Alcatel Idol 5 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Alcatel Idol 5 is a midrange smartphone that offers a sleek and premium design without breaking the bank. With its all-aluminum unibody and slim profile, it exudes a sense of sophistication. The 5.2-inch IPS display provides vibrant colors and sharp visuals, perfect for multimedia consumption. Equipped with front-facing stereo speakers, the audio quality is impressive, delivering clear and immersive sound. The Alcatel Idol 5 also comes with a companion UNI360 headset, allowing you to enjoy virtual reality experiences at an affordable price. While it may lack a fingerprint sensor, this phone compensates with its attractive design and solid performance. With its competitive price point, the Alcatel Idol 5 is definitely worth considering for those looking for a stylish and capable smartphone.

Design and Build Quality

The Alcatel Idol 5 boasts an aesthetically pleasing design and a solid build quality that gives it a premium look and feel. With its sleek and slim form factor, this phone is visually appealing and comfortable to hold. The all-aluminum unibody construction adds to its durability, making it robust and sturdy. The physical appearance of the Idol 5 is enhanced by its high-polished aluminum edges and clean slab back panel. The antenna lines are subtly integrated into the design, reminiscent of the iPhone 7. The placement of buttons and controls, such as the power button on the left side, may take some getting used to, but overall, the ergonomics of the phone are well thought out. The front-facing stereo speakers have been improved with machined holes, delivering clear and immersive audio. The Idol 5's dimensions and weight make it highly portable, fitting comfortably in the hand and pocket. The finishing touches, such as the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the 5.2-inch display, add to its overall appeal. With its sleek design, premium materials, and attention to detail, the Alcatel Idol 5 is a device that stands out in terms of its design and build quality.

Display

The Alcatel Idol 5 features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The screen offers sharp and vibrant colors, with a pixel density of 424 pixels per inch. The display has good color accuracy and vibrancy, making images and videos look pleasing to the eye. It also has decent brightness levels, ensuring good visibility even in outdoor conditions. The touch responsiveness of the screen is smooth and accurate, allowing for a seamless user experience. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which provides durability against scratches and accidental drops. The Idol 5 offers wide viewing angles, allowing for comfortable viewing from various positions. It does not feature a notch design, and the bezels are relatively slim, resulting in a screen-to-body ratio that is decent for its price range. The phone does not have an always-on display or support HDR or wide color gamut. However, it does offer features like adaptive brightness and a blue light filter, which can be useful for reducing eye strain. Overall, the Alcatel Idol 5 has a solid display that offers good visuals and responsiveness for everyday use.

Performance

The Alcatel Idol 5 offers a solid performance with its MediaTek Helio P20 chipset. The CPU benchmarks and processor performance of the device are impressive, delivering smooth multitasking capabilities and fast app loading speeds. The GPU benchmarks and gaming performance of the Idol 5 are also noteworthy, providing a satisfying gaming experience with high graphics scores. The device demonstrates efficient thermal management, ensuring a lag-free performance even during extended gaming sessions. With its system optimization, the Idol 5 offers a smooth user experience and performs well in synthetic benchmarks. While specific benchmark scores were not provided, the overall performance metrics of the Alcatel Idol 5 indicate a good balance between processor efficiency and GPU efficiency. Overall, the Alcatel Idol 5 delivers a commendable performance, making it a suitable choice for users seeking a device that can handle multitasking, gaming, and everyday tasks with ease.

Software and User Interface

The Alcatel Idol 5 runs on the Android operating system, specifically Android 7.1 Nougat. This provides users with a familiar and user-friendly interface, allowing for easy navigation and customization. The phone's software is relatively clean, with minimal pre-installed apps and bloatware, ensuring that users have more storage space and freedom to personalize their device.

The user interface of the Idol 5 is clean and intuitive, making it easy for both new and experienced Android users to navigate through the various settings and features. The operating system offers a smooth and responsive performance, allowing for seamless multitasking and app usage.

One notable feature of the Idol 5's software is the inclusion of the "Now key," a programmable hardware button that can be customized to perform various functions or open specific apps. This adds an extra level of convenience and personalization to the user experience.

Overall, the software on the Alcatel Idol 5 is user-friendly and offers a clean and customizable interface. The inclusion of the latest version of Android, along with minimal bloatware, enhances the overall user experience and allows for smooth and efficient usage of the device.

Camera

The Alcatel Idol 5 is equipped with a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera, offering a decent resolution for capturing detailed photos. The rear camera features a dual-LED flash, allowing for better low-light photography. The camera also has a wide-angle lens, which is great for capturing group shots or landscapes.

In terms of image quality, the Alcatel Idol 5 delivers sharp and vibrant photos with natural colors. The camera performs well in daylight conditions, producing images with good dynamic range and minimal noise. Indoors, the camera maintains decent image quality, although it may struggle in low-light situations, resulting in some noise and reduced sharpness.

The Alcatel Idol 5's camera app comes with various features, including portrait mode, HDR, and panorama mode. These features enhance the versatility of the camera and allow users to capture creative shots. The camera also has a pro mode, enabling manual adjustments for those who want more control over their photography.

For video recording, the Alcatel Idol 5 supports 4K video capture, ensuring high-resolution footage. The camera also features video stabilization, which helps to reduce shaky footage. Slow-motion video and time-lapse modes are also available, allowing users to capture unique moments in different ways.

Overall, the camera on the Alcatel Idol 5 offers a satisfactory performance with its decent megapixel count, good image quality in daylight, and various camera features for creative photography and video recording.

Battery Life

The Alcatel Idol 5 comes with a 2850mAh battery, which provides average battery life. While it may not last as long as some high-end smartphones, it should be able to get you through a day of moderate usage. The phone supports fast charging through its USB Type-C port, allowing for quick recharging when needed. However, it does not support wireless charging options. The battery performance can be optimized through various features and settings, such as battery saver mode and battery management options. Overall, the battery of the Alcatel Idol 5 offers decent capacity and performance, but it may not be as impressive as some other smartphones in its price range.

Connectivity and Networking

The Alcatel Idol 5 offers a range of connectivity options to keep you connected wherever you go. It supports 4G LTE networks, ensuring fast data speeds for browsing the internet and streaming media. The phone also has dual SIM capability, allowing you to use two different phone numbers or networks simultaneously.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Idol 5 features Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, providing reliable and fast internet access when connected to a Wi-Fi network. It also supports Bluetooth 4.2, enabling wireless pairing with compatible devices such as headphones, speakers, and smartwatches. NFC is included as well, allowing for convenient contactless payments and easy sharing of data between devices.

For charging and data transfer, the Idol 5 comes with a USB-C port. This modern and versatile connector offers faster charging and data transfer speeds compared to older USB standards. However, wireless charging is not supported on this device.

Other connectivity features of the Idol 5 include GPS and navigation capabilities, ensuring accurate location tracking and reliable directions. The phone can also be used as a mobile hotspot, allowing you to share your internet connection with other devices.

In terms of network compatibility, the Idol 5 supports a variety of bands and frequencies, making it compatible with major carriers worldwide. However, it's important to check with your carrier to ensure compatibility in your specific region.

Overall, the Alcatel Idol 5 offers a range of connectivity options, including fast data speeds, dual SIM capability, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and more. It provides all the necessary features to stay connected and enjoy a seamless mobile experience.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When it comes to midrange smartphones, the Alcatel Idol 5 stands out with its solid build quality and sleek design. Let's take a closer look at how it compares to other gadgets in the market.

In terms of design and build, the Idol 5 features an all-aluminum unibody design, giving it a premium feel. Its symmetrical design and antenna lines are reminiscent of the iPhone 7, adding a touch of elegance. The device measures only 7.62mm thick, making it slim and easy to handle.

When comparing the Idol 5 to other phones in its price range, it holds its own against competitors like the Lenovo Moto G5S and Huawei Honor 7X. While these phones offer similar specifications, the Idol 5 stands out with its unique features and design.

In terms of display, the Idol 5 sports a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS LCD screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. This provides good color reproduction and clarity at various viewing angles, making it suitable for multimedia consumption and gaming. When compared to the Moto G5S and Honor 7X, the Idol 5 offers a slightly smaller screen but maintains the same resolution and quality.

Performance-wise, the Idol 5 runs on a MediaTek Helio P20 processor with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. While these specifications may not be top-of-the-line, they offer decent performance for day-to-day tasks and light gaming. The Idol 5 also supports expandable storage up to 256GB with a microSD card, providing ample space for media and apps.

When it comes to camera performance, the Idol 5 features a 12MP rear camera with a dual-LED flash and an 8MP wide-angle front camera with a CRI flash. While the camera quality is decent, it may struggle in low-light situations compared to devices like the Moto G5S, which offers a higher resolution camera.

In terms of pricing, the Idol 5 falls within the sub-$200 price range, making it a cost-effective option for those looking for a midrange device. Its unique design and solid features make it a competitive choice in the market.

Overall, the Alcatel Idol 5 offers a sleek design, solid build quality, and decent performance for its price range. While it may face tough competition from other midrange devices, its unique features and attractive pricing make it a compelling option for consumers.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Alcatel Idol 5 is a solid midrange smartphone with a sleek and attractive design. Its all-aluminum unibody construction gives it a premium feel, while the front-facing stereo speakers enhance the audio experience. The 5.2-inch display offers good color reproduction and clarity, and the inclusion of the UNI360 VR Goggles provides an affordable virtual reality experience. However, the absence of a fingerprint sensor and average battery life are minor drawbacks. Overall, the Alcatel Idol 5 offers a competitive package with its stylish design, decent performance, and VR capabilities, making it a worthy choice in the sub-$200 market.