. Initially, system processes occupy about 700 MB. The rest of the storage can be used to work with additional software.
As for the integrated memory, in the version with one SIM card its volume is only 8 GB. The developers have included a slot for a memory card. The device supports 32 GB flash drives. Models that work with two SIM cards have 16 gigabytes of built-in memory. This modification does not provide a slot for an external drive.
Screen Features
What kind of image will Alcatel One Touch Idol X please? The display is made using modern OGS technology. Thanks to it, the picture is displayed on the screen in maximum quality. There are no complaints about the viewing angles, since the image is practically not distorted when tilted 180 degrees. Currently, such displays can rarely be found in mid-range devices, not to mention the budget segment.
The main element of the smartphone is its 5-inch screen. The display resolution is still relevant today. Even now there are few smartphones that can boast of 1920x1080 px.
To protect the screen, the manufacturer used an analogue of Gorilla Glass - Dragontrail. This is a protective glass that is not afraid of impacts and can withstand mechanical loads of various levels. You will also be pleased with the presence of an oleophobic coating. Thanks to it, owners will not have to constantly struggle with fingerprints.
Alcatel One Touch Idol X: camera specifications
The Idol X gadget from Alcatel does not deserve any comments in matters with optics. The main chamber was manufactured using modern technologies. It is based on a 13-megapixel sensor. Its manufacturer is a leader in this field. We are talking about Sony. Most buyers have already dealt with its products, leaving only positive reviews. Additional features such as flash and autofocus have been used to increase quality. This camera can be used to record movies. The speed per second does not exceed 30 frames. The maximum resolution is 1080p.
Buyers did not have much interest in the front camera, since it is equipped with a 2-megapixel matrix. It can be used mainly only for video calls. For a high-quality selfie, this resolution is no longer enough.
Battery specifications
All the characteristics described above can only be considered advantages. However, it is worth talking about the weaknesses of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X. The battery installed by the developers will not please the owners. Its capacity is scanty according to modern requirements - only 2000 mAh. It is based on lithium-ion technology. If you study the battery indicators declared by the manufacturer, then according to them, when working with second-generation networks, the device will be discharged after 320 hours, and when connected to 3G, the time will decrease by 80 hours.
Users in their reviews claim that with maximum savings, the gadget can work for up to 2 days. If you use all its functionality to the maximum, then the battery life will only last for daylight hours. All owners are recommended to purchase an external battery. Thanks to it, you can avoid situations where the battery suddenly runs out completely at the most inopportune moment. It is important to understand that different functionality processes consume different amounts of energy.
Communications
The One Touch Idol X smartphone is equipped with all the necessary communications. Users are provided with Wi-Fi support as a priority method for sharing data. A USB cable is used for wired information transfer. The device has a connector, thanks to which you can not only charge the device, but also connect to computers, laptops and other equipment. Bluetooth is provided for using wireless data exchange methods. You can also use it with a special headset.
3G support provides not only making calls and sending messages, but also connecting to the Internet. In this case, mobile operators provide high-quality speed, thanks to which you can make video calls on the Alcatel One Touch Idol X (the front camera is designed for this purpose). The device also supports the GSM standard. It is designed to quickly determine the location of the device. And of course, the developers have provided the ability to connect a wired speaker system. For this purpose, the gadget has a 3.5 mm port.
Software
The developers used the most common operating system as a platform. We're talking about Android. As for the version, the device runs on a rather outdated version - 4.2. Many users say that this causes some inconvenience, since there are restrictions on installing applications. But if we take into account that the processor runs on a 32-bit system, then this version is quite sufficient to ensure the operation of many non-resource-intensive programs. All owners, without exception, can use international social networks and all Google services without exception. And for installing additional content there is a special Play Market store.
The manufacturer used its proprietary shell on top of the operating system. It provides an initial set of applications - an organizer, calendar, alarm clock, calculator, etc. To expand the functionality of the gadget, the user can always download additional software from the Internet.
Problem solving
According to most users, this smartphone model boasts a high level of reliability. If there were any breakdowns, they constitute a very small percentage. Most often, users encounter freezes. In most cases, this is not typical for the Alcatel One Touch Idol X. The firmware of the original version, as a rule, works without failures. However, isolated cases still occur. To do this, users are advised to contact a service center to update their device. The most “advanced” do it themselves. However, you need to understand that changing the firmware yourself can lead to complete failure of the gadget. Therefore, such actions are done at your own peril and risk.
Briefly about the price
Due to the fact that this phone model has already been discontinued, it can only be purchased from stock. As a rule, users choose online stores for this. Undoubtedly, you can make some pretty good purchases there. However, buyers are advised to be very careful as the Idol X is very similar to the Alcatel One Touch Idol X Mini. They have the same design, but the latest version is slightly inferior in characteristics and size. Naturally, this is reflected in the price.
The full-fledged Idol X model started at a cost of about $250 (RUB 14,000). In three years, new devices have “pushed” the smartphone to the entry-level segment. However, it’s hard to say that the Alcatel One Touch Idol X has dropped significantly in price. The price is currently around $125-150 (RUB 7,000-9,000). When compared with competitors, there are devices in this price category that have better technical equipment, for example in the Sony and Xiaomi lines.
2 years ago 0
The phone is simply amazing, thin and small frame sizes. The camera is just great at taking pictures even after sunset. The Internet works brutally 40 MB per second zhps is also excellent. no words
2 years ago 0
I think I like it so far, but I bought it 2 weeks ago
2 years ago 0
I bought the phone for my wife, the wife wanted 2 SIM cards and a good camera. This device was chosen based on these parameters. Plus, the price is reasonable, the display is very good, the device is compact for its diagonal, the materials are good and well-built.
2 years ago 0
2 years ago 0
The only good thing about this phone is the screen and two SIM cards.
2 years ago 0
I didn’t have time to properly evaluate it
2 years ago 0
Design. Screen. Battery. Protective glass. Performance
2 years ago 0
Design and screen. There are no more advantages.
2 years ago 0
liked it
2 years ago 0
Fits comfortably in the hand, large screen, rich colors, fast processing, enough memory, sound in the speakers is normal, 2 SIM cards, modem! Price.
2 years ago 0
Sometimes text entry and scrolling through long SMS chats slow down
2 years ago 0
The battery is known to everyone, of course there is nothing else to complain about. Firmware 4.2.2. The first sim was separated under mts
2 years ago 0
a very weak antenna, a friend’s male caught 3 antennas for 4k and this search ((. I haven’t found any others yet.
2 years ago 0
There is no slot for a memory card, so you won’t be able to create a media library in the phone. 3D games in good quality will not work. You need to understand that at such a cost, the developers saved on the processor and video accelerator. And the shell is of course not for everybody, but I personally didn’t like it. Yes, it doesn’t lag much, but its functionality is limited, for example, you can’t select the image resolution in the camera. In general, if I were the developers, I would install a bare android and not come up with anything unnecessary.
Attention, after a month of use the proximity sensor began to fail, the phone freezes after a conversation. Alcatel was very disappointed with the disposable phone, after reading the reviews I realized that this is a serial problem, I will return it under warranty
2 years ago 0
Glass replacement 4500 -5500
2 years ago 0
The sound is very quiet, the screen lags. The RAM is full of something unknown. I do not recommend anyone to buy this device
2 years ago 0
I don’t know, maybe I’m just so lucky, but this phone, in addition to a good screen, in my opinion, has some problems.
1. On the very first day I bought it, the phone began to spontaneously press buttons on GooglePlay, it moved through the menu itself, logging in, logging out, starting the download.
2. The simplest Hill Climb Racing toy, slows down ungodly, jerks, the brakes are terrible. Even on my old Motorola Defy, it doesn’t slow down.
3. By default, the phone had a pre-installed link to the game, Asphalt7. I won’t even talk about the fact that it slows down on this gadget. It doesn't slow down, it just responds to keypresses within two seconds. Try to play, damn it.
3. The sound on the phone is TERRIBLE. I have never heard such a crappy sound on any phone. (even with my high-quality headphones)
4. K
2 years ago 0
Disappointed. After a month of use, the screen burst. She became the “lucky” owner of a red model, but she was not happy for long. After my previous phone, which fell a bunch of times on tiles and asphalt and ultimately died, I decided that I would cherish the new Alcatel. Exactly a month after the purchase, while playing, I noticed a strange stripe on the screen; out of the blue, a crack appeared on the screen. The screen simply burst. Moreover, if there is a crack in the screen, this wonderful device stops working - the touchscreen is cut off. The result was a dead phone, the inability to transfer some data, and a refusal to receive warranty repairs. I really regret wasting money.
By the way, the wonderful red coating in the corners began to peel off, as did the power button.
2 years ago 0
Yet again. Battery. heavy games and 3g quickly kill her. Not moisture resistant
2 years ago 0
The processor does not support the FullHD screen both in games and in normal use. There are very, very, many defective ones. In yellow, cracks appear on the cover under the camera. The gray speaker wheezes. Twice I came across a defective gray phone. And a lot of other shortcomings. You can read it in the forum.
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 67.5 mm (millimeters) 6.75 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft (feet) 2.66 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 140.4 mm (millimeters) 14.04 cm (centimeters) 0.46 ft (feet) 5.53 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 6.9 mm (millimeters) 0.69 cm (centimeters) 0.02 ft (feet) 0.27 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 130 g (grams) 0.29 lbs 4.59 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 65.39 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 3.97 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black Yellow Red |
| Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body. | Plastic |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | MediaTek MT6589T |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | ARM Cortex-A7 |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 1024 kB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 4 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1500 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc. | PowerVR SGX544 MP |
| Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications. | 1 |
| GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 357 MHz (megahertz) |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 2 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR2 |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | IPS |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail. | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on screen with clearer detail. | 441 ppi (pixels per inch) 173 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. | 72.96% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| Dragontrail glass Oleophobic (lipophobic) coating |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. | 4208 x 3120 pixels 13.13 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality. | Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 2000 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| 2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 20 h (hours) 1200 min (minutes) 0.8 days |
| 2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 320 h (hours) 19200 min (minutes) 13.3 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 12 h (hours) 720 min (minutes) 0.5 days |
| 3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 240 h (hours) 14400 min (minutes) 10 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Fixed |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.
| Head SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device close to the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the guidelines of ICNIRP 1998. | 0.264 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
| Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards. | 0.584 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
General characteristics
Type
Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to choose a telephone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.
smartphone operating system Android OS version at the start of sales Android 4.2 Case type classic Number of SIM cards 2 SIM card type
Modern smartphones can use not only regular SIM cards, but also their more compact versions micro SIM and nano SIM. An eSIM is a SIM card integrated into the phone. It takes up virtually no space and does not require a separate tray for installation. eSIM is not yet supported in Russia. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
micro SIM Multi-SIM mode variable Weight 125 g Dimensions (WxHxD) 69.1x140.4x8.1 mmScreen
Screen type color IPS, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal 5 inches. Image Size 1920x1080 Pixels per inch (PPI) 441 Aspect Ratio 16:9 Automatic screen rotation There is Scratch-resistant glass There isMultimedia capabilities
Number of main (rear) cameras 1 Main (rear) camera resolution 13.10 MP Photo flash rear, LED Functions of the main (rear) camera autofocus Recording videos There is Max. video resolution 1920x1080 Max. video frame rate 30fps Front-camera yes, 2 MP Audio MP3, AAC, FM radioConnection
Standard GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G Interfaces
Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect your phone to wireless speakers, and also to transfer files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as a universal remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
Wi-Fi 802.11n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, USB Satellite navigation
Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules allow you to determine the phone's coordinates using signals from satellites. In the absence of GPS, a modern smartphone can determine its own location using signals from cellular operator base stations. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
GPS A-GPS system yes DLNA support yesMemory and processor
CPU
Modern phones and smartphones usually use special processors - SoC (System on Chip, system on a chip), which, in addition to the processor itself, houses the graphics core, memory controller, input/output device controller, etc. Therefore, the processor largely determines the set of functions and device performance. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
2000 MHz Number of processor cores 8 Built-in memory capacity 16 GB Amount of memory available to the user 12.30 GB RAM capacity 2 GBNutrition
Battery capacity 2500 mAh Talk time 27 hours Standby time 650 h Operating time while listening to music 36 h Charging connector type micro-USBOther functions
Control voice dialing, voice control Flight mode yes Sensors lighting, proximity, compass There is a flashlightAdditional Information
Equipment smartphone, charger, Micro USB cable, headset, instructions Announcement date 2014-01-08Before purchasing, check the specifications and equipment with the seller.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is a compact smartphone from the Idol line. It is not devoid of the company's corporate style, which makes it look great. Unfortunately, there were some simplifications; they affected the processor and RAM. Let's see what this smartphone is capable of.
Design and ergonomics
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is made in a similar style to other ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol models and that’s good. The design of the smartphone is recognizable and original. The case is non-separable, perfectly assembled and very thin, by the way, the thickness is only 7.9 mm. The length of the smartphone is 127.1 mm, width 62 mm, and weight 97 grams. With these parameters, the smartphone is practically not felt in your pants pocket.
The location of the keys and interfaces is as follows: at the top of the front panel there is a light sensor, proximity sensor, voice speaker, 0.3 MP front camera and an indicator of missed events. At the bottom of the front panel there are three backlit hardware touch keys. At the ends of the smartphone there is a power button and a 3.5 mm jack (top), microUSB and the main microphone (bottom), a slot for micro-SIM and microSD (right) and a volume rocker on the left (left). On the back cover there is a camera lens, it protrudes slightly above the surface of the body and has a silver rim, a flash, a second microphone, a manufacturer’s logo and a multimedia speaker. The back cover is made of plastic simulating metal. Fingerprints on the lid are only visible from a certain angle and are easily erased.
In general, there are no critical comments about the ergonomics of the smartphone. The connector plugs fit securely and tightly. It is convenient to use the smartphone with one hand, even despite the location of the power button on the top end. Mechanical keys have a tight, but clearly distinguishable stroke. Thanks to the thin body, low weight and pleasant materials, the device is pleasant to use.
Operating system and shell
The smartphone runs on the Android 4.2.2 operating system using its own interface. The proprietary shell is pleasant to look at and is to some extent a symbiosis of MIUI and Android Jelly Bean.
The interface is almost completely the same as that of older models. The lock screen can accommodate up to nine widgets, from which you can switch to full-screen mode. In addition to widgets, the lock screen has four icons (dialing, messages, camera and unlock), which are enclosed in a circle. Selecting icons and unlocking the smartphone is done using a small circle. It also changes its location relative to the tilt of the body thanks to the built-in accelerometer. This feature looks interesting and funny. By the way, during charging, the charge level is indicated in the middle of the circle. Without unlocking your smartphone, you can go to the notification panel and mode switches. It is impossible to change or move mode switching icons.
After unlocking, we find ourselves on one of five desktops, where widgets and program icons are located. For older models this is the main menu, but for Idol MINI it is just a desktop with widgets and program shortcuts. You can create folders on your desktop by dragging and dropping application shortcuts. When you long press on a widget, sliders appear that you can use to change the size of the widget.
By clicking on the icon located in the lower right corner, we get to the application menu. The application menu has three tabs: general programs, downloaded programs and widgets. Despite the refusal of some manufacturers to remove more pre-installed programs, ALCATEL ONE TOUCH did not follow this path and installed a large number of programs, fortunately, they can be easily removed. Among the preinstalled programs you can find an antivirus, an office application, a large number of social services and almost all services from Google. It is possible to block notifications from selected programs, as well as select the memory where applications will be installed.
The interface works well, twitching occurs rarely, but in cases of launching a heavy application and then exiting it, the desktop shortcuts are redrawn.
SwiftKey is installed as the standard keyboard. The browser loads pages quickly and its performance is flawless.
I would like to note that some standard applications have been redrawn in accordance with the general design style. Among them are a compass, calculator, flashlight and radio.
Hardware platform
It is worth noting that the smartphone can be presented in two versions: 6012X and 6012D. The first version with the index 6012X is distinguished by the presence of one SIM card, a microSD slot, and 4 GB of internal memory. The version with the index 6012D already has two slots for SIM cards, 8 GB of internal memory, but lacks a microSD slot.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is powered by the budget SoC MT6572 from MediaTek. This processor is built using a 28 nm process technology and has two Cortex A7 cores with a frequency of 1.3 GHz. The well-known Mali 400 MP acts as a video accelerator. Although this SoC is considered budget, it shows good results in synthetic tests. The amount of RAM is modest by the standards of the end of 2013, amounting to 512 MB. During normal use, there was no more than 140MB of RAM remaining. The built-in storage capacity is 4 GB, of which about 2 GB is available to the user.
Playing video files
| Codec/Name | FinalDestination5.mp4 | Neudergimie.2.mkv | s.t.a.l.k.e.r.avi | Spartacus.mkv | ParallelUniverse.avi |
| Video | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×798 29.99fps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×816 23.98fps | Xvid 712×400 25.00fps 1779kbps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×720 29.97fps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×536 24.00fps 2726kbps |
| Audio | AAC 48000Hz stereo 96kbps | MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo | MPEG Audio Layer 3 48000Hz stereo 128kbps | Dolby AC3 44100Hz stereo | MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo 256kbps |
This smartphone is not positioned as a gaming smartphone, but, nevertheless, the performance will be sufficient for undemanding games.
The volume and sound quality from the speakers is good. Thanks to the thoughtful placement of the speaker, it will be difficult to miss a call, since even when the phone is lying on the table, the speaker is not blocked. The microphone transmits speech qualitatively. The sound in the headphones is good.
During most tasks, the smartphone body did not heat up. Working on the Wi-Fi network did not raise any questions; everything worked quickly and without interruptions in the connection. Searching for satellites is slightly faster than on other devices with MediaTek chipsets.
Autonomy
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini shows average battery life results. A 1700mAh battery is hidden inside the thin body. Under average loads such as: about an hour of calls, with data transfer always on, the smartphone can last a day. If the device is used more actively, then it is likely that it will not last until the end of the working day. There is an energy saving mode. The results of autonomy tests can be found below.
| Operating time indicators | ||||
| Mode\Model | ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini | Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 | ALCATEL OT SCRIBE HD | Fly IQ444 Diamond 2 |
| Music | 5% | 6% | 2% | 6% |
| Reading | 22% | 15% | 23% | 25% |
| Navigation | 27% | 22% | 26% | 33% |
| Watch HD video | 24% | 28% | 27% | 20% |
| Watching HD videos from Youtube | 25% | 30% | 30% | 21% |
| Antutu Tester (points) | 689 | 655 | 644 | 906 |
To listen to music, we used a standard player, volume at 12 out of 15 possible, MP3 files with a bitrate of 320 Kbps. In reading mode, all wireless communications are disabled, including data transmission on the mobile network, and the display brightness is set to 50%. Navigation includes getting directions in the Google Navigation app. The brightness is set to 50%, all data communication modules are disabled. When playing a video, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at level 12 out of a possible 15. The video file format is MKV, resolution 1024x432 pixels, frame rate 24. When playing a video from Youtube, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at 12 out of 15 possible levels.
Display and cameras
Nowadays, even budget smartphones have begun to be equipped with IPS displays. ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini boasts a 4.3-inch IPS display with a resolution of 854x480 pixels and an automatic brightness control sensor. The display accepts up to five simultaneous presses. The viewing angles of the screen are close to maximum, the colors are rich, and the brightness is high. The display fades in the sun, but the information remains readable. The maximum brightness is 394 cd/m², the average brightness is 199 cd/m², and the minimum is 43 cd/m². An overestimated minimum value negatively affects the use of the device at night. The smartphone screen displays shades of gray that are slightly darker than they should be. The color gamut is only slightly larger than sRGB. But if you don’t find fault, the smartphone is equipped with an excellent display for its price category.
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini has two cameras of 5 MP and 0.3 MP. As mentioned above, you can call the camera from the lock screen. The camera interface is simple and intuitive. The video is recorded at 720p resolution.
The camera has HDR, panorama and night modes. In addition, in the settings you can change the flash mode, turn on the timer and select the photo size. Examples of photos can be found below.
Examples of photos taken with the ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini smartphone
Examples of HDR photos taken with the ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini smartphone
The camcorder settings are even simpler. They only have a choice of quality and flash mode.
Results
ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is a pleasant smartphone, which primarily differs from its competitors in its attractive design, high-quality display, good build and beautiful visual shell. The disadvantages include the small amount of RAM.
According to TCT Mobile, in Ukraine the smartphone will be sold in a version with two SIM cards. The recommended retail price will be 1399 UAH, and the start of sales is scheduled for December 2013.
Liked
+ Assembly
+ Design
+ Screen
Did not like
- Small amount of RAM
The product was provided for testing by TCT Mobile Europe S.A.S. in Ukraine, www.alcatelonetouch.com.ua
