 "Alcatel is back with an 'Idol' phone")
Another smartphone is knocking on our doors. And this time it’s not a Samsung or a Sony, but an unconventional global brand, Alcatel One Touch, which brings its breakthrough model, Idol X+.
On my way to the launch event, I did not put my hopes up. To my surprise, I was quite impressed with the bountiful package Alacatel One Touch Idol X+ had to offer. The ‘X’ factor of the octacore phone is defined by a Boomband and JBL headphones that come bundled with it.
The Idol X+ looks good, feels good. Designed on similar lines of Micromax Canvas, the device is slim, stylish and fits snugly in your palm. Idol X+ boasts of a shiny metal body. However, once held, it felt more like plastic. The easy grip facilitates one-handed operations.
The Idol X+ comes with Smartcore control, which ensures uninterrupted music and video streaming even when the phone is running on low battery. The 2,500 mAh battery provides a decent 16 hours of 3G usage.
Shutterbugs have a reason to rejoice with the 13.1 MP camera. With the support of Octacore processor, videos can be recorded in Full HD, without any lags. The video stabilisation feature works out well. I tried to click as many photos as I could in various angles and situations and to my satisfaction, all the photos came out sharp. The camera is indeed one of the strengths of Idol X+.
What really set the room abuzz, however, was the Boomband. This touch sensitive notification device takes off in the lines of the Samsung S5 Gear. A faithful assistant to the phone itself, it manages all incoming notifications such as missed calls and messages with a double-tap. With the Boomband, you don’t have to worry about misplacing your phone. Once you walk away from your phone, a quick vibration on the Boomband would remind you to get back to your device. It doubles up as a healthband, measuring your workout, jogging and running time laps. The Boomband helps you set up quick alarms. It comes in the choices of red, black and blue colours. Despite its multiple features, the Boomband doesn’t look as stylish as the Samsung Gear or the Sony Smartband.
It looks more like a knockoff of a cheap chinese watch. The Boomband can be operated with other devices with Android 4.3 and above by downloading the required app. Currently available only with the phone, there are also rumours of an independent release of the Boomband.
The JBL headphones are an added bundle of joy for music buffs. One can expect pitch perfect sound clarity, courtesy of JBL. Idol X+ boasts of speakers specially designed for gaming. But, the awkward positioning of the side speakers at the phone’s bottom is a bummer. While playing a game on the device, my fingers snubbed the speakers, hindering the experience.
The whole package will be available on Flipkart from June 3 at a price of Rs 16,999.
Key Features:
* 5” Full HD IPS display
* Octa Core 2 GHz
* 13.1 Mpxl Full HD main camera
* 2 Mpxl 1080p front camera
* Hi-Fi sound
* HD video
* 8.1mm thin
* 2500mAh battery
On my way to the launch event, I did not put my hopes up. To my surprise, I was quite impressed with the bountiful package Alacatel One Touch Idol X+ had to offer. The ‘X’ factor of the octacore phone is defined by a Boomband and JBL headphones that come bundled with it.
The Idol X+ looks good, feels good. Designed on similar lines of Micromax Canvas, the device is slim, stylish and fits snugly in your palm. Idol X+ boasts of a shiny metal body. However, once held, it felt more like plastic. The easy grip facilitates one-handed operations.
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The 5-inch Full HD IPS display offers a gorgeous resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. The vivid 16M colour edge-to-edge display brings out the best in 1080p videos and highly detailed games. The Idol X+ is one of the first few smartphones with a 2 GHz processor in the Indian market, along with its biggest competitor in the same segment, Micromax Canvas Knight. It implies lagless video playback, immersive gaming experience and smoother net browsing. The added 2 GB RAM makes the sandy canyons and shimmering cars of Asphalt 8 come to life.
The Idol X+ comes with Smartcore control, which ensures uninterrupted music and video streaming even when the phone is running on low battery. The 2,500 mAh battery provides a decent 16 hours of 3G usage.
Shutterbugs have a reason to rejoice with the 13.1 MP camera. With the support of Octacore processor, videos can be recorded in Full HD, without any lags. The video stabilisation feature works out well. I tried to click as many photos as I could in various angles and situations and to my satisfaction, all the photos came out sharp. The camera is indeed one of the strengths of Idol X+.
What really set the room abuzz, however, was the Boomband. This touch sensitive notification device takes off in the lines of the Samsung S5 Gear. A faithful assistant to the phone itself, it manages all incoming notifications such as missed calls and messages with a double-tap. With the Boomband, you don’t have to worry about misplacing your phone. Once you walk away from your phone, a quick vibration on the Boomband would remind you to get back to your device. It doubles up as a healthband, measuring your workout, jogging and running time laps. The Boomband helps you set up quick alarms. It comes in the choices of red, black and blue colours. Despite its multiple features, the Boomband doesn’t look as stylish as the Samsung Gear or the Sony Smartband.
It looks more like a knockoff of a cheap chinese watch. The Boomband can be operated with other devices with Android 4.3 and above by downloading the required app. Currently available only with the phone, there are also rumours of an independent release of the Boomband.
The JBL headphones are an added bundle of joy for music buffs. One can expect pitch perfect sound clarity, courtesy of JBL. Idol X+ boasts of speakers specially designed for gaming. But, the awkward positioning of the side speakers at the phone’s bottom is a bummer. While playing a game on the device, my fingers snubbed the speakers, hindering the experience.
The whole package will be available on Flipkart from June 3 at a price of Rs 16,999.
Key Features:
* 5” Full HD IPS display
* Octa Core 2 GHz
* 13.1 Mpxl Full HD main camera
* 2 Mpxl 1080p front camera
* Hi-Fi sound
* HD video
* 8.1mm thin
* 2500mAh battery