Alcatel Idol 4 and Idol 4S hands-on: stepping it up

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Not only did the company change its logo, but Alcatel has also shifted its strategy a bit, taking one more step towards a position in the top 5 smartphone players, according to statements from executives. We’re here at the 2016 MWC taking a look at the all new Idol 4 and 4s smartphones.
The Idol 3 from 2015 was a phone we gladly recommended to anyone who was looking for a solid mid-ranger without spending a lot of money on it. This year, the Idol 4 and Idol 4s bring an even more premium looking pair of devices where glass and aluminium are the keywords. Sandwiched between two layers of glass DragonTrail on the back, and Gorilla Glass 3 on the front, is an aluminium frame that will be available in four colours, to suit everyone’s needs: gold, rose gold, dark grey, and metal silver
Both device really look and feel premium, and it’s nice to see manufacturers like Alcatel stepping up their materials and production games. However, both have grown in size this year, with the Idol 4 packing a 5.2-inch 1080p display, and the 4S with its 5.5-inch Quad HD panel. Alcatel positions both of them as flagship devices for this year, though the company likes to offer options for those who don’t want the more expensive, future proof model, and would maybe go or settle for the cheaper, less beefy, Idol 4.
Other specs include Snapdragon 617 and 652 processors for the 4 and 4S respectively, 16 and 32GB expandable storage options, 3GB of RAM for both, 13 and 16MP shooters for the Idol 4 and 4S, Android Marshmallow on both. You can find the rest of the specs on pocketnow.com.
We’re having a hard time figuring out the main selling point for the two phones, and it’s not because they’re lacking one. On the contrary, there are too many. It could be the dual 3,6 watt front firing speakers that also fire to the back when face down; it could be the JBL integration on software and earbuds, or the BOOM me up button that takes everything you do to the next level. Let’s not forget about the box that doubles as a VR goggle, and we didn’t even mention crazy fast focusing times, pocket to picture times of less than a second.
There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to these two phones, and we can’t wait to have them in our labs for our usual review treatment. Until then, we’re both pleasantly surprised and happy to see Alcatel stepping it up, in every aspect.
Folks, that’s it for now from MWC 2016, I’ve been Anton D. Nagy, and the videos have just started uploading so we’ll see you soon, with a lot more, from Barcelona. Thanks for watching!
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