Review of smartphone ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini – a compact smartphone lineup Idol. It is not devoid of corporate identity, so good-looking. Unfortunately, there were some simplifications, they raised the processor and RAM. Let’s see what this smartphone is capable of.

Design and Ergonomics

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini is made in a similar to other models ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol-style, and that’s good. Designed Smartphone recognizable and distinctive. Housing molded, perfectly assembled and very thin, the way the thickness of only 7.9 mm. The length of the smartphone is 127.1 mm, width 62 mm and weighs 97 grams. With these parameters smartphone hardly felt in the pocket of his pants.

 

The keys and the following interfaces: at the top on the front panel is a light sensor, proximity, voice speaker, front camera of 0.3 MP and missed event indicator. At the bottom of the front panel housed three hardware touch keys are backlit. At the ends of the smartphone is a power button and a 3.5 mm jack (top), microUSB and the main microphone (bottom), a slot for a micro-SIM and microSD (right) and the volume rocker on the left (left). On the back cover is a camera lens, it is slightly above the surface of the body sticks out and has a silver bezel, a flash, a second microphone, the manufacturer’s logo and a multimedia speaker. The back cover is made of plastic simulating metal. The prints on the cover can be seen only at a certain angle, and they are easily erased. 

In general, to ergonomics smartphone criticisms do not. Connector plugs sit and firmly. To use with one hand comfortably, even though the location of the power button on the top end. Mechanical keys are tight, but well distinguishable move. The slim body, light weight materials and enjoyable device a pleasure to use. 

The operating system and shell

The smartphone runs on Android 4.2.2 operating system using its own interface. Proprietary shell pleasant to look at and is to some extent a symbiosis of MIUI and Android Jelly Bean.

Interface virtually the same as the older models. Lock screen can hold up to nine widgets from which you can go full screen. In addition to the widgets on the lock screen has four icons (set of numbers, messages, camera and unlock), which are enclosed in a circle. Selecting icons and unlock your smartphone by using small circles. It has changed its location relative to the body tilt with built-in accelerometer. This feature looks interesting and fun. By the way, while charging in the middle of the circle indicates the charge level. Not unlocked smartphone can go to the system tray, and mode switches. Change and move the icons mode switching is not possible.

After the release we get to one of the five desktops where the widgets and icons of programs. For the older models – is the main menu, while the Idol MINI – just the desktop with widgets and shortcuts of programs. On the desktop by dragging the application shortcuts you can create folders. A long press on the widget appear sliders you can use to resize the widget.

By clicking on the icon in the lower right corner, we find ourselves in the applications menu. Applications menu has three tabs: General Program, downloaded programs and widgets. Despite the refusal of some manufacturers from more preset programs ALCATEL ONE TOUCH not go on this way and found a large number of programs that benefit, they can be easily removed. Among the pre-set programs can be found antivirus, office application, a large number of social services, and almost all services from Google. There is the ability to block notifications from selected programs, as well as the choice of memory for installing applications.

The interface works well, jerks are rare, but in severe cases, run the application and subsequent exit from it – desktop shortcuts are redrawn.

As a standard keyboard installed SwiftKey. The browser loads pages quickly, his work is not satisfactory.

It is worth noting that some of the standard applications redrawn according to the general style of decoration. Among them are the compass, calculator, flashlight and radio.

Hardware Platform

It is worth noting that the smartphone can be presented in two versions 6012H and 6012D. The first version of the index c 6012X is distinguished by a SIM-card slot microSD, as well as 4 GB of internal memory. Version with index 6012D has already two slots for SIM-cards, 8 GB of internal memory, but no slot microSD.

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini works on the basis of the budget SoC MT6572 from the company MediaTek. This processor is built on 28nm process technology, has two core Cortex A7 with a frequency of 1.3 GHz. In the role of a video card performs well familiar Mali 400 MP. Although this SoC and is considered the budget, it shows good results in the synthetic benchmarks. The amount of RAM modest by the standards of the end of 2013, and is 512 MB. During normal use was no more than 140 MB of RAM. The amount of internal storage is 4 GB, of which the user can use about 2 GB.

Playing a Video

This smart not positioned as gaming, but nevertheless is sufficient for performance undemanding games.

The volume and sound quality of the speakers is good. Thanks to a careful disposition of the dynamics of the call will be hard to miss, because even when the phone is on the table, the speaker does not overlap. The microphone transmits voice quality. The headset sound good.

During most of the tasks are not heated enclosure smartphone. Networking Wi-Fi did not cause any problems, everything works quickly and breaks the connection. Search satellites slightly faster than on other devices with chipsets MediaTek.

Autonomy

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini shows the average results of autonomy. Inside the slim body hidden battery capacity 1700mAch. Medium loads such as an hour of calls, a full-time transfer of data – a smartphone is able to last the day. If the device is used more actively, it is quite likely that he will not last until the end of the working day. There is power saving mode. With the results of tests of autonomy can be found below. 

To listen to the music we used a standard player, the volume on the value of 12 out of 15, the MP3 files with a bitrate of 320 kbit / s. In the read mode disables all wireless communications, including data transmission in a mobile network, and the display brightness set to 50%. Navigation includes a route in Google Navigation app. Brightness exhibited 50%, all data communication modules disabled. When playing a video display brightness set to 50%, the volume level on level 12 of a possible 15. A video file format MKV, resolution 1024h432 points, frame 24. When playing video from Youtube display brightness set to 50%, the volume level at 12 out of 15 possible levels.
Display and Camera. 

Now even budget smartphones started to equip IPS displays. ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini boasts a 4.3 inch IPS-display with a resolution of 854×480 pixels, there is a sensor automatically adjust the brightness. The display takes up to five simultaneous key presses. The viewing angles are close to the maximum, juicy colors, the brightness is high. In the sun the display fades, but the information remains readable. The maximum brightness is 394 cd / m ², the average brightness of 199 cd / m ², and the minimum 43 cd / m ². Overestimated the minimum negative impact on the use of the device in the dark. Smartphone screen displays several shades of gray darker than they should be. The color gamut is only slightly greater than sRGB. But if you do not find fault with a smart phone is equipped with an excellent display, both for its price range.

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini has two camera 5 MP, and 0.3 MP. As discussed above, can cause the camera on the screen blocking. The camera interface is simple and intuitive. Video is spelled with a resolution of 720p. 

The camera is present regime HDR, panorama and night. In addition to the settings you can change the flash mode, turn on the timer and select the photo size. For examples of photos can be found below.

The results

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini nice smartphone that primarily different from the competition attractive design, high-quality display, good build and a beautiful visual shell. The disadvantage is the small amount of RAM.

According to the company TCT Mobile, smartphone will be sold in a version with two SIM-cards. The suggested retail price is 1399 USD, and the beginning of sales is scheduled for December 2013.

Liked

+ Build
+ Design
+ Screen

Do not like it

- A small amount of RAM

Review of smartphone ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Mini