Review Alcatel One Touch Idol X Smartphone
For the original German review, see here.
"Extreme", "extravagant", "unbelievable" - well, at least we know that the marketing department is not holding back. The Alcatel Idol X is praised with these words and it needs the encouragement, as this 5-inch model is picking a fight with the top guns of the smartphone industry. The test model has a slim build and is available in 5 different colors (including Union Jack). It is equipped with a quad-core SoC and a Full HD panel. The only feature clearly lacking is LTE, but those willing to give that up, can purchase this model for 320 Euros (~$436). Should Google and Apple watch out for the new kid on the block? We will find out in our in-depth review.
We have picked competitors appropriate to the high ambitions of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X: the iPhone 5s and the Google Nexus 5. The latter is quite close to our test model in price. Other test models which are priced in this region include: the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3, the LG Optimus L7 II, the Acer Liquid S1, the Asus Fonepad Note FHD 6 and the Huawei Ascend G700.
Case
The side view reveals a lot: Alcatel has built a very slim smartphone. The case measures 6.9 mm which is less than the thickness of the iPhone 5s and Google Nexus 5. In fact it beats most of the competition, except for a mere handful, like the Huawei Ascend P6. Aside from the thickness, the 5-inch smartphone is quite modest in its width as well thanks to its small borders.
Alcatel only uses synthetic materials, but the Idol X still feels very high quality. The rear panel is non-removable, which means that the battery and the back cover cannot be swapped out. The back is slightly roughened and all edges are rounded off. The smartphone feels nice in our hands.
The workmanship is good (nothing creaks) and the gaps between the materials are even. The sturdiness is okay, but heavy pressure on the back will lead to visible deformation on the panel.
Connectivity
Do not expect wonders: the Alcatel Idol X offers a micro USB slot on the bottom (for charging or data transfer) and a 3.5 mm jack on the top. We find the option of dual SIM slots to be quite enticing (placed left and right one each). Users can put in a SIM card for surfing and one for calling, or combine private and business SIMs on one device. Annoying: no Micro SD slot means that the available 12 GB cannot be further increased.
Software
The operating system of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X will be Google's Android version 4.2.2 which is still very popular with developers. Currently, the version 4.4 is catching up in a lot of Android phones but for now, the user will have to forego some comfort apps, like the new telephone app. Thankfully, this choice has a big upside: the battery life will not suffer (an issue currently in 4.4). Furthermore, the customized OS runs well on our test model and updates should be available at a later time.
Alcatel has chosen a tried and tested OS which means they need only tweak a little: from the start, some apps can be found placed in appropriate folders, which makes the OS a lot easier to navigate. However, it can also be confusing for the user in the beginning, for example, if they were looking for the settings app.
A hoard of apps is preinstalled: the standard office suite from Google as well as Kingsoft Office can be found on the smartphone. Furthermore, AVG AntiVirus, a backup app, Shazam, the "One Touch Live" shop and some games from GameLoft are all preinstalled.
Communication & GPS
Mobile networks allow users to communicate while travelling all over the world. The Quad-band GSM and Dual-band UMTS modules in our device ensure this functionality. The faster HSPA standard is also included. However, LTE is not available for the Alcatel One Touch Idol X. This may be acceptable to those who only use their smartphones for surfing on the go occasionally, but more demanding users, who may require their smartphones as mobile Hotspots, should look for an alternative with LTE capability.
We rode a bicycle to test the GPS module. The One Touch Idol X and a professional navigation device from Garmin accompanied us on the trip. The GPS module of our test model is quite accurate on straight paths but as soon as we take more turns, the GPS accuracy falls and it displays large deviations from our actual path. The professional navigation device was not perfect, but it was much more accurate in this respect. Thankfully, the Idol X is still quite handy when navigating through the streets with pre-defined routes. The model finds enough satellites outdoors to pinpoint our location with a 3 meter accuracy and indoors it can determine our location with an accuracy of up to 7 meters.
Telephone and voice quality
The telephone app has been customized a little (with rounder icons), but otherwise it remains identical to the stock Android version.
We like being able to use two SIM cards simultaneously in the device, but installing them can be a little tricky: the flaps on the sides are difficult to open. Furthermore, placing the SIM cards inside is very difficult and requires a lot of force. Thankfully, the SIMs are easy to customize once installed, as expected of Android.
Calling is simple with the smartphone and the voice quality is decent. We can hear the caller clearly and loudly and our voice is also received without major distortions (slight disturbance now and then). The speakers provide good output but at max volume, the sound is a little dull.
Cameras & Multimedia
The camera on the back is tagged "FHD", but offers far more than the Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels: 13.1 MP translates to 5503x3096 pixels. We find it interesting that the camera does not offer this resolution in the settings and can only capture pictures with up to 9 MP. We found no way of raising the resolution further with the standard camera app. In dark surroundings, an LED helps improve lighting so as to take a better picture.
Overall, the pictures we captured seem a little blurry than in other smartphones, like the iPhone 5s. Auto-focus seems to be a little overwhelmed. The picture quality is good and the colors are strong. The details are also recognizable. In poor lighting, pictures taken with no LED are blurry, which is to be expected and is the same in other smartphones. The front 2 MP camera is good for "selfies" but cannot offer the same level of detail as the rear camera.
Accessories
A headset is included in the delivery alongside a USB charger and a cable. The delivery contains nothing more other than a manual. Currently, the Germany website for the test model does not list any accessories.
Warranty
Alcatel provides 12 months warranty for its model. An extension can be bought at the shop.
Input Devices & Layout
The interface of the capacitive touchscreen is simple and easy: the sliding properties could have been better but overall, the device accepts input without delays. We also liked that the device recognized the right way to turn the display despite the angle being very flat.
The keyboard in the Android standard layout offers large keys thanks to the big 5-inch display, and is thus easy and quick to use (portrait and landscape mode). Swift-Flow is provided as an alternative to the standard Google keyboard, but it is a little inconvenient to access, as the user has to first turn it on via a menu. This keyboard offers a slightly different layout and the feature of gliding from one letter to the next and forming words in this fashion.
The voice input is processed by the original Google voice engine. It works very well, depending on how clearly each word is spoken. However, it is not yet a replacement for the virtual keyboard.
Display
Full-HD is expected nowadays, even from middle-class smartphones. The Alcatel One Touch Idol X supports a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels which is ideal for the 5-inch display. The displayed content is crisp and vibrant.
The average brightness of 484.4 cd/m² is only beaten by the Huawei Ascend G700 in this price range. The illumination of 85% is not as balanced as that of the competition, but thankfully this uneven distribution is hard to notice even when the panel displays a single color.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 491 cd/m²
Contrast: 1292:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.04 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 4.11 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
Gamma: 2.26
The relatively low black value of 0.38 cd/m² allows the smartphone to present the user with a satisfying, deep black. Furthermore, the contrast is great at 1,292:1.
The measurements with the Colorimeter and CalMAN software show a different side: the user can see a clear blue tint, which is present in many screens, and many of the blue color tones are far from the optimal value in the reference color spectrum. Aside from this, the gray levels are decent and only very bright tones seem a little washed out.
Despite the high brightness, the reflective display is prone to a myriad of reflections on a bright day. In direct sunlight, the eyes will have to strain themselves to recognize anything on the screen. If the user draws back to a shaded area, the smartphone becomes easier to use and thanks to the high brightness, it is also better suited for reading than most of the competitors.
The viewing angles of the IPS display of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X are great: top, bottom, left and right - regardless of where you look from, the content is clear to recognize. A slight rise in the contrast is noticeable at steep angles, but this is not distracting.
Performance
Four cores running at 1.5 MHz - the MediaTek MT6589 SoC is well-equipped and offers good performance. However, our test model cannot keep up with high-end models. The graphics chip, PowerVR SGX544, with a core clock speed of 357 MHz is sufficient for the latest 3D games. 2 GB RAM is quite good for this price class, as even the Nexus 5 does not offer more and the iPhone 5s offers less. Finally, 16 GB flash storage rounds off the hardware.
The Acer Liquid S1 is equipped with the same SoC and offers similar performance. All the other devices of this price class also offer similar performance, and only the Google Nexus 5 and the much more expensive iPhone 5s can claim otherwise.
The results in the 3D benchmarks are similar: a few devices, like the Asus Fonepad Note FHD 6 offer more performance than our test model. We will discuss in "Games" if and how much this surplus affects gameplay.
Surfing the web is fun as websites are loaded fast and scrolling does not cause any lags. Internet videos are buffered quickly and played fluidly. As such, our test model performs on a level with the competition. The LG Optimus L7 II lags behind and the iPhone 5s and Nexus 5 are much faster on the web.
Finally, AndroBench tests the write and read speeds of the flash storage. Our test model delivers a surprising result: it takes the peak, beating all competitors by a clear margin, and even the Nexus 5 is left behind in the dust.
| AnTuTu v4 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Alcatel One Touch Idol X | |
| Google Nexus 5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Asus Fonepad Note FHD 6 ME560CG (K00G) | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Quadrant Standard Edition 2.0 - --- (sort by value) | |
| Alcatel One Touch Idol X | |
| Google Nexus 5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Asus Fonepad Note FHD 6 ME560CG (K00G) | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Google Nexus 5 | |
| Google Nexus 5 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Alcatel One Touch Idol X | |
| Apple iPhone 5S | |
| Google Nexus 5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Asus Fonepad Note FHD 6 ME560CG (K00G) | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Browsermark - --- (sort by value) | |
| Alcatel One Touch Idol X | |
| Apple iPhone 5S | |
| Google Nexus 5 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 GT-S7275R | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Asus Fonepad Note FHD 6 ME560CG (K00G) | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
* ... smaller is better
Games
We expect a middle-class phone to run simple 2D games, but also to squeeze out a few 3D games. The Alcatel One Touch Idol X manages this feat, but the user should not expect more: games like Angry Birds: Star Wars or FIFA 14 are not a problem. Racing games, like Asphalt Heat 7, are a different story: stutters are here to stay.
The controls on the touchscreen and the position sensor work reliably and flawlessly.
Emissions
Temperature
Minus points for the overheating of the case: it is clear that the flat build cannot get rid of the heat well in comparison to other thicker phones. 36.9 °C while idle is far too high, even if it is not uncomfortable. At load, the temperatures can rise up to 39.9 °C. As the competition remains significantly cooler while idle, we have to dock a few points from the test model. Thankfully, the device never gets warmer than the hand.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.9 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.5 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.3 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The right bottom corner of the back is where the speaker is seated. We tested the sound quality with various songs and a movie. We have to praise the speaker a little: it can get quite loud without distorting sound output. The sound is heavy on high notes at max volume. At medium volume, the speaker sounds less impressive and even a little dull. Overall, the sound is decent, but music lovers should use headphones for clear and good sound.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The Alcatel One Touch Idol X is not very conservative, which is probably due to the combination of the high-class SoC and large screen. The similarly-sized Google Nexus 5 shows us that, at least while idle, the consumption can be lower: the Alcatel smartphone requires at least 1.3 W while idle, but the Google Nexus 5 can manage with 0.3 W. The max consumption while idle is 2.3 W with the Alcatel model and 1.0 W with the Google smartphone. At full load, the Google Nexus 5 requires much more power than the Alcatel test model, but it does offer much more performance.
The high power consumption is not due to the SoC, as is shown by the Acer Liquid S1 which runs on the same core: larger screen, less consumption! Alcatel seems not to have optimized the power consumption well, and this will not reflect well on the battery life.
| Off / Standby |   0.2 / 0.5 Watt |
| Idle |  1.3 / 1.9 / 2.3 Watt |
| Load |
2.9 / 4.1 Watt |
    
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Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940 | |
Battery Life
High consumption yet relatively small battery capacity? This is probably the price for such a small build. The battery of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X offers a mere 7.4 Wh. This is far smaller than the batteries of the competition. Only the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 has a smaller capacity but it also has a smaller screen.
The battery runtimes are modest: while idle, the smartphone runs for 12:26 hours, which is below-average. While surfing via the WLAN, the device suffers even more, and despite only switching websites occasionally, the battery is depleted after 3:10 hours. At full load, the smartphone lasts 1:37 hours.
This is a very disappointing result and it means that the Alcatel One Touch Idol X will have to be charged much more often. The Acer Liquid S1 beats it in the WLAN test by about double the time and the Google Nexus 5 offers 4 times the battery life.
Verdict
An extravagant human being may be flawed. So what about an extravagant smartphone? The Alcatel One Touch Idol X excites users with its slim build, great display and the option of using two SIM cards. In other areas, like the performance, it is decent. The OS, the warranty, the accessories and the camera are all okay and offer no major highlights.
The Idol X can be hard to use at times, for example, while installing a SIM card: once the hard-to-access flap is open, the user still has to force the SIM card into place. After all this, the user will not be happy to note that the smartphone has to be charged again within a few hours as the battery life is poor.
Smaller flaws like the relatively high surface temperatures and the (slightly) outdated Android version can be overlooked as they do not disturb the user in everyday use. The camera is far more annoying as it does not allow the user to capture pictures in the max resolution.
The Alcatel One Touch Idol X is a good attempt at a high-end smartphone, but due to the poor battery life, we believe it is a failed one. If the user can live with a short battery life, then this extravagant smartphone with a great screen and slim build is available for a reasonable price. Plus, we finally have a high-performance phone with a dual-SIM option.
