By Jayanta Ghosh
Alcatel recently released OneTouch Idol X+, which goes for the same price a year later as its predecessor OneTouch Idol X. The Idol X+ upgrades on the weakest spot of the Idol X, boasting the “true octa-core” MediaTek processor, instead of the wimpy quad-core that we had last year, but the other main specs, like the 5” 1080p panel, remained unchanged. Last year’s OneTouch Idol X by Alcatel managed to stand out with its excellent value-for-money proposition, as it offered a crisp 5” 1080p display, 13 MP camera and dual SIM abilities for a third less than flagships with similar specs. The Idol X+ ships with JBL headset in the box, and claims to have an enhanced audio output quality, which it calls “Hi-Fi”.
Look and Feel: The Idol X+ flaunts a comparatively thin and light body that is easier to hold with one hand than other 5-inchers. Its glossy back feels a bit slippery to hold, again compared to the soft-touch plastic of its predecessor. But the Idol X+ inherits the metallic alloy frame around the side. That rim wraps the phone around the sides, interrupted only with slim cutouts for the ports and buttons. Both the lock key up at top and the volume rocker on the right, however, are easy to feel and press. The sides also house two card slots – in our dual SIM version they are both for the carrier micro SIM cards, whereas with the single SIM variant you get a SIM slot and a microSD one. With the phone’s promise for a “Hi-Fi” sound come JBL-branded in-ear headphones, and a dual speaker set grills at the bottom. All n all the Idol X+ has got a premium finish.
Performance: Alcatel One Touch X+ has added a customized user interface to this phone which isn’t that heavy. The user interface isn’t the most intrusive or the heaviest skin out there as it does preserve some elements from stock Android, like the app drawer and settings menu. The phone comes packed with plenty of pre-installed apps, such as productivity tools, clean master, BoomBand, etc. The device comes with 16 GB onboard storage out of which only 12.3 GB is user accessible. It doesn’t have a memory card slot. It handles regular day-to-day tasks, like swiping through home screens or opening up apps, with no issues and even does a pretty decent job with graphically intensive games. We noticed some lag or the occasionally dropped frame, which gives us an inconsistent experience. The camera does a good job outdoors as well as indoors. The accompanying BoomBand accessory is Bluetooth-enabled wearable for fitness enthusiasts which tracks all your workouts and exercise activity. It also acts as an alarm in case you leave the phone behind.
Pros: Processor, RAM, looks,
Cons: Battery life, UI
Price: Rs 16,999
Specs: 5-inch display; 13 MP camera; Android 4.2; 2 GHz octa core processor; 2 GB RAM; 2500 mAh battery