Idol Alpha is a new model that comes to us from Alcatel. Not only is it new, but completely fresh and likable. It may not be the best on the market, but it is certainly one of the most recognizable we can meet these days.
Alcatel Idol Alpha has a very thin and well-designed body, which is characterized by transparent plastic surfaces on the top and bottom. Design is its main commercial side, because, apart from the looks, it is a relatively average member of the middle segment.
Alcatel Idol Alpha Design
The phone is an interesting combination of both materials and design philosophies. The main part of the phone is made of aluminum, while the sides, as well as the upper and lower side, are made of plastic. Plastic is not only transparent, but also has the role of an LED notification light, which is certainly useful and very nice.
Apart from having a pleasing transparent surface, the Alcatel Idol Alpha is one of the thinnest models at the moment. With a width of only 7.5 mm, it is a real pleasure to hold it in your hand, and in addition, it is fantastically light (only 117 grams).
When it comes to its dimensions, I think the phone is quite compact, although due to its 4.7-inch screen, it is sometimes not practical to use with one hand. However, the phone is not too big and more or less fits in every pocket.
Another thing is interesting about this model. The Alcatel Idol Alpha has three standard capacitive keys, but they are located on transparent plastic, so it will be a little strange and unusual for you, as it was for me. Of course, you will get used to it quickly, so there are no major problems.
Alcatel Idol Alpha Screen
This 4.7-inch screen comes in IPS LCD technology with 720×1280 pixels, with quite a decent 312 pixels per inch. This means that when you take the phone in your hands and turn on the screen, you will not see pronounced pixels.
Perhaps the only difference compared to better screens can be seen if you place the Alcatel Idol Alpha next to a model with an HD screen and try to read the smaller text. Then you can see why it is good to have an HD screen, which is not the case here.
When it comes to colors on the screen, they are quite strong, it seems to me a little and too pronounced, which sometimes does not correspond to their appearances in nature. If that doesn’t bother you, the rest is ok.
When you take your phone outside, the screen is bright enough to withstand daylight, so there are no problems in these situations, but sometimes it reflects too much light, which creates a mirror effect, so you may find yourself straining your eyes to see what is on the screen.
Given that the ganc phone is new, it is incomprehensible why the phone runs on the 4.2 Jelly Bean version of the Android OS. In addition, there is a distinctive Alcatel interface. The interface is light (therefore, does not burden the system) and looks quite modern.
Alcatel Idol Alpha Specification and Performance
I have already mentioned that the Alcatel Idol Alpha is a member of the middle class. The phone runs a Quad-core Mediatek processor at 1.2GHz. It is enough to do a valid job with moderate applications and operations.
This means that if you are an average user, you will not have problems with braking and downtime. However, if you need more demanding applications and games, Idol Alpha comes with less obstacles.
The phone has 16GB of internal memory, which is expandable up to a maximum of 32GB. The phone does not support LTE connection, but 3G and Wi-Fi are available.
The Alcatel Idol Alpha uses a 2,000mAh battery. If we know that competitors use significantly larger batteries, it is clear that this one will not have the performance of other models.
With average use, you will have the opportunity to wait for the end of the day. If, on the other hand, you need something more difficult to use, it is very possible that you will need a charger even before going to bed.
Alcatel Idol Alpha Camera
The 13MP camera comes with autofocus and LED flash. The front camera has 1.3MP. The camera activates quickly, and it’s pretty good for me too. The options available to the user are easily accessible and clear. The camera also has an HDR option, but in that case you have to count on slower operation.
The photos this camera takes are, to put it mildly, average. The colors are unnatural, often washed out and gloomy. It seems to me that indoors the camera does a better job.
The level of detail is not at a satisfactory level, and the edges of the photo can be a little diluted. The Alcatel Idol Alpha has the option to record full HD video, which doesn’t look bad. The colors in the video are correct, the brightness is at a good level, and the sound quality is acceptable.
Alcatel Idol Alpha Conclusion
Alcatel Idol Alpha in mid-June 2014 costs around 360 euros. The reason for that is that the device is new, but also the unrealistic assessment of Alcatel that it made a great phone.
If we know that for the same money you can take some of last year’s premium models, then it is clear that the Alcatel Idol Alpha is not exactly the best example of a good purchase.
Many of these phones have incomparably better features than this model, so feel free to consider the Samsung Galaxy S4 or LG G2. Unfortunately, the Alcatel Idol Alpha is a very nice phone, but its average features and slightly higher price slightly spoil the overall impression of it.