Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ Review – First True Octa-core Smartphone from Alcatel

We got a lot of handset this year with names with a suffix, plus (+). It is implied that it is an upgrade from the previous models. Announced last February 2013, the Alcatel One Touch Idol X was dubbed as an ultimate upgrade from the previous One touch handsets. Just recently, the Idol X+ has been announced and factors such as weight, thickness and processor are yet to be considered. This is my review of Alcatel One Touch Idol X+, the first octa-core smartphone from Alcatel.

Design

The display of the One Touch Idol X+ is the same with last year’s Idol X. It is still 5 inches with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 and a beautiful 441 pixel density. Nevertheless, the screen of Idol X+ is now protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 unlike with the Idol X, that’s only protected by a mere scratch-resistant glass. I am immediately impressed with its viewing angles, the bezels are thin and the colors and saturation are absolutely stunning.

The slots and buttons are retained with the X+ but the speakers are now strategically placed at the bottom part of the device and the reverberations are pretty much solid and acceptable.

Because it features a dual sim capability, the micro sim slots are placed at each sides of the X+ and can be operated a little tricky. A small pimple can be easily pressed to open the flap, insert the sim and a magnet keeps it in place if you close the flap. The design is unusual but definitely adds to the premium feel for the device.

Although the device is a 5-inch, its power button is difficult to reach if you got small hands but nonetheless, the power and volume rockers can be easily pressed because of its decent tactile feedback.

Compared to its predecessor, the X+ is much thinner and much more glossier than the soft-touch plastic build of the X. It is as if holding a Samsung Galaxy S4 or equal to that. If you’re too careless, it can easily slip through your hands because it is too shiny and slippery.

Performance

The recent One Touch Idol X had a setback because of its quad core processor but now, Alcatel gave it all to the new Idol X+. They’ve added a “true octa-core” processor inside and although, it is still from Mediatek, the MT6592 promises to fire away 8 cores simultaneously. It is the biggest improvement since the release of the One Touch Idol X. Alcatel also included a 2 GB RAM to aid the loading time and other computing factors. We got the 32GB of memory but it is not expandable unlike the single sim X+. The UI of the Idol X+ is also developed to reach the minimalistic style. Icons are still square but the design is a little bit tweaked for user’s suggestions. It runs with Android 4.2 Jellybean and upgradeable to KitKat. The benchmarks are the solid proof to Idol X+’s speed and stability.

Camera

The 13-megapixel snapper of the One Touch Idol X+ is paired with LED flash that helps you capture low-light subjects at ease. The 2 megapixel fronter can capture 1080p videos. The camera app itself features transparent menus and self-explanatory options. The quality of the photos snapped by the 13 megapixel camera involves a great color saturation and you can see how vibrant the color is. The camera’s sensor is quite fast compared to other Alcatel products.

Here are my sample photos for your perusal:

Battery

The Idol X+ has Li-Ion 2500 mAh battery which could last to a day or two. It is 20% larger than the Idol X. Alcatel claims it that it has a standby of 320 hours, 20 hours of talktime and 36 hours of music play. Like its forerunner, it is non-removable because of its unibody slate.

Verdict

The Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ definitely caught my eye when I first saw its bluish-black finish and the beautiful display and resolution. Little did I know that I would be more astounded to its ‘true octa-core’ processor and its user interface is customized to minimalistic style. The X+ is the biggest upgrade since the first One Touch model, you will notice its premium metallic feel because it is light and very handy. It is very much glossier and more slippery than its predecessor and the camera is a plus factor because it captures vibrant and colors are well-saturated.

Price tag is Php 18,990 and you can choose to 2 colors: white or black. Plus, it has a JBL headphones inside the box.

Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ Specifications

• 5″ Full HD IPS display (1080 x 1920 resolution, 441ppi)
• 2GHz octa core MediaTek MT6592 processor
• Mali 450 GPU
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• 2GB RAM
• 16/32GB internal storage
• 13mp autofocus rear-facing camera with LED flash
• 3G/HSPA+, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0GPS with A-GPS
• 2,500mAh battery

Gianfranco Viterbo

Gianfranco is the co-founder of gadgetpilipinas.net. He graduated from Far Eastern University. A Psychology student turned tech-savvy. He's currently the HR Supervisor of Blip Media and one of the content producers of Gadget Pilipinas. He enjoys playing competitive video games and binge-watch American TV series.