Introduction
Back in February, we first caught a glimpse of the Alcatel Idol 4s at MWC 2016. In keeping with the Alcatel tradition, it was piled together with another basic Idol 4 model, as well as three other POP4 devices. Still, even amid the announcement chaos that this event is known for, the Idol 4s still managed to stick out of the bunch. Now, the phone is officially on sale in North America and we couldnt miss the opportunity to take a closer look at what appears to be the highest specd Alcatel handset yet.
Alcatel doesnt usually dip its feet into flagship waters, but the once formidable mobile titan has found its own way of surviving all this time on the dog-eat-dog market. For the most part, this has entailed catering to carrier needs and the Chinese phone maker has been throwing out a slew of entry-level to mid-range handsets hoping for something t o stick.
Every once in a while, however, amid the endless sea of Pixi and Pop devices with all their carrier-specific varieties, Alcatel still manages to come up with something impressive while maintaining on affordability.
Alcatel Idol 4s at a glance:
- 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display
- Octa-core Qualcomm MSM8976 Snapdragon 652 processor (Quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A72 & quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53)
- 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage
- 16MP, f/2.0 main camera with phase detection autofocus and 4K video recording, 8 megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM support (hybrid second slot)
- LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- Fingerprint reader
- VR goggles included (the goggles are the retail box)
- 3000mAh battery
Now, we know this point is definitely open for debate, but we fee l pretty confident in calling the Idol 4s a flagship offer. The AMOLED display with QHD resolution is about as good on paper as most other 2016 high-end offers. As far as we are concerned, 3GB of RAM is still perfectly fine and although the Qualcomm SoC in question might be from the 600 series, ample power is available thanks to four Cortex-A72 and four Cortex-A53 cores. The camera setup looks just as promising in terms of raw specs as well.
Alcatel Idol 4s in official photos
However, the Alcatel Idol 4s is priced quite unlike a flagship - at the tantalizing $399 (even $350 on pre-order). It boils down to how well the Idol 4s actually performs everyday, outside the dry specs.
Design and build quality
The Alcatel Idol 4s comes in a surprisingly slim package, measuring 153.9 x 75.4 x 7 mm - a nice and compact footprint for a 5.5-inch device. The choice of materials is also excellent and includes a largely metal frame construction. Thanks to this, the 149 gram device feels like one of the most solid and well put-together phones to come out of Alcatel.
The material list also includes a duo of Gorilla Glass 3 glasses at the front and back, as well as a thin bezel of plastic which sits between the slightly curved, 2.5D front glass and the metal frame.
Design-wise, the Idol 4s is somewhat reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S6 or S7, though the latter two do omit the aforementioned plastic layer and make for a more quality-looking ("seamless") overall appearance. Speaking of which, the Idol 4s also has edges quite reminiscent of the aforementioned Samsung pair. It also feels nice and dense, with a good weight distribution.
Alcatel Idol 4s next to the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
One thing that definitely stands out design-wise are the extra top and bottom speaker areas that extend slightly outside the rest of the device area. These are actually double-sided. In other words, there are a total of four speaker grilles, two on the back and two on the front.
The Idol 4s is equipped with a pair of 3.6-watt JBL-certified speakers with Waves Audio. They can shoot stereo audio both ways, which sounds surprisingly good, much better than on its predecessor, the IDOL 3. Pressing Alcatels Boom Key increases the volume even further.
On the front of the phone everything looks pretty standard - there are no keys as you navigate the phone using on-screen controls.
Clean front side
The back is e qually clean with a quite Samsung-esque camera bump.
Further down the back sits the round fingerprint reader. Its surface is flush with the rest of the back and has a glossy finish as well. This does make it a bit harder to find it by feel alone - a task aided only by a rather small ring. A different finish and perhaps a cut-out for the sensor would have definitely been a nice touch.
Idol 4s from the back
The sides are where things get a little less standard in terms of keys. The aforementioned Boom Key sits right in the middle on the right hand side, which is a fair enough, although putting it a little higher would have made it more convenient.
Pressing the Boom Key does different things dependi ng on the context. It can activate the speakers volume boost, music clarity improvement, launch the camera quickly, or be used as a shutter key. Although, chances are you wont be pressing it all that often.
Boom Key and volume rocker on the right
What you will be pressing, however, is the power button, which is moved to the left-hand side - this reverse setup seems to be becoming less and less common. Left-handed users would feel right at home, but it can be a bit annoying for most. Last, but not least, the SIM card tray resides on this side as well. As already mentioned, it holds two nano SIM cards and one of the slots is hybrid so you can put in a microSD card instead.
Power button and SIM card tray
As for the top and bottom sides, they both hold a microphone. Atop sits a noise cancelling mic alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the other is the main mic used during phone calls which sits across from the off-centered microUSB port.
Top and bottom of the Idol 4s
We also cant fail to mention the Idol 4s impressive retail package. Probably one of the first things you are bound to notice about the phone is that it ships with a VR headset as standard. In fact, the h eadset also doubles as a case for the device itself - definitely an original idea.
Alcatel has put quite a lot of emphasis on VR and is marketing the Idol 4s as a perfect, low-cost way to get a taste of the novice experience without breaking the bank. The handset is definitely build for it with its QHD AMOLED display and quite powerful CPU plus GPU setup. And since $400 effectively buys you everything you need to start toying with VR, the budget part is definitely there.
As for the actual VR headset you are receiving, it is hard to judge its merits without experiencing it. But you can think about it standing somewhere between Samsungs Gear VR and Googles Cardboard. It is not exactly a rudimentary experience, but still not quite as techy as Samsungs. There is no focus wheel, for example, as according to Alcatel that would have hurt user-friendliness, so you are l eft with a fixed diopter.
This set of VR goggles is the retail box
Still, it is a bit more advanced than most Cardboard viewers. For one, there are two metal plates on the bottom side of the viewer - those are on either side of your nose. These serve as buttons and can transfer your physical pressing to the Idol 4s purely mechanically through another pair of mesh pads which sit on the handsets touchscreen. That allows for easy "Back" and "Select" gestures, which is typically a hassle with simpler VR headsets. Navigation in the VR environment is also really straight-forward and intuitive(more on that in the Software section).
Other than that, the retail package cont ains the phone, the VR headset, a 2.5D tempered glass screen protector, a standard case (by Incipio), a standard set of earbuds (by JBL), a Quick Charge 2.0 wall charger with cable, and a SIM ejector tool.
Retail package
Display
The screen is one department where Alcatel definitely didnt make any compromises. When you plan on holding a display just a few inches away from your eyes (for VR), QHD resolution definitely makes a difference. At 5.5 inches, that adds up to a pixel density rating of about 534ppi. Not bad for a $400 device.
On top of that, the Idol 4s also has an AMOLED panel at its disposal, which makes for punchy and vivid colors, as well as effectively infinite contrast.
Alcatel has taken a Samsung-like approach to colors and by default the Idol 4s is set to really show off its vibrant AMOLED shades. However, if Vivid mode doesnt really appeal to you, you can always go for Natural mode. It makes the screen a lot more color accurate, bringing the average DeltaE values from a high of 9, all the way down to just 3.1, when using the Warm color setting.
Brightness is also great and so is outdoor visibility. Setting it manually at max produces a brightness of 372.9nits. Under direct sunlight, the Idol 4s enters an overdrive mode and boosts brightness even further to 684 cd/m2, much like a Galaxy smartphone would. With this kind of output, you should have zero trouble seeing this display under summertime sunlight.
Overall, the display is great and the only annoyance we can really point out is the minor color shift at certain angles. However, that is still quite common with AMOLED screens even among higher-priced handsets.
Software
The Alcatel Idol 4s boots Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box. The software in question has a very vanilla feel to it, most likely because of the decision to stick with a Google-style vertical app drawer. However, there is still quite a bit of manufacturer customization and tweaks all around. For one, the default icon pack has a distinct minimalistic look to it and so do most other elements of the main UI.
Alcatel has kept thing neat in terms of apps as well. The few pre-loaded things outside the core apps and the Google suite are mostly related to the VR aspect of the Idol 4s package and cant really be considered bloat. More on that later.
The lockscreen of the Idol 4s actually has quite a lot going on. Besides the duo of standard quick-unlock swipe zones near the bottom two corners and wallpapers that change upon every unlock, Alcatel has also added a row of five shortcuts. These can naturally be customized and rearranged to your liking with quite a few interesting options, like Add event or one gesture Navigate home.
Lockscreen with Func shortcuts
Moving on to the Home screen, there is nothing really special to discuss. It is a standard setup with multiple pages for widgets and shortcuts. The bottom row of shortcuts stays anchored to its place.
Standard Home screen
There is nothing really worth noting in the app drawer either. Alphabetical order, a search bar all done with a nice and flat design. No folders though, as they are only reserved for the Home screens.
Standard app drawer
The notification shade is quite stock-looking as well. There is the brightness slider on top with a big AUTO toggle text to it. Underneath that, an editable collection of quick toggles. The Max Audio toggle is definitely an attention grabber.
As already mentioned, the Alcatel Idol 4s has a pair of 3.6-watt, two-directional JBL certified speakers. MaxxAudio was brought on board to provide the software necessary to properly drive said speakers with really lovely results.
MaxxAudio
The rest of the settings options in the Idol 4s is pretty standard. There is one notable exception - the Boom key. It has been around on certain Alcatel devices for some time now and with mostly the same feature list. The button in question can serve different purposes depending on the context ranging from enhancing audio or quickly laun ching the camera all the way to activating the cars boost in a racing game such as Asphalt Overdrive.
Boom key options
These features are also not set in stone and there is some degree of customization left to the user.
Boom key options
Cost-effective VR is definitely a primary selling point for the Alcatel Idol 4s and a substantial part of the default software is created to power the trendy experience. Alcatel claims the whole system is as straight-forward as possible, alleviating all the possible hurdles a novice VR user could encounter. And while the end result is far from perfect, we can definitely see a lot of effort has been put on the manufacturers part.
The Idol 4s comes with a dedicated VR launcher similar to what you get with the Gear VR. It launches automatically once you place the phone it the viewer and works fairly well. The UI follow s you wherever you look and if you start drifting too far away from your starting position, it follows along as well, so you cant really lose it no matter how much you turn.
Going into VR mode
It also shows a neat QuickStart tutorial upon first launch that even clarifies where on the phone you need to put each type of 3D convent, so you can view it. The launcher itself contains a total of eight categories: shows: games, video, photo, 360, 360 photo, tutorial, and Littlstar, the last being a content provider Alcatel has teamed-up with.
VR launcher
The launcher might not be close to perfect, but sadly, content isnt all that abundant or impressive either. Out of the box you get a bunch of fuzzy-looking 360 pics and videos. Littlstar has quite a few extra experiences to offer, but, overall, what you get by default is just a basic taste of VR.
Littlstar app
Now, as already mentioned, Alcatels VR experience isnt quite as sophisticated as Samsungs Gear VR and is quite a bit closer to what Google Card board offers, only with a few improvements. This becomes even more apparent when you realize the viewer is actually compatible with Cardboard content.
Downloading the Cardboard app and using it as a stepping stone into the VR realm is definitely a good idea as you get a lot more content to play around with. Also, there is the convenience of easy access to 360 degree videos on YouTube and Street View in 3D. You can also check out Alcatels bundled VR store, but most of it links to Google Play anyway.
VR store
Performance
The Alcatel Idol 4s runs on Qualcomms still rather new MSM8976 Snapdragon 652 SoC. It is actually quite capable thanks to its quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A72, plus quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 setup and currently sits at the very top of the 600 series, definitely surpassing some older 800 models in performance.
It is also paired with 3GB of RAM, which, despite the ongoing push to 6GB, we still consider perfectly adequate for most Android workloads and usage scenarios. The Adreno 510 GPU is also pretty powerful, definitely good enough to handle QHD resolution. All things considered, the Alcatel Idol 4s is looking pretty beefy on paper and the benchmark results confirm this.
Looking at GeekBench 3 scores, we can definitely see the powerful octa-core setup pull its weight. When faced against specs and price rivals, the Idol 4s trumps them all when handling a multi-core load. In a single-core scenario, the Xiaomi Mi Max and Redmi Note 3 do appear to take the lead, but by a really small margin, easily within the margin of error. Plus, the latter does lack two whole Cortex-A72 cores in comparison.
GeekBench 3 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Alcatel IDOL 4S
4869 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (S652)
4759 - Vivo V3Max
3978 - Xiaomi Mi Max
3861 - Huawei P9 Lite
3799 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
3570 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
3321 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
3147 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
3038 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2745 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2493 - OnePlus X
2297
GeekBench 3 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
1573 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1536 - Alcatel IDOL 4S
1505 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (S652)
1466 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
1254 - Vivo V3Max
1238 - Huawei P9 Lite
899 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
689 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
628 - Lenovo Vibe K5
616
On top of raw CPU power, AnTuTu also factors in RAM, GPU and other various performance indexes from across the hardware platform and it all adds up to an even more impressive benchmark lead for the Idol 4s.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- Alcatel IDOL 4S
82744 - Vivo V3Max
76170 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
75051 - Xiaomi Mi Max
74488 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
59850 - Huawei P9 Lite
52768 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
38359 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
35291 - Lenovo Vibe K5
33414
64591
Graphics performance mostly tells the same story. In 1080p mode, the Adreno 510 maxes out the OpenGL 3.0 test and comes really close to the top on the 3.1 run.
As for the onscreen numbers, it is important to bear in mind that the Idol 4s has a lot more pixels to push due to its QHD resolution than most other 1080p contenders. Even then, it doesnt fail to impress.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Alcatel IDOL 4S
15 - Xiaomi Mi Max
15 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
15 - Vivo V3Max
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
14 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (S652)
13 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
13 - OnePlus X
9.9 - Huawei P9 Lite
7.8 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
5.5 - Lenovo Vibe K5
4.8 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
4.2
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi Max
15 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
15 - Vivo V3Max
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
14 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (S652)
13 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
12 - OnePlus X
10 - Lenovo Vibe K5
9.4 - Alcatel IDOL 4S
9.2 - Huawei P9 Lite
8.3 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
5.5 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
4.2
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 4c
10 - Xiaomi Mi Max
9.4 - Vivo V3Max
9.4 - Alcatel IDOL 4S
9.3 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (S652)
9.3 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
9.1 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
8 .1 - Huawei P9 Lite
4.6 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.6
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 4c
9.7 - Xiaomi Mi Max
9.4 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (S652)
9.1 - Vivo V3Max
9.1 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (S650)
9.1 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
7.9 - Alcatel IDOL 4S
5.1 - Huawei P9 Lite
4.9 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.1
GFX 3.1 Car scene (offscreen)
Higher is better
- Alcatel IDOL 4S
5.6 - Xiaomi Mi Max
5.5 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
3.8 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.8
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi Max
5.4 - Alcatel IDOL 4S
3.4 - Xiaomi Mi 4s
3.3 - Huawei P9 Lite
3
Camera
The Alcatel Idol 4s has a 16MP main snapper at its disposal. It employs Sonys IMX298 Exmor RS lens, which just happens to be popular among many of the close specs and price competitors of the Idol 4s. This includes the Vivo XPlay 5, OnePlus 3, ZTE Nubia Z11, Huawei Mate 8, Xiaomi Mi5 and the Asus Zenfone 3.
The f/2.0 camera is also coupled with a dual tone, dual-LED flash. Its a tiny extra feature, but one that can definitely make a difference under less-than-favorable lighting conditions. Having phase detection is also great, since it can potentially speed up the focusing system.
Alcatel has really put a lot of effort into the camera app and the end result is a really feature-rich experience. Of course, you can choose to ignore all that and simply use Auto m ode. It has a pretty standard and well laid-out UI. The settings portion of the camera app is also pretty straight-forward, so even novice users should have no problem navigating around.
Auto mode • Camera settings
Manual mode is present as well and it gives you access to ISO, while balance, shutter speed and even allows for manual focus. You can fine-tune that perfect shot to your hearts content.
Manual mode
There are also a few other modes to have fun with. For stills, you naturally get Panorama, which works well with no sights of stitching or other artifacts. There is also Fyuse Parallax, which can be used to capture an object form a few different angles and then create a cool rotate-able final result.
Panorama • Fyuse Parallax
For video, there is a special Micro-video mode that allows you to quickly stick together small clips and do some rudimentary editing on the go. There is a SLO-MO setting as well.
Micro-video
But, gimmicks aside, the Alcatel Idol 4s captures pretty nice stills. Resolved detail is plenty and sharpness is decent as well. Colors are a little de-saturate, but, overall we cant really ask more from a $400 handset.
Camera samples
HDR OFF • HDR ON
The 8MP selfie shooter does alright as well, but as is typically the case, dim the light a little and noise tends to become a major concern.
Selfie camera
Selfie samples
The Idol 4s has more than enough power to handle 4K video capture and the results look quite good. One again, there is plenty of detail and sharpness is good with focus hunting generally kept at a minimum. There is no OIS support, so you can expect shaky videos on the go. However, EIS is present and generally works well. There is also a toggle for it in the settings, which is a nice touch.
Video settings
Battery life
The Alcatel Idol 4s is equipped with a non-removable 3000 mAh battery. Definitely a respectable amount of juice for a 5.5-inch device and considering the AMOLED panel and Sna pdragon 652 combo, we sreuly expected a decent Endurance rating from the handset.
However, the reality was far from it as it only got a rating of 61 hours, which is average at best. The Video and Web Browsing times were particularly poor. Call time was a 18:34 hours, which while far from excellent, was still solid.
Still, you have got to keep in mind that while the individual test times were not so hot, the standby power draw was actually quite reasonable and thats only a step below calling it excellent.
Final verdict
The Alcatel Idol 4s is far from perfect and its appeal is far from universal. However, it seems to fall under a very particular category of devices that aim to bring high-end design, features and performance as best they can while maintaining a low price point. The Idol 4s might not be gun ning for exactly the same performance highs as the OnePlus 3 or the ZTE Axon 7, but then again at $400, it is significantly less expensive as well.
Unlike most of its direct competitors, Alcatel has a clear angle for the Icon 4s - VR on a budget, a genius move in itself. There arent that many ways to currently dip a foot in the fast-growing VR craze without spending an inordinate amount of money besides something like Cardboard. Alcatels VR tech and experience is far from perfect, but it does come bundled with the phone and compatibility and experience is definitely better than simply picking up a Google Cardboard or some of its plastic alternatives.
But even if you dont plan on riding all that many virtual reality roller-coasters, the Alcatel Idol 4s still offers good value for the hardware at hand. An equally specd vivo XPlay 5 will set you back around $550 and we found the similar HTC 10 Lifestyle online for even more. So even based on specs alone, Alcatel sure has a sweet deal for its customers.
There are also other options out there as the Snapdragon 625 has been growing in popularity, but most dont offer a QHD panel - a definite purchase incentive for some prospective buyers (or not if you go by the below-average battery life).
The Xiaomi Mi max is worth considering as its a close specs match and so are the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016), Oppo R9 Plus and the Zenfone 3 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016) • Oppo R9 Plus • Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra ZU680KL
Other good options to consider include the Snapdragon 820-powered Lenovo Zuk Z2 or perhaps even the ZUK Z2 Pro. Also, the LeEco Le Max 2 and the Meuzi Pro 6, the latter spicing things up wit h a MediaTek SoC.
Lenovo ZUK Z2 • Lenovo ZUK Z2 Pro • LeEco Le Max 2 • Meizu Pro 6
The BLU Pure XL might also be worth checking out. And the same goes for the ZTE Axon 7, another popular newcomer.
BLU Pure XL • ZTE Axon 7
But most of these options tend to exceed to $400 mark and may not be readily available on all markets. Even by this its clear Alcatel has a winner on their hands with the Idol 4s. And yes, we really hope to see this one stick.
! ( hope useful)
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