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Cons of alcatel one touch idol 3. Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication to transfer data over close distances between different devices

Which turned out to be a strong average in terms of technical characteristics and a very attractive outwardly device. Armed with roughly the same approach, the manufacturer in 2015 introduced a unique flagship smartphone and a kind of heir to the alpha - ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3. The device, which caused a stir in the press, by a happy coincidence, became the hero of our review.

Features of ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL 3

Although ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 arrived in our stores with a huge delay, it is nevertheless not only able to satisfy most of the requests of the average user, but also has a couple of features that other mass devices do not have at all.

The key “goodies” of the device are: a rotary interface, a pair of microphones and stereo speakers, a Qualcomm processor, and versions with different screen sizes.

So, there are smartphones ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 with screens of 4.7 and 5.5 inches on the market. We reviewed the version 6045K, equipped with slots for two SIM-cards and 32 GB of memory without expansion. Also in nature there is a model with one SIM card, 16 GB of internal memory and support for cards microSD memory.

Specifications

Packaging and equipment

ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 comes in a compact dark blue box. Inside, the user will find:

uSB cable
power Supply
a clip for removing SIM cards
wired headset
set of documentation

It is worth noting that ALCATEL ONETOUCH compares favorably with colleagues in the workshop with special attention to the completion of their devices. While other manufacturers are too lazy to put up even the lousiest dollar headphones, ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 comes with a quality JBL headset in the form of droplets, giving out a very, very decent sound.

Design and ergonomics

From the point of view of design, we have in front of us almost all the same ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol Aplha, only here and there combed and put in order. The place of the transparent plastic inserts was taken by stereo speakers, the shape of the case became a bit more elongated, the power button moved to the left side.

I personally liked the appearance of ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 - the device looks restrained, but at the same time it remains recognizable and unlike devices from other manufacturers. Thin, moderately weighty, with metal inserts around the perimeter, the smartphone looks stylish and expensive.

When the ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 screen is off, it merges into a single piece with the bezel. Above the screen is a front camera peephole and a notification indicator.

The body of the device is made of plastic. On the right side there is a paired volume control, on the left there is a slot for two SIM-cards and a power / lock button. The keys are quite tight, do not play, have a clear stroke. To remove the tray, you need the supplied paper clip or an ordinary needle.

The back panel of the smartphone is made of gray matte plastic. It is not removable. Overall, the build quality of the ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 is on high levelas well as the durability of the case - not a single scratch appeared on it during operation, despite the fact that the device was always in the same pocket with the keys.

The smartphone fits well in the hand and is very comfortable in everyday use, as for a 5.5-inch paddle, of course. To tell you the truth, in three weeks I was still not used to the location of the power key and often confused it with the volume buttons. Perhaps I did not try enough, or the fault is the ability of the device to work successfully and perform telephone functions while being turned over 180 degrees. The situation can be slightly facilitated by the ability to lock and unlock the device with a double tap on the screen.

Display and image quality

ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 is equipped with a 5.5-inch IPS-screen without an air gap with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels. The pixel density is 401 ppi. There is a sensor for automatic brightness control. The minimum brightness is high enough, it is not comfortable to work with the smartphone in the dark, the eyes get tired quickly, but the maximum brightness did not disappoint - the device behaves well in the street in direct sunlight.

ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 has wide viewing angles and fairly neutral color reproduction, going into a warm color temperature spectrum - white looks more like soft yellow. In direct comparison with the screen, the LG G2 Idol 3 shows a quieter and less saturated picture. This can be both a plus and a minus - you decide.

The quality of the oleophobic coating of the screen is good, the display hardly collects fingerprints.

Cameras

ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 is equipped with a pair of cameras that shoot in the maximum resolution of 13 and 8 megapixels. The camera application has a classic list of settings, including manual settings for white balance, ISO and focusing distance.

The quality of the images is average. There are errors in color rendering, blurring of individual elements of images, there are periodic errors in the autofocus system. It is hoped that the camera situation will improve in future software updates.

In the meantime, good pictures can only be obtained in daylight natural light. Indoors, even with several artificial light sources, the camera is already starting to lose ground. There is no need to talk about high-quality night photography. But the front camera of the smartphone turned out to be quite good, it has a fairly wide angle of coverage and there are no special complaints about the quality of the pictures.

Iron

ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 is currently the most powerful device in the manufacturer's range. On the one hand, the smartphone was not equipped with the most advanced components, but on the other hand, it made it possible to keep the price at an acceptable level for the masses and create a kind of flagship midrange.

Idol 3 is powered by an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, consisting of four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.5 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores at 1 GHz. Responsible for the graphics accelerator Adreno 405.

We saw a similar filling in and with a little regret I will allow myself to copy a few lines that most accurately describe the performance of the platform as a whole.

“It all works ambiguously. On the positive side: the phone stays a little warm all the time, no matter what you do with it. And in general, I haven't used such a “cold” phone for a long time. On the negative side: the productivity of this whole thing is enough end-to-end. What I mean? The smartphone works very slowly in places and microlag is noticeable too often on this phone. Most of the time, small twitches can sometimes be seen when scrolling through desktops, in the menu for switching running applications, in Google Now or in the curtain with a lot of notifications. In third-party applications, microlag can be seen even more often, but it all depends on how they are written.

What this is connected with is difficult to say. I think that Android simply cannot use all “8 lawn mowers” \u200b\u200bcorrectly to get maximum performance and in places the interface just doesn't pull out 60 frames per second. Or maybe the performance of Adreno 405 @ 550 MHz is in principle not enough to comfortably rotate 1080p resolution ”.

All these words are also true for ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3, with the only proviso that most of the time the device is completely cold, a slight heat appears only during prolonged video viewing and games. Using a smartphone as a whole is quite comfortable, many users, I'm sure, will not even notice any performance drops, especially after switching from weaker devices.

But the fact remains - here and there there are small delays in the operation of the device. For the sake of experiment, we put next to LG G2, powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, and compared the speed of launching and running applications on devices. In all cases, the LG G2 was faster - applications started 1-2 seconds earlier and ran smoother. For example, ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 sinned with a serious animation delay when opening the sidebar in the popular VKontakte application, for a competitor with a more efficient chip this problem was absent.

After reading these lines, it may seem that I am scolding the performance of ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3, but in reality this is not entirely true. Considering the mid-budget positioning of Qualcomm Snapdragon 615, it works very, very well, allowing you to perform almost any task and without causing much discomfort in everyday use. But as a sophisticated person, I am still forced to note that the performance of a smartphone is at an average level.

The device has 2 GB of RAM, and the built-in storage is 32 GB, of which about 26 GB are actually available to the user. Let me remind you that the 6045K does not support memory cards, but another one is available with the necessary expansion slot.

And now about the good - the multimedia component of ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3. The device is equipped with a pair of excellent stereo speakers, which are located on the front panel. Firstly, thanks to them, it became possible to speak on the phone even if it is turned 180 degrees. Secondly, they are able to pleasantly surprise even sophisticated users with their sound. A pair of 1.2 W speakers sound incredibly loud and clear enough. Watching live recordings on ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 is a pleasure. If we compare with, then the latter sounds, subjectively, quieter, but better conveys a stereo effect. The situation is also excellent with listening to music with headphones - the sound is clear and balanced, and the volume reserve is sufficient for any situation.

Shell and software

The operating system ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 is Android version 5.0.2. There is no information about a possible upgrade to the sixth version yet. According to the old tradition, we have a bare system with custom icons and a couple of branded applications. I have already scolded these very icons in the review, in which you can also get acquainted with other system changes made by the manufacturer. If desired, and more persistence than mine, the icons can be replaced by installing more familiar relatives or others to your taste. To do this, you will either have to poke around in system files, or install another launcher (for example, Nova or Apex) and ikonpack from the Play Store.

ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3, as a multimedia flagship, received an unusual music player that we met once in. In addition to the classic features, the music player can act as a mixing console. To do this, you need to turn on the fad in the settings and turn the smartphone over to landscape orientation.

Speaking of orientation, one of the features I have already mentioned is the ability of ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 to work upside down. The device interface is completely flipped 180 degrees.

The mode is also active when receiving calls. In the inverted state, the lower speaker becomes spoken, and the additional microphone located at the top begins to record speech.

On the one hand, many people find this feature not very useful. But personally, several times I caught myself taking the smartphone out of my pocket in an inverted state during a call, and the ability to answer a call without twisting the device in my hands came in handy.

Autonomy

Considering the small thickness of the smartphone, I can't even believe that a 2910 mAh battery is located inside. However, such a capacity is a kind new standard for phablets.

With active use (a few games, an hour of YouTube, surfing the network and social networks, a dozen pictures, an hour of music, a few calls and constant notifications), the smartphone lives from early morning to late evening with a total screen time of about 4 penny hours. ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 “sleeps” well and charges quickly enough (about 2 hours).

An unpleasant moment is the lack of power saving modes, which are present in most modern smartphones.

findings

ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 is a solid phablet with a stylish appearance and an outstanding multimedia filling. The smartphone is not suitable for avid gamers and lovers of photography. It remains to wait for the start of official sales and look at the price of the device, which will determine whether ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol 3 will stand alone, or will compete with hot new products from other manufacturers.

Liked:

contents of delivery
appearance and build quality
stereo speakers and headphone sound

Did not like:

qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chip features
image quality and operation of the main camera

Prices in online stores

It is possible to display similar models if this is not in the catalog for your region.

Miniature model with stereo speakers and reversible interface

The Chinese company TCL, which, as you know, now owns the brand of smartphones Alcatel One Touch, in the third generation of its flagship devices Idol presented two models from the new Idol 3 series at once. with different display sizes and, accordingly, with different sizes of the devices themselves. Besides this, there are, of course, other differences. For some reason, manufacturers of devices running Android OS stubbornly equip smaller models with low-power hardware stuffing, as if the size of the screen diagonal is directly related to the user's desire to have or not have a truly productive device at their disposal.

Like the iPhone 6, in the new line of Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 two modifications with the same name coexist, differing only in the size of the screen diagonal (5.5 or 4.7 inches). However Apple smartphone smaller equipped with the same powerful fillinglike the larger model, while the Alcatel One Touch does not. A miniature model with a 4.7-inch display received a much weaker hardware platform and less memory, both operational and permanent, as well as a lower-quality front camera, a stripped-down Wi-Fi module and some other limitations.

Main characteristics of Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (4.7) (model 6039K)

	Alcatel OT Idol 3 (4.7)	Lg magna	Sony Xperia E4	Lenovo S90	Samsung Galaxy A5
Screen	4.7 ″, IPS	5 ″, IPS	5 ″, IPS	5 ″, Super AMOLED	5 ″, Super AMOLED
Resolution	1280 × 720, 312 ppi	1280 × 720, 294 ppi	960 × 540, 220 ppi	1280 × 720, 294 ppi	1280 × 720, 294 ppi
SoC			MediaTek MT6582 (4x ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1.3GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4x ARM Cortex-A53) @ 1.2GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4 Cortex-A53 cores) @ 1.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 306	Mali 400MP	Mali-400MP	Adreno 306	Adreno 306
RAM	1.5 GB	1 GB	1 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	8/16 GB	8 GB	8 GB	32 GB	16 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	—	microSD
Operating system	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4
Battery	non-removable, 2000 mAh	removable, 2540 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh
Cameras		rear (8MP; 1080p video), front (5MP)	rear (5 MP; 1080p video), front (2 MP)	rear (13 MP; 1080p video), front (8 MP)	rear (13 MP; 1080p video), front (5 MP)
Dimensions and weight	135 x 66 x 7.5mm, 110g	140 x 70 x 10.1 mm, 136 g	137 x 75 x 10.5 mm, 146 g	146 x 72 x 6.9 mm, 129 g	139 x 70 x 6.7 mm, 123 g
average price	T-12645041	T-12413672	T-12117545	T-11964162	T-12323116
Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (4.7) Deals	L-12645041-10

SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, 1.2 GHz, 4 cores ARM Cortex-A53
GPU Adreno 306 @ 400 MHz
Operating system Android 5.0.2
Touch display IPS, 4.7 ″, 1280 × 720, 312 ppi
Random access memory (RAM) 1.5 GB, internal memory 8/16 GB
MicroSD support up to 64GB
Micro-SIM support (1 or 2 pcs.)
2G communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G connection: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
Data transmission LTE FDD 800/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz
Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n (2.4 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display
Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
USB 2.0, OTG
GPS (A-GPS), Glonass, Beidou
13 MP camera, autofocus, LED flash
Camera 5 MP (front), fixed. focus
Proximity sensor, direction, lighting, accelerometer, electronic compass
Non-removable battery 2000 mAh
Dimensions 135 x 66 x 7.5mm
Weight 110 g

Appearance and usability

Now all smartphones entering the market, at least the most prominent of their representatives, are usually compared with the mobile products of the American company Apple. So, smartphones of the Alcatel One Touch Idol series, being quite expressive in terms of design products, certainly cannot be suspected of copying the iPhone. But Idol's pretty fashion models do not lose anything from this, designers and developers from TCL have found their way and continue to develop, adhering to the accepted line. All smartphones in the flagship Idol series, including the new Idol 3 devices, are some of the sleekest mobile devices in their class on the market. This concerns, first of all, such parameters as the thickness of the case, as well as the weight, for which Alcatel smartphones are practically unmatched. This was the case with the release of the first Idol X and Idol X + models, and it is the same now. It's nice to know that the designers and developers at TCL have found their own path and continue to evolve, adhering to the established line.

The smaller representative of the new pair of smartphones Idol 3 has a 4.7-inch display, a very elegant body shape with a pleasant design, as well as miniature dimensions, due to which it is comfortably held in the hand. Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (4.7) received similar forms to the previous models of the Idol 2 series, the emphasis here is on design and style. The slim body has significantly rounded corners, the shiny metal side bezel adds complexity and high cost to the appearance. The front glass itself is flat, but it has been raised above the body so that it appears slightly convex. The side bezel is made not of metal, but of plastic with a spray, but it has a complex, a kind of typesetting structure, where pseudo-chrome stripes are interspersed with matte textured plastic.

The back panel is also made of matte, rough textured plastic. The lid here is non-removable, the body has a non-separable monoblock structure, so the appropriate method of attaching the cards is used. Cards are inserted into the side slot-like slots, as usual driving into them on a metal slide, and removed using a complete key. For both Idol 3 models (5.5 and 4.7 inches), there are modifications both with one SIM card, where the second slot is given for a memory card, and with support for two SIM cards, then the device is already deprived of the ability to use a memory card. Double-SIM modifications have twice as many internal memorythan their monosyllabic counterparts.

The front panel is completely covered with a flat protective glass, but the glass is raised above the body itself by a couple of millimeters, its edges are covered with a plastic rim. In the upper part under the glass, in addition to the front camera and sensors, there is an LED event indicator that shines big point in the process of charging and notifying about incoming messages. There are two loudspeakers hidden behind the grilles, they are brought directly to the body, above and below the glass itself.

The speaker grilles and the entire body have an absolutely symmetrical structure, so it is difficult to immediately pick up a smartphone to determine where is the top and where is the bottom, but this was intended by the developers. The fact is that no matter how you turn the device, it can be used with the same ease, since the system interface can be turned over 180 degrees. This is a curious find by the developers, and given that the screen can be activated by simply tapping on the glass, without pressing any buttons, such a "trick" may even find a real use.

Accordingly, there are no control buttons in the conventionally lower part under the screen, they are virtual here and turn over together with the entire interface. So, on both upper-lower sides of the device, you can find both the speaker grill and the microphone hole (at the end).

On the back of the body are the eyes of the main camera and a single LED flash. The camera glass is slightly recessed into the body, it is framed by a chrome ring. The flash can act as a flashlight using a preinstalled program, you can start the function in the shortcut menu in the notification shade.

The side mechanical buttons have a metallized coating, the keys protrude beyond the body to a sufficient height, are easy to touch, have a pliable, but elastic move, in general, there are no complaints about the mechanical controls.

The connectors are located in their usual places at the ends of the device: at the top is a 3.5 mm jack for a headphone minijack, and at the bottom is a universal Micro-USB connector that supports connection external devices in USB OTG mode. The connectors are not covered with covers, since the body of the smartphone is not protected from water and dust.

The color variety of the Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 modifications is provided by three different color options: black (Dark Gray), gray (Metallic Silver) and also golden (Soft Gold).

Screen

The Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (4.7) smartphone is equipped with an IPS sensor matrix combined with a protective glass using OGS technology (without an air gap). The screen dimensions are 58 × 103 mm, the diagonal is 4.7 inches, the resolution is 1280 × 720 pixels. Accordingly, the pixel density is 312 ppi.

The width of the side frame from the screen to the edge of the body on the sides is about 3 mm. The width of the top and bottom edges is approximately 16 mm, and this despite the fact that there are quite good stereo speakers above and below the screen. The brightness of the display can be adjusted manually, it is also possible to enable automatic adjustment based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle up to 5 simultaneous touches. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that locks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. The screen can be activated by double tapping on the glass.

A detailed examination using measuring devices was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev... Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are not worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Alcatel Idol 3, then they can be distinguished by their size):

The screen of the Alcatel Idol 3 is even slightly darker (the brightness in the photos is 127 against 130 for the Nexus 7). There is practically no doubling of reflected objects in the Alcatel Idol 3 screen, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass-air) with greatly different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong ambient light, but their repair in the case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (better than Nexus 7 in terms of efficiency), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower speed than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 615 cd / m², the minimum - 20 cd / m². The maximum brightness is very high, which means, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by the light sensor (it is located on the front panel above the screen and to the left of the center). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. This function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness, the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 200 cd / m2 (a lot), in an office illuminated with artificial light (about 400 lux), the brightness rises to 385 cd / m2 (also a lot), in in very bright environments (equivalent to bright outdoor daylight, but no direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) is set to 615 cd / m² (which is good). The brightness slider is 50% - the values \u200b\u200bare as follows: 20, 140 and 615 cd / m² (ideal combination), at 0% - 20, 20 and 615 cd / m² (the average value is underestimated). It turns out that the automatic brightness control function works adequately, and it is possible to adjust the nature of the brightness change to the user's requirements. At any brightness level, there is practically no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering either.

This smartphone uses an IPS-type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS sub-pixel structure:

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

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting (except for the darkest shades when gaze deviates along one diagonal). For comparison, we present photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Alcatel Idol 3 and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2, and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. The white field is perpendicular to the screens:

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

The color reproduction is good, the color balance is slightly different (the tested screen is clearly blue), the color saturation is natural. Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, but in the Alcatel Idol 3 the contrast decreased to a greater extent due to the strong lightening of black, and signs of inverted dark shades began to appear on it. And the white box:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in exposure), but the Alcatel Idol 3 has a slightly darker screen. The black field, when deviated along the diagonal, is lightened strongly and acquires a violet or red-violet tint. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):

And from a different angle:

When viewed from a perpendicular view, the black field uniformity is good, although not ideal:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 760: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 21 ms (9 ms on + 12 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 38 ms in total. The gamma curve, plotted using 32 points at equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.34, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2, however, this does not matter, since the real gamma curve significantly deviates from the power dependence:

This is due to the presence of a dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image (the brightness decreases on dark). As a result, the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining the contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not single-color fields across the entire screen. Let us give the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time when switching from black to white in the halves of the screen alternately, while the average brightness does not change and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness does not work (graph 50%/50% ). And the same dependence, but with alternating display of fields in full screen (graph 100% ), while the average brightness is already changing and the dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness works in full:

In general, such and not switched off brightness correction does nothing but harm, since it reduces the visibility of gradations in the shadows in the case of dark images. In addition, this dynamic adjustment, when displaying any image other than the white field in full screen, significantly underestimates the brightness, which impairs readability in bright light. Note that the adjustment is slow, so at least there are no annoying jumps in the backlight brightness.

The color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components together:

As a result, colors have natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is a bit of a compromise, since the color temperature is noticeably higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the spectrum of the absolute black body (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the color temperature and ΔE vary little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of the color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there does not really matter, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

To summarize: the screen has a very high maximum brightness and excellent anti-reflective properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. The automatic brightness control mode works well. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, no air gap in the layers of the screen and no flicker, an acceptable color balance, a color gamut close to sRGB. To significant disadvantages, we attribute low black stability to gaze deviation from the perpendicular to the screen plane, as well as dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Nevertheless, given the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality can be considered very high.

Sound

In terms of sound, the new Idol 3 smartphones have everything at a high level. Two powerful 1.2W front speakers create a surround sound experience with built-in JBL Clari-Fi technology. This technology is also designed to restore the original sound quality from compressed music files such as MP3, Internet radio or streaming audio (we have heard enough about these magical technologies when applied to computer sound cards, and now it's the turn of mobile devices). The smartphone sounds really decent, thick, bright and saturated with all frequencies, the sound can be obtained both from the stereo speakers on the case and through the headphones. The maximum volume level is high, no distortions and wheezing were noticed. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor remains distinguishable, timbre and intonation are recognizable.

To play music, there is a proprietary player called Mix with the functionality of a music center and even with the ability to combine music tracks in DJ-mode. You can sync tracks, make smooth mixing, add audio effects, delete and re-record your compositions. To work in this "manual" mode, the horizontal position of the smartphone is used.

FM-radio is present in the smartphone's configuration, it cannot record programs from the air. The ability to record using standard tools telephone conversations not provided here either.

Camera

Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (4.7) is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 13 and 5 megapixels. The front module has a sensor with a resolution of 5 megapixels, optics with an f / 2.5 aperture and a relatively wide viewing angle, has a fixed focus, but does not have its own flash. The quality of shooting for selfies is quite satisfactory. In the settings there is the possibility of manual retouching of the resulting image with the ability to change the tone and texture of the skin in the picture.

The main camera is equipped with a 13-megapixel Sony module with an f / 2.0 aperture lens, single LED flash and fast autofocus (technology from FotoNation allows the camera to recognize faces and focus in just 0.26 seconds). There is no optical stabilization here, only electronic.

The interface for controlling the camera is convenient and intuitive: all current settings are combined into one scrolling scroll, the choice of additional modes is carried out by calling the context menu on the right. In addition to the automatic shooting mode, there are several additional ones, including manual mode, in which all settings can be adjusted manually, as well as HDR mode, panoramic, single-frame and retouching modes and even a QR code scanner.

The camera can shoot video in maximum Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080, 30 fps), an example of a test video is presented below.

Movie # 1 (31 MB, 1920 × 1080, 30 fps)

	The text has been worked out well. Sharpness drops slightly towards the corners of the frame.
	The camera copes well with macro photography.
	There are noticeable areas of blur at the edges of the frame.
	In the distant shots, the sharpness is not bad, however, some soapiness is noticeable.
	The camera does a good job indoors.
	Even at high values \u200b\u200bof light sensitivity, noise reduction copes.
	The camera is relatively good at macro photography in room lighting.
	The shadows are well done.
	When the plan is removed, the detail does not drop very quickly.
	Not bad sharpness according to plans.

The camera of the small model did not surprise us with anything new, and the main shortcomings remained the same, although they are expressed in places more weakly: areas of blur at the edges and especially corners of the frame, effective, but sometimes too hard work of noise reduction. But the camera still performs well, and even handles the lack of lighting relatively well. Perhaps, we can say that in some moments this instance proved to be very good, but in general, it remains only to repeat what was said about the larger model: the camera is capable of producing a good result, but unstable, therefore, when shooting, you need to keep an eye on it, and then with documentary shooting in in most cases it will handle it.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and there is also support for networks fourth generation LTE Cat 4 with a theoretical maximum possible receive rate of up to 150 Mbps, five LTE FDD Bands 1/3/7/8/20 are supported). In practice, with the SIM-card of the domestic operator Beeline, the smartphone is confidently registered and works in 4G networks.

Networking capabilities are implemented as standard: unlike the older model Idol 3 (5.5), only one Wi-Fi range (2.4 GHz) is supported here, as a standard you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels, Wi-Fi support is available Direct, Wi-Fi Display. Supports connection of external devices to the USB port in OTG mode. The NFC technology is also implemented here.

The navigation module works with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system, and also sees satellites chinese Beidou (BDS). There are no complaints about the navigation module, the first satellites during a cold start are identified within the first minute. Also, the device is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the magnetic compass of navigation programs functions.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, i.e. while dialing phone number the search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. Support for continuous sliding from letter to letter (Swype) is not implemented in the standard Android keyboard, but in the settings you can alternatively select the pre-installed third-party SwiftKey keyboard with additional flexibility, including you can use the continuous input mode. The interface of all applications, including the telephone dialer, can be flipped 180 degrees, and, therefore, you can even hold the phone upside down to conduct telephone conversations on the phone.

This modification of the smartphone supports work with two SIM-cards. All work with them in the menu is conveniently organized on one page, all settings are conveniently arranged, the menu is organized clearly and intuitively. You can designate any of the SIM cards as the primary one for organizing voice calls, data transfer and sending SMS messages. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G / 4G networks, however, only one of the cards can function in this mode at a time. To change the assignments of the card slots, you do not need to change places - this can be done directly from the phone menu. Working with two SIM cards is organized according to the usual Dual SIM Dual Standby standard, when both cards can be in active standby mode, but cannot work at the same time - there is only one radio module.

OS and software

As a system, the device uses the Google Android software platform of the latest version 5.0.2 without additional shells, that is, the interface here for the most part looks and functions exactly as intended by the creators of the Android OS. In place, all the most noticeable distinctive features of the fifth android version LolliPop, such as Material Design, interactive information tiles, a telescopic two-position notification shade combined with a shortcut menu for the most popular functions. Over the air (OTA) update is supported.

Pre-installed third-party programs too many, they are all free, anyone could download them from the Play Store on their own. Many of these applications will not be in demand and only clog up the device's memory. Most of the games and programs have only a trial status, later you will have to buy them, and of the useful ones you can note file manager, Alcatel's proprietary One Touch Application Center and Smart Suite PC Sync.

Also added elementary support for several simple gestures (tapping the screen and turning the smartphone face down) and the already mentioned possibility of flipping the interface 180 degrees. From the lock screen it is possible to go immediately after unlocking to a specific application - for example, to a calculator or a QR code scanner (in the settings this is called "Function", and this mode can be disabled). An informational feed with weather news, news headlines, and so on, called "Onetouch Stream", pops out with a side gesture on the left.

Performance

Hardware platform Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (4.7) is based on SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 410. The platform is 64-bit, but this is an entry-level solution, the capabilities of this SoC are very limited. CPU here has 4 Cortex-A53 cores operating at 1.2 GHz. The graphics are processed by the Adreno 306 video processor with a core frequency of 400 MHz. The device provides 1.5 GB of RAM, the user has about 11.4 GB of free flash array. The possibility of expanding the memory by means of cards is provided only in single-symbol versions. The devices with support for two SIM-cards do not have a slot for memory cards, so the memory is allocated twice as much (16 GB in dual-SIM solutions, and only 8 GB in single-SIM solutions with support for MicroSD cards). The mode of connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG) is also supported.

According to the results of testing, the performance of the budget Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 platform is expected to show very low results, at the moment it is one of the weakest and most inefficient modern 64-bit platforms. This weak platform is significantly inferior to its direct competitor, the entry-level MediaTek MT6732 platform.

So, devices based on the Snapdragon 410 platform, albeit 64-bit, can be called "middling" only with a huge stretch, their hardware performance is below average. The capabilities of a smartphone will be insufficient for demanding tasks such as demanding games or high-definition video processing. The weakest point of this SoC, of \u200b\u200bcourse, is the backward video subsystem Adreno 306, with all the ensuing consequences. As a result, we can state that at the moment the smartphone is close to the entry level in terms of performance, a smartphone on such a platform is not suitable for any tasks, especially when it comes to demanding video games.

Testing in latest versions complex tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks, we have summarized for convenience in tables. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, therefore, many worthy and relevant models remain "behind the scenes" - due to the fact that they once passed the "obstacle course" on previous versions test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Alcatel OT Idol 3 (4.7) (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410)	Lg magna (Mediatek MT6582)	Sony Xperia E4 (Mediatek MT6582)	Lenovo S90 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410)	Samsung Galaxy A5 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	2572	2073	2120	2656	2624
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	4403	2872	2871	4335	4386
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	9 fps	7.1 fps	9 fps	9.5 fps	9.6 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	5 fps	4.1 fps	4 fps	5.4 fps	5.4 fps
Bonsai benchmark	1559 (22 fps)	1250 (18 fps)	1912 (27 fps)	1693 (24 fps)	1726 (25 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Thermal images

Below is a thermal image of the rear surface (top in the photo - right), obtained after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

It can be seen that the heating is localized (but not very pronounced) in the upper part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was only 37 degrees, which is quite a bit.

Video playback

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

According to the test results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders, which are necessary for full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To play them successfully, you will have to resort to using a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings in it and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

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

¹ audio in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; the standard player does not have such a setting

Testing of video output features was carried out Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)" Red marks indicate possible problemsrelated to playing the corresponding files.

According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) to be displayed with a more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. Except for 60 fps files, in which case several frames are always dropped. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the edge of the screen, one to one pixel by pixel, that is, in the original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all shades are displayed in shadows and highlights.

Battery life

The Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 (4.7) has a small, non-removable battery of only 2000 mAh. As in the case of the older model Idol 3 (5.5), there is also power consumption, which is not too usual for ordinary smartphones, depending on the modes: in reading mode e-books and in games the device turned out to be quite economical, but when playing video films the results were simply deplorable. In normal operation, the device confidently survives a day. The developers themselves promise up to 17 hours of talk time and up to 500 hours of standby time. The tests were traditionally carried out without using any energy-saving functions and modes, although the device has such.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Alcatel OT Idol 3 (4.7)	2000 mAh	15h 00m	6h 00m	4h 10m
Lg magna	2540 mAh	13h 30m	10h 00m	4h 00m
Lg spirit	2100 mAh	12h 00m	8h 30m	3h 20m
Philips S398	2040 mAh	12h 00m	7h 00m	3h 30m
Sony Xperia E4	2300 mAh	13h 00m	9h 00m	5h 00m
Samsung Galaxy A5	2300 mAh	14h 00m	11h 00m	4h 20m
Lenovo S90	2300 mAh	11h 00m	9h 30m	3h 50m
LG L Bello	2540 mAh	14h 00m	10h 20m	4h 50m
Fly tornado slim	2050 mAh	10h 30m	7h 00m	3h 10m

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m2) lasted 15 hours until the battery was fully discharged, and while continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) at the same level brightness through home network The Wi-Fi device lasted no more than 6 hours. In game mode, the smartphone operated for a little over 4 hours. A full charge takes 2 hours 30 minutes.

Outcome

As for the price, for the younger model Alcatel One Touch Idol 3, with a screen diagonal of 4.7 inches, it has already been determined and amounts to 13,990 rubles, which for such a balanced and pleasant-looking mobile device seems to be quite an adequate price. Only the weak hardware platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 let us down here, otherwise we have a quite nice image model with a nice design, high-quality assembly, an excellent screen, high-quality sound and autonomy, as well as a rich set of network capabilities, where the only limitation is the lack of Wi-Fi frequency. 5GHz Fi is more than offset by more important and useful LTE support. The smartphone turned out to be really interesting in all respects, there are no outright failures in anything, especially considering its noble pedigree and not too high official price.

With the current development of the mobile industry, it has become difficult for all manufacturers to surprise and stand out. Large companies stall in fruitless attempts to impose fake innovations on users, and those brands that are smaller, on the contrary, catch up with the leaders at turbo speed along the way without disdaining to experiment (after all, they want to catch up not only with A-brands, but also with competitors of their level). The Alcatel OneTouch brand decided to make the Idol 3 family chip not the iron component or materials, but the ability to work upside down, tied to design and software. We have at our disposal a small Idol 3 4.7 and a large Idol 5.5. If you are ready to learn their features and differences, then start reading and watching the video!

Technical alcatel specifications OneTouch Idol 3 4.7 (6039Y single SIM and 6039K dual SIM):

Display: 4.7 ", 1280 x 720 pixels, IPS, 312 ppi
Front camera: 5 MP, f / 2.5, 1080p video recording
Processor: 4 cores, 1.2 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
Graphics chip: Adreno 306
RAM: 1.5 GB
ROM: 8 or 16 GB (for one-symbol and two-symbol)
Memory card: microSD (up to 64 GB, only for one-symbol)
GPS and GLONASS
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n)
microUSB 2.0
FM radio with RDS
Hi-Fi sound
Battery: non-removable, 2000 mAh
Dimensions: 134.6 x 65.9 x 7.5mm
Weight: 110 g

Specifications Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 5.5 (6045Y single SIM and 6045K dual SIM):

Network: GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), UMTS / HSDPA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), LTE (1/3/7/8/20)
Platform (at the time of announcement): Android Lollipop
Display: 5.5 ", 1920 x 1080 pixels, IPS, 401 ppi
Camera: 13 MP, f / 2.0, flash, autofocus, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 8 MP, f / 2.3, video recording 1080p
Processor: 8 cores (4 x 1.5 GHz + 4 x 1 GHz), Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
Graphics chip: Adreno 405
RAM: 2 GB
ROM: 16 or 32 GB (for one-symbol and two-symbol)
Memory card: microSD (up to 128 GB, only for the monosymbol)
GPS and GLONASS
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n)
microUSB 2.0
FM radio with RDS
Two stereo speakers with JBL Clari-Fi technology, 2 x 1.2 W
Hi-Fi sound
Dual SIM support (not all models)
Battery: non-removable, 2910 mAh
Dimensions: 152.7 x 75.14 x 7.4mm
Weight: 141g

Video review and unpacking

Design and equipment

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 4.7 came in a sealed box, which made it possible to evaluate the official Russian configuration. It assumes the device itself, documentation, a needle for a SIM / microSD tray, a microUSB cable, charging (1 A) and JBL headphones. Most likely, the set of accessories for Idol 3 5.5 is no different.

I expected a lot more from the JBL headphones included in the box. The flat cable and good design are attractive, but the extremely inexpressive sound without bass and details does not allow using the product for its intended purpose (if you respect your own ears, of course). Even the Xiaomi Piston 2 or 3 (review) for $ 15 plays better. So give the complete solution to the cat, let it play. Looking ahead, I will say that loud statements like "the sound of Idol 3 was brought by JBL itself, so get ready for pleasant goosebumps from the incredible quality" are partly also zilch, but more on that below.

In terms of design, Idol 3 4.7 and Idol 3 5.5 are like twin brothers. One, however, ate little in childhood, and the second ate carrots. Obviously, the small model was taken as a basis for the large model. Otherwise, I cannot explain why the keys on the ends of the Idol 3 5.5 are at the same distance from the top edge as the Idol 3 4.7 - it is very inconvenient to reach them. Even the 5.5 ”Apple iPhone 6 Plus (review), which only the lazy did not kick for the ill-conceived button placement, the controls are below. Borders and margins are not large, but not small either - normal in general. The younger Idol 3, which came in a new box, did not start to creak during the study. And the big Idol 3, which turned out to be a prototype from a pre-release batch, creaked with a lid and sides. I think commercial Idol 3 5.5 should be built as well as Idol 3 4.7.

The arrangement of the elements on the case is slightly different. On the front panel, you can see light and proximity sensors, a front camera (5 MP for Idol 3 4.7 and 8 MP for Idol 3 5.5), an LED indicator and two stereo speakers. On the left is the power button and the SIM / microSD tray. On the right is the volume rocker. The bottom end has a microUSB port and a microphone, while the top has an audio jack and a second microphone. At the back is a 13MP camera with flash and logos. It is curious that the phones, being made in one color, differ in the shade and texture of non-removable covers. The Idol 3 4.7 has a grayer lid, it is more matte and rough and, as a result, less soiled and slippery.

The manufacturer claims the same power for the stereo speakers through the NXP 9890 amplifier (two 1.2 W speakers). In fact, Idol 3 4.7 is louder, and Idol 3 5.5 plays a little deeper, but there is also a negative point - back coverhaving a large area, it vibrates unpleasantly from the sound of Idol 3 5.5. Both Idol 3s are louder than the Sony Xperia Z3 + (the model's moisture protection is harmful) and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. However, the Alcatel One Touch is quieter and weaker than the Motorola Nexus 6. The official Idol 3 web page says the speakers "deliver surround Hi-Fi sound thanks to JBL's advanced Clari-Fi technology." This technology supposedly restores the original sound quality of compressed music files. I'd like to look into the eyes of the audio experts at JBL who are able to distinguish MP3 (at least 128kbps) from FLAC by ear from microscopic smartphone speakers. I'm afraid it's due to the good sound, mostly in the number of speakers. As for the Hi-Fi quality from the built-in speakers, this is not even funny.

The models have different displays. The youngest got a 4.7 "HD panel with 312 ppi, while the older one sports a 5.5" Full HD screen with a density of 401 ppi. Idol 3 4.7 shows color inversion and bleaching when tilted, while Idol 3 5.5 behaves excellently when tilted. The screen of Idol 3 4.7 is cold and Idol 3 5.5 is warm. Since we are dealing with IPS, other specimens may have a different temperature. Unfortunately, there is no way to adjust it in the settings. For their classes, the devices have very good displays.

The slogan reads that "Idol 3 is ready for any turn." The point is that you can take the phone out of your pocket or bag upside down and the interface of any application will be oriented correctly (you don't even have to turn the device in your hands when there is an incoming call). There are no complaints about the software implementation, as well as the implementation of the speakers, as well as the symmetrical form of the models in general - they correspond to the idea. But there are a couple of key points with which the Idol 3 can be taken by surprise when cornering and that prevent it from being considered 100% reversible. First, I'm wondering at what stage the engineers and designers disobeyed the programmers by placing the buttons on the side edges to a great height. When turning, as you understand, changing the volume with your little finger, as well as pressing the lock key with your thumb muscles, is not very comfortable. I think the buttons needed to be centered. Secondly, by pulling the device “upside down” out of jeans in order to quickly take a picture of something cool, you block the peephole with your hand (in vertical or horizontal orientations) and you still have to take the Idol 3 correctly. And even holding the phone upside down not for a photo, but for other purposes, you will constantly blurt out the camera - you will have to wipe it regularly. You will not be able to reach the gadget in the traditional position without looking because of the symmetry. After all, tactilely it is not clear where there is in front, where is the back. The audio jack on the top, by the way, also does not contribute to "proper storage in pants" - but the interface adapts to the player, which is a plus in comparison with asymmetrical models, where the jack is also at the top. In my opinion, the concept itself is cool, but there are certain inconveniences behind it, so I would not consider it a competitive advantage. Apparently, they are the reason why reversible smartphones have not yet gained popularity - they are not worth the trouble.

Software

The software base is Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with a proprietary launcher. Since there is no difference in the software, and it is more convenient to work with a large screen, Idol 3 5.5 was taken as the basis of the material. The company abandoned attempts at large-scale customization of the interface and only slightly modified the vanilla shell. It turned out pretty.

In addition to traditional tables with folders, icons and widgets, there is a OneTouch Stream screen. It displays weather, news, popular programs and wallpapers. Some branded applications, once on the desktop, turn into widgets. You press, for example, a radio or a proprietary audio player, and instead of a full-screen program, your gaze is presented to a menu with control keys opened in a third of the display. To go to full screen mode, you need to click on the icon in the upper right corner.

A notification shade with shortcut keys is standard. In the menu of active programs there is a broom with which you can close all applications at once. Five buttons can be displayed on the lock screen for quick access to some functions (calculator, player, selfie camera, writing SMS, voice recorder and others). The buttons are small and if you have a lot of notifications on the lock screen, you may have difficulty activating the desired function quickly. Especially on Idol 3 4.7.

Now about the settings. There are few options in the Gestures section, but there is a much needed double tap to turn the display on and off. In the "Screen" animation is selected when rotating 180 degrees (two out of four lag). If you get a case for Idol 3 5.5, you can customize it in the appropriate paragraph. If you use a memory card, you can install applications on it. There is support for OTA updates, I received something on both phones.

There are a lot of pre-installed applications: antivirus, audio services, demo versions of games, some proprietary software, social network clients, and more. There is no point in talking about everything (screenshots are enough), although I will focus on the Mix program.

"Mix" is a proprietary audio player (in vertical orientation) with the ability to create mixes on virtual turntables (in horizontal orientation). I don't understand much about DJing, but something tells me that it is unlikely that I will be able to create something sane on the phone. I would be glad to be wrong. At your service are sliders of track playback speed, volume balance, equalizer, sound samples, rhythmic drums. As a player, "Mix" can be used, but its interface will take a little getting used to in order not to make random scratches on the record. As a DAC in Idol 3 (in both models) the AKM AK4375 chip is used, familiar from the family ZTE Nubia Z9.

They say that JBL specialists were involved in fine tuning the sound. But it is not clear what sound exactly. The fact is that in the settings in the section "Melodies and notifications" there is a JBL item with effects from JBL, which simply disfigures the original performance. If you turn off this deterioration, then the sound from Idol 3 is at the level of the top-end LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6 - good enough to satisfy the vast majority of mobile listeners. In conjunction with the Denon D600 headphones, we can note quite sharp highs, good mids and balanced bass. And if you turn on the JBL gadgets, then the high ones go away, boom appears, the middle begins to cut on the ears, mixing the guitar parts into a sickening gash, and the basses loosen up and appear where they are not needed. It seems that I did not put on Japanese headphones for 25 thousand rubles on my head, but a fake Beats from the subway crossing.

Camera

The main cameras of the Idol 3 models are the same: a 13-megapixel sensor, f / 2.0 aperture, single flash, autofocus. The camera app offers several modes, including manual mode with awkward choices for white balance, focus, shutter speed, and ISO. There are settings, but apart from the resolution and exposure, there is not much to change. The pictures come out almost identical. Sometimes, depending on the specific conditions, case, firmware, the white balance may slightly float - it's hard to notice. However, in general, that Idol 3 4.7, that Idol 3 5.5 can be praised for detail and color reproduction. Phones shoot especially well in good light. Classmates tensed, yes.

Idol 3 4.7 and Idol 3 5.5:

Idol 3 4.7 and Idol 3 5.5

The front cameras are different. The Idol 3 4.7 has a 5-megapixel module with an aperture of f / 2.5, and the Idol 3 5.5 has an 8-megapixel module with an aperture of f / 2.3. Strange, but selfies for the younger model come out better in clarity and are often not inferior in colors. Perhaps the programmers have not finished the Idol 3 5.5 front-facing software yet, and after some time it will still show itself. But for now, like this:

Idol 3 4.7 and Idol 3 5.5

After good photo opportunities, I mentally prepared for a pretty good video, but, alas, oh. The maximum resolution for videos from the front and rear cameras is capped at 1080p. At the same time, Idol 3 4.7 writes video at 23 fps from the main camera and 30 fps from the front camera, and Idol 3 5.5 produces 30 fps when recording from the main camera and 15 fps from the front camera. The detail from the main cameras could be higher for Full HD, and the AF tracking is in no hurry to aim when changing the plan. Electronic stabilization does not shine with efficiency, but it is still better with it than without it. The sound is written poorly on both models, but the Idol 3 4.7 is still worse. The color rendition from the front camera of the Idol 3 5.5 seemed nicer, but the laggy picture shakes a lot in motion. In general, the Alcatel OneTouch has a sadness with the video, but the photos are good.

Benchmarks and performance

In nature, there are several versions of phones. Modifications 6039Y (Idol 3 4.7) and 6045Y (Idol 3 5.5) are single-SIM, have a microSD slot, and 6039K (Idol 3 4.7) and 6045K (Idol 3 5.5) without microSD, but they have support for two SIM-cards. The amount of internal memory also varies. The one-symbol Idol 3 4.7 has 8 GB, the two-symbol has 16 GB. Single-SIM Idol 3 5.5 offers 16 GB, dual-SIM - 32 GB. However, these are all volumes declared by the company. It turned out that Idol 3 4.7 with the number 6039Y does not have an 8 GB chip, but a 16 GB one! The manufacturer programmatically cut the memory in half to separate the 6039Y and 6039K, as well as 6039Y and 6045Y, but users have the opportunity to completely unlock the drive. Read instructions

Specifications

Android 5.0.2
Screen 4.7 inches, IPS, 720x1280 pixels
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset, 4 cores up to 1.2 GHz, Adreno 306 graphics coprocessor
1 GB random access memory, 16 GB internal, microSD memory card
microSIM
13MP Sony EXMOR camera, LED flash, 5MP front camera
NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, LTE

DIMENSIONS	134.6 x 65.9 x 7.55mm
DISPLAY	4.7 ”HD 1280 x 720 IPS 16M color display OGS full lamination Capacitive multi-touch 5 points
OS	Android L
BANDS	Micro SIM, EAP SIM, Dual SIM available GSM Quad (850/900/1800/1900) UMTS 850/900/1900/2100, HSPA + 42Mbps Downlink, 5.76Mbps Uplink LTE FDD: 1/3/7/8/20
CPU	Quad Core 1.2Ghz CPU
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802 b / g / n (2.4Ghz) Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, Wi-Fi, USB & BT Modem Tethering Bluetooth 4.0
CAMERAS	13Mpxl camera with autofocus, Fast Face focus, Led flash Digital zoom x4 Touch focus, smile detection, Time-lapse, geo-tagging, face beautification, Auto scene detection, Manual mode HDR, Super zoom, Panorama, night mode, burst mode, timer, QR-code scanner 5 Mpxl sub-camera Video stabilizer (EIS) Video live filters Video capture: [email protected] Video playback: [email protected] Video codec: H.265, H.264, H.263, MPEG-4, XVID, VP8, VC-1
CHIPSET	MSM8916
MEMORY	Internal memory: 8GB + 1GB (16GB + 1GB for Dual SIM) End user memory: 11GB (TBC) MicroSD (up to 128GB)
BATTERY	2000 mAh
OTHERS	FM radio RDS, Light sensor, Proximity sensor, NFC Technicolor image enhancers, Hi-Fi, 3D audio effect

Contents of delivery

Telephone
Charger with USB cable
Wired stereo headset
Instructions

Positioning

In 2015, Alcatel decided to completely change the positioning of its devices, abandon the countless number of models with the Idol name and make only two devices in this line - one with a 4.7-inch diagonal, the second with a 5.5-inch screen. The analogy with Apple suggests itself, the company also simultaneously brought to the market two devices with different diagonals (they are the same in Alcatel, which strengthens this association). Devices such as Idol Mini, Idol X and so on are a thing of the past. For Alcatel, this is a must to focus on the best deals, make them understandable to consumers, and not be overwhelmed by many similar devices.

The Idol 3 model should be the best solution in terms of price / quality ratio, good characteristics, there is an additional feature in the form of high-quality JBL speakers, a good screen inside Android 5. The last few years, Alcatel devices have been good in terms of both functionality and design. The manufacturer creates them for a mass consumer who is not greedy for brands, and wants to use the phone as long as possible until it breaks.

The Idol 3 model in its price segment is capable of becoming a very interesting proposal that has every chance of successful sales.

Design, dimensions, controls

Outwardly, this is a usual and familiar Alcatel, the trick is that the screen protrudes slightly, and on both sides of it there are speakers from JBL. They are small, but loud and clean. It is interesting that this is one of the few devices in which two microphones are combined with speakers, you can take the phone as you like, even upside down, it does not matter. The only element that is not paired is the front camera (5 megapixels).

The case was made non-separable, which may seem like a drawback to someone. On the other hand, there are no complaints about the build quality.

On the back you can see the main camera - 13 megapixels (EXMOR from Sony last generation). It is unclear whether the device will be available in different colors, as long as only the dark gray color, typical for Alcatel.

I like the way this phone is in the hand, it is optimal in size, well comparable with other devices of this class.

Compared to Lumia 830

Display

With a 4.7-inch diagonal, HD screen resolution and TrueColor settings as a color profile, this has almost no effect on the perception of an ISP screen. The backlight settings are typical, no problem. Nice, high-quality, but not distinguishing display from others. For an inexpensive device, this is a typical solution.

Battery

The device can work for one full day under normal load. The battery capacity was unknown before publication, but I would venture to suggest that it is about 2000 mAh, it turns out something like this based on all the signs. Not much, but a day's work is quite a good time under load. Two days with moderate use.

Memory, RAM, hardware platform

The device has 2 GB of RAM, built-in 16 GB (7.2 GB is available to the user for his files, plus a small piece system memory), you can install memory cards up to 128 GB.

Inside there is a quad-core Snapdragon 410 chipset, the choice is clear based on the cost of the device, not a record holder in performance, but a good solution with LTE support.

Camera

A usual 13-megapixel camera, you can see examples of photos below. Quality is typical for this kind of product.

Communication capabilities

The model supports 4G, there is also NFC, Wi-Fi, BT 4.0 - in a word, a standard set of technologies, without any peculiarities.

Software features

Alcatel tries not to change much standard Android, but still bring their own changes, including the top five. If in Hero 2 icons with a small square had a mini-cat, then the icons have a circle and a larger window. If you want to open the entire application, press the button again.

This device has Android 5.0.2, at the time of release there may be 5.1. Alcatel has redesigned the standard interface, but not much. Some people may not like this. The phone has an FM radio, the range of functions is typical.

Otherwise, everything remains traditional - there are programs for synchronizing and archiving data, a DJ console in a separate preinstalled program.

Impression

The model will go on sale in May, the estimated price will be about 15 thousand rubles. This device will be quite good in its price class, although the competition is huge here, just remember similar solutions from Lenovo. On the plus side of the Idol 3, I would like to point out the JBL stereo speakers, which are clean and play well. But everything else is the same as the others, or a little worse. The cost does not seem to be unambiguously advantageous for this model yet, it could be lower. To fully appreciate the model, you need to talk to it for a longer time, which we will do in the near future.

In general, most modern smartphones are similar to each other. And manufacturers are trying to add something new to their new products, completely different from everything that was before. Alcatel has created two smartphones - with a large screen Alcatel idol 3 5.5 so called "shovel" and smaller version Alcatel idol 3 4.7 miniwith a reversible interface. What is a reverse interface and what else is in these gadgets follows next.

Design and interface

As mentioned above, both smartphones are reversible - speakers and microphones are located on both sides - above and below, and software ensures the correct orientation of applications in any position of the smartphone. Thanks to this, in order to, for example, answer a call, you can even take the phone upside down. In other words, when you rotate the phone 180 degrees, the camera will be covered by your hand, and the control buttons are inconvenient to press.
Of useful functions we can note the possibility of enabling the lock / unlock function with a double tap on the screen, which will come in handy when the smartphone is upside down. The design of both Alcatel idol 3 is quite nice, the smartphones are thin and light.

Screen and sound

The first smartphone - Alcatel idol 3 5.5 has a wide screen of 5 and a half inches, Alcatel idol 4.7 has a smaller screen - 4.7 inches. The screen resolution in version 5.5 is slightly better. Both smartphones have screens with wide viewing angles and high resolution. Both are bright enough to maintain legibility in sunny weather.
Dual speakers and Clari-Fi software are responsible for sound for a loud and rich sound.

Camera

The main cameras have 13 mega pixels for each of the smartphones, which allows you to take high-resolution pictures. To create high-quality photos, a number of functions are available, such as electronic stabilization when shooting on the move, fast auto focus with automatic face detection. Also, thanks to software processing, it is possible to take high-quality photos in low light.
Front cameras differ - 8 mega pixels for Alcatel idol 3 5.5 and 5 mega pixels for Alcatel idol 4.7, both options have wide viewing angles, both options allow you to take high quality selfies.

Performance

Alcatel idol 3 5.5 has an 8-core processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM. These characteristics allow you to handle even demanding applications. Built-in memory 16 gigabytes. The mini version - Alcatel idol 3 4.7 has a 4-core processor and a slightly smaller amount of RAM of 1.5 gigabytes, which is also very good. The built-in memory is half less - 8 gigabytes.
The battery is about 2000 mA for the smaller smartphone and 2900 mA for the 5.5 version.
The smartphone in both versions supports operation in 4G networks (LTE), there is a GPS module for satellite navigation.