Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ hands-on

Alcatel continues its march of improving a wide line up of Android powered devices that find homes in established and emerging markets around the world. Alcatel made headlines with the new One Touch Idol X+ for being the first smartphone that uses MediaTek’s “real” octa-core chipset.

Aside from the new silicon, this flagship shares close specifications with other class leaders in nearly every other respect. After looking through the spec sheet it seems the Idol X+ has it all, except for LTE connectivity.

Design

The physical design of the One Touch Idol X+ takes some cues from a particular Korean manufacturer with a wildly successful handset with similar specifications. The back plate of this unibody design has an optical texture that reflects light in a bit of an arcing fashion which is a nice touch. The devices on display were all dual-SIM variants, though there will be a single SIM model available.

Display

5-inches with 1080 x 1920 resolution is the new base standard for a class leading device, and the One Touch Idol X+ delivers with a very nice looking IPS panel protected by a layer of Dragontrail glass that is treated to resist fingerprints. The colors pop quite nicely and the motion of the user inputs is fluid.

Interface

The user interface, known as One Touch, for the Idol X+ does not bring any major new features, but some elements within certain Alcatel user experience apps are new, like settings and features for the camera. Underneath the presentation lies Android 4.2.2.

Processor and Memory

The engine running the show for the Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ is the new MediaTek MT6592 octa-core CPU. Tuned to 2GHz, the Idol X+ has eight full sized cores to take care of business. We did not get enough time to try and bog things down, but it is something we would like to try.

The Idol X+ will have two variants, a 16GB model and a 32GB model, each without any microSD card expansion options. The Idol X+ will also come in a single SIM and dual-SIM versions, accommodating those that have found the balance between plans and carriers.

Camera

The Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ is equipped with a 13MP camera. It is supported with digital image stabilization and an LED flash. 1080p HD video recording is part of the package. The settings of the camera allow for a wide array of manual adjustments and users now have the ability to take panoramic photo collages.

Alcatel has been able to strike a good balance between performance and cost with previous device offerings. The Idol X+’s predecessor, the One Touch Idol X was available unlocked for only $350. Pricing for the Idol X+ has not been announced, but it looks like it is on track to begin shipping in February.