Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a particular device, if any.

Design

Information on sizes and weight of the device presented in different units of measurement. Used materials offered colors, certificates.

Width Information about width - meant the horizontal side of the device when it is standard orientation during use.	62 mm (millimeters) 6.2 cm (centimeters) 0.2 ft (ft) 2.44 IN (inches)
Height Information about height - meant the vertical side of the device when it is standard orientation during use.	127.1 mm (millimeters) 12.71 cm (centimeters) 0.42 ft (ft) 5 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	7.9 mm (millimeters) 0.79 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (ft) 0.31 In (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	96 g (grams) 0.21 LBS (pounds) 3.39 OZ (ounce)
Volume The approximate volume of the device calculated on the basis of the size provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a form of rectangular parallelepiped.	62.25 cm³. (Cubic centimeters) 3.78 in³. (cubic inches)

SIM-card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to save data certifying the authenticity of mobile services subscribers.

Mobile networks

Mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to exchange data among themselves.

Mobile communication technology and data transfer rate

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

The operating system is system software, controlling and coordinating the hardware components in the device.

SOC (crystal system)

The system on the crystal (SOC) includes all the most important hardware components of the mobile device in one chip.

SOC (crystal system) The system on the crystal (SOC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, a graphics processor, memory, periphery, interfaces, etc., as well as the Softera needed for their operation.	MediaTek MT6572.
Technological process Information on the technological process to which the chip is made. The nanometers in the nanometers measured half the distance between the elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of the mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A7
Processor discharge The processor bit (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, targeted tires and tires for data. 64-bit processors have a higher performance compared to 32-bit, which are more productive for their part than 16-bit processors.	32 bits
Architecture of a set of commands Instructions are the commands with which the software is set / manages the operation of the processor. Information about the command set (ISA) that the processor can perform.	Armv7.
First Level Cache Memory (L1) Cache memory is used by a processor to reduce access to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (Level 1) Cache memory is characterized by a small volume and works much faster both the system memory and other levels of cache memory. If the processor does not detect the requested data in L1, it continues to look for them in L2 cache. With some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 KB + 32 KB (kilobytes)
Second Level Cache Memory (L2) L2 (Level 2) Cache memory is slower than L1, but in return, it is distinguished by a large range that allows caching more data. It, as well as L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not detect the requested data in L2, it continues to search them in L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	256 KB (kilobytes) 0.25 MB (megabytes)
Kingdom of processor cores The core of the processor performs software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more nuclei. The presence of a larger number of nuclei increases performance, allowing parallel execution of a plurality of instructions.	2
Processor clock frequency The processor clock frequency describes its speed by means of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or Gighellians (GHZ).	1300 MHz (Meghertz)
Graphic Processor (GPU) The graphics processor (GPU) processes the calculations for various 2D / 3D graphic applications. In mobile devices, it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc.	ARM MALI-400 MP1
Kolynism of the core processor Like a processor, the graphics processor consists of several working parts, which are called nuclei. They handle graphic calculations of different applications.	1
Clock frequency graphics processor The speed of work is the clock frequency of the graphics processor, which is measured in Meghertz (MHz) or Gighellians (GHz).	500 MHz (Meghertz)
RAM (RAM) RAM (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data that are stored in RAM is lost after turning off or restarting the device.	512 MB (megabytes)
RAM type (RAM) Information about the type of RAM (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR2.
RAM frequency RAM frequency determines its speed, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data.	266 MHz (Meghertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed volume.

Memory cards

Memory Cards are used in mobile devices to increase the amount of memory to save data.

Screen

The mobile device screen is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type / Technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology on which it is manufactured and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	IPS.
Diagonal Mobile devices the screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	4.3 in (inches) 109.22 mm (millimeters) 10.92 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.11 In (inches) 53.51 mm (millimeters) 5.35 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	3.75 IN (inches) 95.21 mm (millimeters) 9.52 cm (centimeters)
Aspect ratio The ratio of the size of the length of the screen to its short side	1.779:1
Resolution Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally screen. Higher resolution means a clearer image item.	480 x 854 pixels
Pixel density Information on the number of pixels on a centimeter or an inch screen. Higher density allows you to show information on the screen with clearer items.	228 PPI (pixels per inch) 89 ppcm. (pixels for centimeter)
Color depth The color color depth reflects the total number of bits used for the color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen may show.	24 bits 16777216 Flowers
Screen Approximate area in percent, occupied by the screen on the front panel of the device.	64.87% (interest)
Other features Information about other features and screen characteristics.	Cucitive Multitach Resistance to scratches
	Oleophobic (Lipophobic) Coating

Sensors

Various sensors perform various quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators to signals that the mobile device recognizes.

Rear camera

The main mobile camera camera is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.

Type of outbreak Rear (rear) mobile cameras mainly use LED flashes. They can be in configuration with one, two or more light sources and differ in shape.	Led.
Image resolution One of the main characteristics of the cameras is the resolution. It is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often indicate permission in megapixels, indicating an approximate number of pixels in millions.	2592 x 1944 pixels 5.04 mp (megapixels)
Video resolution Information on the maximum allowing video allowing that can record the camera.	1280 x 720 pixels 0.92 Mp (Megapixels)
Video recording speed (personnel frequency) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, FPS) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic speed recording speeds 24 FPS, 25 FPS, 30 FPS, 60 FPS.	30 frames / sec (Frames per second)
Characteristics Information on additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Geographic labels Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face Recognition

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more frontal chambers of various designs - POP-UP camera, swivel camera, cutout or hole in the display, camera under the display.

Radio

Mobile radio radio is a built-in FM receiver.

Location

Information on navigation and location devices supported by the device.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for data transfer to close distances between different devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is the standard of secure wireless data transfer between different devices of different types for short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industrial standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Plug for headphones

This is an audio connector, which is also called the audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information on other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

The web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Formats / Codecs Video Files

Mobile devices support different formats and codecs of video files that are respectively preserved and encoded / decoded digital video data.

Battery

Mobile batteries differ from each other in its capacity and technology. They provide an electrical charge needed for their operation.

Capacity The battery capacity shows the maximum charge that it is capable of saving, measured in milliamme aperture.	1700 mA · h (milliamper watch)
A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more specifically used by chemicals. There are different types of batteries, while most often in mobile devices are used lithium-ion and lithium-ion-polymer batteries.	Li-Ion (lithium-ion)
Talk time 2G. The time of the conversation in 2G is the period of time for which the battery charge is discharged completely at a continuous conversation in 2G network.	20 h (clock) 1200 min (minutes) 0.8 days
2G waiting time Waiting time in 2G is the time period for which the battery charge is discharged completely when the device is in standby mode (STAND-BY) and connected to 2G network.	540 h (clock) 32400 min (minutes) 22.5 days
Talk time 3G. The conversation time in 3G is the time period for which the battery charge is discharged completely with a continuous conversation in the 3G network.	9 h (clock) 540 min (minutes) 0.4 days
3G waiting time Waiting time in 3G is a period of time for which the battery charge is discharged completely when the device is in standby mode (Stand-BY) and connected to 3G network.	450 h (hours) 27000 min (minutes) 18.8 days
Characteristics Information on some additional characteristics of the device battery.	Removable

Inexpensive model with 4G network support

When mentioning the Chinese company TCL and the Alcatel trading brand, we first remembered the very notable top-end model of the TCL IDOL X + smartphone, the work of which is built on the new MEDIATEK platform with the maximum frequency of eight processor nuclei. However, the company's new flagship model in the new season, naturally, did not limit himself: at the beginning of the year during the MWC 2014 exhibition in Barcelona TCL introduced a whole line of new mid-level smartphones, including Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 and OneTouch Idol 2S and their various modifications. In accordance with the tradition in the mobile market, the company could not even release the version of the smartphone with the word "mini" in the title.

Such an apparatus for the company became reduced in the size of the smartphone from the above lineup, received a rather long and uncomfortable name for the name: Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S. This small sizes of the smartphone according to the characteristics is not a top device - it also belongs to the average price level, As mentioned above its "full-size" counterparts in the line. The domestic operator Beeline, for example, a few days ago, presented the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S market as an exclusive offer: the smartphone itself is offered in the salons of the operator on the "delicious" price of 7990 rubles, and this is given to it three months of free mobile Internet. True, at the same time, the buyer will have to donate something: the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S model bought in the shopping-shops, the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S model for work only with SIM cards of this operator and will not fully function with any other cards. In addition, the phone is a refinement with additional Bilayne brand applications, as it usually happens, but this question is, just solving standard methods. But to make such a device with SIM cards of other operators work, you will have to seek unconventional tools - if someone is interested in this option. Be that as it may, it is the modification of the smartphone offered by Bilayin (6036Y), is the maximum and best configuration of this model - it even has support for LTE networks, which at such a small price makes IDOL 2 mini S one of the most inexpensive 4G devices on Our market. In any case, the described smartphone seemed to us the device quite interesting and worthy to make a full-fledged review.

The main characteristics of Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S (model 6036y)

	Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S	Huawei Ascend G6.	ASUS Padfone E.	LG G2 mini.
Screen	4.5 ", IPS	4.5 ", IPS	4.7 ", IPS	4.7 ", IPS
Resolution	960 × 540, 245 PPI	960 × 540, 245 PPI	1280 × 720, 312 ppi	960 × 540, 234 ppi
SOC.		Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (4 kernel ARM Cortex-A7) @ 1.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4 kernel ARM Cortex-A7) @ 1.4 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4 kernel ARM Cortex-A7) @ 1.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 305.	Adreno 305.	Adreno 305.	Adreno 305.
Oz	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB
Flash Memory	8 GB	4 GB	16 GB	8 GB
Memory card support	microSD.	microSD.	microSD.	microSD.
Operating system	Google Android 4.3.	Google Android 4.3.	Google Android 4.3.	Google Android 4.4.
Battery	non-removable, 2000 ma · h	non-removable, 2000 ma · h	non-removable, 1820 mA · h	removable, 2440 MA · h
Cameras	relean (8 MP; video - 1080p), frontal (2 MP)	rear (8 mp; video - 720p), frontal (5 MP)	rear (13 megapixel; video - 1080p), frontal (1.2 Mp)	relean (8 MP; video - 1080p), frontal (1.3 Mp)
Gabarits.	130 × 64 × 8.5 mm, 116 g	130 × 65 × 7.5 mm, 115 g	140 × 70 × 9.1 mm, 126 g	130 × 66 × 9.9 mm, 121 g
average price	T-10724720.	T-10724716.	T-10686990.	T-10833941.
ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL 2 MINI S	L-10724720-10

• Soc Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226), 1.2 GHz, 4 Arm Cortex-A7
• GPU Adreno 305.
• Android 4.3 operating system
• Touch Display IPS, 4.5 ", 960 × 540, 245 PPI
• RAM (RAM) 1 GB, internal memory 8 GB
• MICROSD memory card support up to 32 GB
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G 850, 900, 2100 MHz
• Max 4G LTE data transfer rate up to 150 Mbps
• Bluetooth 4.0.
• Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, Wi-Fi Access Point
• GPS / A-GPS, GLONASS
• Camera 8 MP, Autofocus, LED-Flash
• Camera 2 MP (Frontal)
• Battery 2000 mA · h
• Dimensions 129.5 × 63.5 × 8.5 mm
• Mass 116 g

Contents of delivery

In our case, we received a test copy of Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini s without packaging and, accordingly, a set of accessories, so we can judge the wealth of a configuration of the smartphone only by description on the company's company's website. It indicates that in a box with a smartphone, you can find a universal compact charger, a Micro-USB connecting cable, a depository headset and user manual.

From additional accessories purchased separately, it is possible to mark a book cover with a peculiar built-in event indicator, made in the form of perforated high-speed icons - it looks pretty and certainly not too energy-cost. Without folding the covers, the user can receive information about the incoming SMS messages, mail, incoming calls, etc.

Appearance and ease of use

According to the design and form of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S, reminds previous products of the Idol series, most of all it looks like the first flagship IDOL X, which at one time liked the users. To a lesser extent, it is similar to the updated IDOL X +, although the common features in design are traced here.

The smartphone received a rather small size, an elegant and thin case, which perfectly falls into the average hand. The device has sufficiently slippery glossy side face, but due to the matte non-slip back surface, as well as small size and mass, the smartphone is comfortable in the palm of the palm. In size, the device is a little superior to Apple iPhone - more similar to another compact modern model, Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

The entire Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S Corps is fully made of plastics, the metal is not here. The housing has a monoblock structure, the back cover has a small bend and a matte non-commercial surface, which favorably affects ergonomics, and on the nearest general form of the device. The side faces are made under the form of a chrome-plated metal, but this is not a real metal, but only sputtering on the same plastic. The verge of the body practically does not have a bevels, they are wide and slippery enough.

From this building of the case, the corresponding method of installing the SIM card flows: the card is exactly the same as the first models of the IDOL series, is inserted into the side slot, which is covered on top of a not quite ordinary lid. This cover does not need to be removed by a special needle-paper, it opens on the door manner on the hinges. To open it, you must press one end of the lid, press it inside. In principle, this method of discovery was quite convenient for full-size representatives of the IDOL series, but at a reduced model, all these elements also turned out to be reduced in size, why it was not entirely convenient to manipulate with these miniature lids. In this case, you have to use something acute to press one of the ends of the cover. It also has to act with the card itself - the normal nail length is not enough to drown the SIM card to the depth needed to capture.

Similarly, the same structure has a neighboring slot to install a memory card - MICROSD format cards up to 32 GB are supported. Both lids have short leashes, they can be completely pulled out to the outside so that they do not interfere with the installation of cards. In general, the whole process is quite uncomfortable, the method of installing cards in Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini s is far from the most convenient.

On the back of the smartphone, all the elements are familiar and are located in the traditional order: from above - chamber's eyes and LED flash, from below - a row of holes for the sound of the audio speaker.

The dynamics grill overlaps the surface of the table, from which the sound of the lying smartphone is partly muffled. A single-section LED flash has pre-installed software to control it as a flashlight.

On the front surface, almost the entire front panel is covered with a flat protective glass without sideboards, a hole is cut out for a large shiny chrome-plated auditory lattice, the eyes of the front camera and sensors are seen.

The space is left below the screen for hardware control buttons by system and applications. These touch buttons have a white brightness white light, to adjust which it is not found in the menu.

Mechanical hardware keys on the sides of the device are only two, and both are located on one - right face one next to the other. The volume and block adjustment keys have a rather short move, small sizes and are completely repeated beyond the housing. In general, the implementation of control elements is not from the best, but you can get used to it.

The Micro-USB connector placed here in the lower end - next to the microphone hole. The output to the headphones is implemented in the upper end, the opening of the second, auxiliary microphone can be seen nearby.

No plugs and lids connectors smartphone are not covered, because the device is not secured by protection against water and dust. It was not found on the housing and hook for fastening the strap.

On sale, the product traditionally comes immediately in several variants of the color: there are options for light gray, and dark gray shades, and there are also pink and chocolate options. In different versions, the front panel under the glass of the smartphone also turns out to be different colors: for example, the chocolate version it is black, and the rest is white.

Screen

Smartphone Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S is equipped with an IPS sensory matrix. The physical dimensions of the display are 56 × 99 mm, a diagonal is 4.5 inches. The screen resolution at points is 960 × 540, the density indicator of the inch points reaches the value of 245 PPI.

The brightness of the display has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter is based on the operation of the lighting sensor. There is a smartphone and an approximation sensor that blocks the screen when making a smartphone to the ear. Multitouch technology allows you to handle 5 simultaneous touches.

Detailed examination with the use of measuring instruments was conducted by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections "by Alexey Kudryavtsev. We present his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface resistant to the appearance of scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen is not worse than the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, we give a photo on which the white surface is reflected in the screens turned off (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen in Alcatel Idol 2 mini s is even slightly darker (brightness of photographs 84 versus 92 at Nexus 7). Two of the reflected objects on the Alcatel IDOL 2 MINI S screen is very weak, this suggests that between the screen layers (more specifically between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) there is no airbap (OGS-One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (type of glass-air) with highly different refractive ratios, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repairs in the case of cracked exterior glass costs much more expensive, since it accounts for a whole screen. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (tight-repellent) coating (very effective, approximately like Nexus 7), so traces from the fingers are removed significantly easier, and appear at a lower rate than in the case of conventional glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and when the white field is output, the maximum brightness value was about 500 cd / m², the minimum - 42 cd / m². The maximum brightness is very high, and considering excellent anti-reflective properties, readability even on a sunny day outside the room will be at a high level. In complete dark, brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness adjustment over the illumination sensor (located in the upper left corner on the front panel). In automatic mode, when changing external light conditions, the screen brightness is rising, and decreases. In full dark in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 42 cd / m² (acceptable), in conditions lit by artificial light of the office (approximately 400 lux), the brightness is set to about 500 kD / m² (this is maximum and overly bright), in a brightly lit surround (corresponds Lighting with a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 LCs or a little more) - rises to the same 500 cd / m². As a result, the lifting function of the brightness works inadequately external conditions, and it's all about the software implementation, since the light sensor actually shows quite believable results. At any level of brightness, the backlight modulation is practically absent, so there is no screen flicker.

This smartphone uses an IPS type matrix. Micrographs demonstrate a typical structure of subpixels for IPS:

For comparison, you can familiarize yourself with the micrographic gallery of the screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant shift of colors, even with large looks from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting (except the most dark with the rejection of the right) shades. For comparison, we give the photos on which the same images are displayed on the Alcatel IDOL 2 MINI S and Nexus 7 screens, while the brightness of the screens is initially set to about 200 kD / m² (on a white field in full screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. Perpendictively to Screens White Field:

Note good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And test picture:

The color rendition is good and color saturated from both screens. Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the image quality under this angle at the Alcatel IDOL 2 MINI S screen has worsened noticeably. And white field:

The brightness at an angle at the screens decreased (at least 6 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but Alcatel Idol 2 mini s is noticeably darker. The black field during the diagonal deviation is highlighted in moderately and acquires a purple shade. Photos below are shown (the brightness of white areas in the perpendicular plane of the directions of the direction is approximately the same!):

And at a different angle:

With perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is medium, since the edge of the screen has sections with high brightness of black:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is not the highest - about 680: 1. Response time when switching a black-white-black-black equal to 24 ms (13 ms incl. + 11 ms off.). The transition between the halftons of gray 25% and 75% (according to the numerical color value) and back in sum occupies 38.5 ms. Constructed by 32 points with an equal interval in the numerical value of the shade of a gray gamma curve did not reveal in neither lights or in the shadows. The indicator of the approximating power function is 1.86, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2. At the same time, the real gamma curve is greatly deviated from the power dependence:

Such a deviation is usually a sign of the presence of a dynamic adjustment of the brightness of the backlight in accordance with the nature of the displayed image (since the measurements were carried out with a consistent output of the shades of gray almost all the screen), but we did not receive additional evidence of its existence. But just in case, a number of tests - the determination of contrast and response time, comparing the illumination of black at angles - we were performed when withdrawing special templates with invariably medium brightness, and not one-photo fields in full screen.

Color coverage is close to SRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix light filters to moderately mix the components to each other:

As a result, visually colors have natural saturation. The balance of shades on the scale of gray special enthusias does not cause, since the color temperature is noticeably higher than the standard 6500 K, the deviation from the spectrum of absolutely black body (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered a good indicator for the consumer device, but at the same time ΔE significantly changes from the shade to the shade significantly - This adversely affects the visual assessment of the color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can not be considered, since there the balance of colors does not matter, and the measurement error of the color characteristics on the low brightness is large.)

Let us sum up: the screen has a high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device without any problems can be used outside the room even summer sunny day. In complete darkness, brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. Mode with automatic adjustment of brightness is almost useless, since already in the illuminated room increases the brightness to a maximum, which, of course, leads to an unjustified energy consumption. To the significant advantages of the screen, it is necessary to include an effective oleophobic coating, no airbap in the layers of the screen and flicker, as well as the color coverage of SRGB. The remaining characteristics are not outstanding, but not failed. In general, taking into account the importance of the characteristics for this class of devices, the screen quality can be considered high.

Sound

In the sound plan, the smartphone does not represent anything special. Both dynamics publish quite clean, but without a noticeable presence of low frequencies, the sound is also not loud enough. At the perception of sound when conversation, however, this is not particularly affected - the voice of the familiar interlocutor, the timbre and intonation remain recognizable. From the settings - the standard equalizer capabilities with pre-installed values \u200b\u200band some additional effects.

The device is able to record the conversation from the line using the built-in tools, while both the speakers are recorded, and the recorded files are automatically folded into the appropriate folder. Equipped with a smartphone and built-in FM radio, which traditionally works only with headphones connected as an external antenna.

The main, rear camera here has an 8-megapixel module and removes with a maximum resolution of 3264 × 1836. The quality of the pictures is average, most often the photos are extended and slightly blurred. The settings are quite clearly placed and conveniently designed, however, the possibilities laid here are quite modest.

Video camera can shoot with a maximum resolution of 1080p (30 fps), examples of test rollers are presented below.

• Roller №1 (35 MB, 1920 × 1080, in daylight)
• Roller # 2 (33 MB, 1920 × 1080, indoors)
• Roller # 3 (18 MB, 1920 × 1080, at night)

Examples of photos with our comments are presented below.

	Sharpness on distant plans is not bad.
	The camera cannot be fully resolved to the foliage, but in general it works well.
	The sharpness of the frame field is quite uniform.
	In the background, the foliage is practically not merged.
	Noise in shadows are not so strong, and, apparently, well processed.
	In the room the camera behaves relatively well.
	Even with night shooting, the camera demonstrates not such a bad result.
	Not bad the camera copes with macros.

Before us, exactly what can be bolded to call a balanced chamber. Let's start with the fact that there are simply no significant flaws at the camera. With its 8 MP, it copes, perhaps not perfect, but very good. The camera got a good sensor, good optics and moderate software processing. It is all these three parameters in symbiosis and give the camera that the same balance. The sensor copes well in the shadows, so the noise does not need to be recycled. Optics Well works out the image on the frame of the frame and on the plans, so the script has practically absent. Oddly enough, and these are the merits of the camera are not limited: it works quite well with insufficient lighting. To the mean sensitivity values \u200b\u200babove the ISO 100, the camera resorts only by acute necessity, but even the night shot (ISO 232, 1/17 second) demonstrates relatively good work.

As already mentioned, the camera turned out to be good and balanced and quite suitable for most plots.

Telephone part and communication

The smartphone works as standard in modern networks 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA, and there is also support for the fourth-generation networks used in Russia (4G). With the SIM card of the domestic operator, the megaphone smartphone in practice confidently finds and works with the LTE network. Data transfer rate, respectively, in theory can reach up to 150 Mbps of incoming traffic. Of the additional network capabilities in stock support. The connection mode of external devices to the USB port (USB Host, OTG) here, unfortunately, is not supported, so that the flash drives connected via OTG-adapter will not be recognized. The navigation module supports both GPS and domestic GLONASS and works very clearly and quickly, there are no problems with this.

Spontaneous reboots / shutdowns during testing were not observed, as well as slow-moving or system hangs. The LED alert sensor here modestly shines a small white point in the upper left corner of the front panel, unobtrusively signaling about various incoming events. The illumination sensor adjusts the level of brightness in automatic mode, but it does not quite correctly.

Drawing letters and numbers of virtual keyboards is quite small and not too comfortable for control. Layout and layout of the Standard keys: Switching languages \u200b\u200bhere is carried out by pressing a special button with the image of the globe, there is no separately dedicated row with numbers - you must switch the layout each time. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, during the dialing of the phone number immediately, the search in contacts is immediately implemented.

OS and Software

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S is currently working on the Google Android software platform is not the latest version 4.3. The branded shell, stretched over the standard Android interface, here has a rather strongly recycled and advanced functionality: the sections are added to the settings menu, there are configuration of gestures support, even such an opportunity appeared as unlocking the tapping screen. In general, everything is very familiar on the previous models of the IDOL series. The application menu in this user interface is present, most of the already pre-installed applications are carefully decomposed on thematic folders themselves developers. On the work desks, the creation of folders / groups is supported.

As mentioned above, a smartphone was modified in our test laboratory, strangled specially under the Beeline operator, with all the consequences that arise. The smartphone interface has not only special topics with a familiar black and yellow color, but also stuffed with a mass of all sorts of brand applications, which in general are not particularly interested. However, there is no difficulty returning the appearance of the interface initial, more relaxed. In our case, it was also unlocked to check all the capabilities of the device, and worked perfectly after that with SIM cards of other operators, and even registered in LTE networks.

Performance

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S hardware platform is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226). The central processor here has 4 Arm Cortex-A7 kernels operating at a frequency of 1.2 GHz, although the maximum possible frequency here is provided up to 1.6 GHz (SOC production technology - 28 nm). RAM in the device is laid 1 GB, and the repository that is available to the user for downloading its own files is about 5 GB from the nominally designated 8 GB - the rest went to the system itself and applications. The memory can be increasing at the expense of microSD cards up to 32 GB. Connect the flash drive through the OTG adapter unfortunately will not work - the device This mode does not support.

To get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe performance of the platform of the test smartphone, we will carry out a standard set of tests. We had to test the devices based on SOC MSM8226: the recent and most recent example is the model LG G2 mini, the work of which is built on the exact same platform. For comparison, take more results of the same platform, but with a slightly faster core frequency (1.4 GHz, the ASUS Padfone E model), as well as add the results of another similar platform from Qualcomm - Snapdragon 200, which has kernels and their number of exactly such But the SOC itself is made using 45 nm technology. This relatively fresh budget platform is called Snapdragon 200 (MSM8212), and we have been testing on the example of the Huawei Ascend G6 smartphone, which is now advertised by television, and the overview of which is also preparing for release.

All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the most recent versions of popular benchmarks, we are conveniently reduced to the table. The table usually adds several other devices from various segments, also tested on similar recent versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the resulting dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of the same comparison, it is impossible to submit results from different versions of the benchmarks, so many worthy and actual models remain "for the scenes" - due to the fact that they at one time passed their "barnesses" on previous versions of test programs.

According to the results of the tests, it can be seen that the SOC SOC SNAPDRAGON 400 MSM8226, made by 28 Nm of the process, turned out to be slightly faster in all respects than SOC SOC SNAPDRAGON 200 MSM8212, manipulating the same nuclei, but made in 45 nm technical process (Huawei G6 plaform). The results of LG G2 mini were identical as logical, because they have the same platforms, and a slightly faster ASUS Padfone e cores demonstrated a little superiority, which is also quite logical and meets our expectations.

In general, according to the results of all testing, the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini S smartphone can be safely attributed to the category of devices with medium, or even just above the average performance. At the moment, the hardware performance of this smartphone should be enough to perform most tasks that can deliver any games or other applications from the Google Play Store.

Test results in MobileXPRT, as well as the latest versions of Antutu 4.x and Geekbench 3:

When testing the graphics subsystem in the 3DMark cross-platform test for the most productive smartphones now it is possible to run 3DMark in Unlimited mode, where the resolution of the rendering is fixed to 720p and is disabled VSYNC (due to which the speed can rise above 60 FPS).

The results of the testing of the graphics subsystem in the Epic Citadel game test, as well as Basemark X and Bonsai Benchmark:

	Alcatel Idol 2 Mini S	Huawei G6. (Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, 4 Arm kernels [Email Protected], 2 GHz)	ASUS Padfone E. (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4 Arm kernels [Email Protected], 4 GHz)	LG G2 mini. (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4 Arm kernels [Email Protected], 2 GHz)
Epic Citadel, High Quality	57.7 FPS.	54.4 FPS.	56.8 FPS.	57.1 FPS.
EPIC CITADEL, ULTRA HIGH QUALITY	47.3 FPS.	34.8 FPS.	33.0 FPS.	48.7 FPS.
Bonsai Benchmark.	30 FPS / 2139	16 fps / 1115	25 fps / 1779	31 FPS / 2197
Basemark X, Medium Quality	4561	3488	4579	4323

Video playback

To test "omnivities" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special capabilities, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats that constitute the bulk of the content available on the content network. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have the support of hardware decoding of videos at the chip level, since to process modern options due to the processor nuclei are most often impossible. Also, it is not necessary to wait from the mobile device of decoding everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are reduced to a single table.

According to the test results, Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 mini s did not turn out to be equipped with all the necessary decoders, in this case, the sounds that are necessary for the full play of the majority of the most common files. To successfully play their playback, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, and it will have to first change the settings by switching from hardware decoding to software or in a new mode called Hardware +.(Not supported by all smartphones), only then sound will appear. All results are reduced to a single table.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player.	Full video player
DVDRip.	AVI, XVID 720 × 400 2200 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduces normal	reproduces normal
Web-DL SD	AVI, XVID 720 × 400 1400 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduces normal	reproduces normal
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 3000 Kbps, AC3	Hardware +.
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 4000 Kbps, AC3	reproduced normally with decoder Hardware +.	video is reproduced normally, no sound
BDRip 1080p.	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	reproduced normally with decoder Hardware +.	video is reproduced normally, no sound

¹ Sound in MX Video Player was played only after switching to software decoding or new mode Hardware +.; the regular player does not have such a setting

The MHL interface, like the Mobility DisplayPort, we did not find in this smartphone, so I had to restrict ourselves to testing the display of the video files on the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with one division by the frame with an arrow and a rectangle (see "Methods for testing the playback devices and displaying the video signal. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screen shots with shutter speed in 1 C helped to determine the nature of the output of video files with various parameters: resolution ranged (1280 to 720 (720p) and 1920 per 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frame / from). In tests, we used the MX Player video player in the "hardware +" mode. Test results are reduced to the table:

oK not oK not oK not oK not

Note: If in both columns Uniformity and Pass Green estimates are exhibited, it means that, most likely, when viewing the films of artifacts caused by uneven alternation and passage of frames, or will not be seen at all, or their number and notice will not affect the preservation of viewing. Red marks indicate possible problems associated with playing relevant files.

In general, by the output criterion, the quality of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or frames of frames) can be outlined with more or less uniform interval alternation and in an infrequent exception without frames of frames. When playing 720p and 1080p video files and the aspect ratio of 16: 9, the image of the video file is output exactly along the screen border. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows and in the lights displays all gradations of shades.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S is small for a modern 2000 MA · h for a modern smartphone. However, according to the results of tests, the test in the dirt did not hit the face, demonstrating a very worthy time of autonomous work in various standard use scenarios. The device even bypassed most direct competitors in this matter, except Samsung and LG mini-models - Korean modern smartphones recently demonstrate the best optimization rates in energy consumption.

Uninterrupted reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light topic) with a minimum comfortable level of brightness (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted until the battery discharge almost 16 hours. When you continuously view video from YouTube in high quality (HQ) with the same brightness level through the Wi-Fi home network, the device lasted about 9 hours, and in 3D-games mode - about 4 hours. The smartphone is charging fast enough: the total charge time is less than 2 hours.

Outcome

As for the value of Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S - or rather, the best configuration of this unit (6036Y), with support for LTE and NFC, which has been on testing, then it is offered only in the form of a branded apparatus of the domestic operator Beeline. It is worth such a smartphone 7990 rubles - it's a couple of thousand more expensive than the previous mini-model of the Alcatel Idol series, which I advertised Konstantin Khabensky on television. Nevertheless, even this price is seen quite acceptable for such a pretty, compact, but quite powerful and technically advanced solid medium-level apparatus. For small ones of the domestic market, the user receives a very qualitatively made product with good-quality manufacturing materials, continuously assembly, a productive hardware filling, good-sized screen, which allows the device itself to stay in comfortable for hand. Finally, it can be stated that not only among the "shovel" began to appear very strong and meet the most modern technical requirements of mobile devices, such as Sony Xperia Z1 Compact or even an even more affordable hero of today's review - Smartphone Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 Mini S.

Launch the younger versions of flagship models of smartphones has long been an indicator of good tone among most representatives of the mobile industry. Samsung, HTC and even Apple come to mind first to mind, with their sometimes manic attitude towards positioning their own products on the market. The list can be continued, but the essence will remain unchanged - the release of a reduced copy of the flagship gadget, it is nothing but a signal for buyers: "Look, we offer an advanced product with many advantages, but for less money!". Such a step allows you to attract a greater number of potential buyers and cover new market segments. But the main thing is that with the time the attracted users who wish to reach a new level may pay attention to more expensive branded products.

In our case, we are talking about TCL Communication. This Chinese industrial giant, after full redemption in 2005, the mobile business of the famous French manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent, began to confidently conquer the European mobile market. Using the experience of its direct competitors, and clearly following the established conjuncture, already at the end of 2013, following its first flagship model Alcatel OneTouch Idol, its junior copy was successfully presented on the market - compact, weathered in a single style -.

How good got the product? What compromises I had to go engineers, creating a reduced version? Is it worth saving and how does this affect the quality and performance? We have to answer all these and other questions in the Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini review.

Specifications

Manufacturer	Tcl Communication
	Alcatel OneTouch Idol MINI (6012D)
Type, Form Factor	Smartphone, Monoblock
Communication standards		850/900/1800 / 1900 MHz
		900/2100 MHz
High-speed data transmission	GPRS (32-48 Kbps), EDGE (236 Kbps), HSDPA (up to 42.2 Mbps), HSUPA (up to 5.76 Mbps)
SIM Card Type
CPU	MediaTek MT6572: 2 kernels (ARM Cortex-A7), up to 1.3 GHz, L2 cache - 256 KB, TEhProcess 28 nm
Graphic adapter	ARM MALI-400 MP1: up to 500 MHz, Support OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenVG 1.1
	4,3, 854 x 480 Points (228 ppi), IPS, touch (Capacitive), Multi-Touch up to 5 touch, protective glass, oleophobic coating
RAM
	4 GB (one SIM-card 6012x), 8 GB (two SIM cards 6012D)
Card reader	microSD up to 32 GB (only in version 6012x)
	1 or 2 x Micro-SIM 1 x MINI-JACK audio jack 3.5 mm
Multimedia
	Microphone
	Additionally		Broadband Sound (HD Voice)
	Basic		5 MP, support for HDR, aperture F / 2.8, autofocus, definition of persons, single LED flash, video recording in 720p 30 to / s
	Frontal		0.3 Mp, aperture F / 3.0, recording video in 480p 30 to / s format
Communication capabilities			802.11 b / g / n (2.4 GHz) (Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi HotSpot)
	Navigation
	Accelerometer, gyroscope, approximation sensor, light sensor, digital compass
Battery	Lithium-ion, non-removable: 1700 mA ∙ h
Charger	Input: 100 ~ 240 VC. eg at 50/60 Hz Exit: 5 V post. eg, 1.3 a
	127.1 x 62 x 7.9 mm
	Gray, silver, pink
Operating system	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean + Brand Shell
Official guarantee	12 months
Products webpage

Supply and equipment

For Testing, the Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini smartphone has got into the form of an engineering sample, so you do not have to talk about the quality of filling the supply kit and possible accessories. But if you contact the manufacturer's website, you can find out the following useful information. On sale on stores stores in a box with a smartphone should be:

• charger;
• USB cable;
• wired headset;
• quick Start Guide.

As we can see, no excesses, everything is rather standard. This is quite natural, if we consider to which price segment this model belongs.

Appearance, location of elements

Externally, Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini looks pretty nice. The smartphone is a classic monoblock and has a rectangular shape with a slightly rounded edges.

The housing is created in an unbearable form, and it can be divided into two parts: the front side with the display and the rear cover, which includes the sidewalls. The front side is fully made in black. There are no emblems, titles and other tinsel. This gives rigor design and looks pretty beautiful. The display is securely hidden under protective glass, which is framed by thin and elegant glossy edging, slightly lifted above the screen.

The top is the grid of the conversational speaker and the lens of the front camera. The event indicator is detected near them, and approximation and light sensors are present.

There are three touch buttons under the display: "Menu", "Home" and "Back". With a locked screen, they are not visible, but "wake up" only after the start of use. They use a white low brightness backlight that does not annoy and distracts when working in the dark.

A oleophobic coating is applied to the screen models of the smartphone on the screen, but it has not been detected in our engineering sample. Therefore, the display was quite dirty, and it often had to wipe.

On the top face of the device are: the power button and 3.5 mm audio jack under the headset. It is worth noting that the button mentioned above is located in the right place and allows you to operate the power process, holding a smartphone with one hand.

On the left side face there is a lumberjack.

On the right, under dense plugs on the rubber band, there are two slots under the SIM card.

On the bottom face of the smartphone, the micro-usb port and the microphone hole were found.

The back of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini housing is made of high-quality plastic. It has a texture of grinded metal and is very pleasant to the touch. The rear panel is painted in a complex semi-shy gray-blue color, the shade of which depends on the lighting. In terms of design, it phones quite well. It is also worth noting that the machine is sold in several variants of the rear panel coloring. We offer to choose from: gray, silver and pink colors. In our opinion, such a decision will have to taste not only to men, but also to representatives of the beautiful half.

At the very top of the back of the housing there is a lens of the main chamber framed by a chrome-plated metal rim. Nearby is a single-section LED flash and noise reduction microphone. In the center there is a part of the name of the smartphone model - "OneTouch". In the lower right corner, the dynamics lattice is visible, over which part of the brand name - "Alcatel" is applied.

However, in the process of testing, we have identified a very unpleasant moment. The design of the main chamber is superfluous, therefore its chrome rim is strongly susceptible to mechanical effects.

A good distinctive side of the smartphone is its low weight (96 g) and very modest dimensions (127.1 x 62 x 7.9 mm). Compared to the flagship Alcatel OneTouch Idol (size - 133 x 67.5 x 7.9 mm and the weight - 110 g), it allows you to easily keep the device in one hand, almost not feeling it. It also contributes to the size of the screen. As you know, the diagonal of 4.3 inches has long been recognized among producers with a certain reference option. So to speak, the correct compromise between the size and convenience, which is positively affected by the overall ergonomics when using the device.

Alcatel Onetouch Idol Mini is available in two versions. In the first case, this is a model with one SIM card and 4 GB of internal memory (6012x), in which there is support for MicroSD cards. In another - a version with two SIM cards and 8 GB of internal memory (6012D), but already without a memory card connector. The engineering sample was hit to us for testing, the distinctive side of which was only 4 GB of memory, despite the support of two SIM cards.

As for the quality of the assembly, it is at a pretty decent level. The housing has good stiffness, and nothing creaks in it. The only thing that disappeared a little is small gaps, especially between the front glass and its edging, where dust is stuffed with time.

If you bring intermediate results, we can say that Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini is quite convenient to use the device. The gadget has a good design, which is a classic genre, as well as good ergonomics. Yes, he cannot boast advanced stylistic solutions, but in general, the smartphone leaves pleasant impressions.

The Alcatel OneTouch IDOL MINI model is equipped with a 4.3-inch IPS-screen with a resolution of 480 x 854 points. The density of pixels at the same time is 228 PPI, which is a good indicator that provides quite good image detail. Yes, if you look good, you can distinguish between individual pixels, but this state of affairs can be seen in all modes of the display. The only serious complaint on our part is the low clarity of fonts, which sometimes look a bit scaled.

But otherwise we have a good and high-quality IPS display. The matrices of this type are traditionally characterized by excellent viewing angles, high contrast and pleasant color reproduction. Our case did not exceed, although the color temperature goes towards cold shades. Separately, it is worth noting the backlight of the display. It has a good adjustment range and has a high brightness, which allows you to work even outdoors on a sunny day. But the minimum level is slightly higher than this requires comfortable work in the dark. No additional screen backlight settings.

The smartphone display unit is made using OGS technology, that is, there is no air layer between the glass and the screen. Thanks to this, the picture becomes more detailed, and the colors are bright. The absence of any obstacles between the finger and the display creates an effect that the image can really touch. But it will not be superfluous to warn potential buyers that when you fail such a screen or damage to the glass, the repair of the smartphone will cost much more expensive, since the entire display unit is subject to the replacement.

Built-in Multi-Touch technology sensor handles up to five simultaneous presses on the screen. The display is very sensitive and responds even on light touch, but there is no support for work in gloves.

It is worth noting a very good response time, which will not be completely superfluous in games. Despite the absence of a oleophobic coating in our test copy, the slip of the fingers on the protective glass is quite pleasant and does not cause discomfort. In general, there are no serious complaints about the display of the smartphone Alcatel OneTouch Idol MINI: everything is performed at a good level.

The device is equipped with a single multimedia speaker, which is located on the back of the apparatus. It is loud enough and provides quite good sound almost all available range. Only when the sound level is approaching the maximum value, minor distortion is manifested in the sound stream.

This state of affairs allows you to use a smartphone for games, viewing rollers on the Internet, calls and notifications without applying additional devices. We recommend buying good headphones or external media system for real music lovers.

In Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini there is a built-in radio module, which allows you to listen to Ether FM radio stations operating in the frequency range from 87.5 to 108 MHz. Traditionally, to turn on the radio, it is necessary to connect a headset that is used as an antenna.

There are no complaints about the conversational dynamics. He copes well with his direct responsibilities. The sound is good and moderately loud (if you consider the quality of the operator and the state of the phone of the interlocutor), which ensures a pleasant voice transmission.

Camera

There are no one for a long time for the presence of several digital cameras in the present smartphone. The ability to make beautiful pictures of a beautiful landscape on vacation or new-fashioned selfie in the bathroom - these are standard requirements for modern gadgets.

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol MINI is also equipped with two digital cameras - the main and frontal.

The main one has a 5-MP module with aperture F / 2.8. It is equipped with a single-section LED flash, autofocus and face recognition system, and can also take video with a resolution to 720p at a speed of 30 k / s. True, high quality captured video can not boast. Also, the camera can work in widescreen mode, but the resolution of the matrix is \u200b\u200breduced to 3.7 Mp.

The quality of the photos obtained is average, but if you dig in the settings and select the optimal lighting conditions, you can get enough good instances. In the remainder cases, really high-quality snapshots do not have to count on. Despite, it would seem that the matrix permission indicators seem to be, the image detail is at the average level. The camera is noticeably distorting the color reproduction, and the white balance strokes to go into cold shades. There is also not enough dynamic range, while the situation does not save the presence of HDR-shooting mode.

The only advantage of the Smartphone front camera is the fact that it is present in this device. Otherwise, this is weak 0.3-MP module with aperture F / 3.0, fixed focus and video recording capability in 480p format.

The software that is responsible for managing the work of the chambers is characterized by a good level of execution and an intuitive interface. The menu is performed in the same style as the entire brand shell of the operating system. It has a simple and concise design, as well as easy access to the settings, the location of which is remembered after the first use. Unfortunately, a small set of functions is available in the menu. But if you take into account the level of the device, then the situation, in our opinion, is fully justified.

Examples of photography

Examples of video shooting

An example of the daytime shooting from the Alcatel OneTouch Idol MINI smartphone in the resolution of 720p at the basic settings

User interface

Alcatel Onetouch Idol Mini comes on Alcatel OneTouch IDOL stores with the pre-installed Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system.

The familiar interface is already complemented by a slightly trimmed brand envelope, still not received your own name. Visually, it looks very attractive, but the functionality is not much different from pure Android, except for a small number of additional functions. This includes the power saving mode of the device and support some gestures to work with incoming challenges, alarm clock and music player.

If the smartphone is blocked, then you can see the time, weather and calendar. This information is caused by lobby. You can unlock the device using the context menu in the form of a circle that allows you to get not only to the main screen, but also start the digital camera mode, as well as access messages and phone book.

A rather interesting solution looks like an idea to divide the available smartphone desktops according to certain tasks. So, to the left of the initial screen there is a table for widgets (there is no vertical scrolling), and on the right - with the icons of the applications, some of which are already distributed to folders. However, the user has the ability to sort the content at its discretion. When browning up on the home screen and desktops with applications, the menu opens with the labels of all installed on the program apparatus.

In general, the smartphone interface leaves a pleasant impression. The speed of his work does not cause significant complaints and is very fast, although in some cases there is a slight slowdown.

To truly controversial points of the operating system, the Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini model can be attributed a large number of pre-installed software and all kinds of games. On the one hand, an experienced user who bought a new gadget will independently be able to establish all the necessary applications, so the memory scored on the smartphone will cause a bewilderment at best and will require extra time for removing unnecessary programs. On the other hand, for beginners and non-accelerated Android users, the presetting set of programs will rather advantage rather than a disadvantage, as it will start using the device directly from the box. By the way, it is worth noting that Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, according to the manufacturer's application, is the only and final version of the operating system for this device, so waiting for updates to 4.4 or at least 4.3 is not worth it.

Hardware platform and performance

Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini is based on a 2-core MEDIATEK MT6572 processor with a maximum clock frequency of 1.3 GHz and the L2 cache volume - 256 Kb. The level of its performance can be characterized as medium. The processor is based on the Arm Cortex-A7 microarchitecture using 28-nm technical process.

ARM MALI-400 MP1 with one cluster (kernel), 500 MHz and support for OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1, is used as the embedded graphics. Recall that the smartphone is available in two versions. The first is equipped with 4 GB of integrated memory, from which the user will be available 2 GB. The second has 8 GB, but at the disposal of the user will receive only 5.6 GB. It is also worth recalling that in the devices with 4 GB of internal memory there are support for microSD memory cards up to 32 GB.

The amount of RAM Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini is only 512 MB. The consequence of this is the unstable work of heavy applications, especially games.

Some demanding programs refuse to start, others - can fly if there are already running applications in the device. Therefore, it is not necessary to talk about multitasking. The total weak level of performance is well noticeable in gaming tests. Challenges such as Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8 are relatively functioning only at low graphics settings.

Heating the smartphone housing at the active load is available, but it is not critical, although it may seem a bit unpleasant.

Thus, in terms of performance of Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini stars from the sky, it is not enough and clearly focused on performing everyday tasks and launch of undemanding games. If you do not put insurmountable heights before it, then the resources of the device will be quite enough and work with it will not cause serious inconvenience.

Communication and communication

Smartphone can work with many modern mobile networks: GSM, WCDMA / HSPA +. The only thing that cannot boast Alcatel OneTouch Idol MINI is the support of high-speed new generation networks - 4G LTE.

The version of the smartphone with two SIM cards works according to Dual Sim Dual Standby. This means that there is only one radio module in the device, so when talking from one SIM card, the second will be temporarily unavailable. During the tests conducted, the quality of calls and the transfer of votes was at a good level: interrupts or independent discharges were not observed. However, it is worth noting that it also depends on the operator used.

The set of communication capabilities is represented by Bluetooth 4.0 with support for A2DP and Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n (2.4 GHz). Also present Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Hotspot features.

Additionally, Alcatel Onetouch Idol Mini is equipped with a GPS module with A-GPS support. The quality of his work is at a good level: the search for satellites and the connection to them takes only half a minute. On average, about 7 pieces were in testing. At the same time, the accuracy of location accuracy reached the error only 3 meters.

Autonomous work

The tested device is equipped with a non-removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1700 mA · h. When performing everyday tasks (surfing on the Internet, checking mail, listening to music) this is enough for more than a day of work offline.

Let us turn to the test results. While watching HD video at 50% of the brightness of the display and the included Wi-Fi modules and the GPS smartphone worked for almost 7 hours. In the case of a game simulation using the Dead Trigger 2 game ("Refuge", the average graphics settings) - the device lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes with 100% display brightness and Wi-Fi and GPS modules. To restore the initial battery charge condition, it is necessary to spend 3.5 hours of time.

RESULTS

Paying attention to any copy, even made with love for details, the buyer involuntarily wonders: "Is it worth it? Probably the original is better? "

Introducing the Light, TCL Communication company, knowingly or not, requested its younger model on this comparison. Therefore, it is natural that the desire to clarify the situation was reached and to our test laboratory. At the beginning of the review, we set a number of questions for which, having spent a comprehensive study, we will try to give answers.

So, we have an easy and compact smartphone Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini with a pleasant design. It has a 4.3-inch IPS-screen with good viewing angles, high-quality backlit and oleophobic coating (in a commercial version), which is securely hidden under protective glass. The novelty housing is solo and has a convenient ergonomics, so control the main functions and navigate the operating system can be one hand. The Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini's positive response and audio system deserves: Multimedia speaker is loud, with a pleasant sound almost all over the range. The spoken speaker provides high-quality sound transmission. We should not forget about the presence of all necessary network modules, the work of which does not cause any complaints, as well as the support of a fairly capacious battery. The benefits of the smartphone can also be attributed a model with support for two SIM cards.

Now about sad. Reducing Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini and driving it into the price framework, engineers still had to go to a number of unpopular compromises. The most striking of them is support for only 512 MB of RAM. To fulfill typical everyday tasks, it will be quite enough, but you will not play resource-intensive games. The quality of the operation of the camera modules is also not particularly impressive. True, all this allowed to put a good price tag on the device.

In dry. Is it worth spending 2300 UAH. ($ 190) Now and buy Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini or squeeze on a more productive model in the Alcatel OneTouch Idol lineup? Decide, ultimately, a potential buyer. From myself only add that the tested smartphone is a pretty high-quality solution with an average level of performance, so if you are not a fan of heavy Android games and can safely do without a dozen simultaneously running applications, it deserves your attention.

Advantages:

• pretty pleasant appearance and convenient ergonomics;
• good assembly quality;
• compact sizes and weight;
• protective glass on the oleophobic coating screen (in the commercial version);
• good 4.3-inch IPS display, made using OGS technology;
• high sensitivity sensory substrate;
• good quality of the sound of multimedia and spoken speakers;
• good autonomy of work;
• the presence of the necessary network modules;
• ability to work with two SIM cards (in version 6012D);
• available cost.

Disadvantages:

• mediocre camera modules;

• the presence of only 512 MB of RAM.

Thanks to TCL Communication for the smartphone provided for testing.

All prices on Alcatel + One + Touch + IDOL + MINI + 6012D

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Contents of delivery:

• Telephone
• USB Cable Charger
• Wired stereo header
• Instruction

Positioning

Alcatel always tried to present the models for those who are reasonable to choose a phone - that is, not ready to overpay for a loud name, but requires good case materials, performance and standard features. Not the cheapest devices, but optimal price / quality ratio. Therefore, representing the IDOL line, the company gradually expanded it from IDOL ULTRA to a very tricked IDOL X (actually analog S4 according to characteristics, but not at cost), and also presented a simplified version of the device - Idol Mini. Manufacturers are generally quite typical copying of titles and techniques spied by each other, so, the MINI prefix settled with respect to many apparatuses on the market, from various vendors.

In my opinion, the IDOL MINI in its price segment is an undoubted advantage - this is the quality of the case materials, it looks much more expensive than it really is. It can be safely compared with models that are twice as expensive. And this is the most important point that will sell this phone.

For those who are looking for a small smartphone for calls, games and applications, which is well lying in the hand, it is quite a bit, this device offers everything that you can think about. A balanced solution that fit in hand and causing exactly it. The model must be touched in real life to understand its charm.

It is perfect for girls, as well as young people - those who actually belong to their spent. For schoolchildren, the model will also be good, but you can say exactly that its capabilities may be even excessive. Although today you can often meet first-graders from the iPhone, here at each school your fashion and the choice of parents for their children. In a word, speaking about IDOL MINI, it is necessary to mean that it is basically a youth device - a bright, balanced, reasonable in value.

Design, dimensions, control elements

First you need to deal with the versions of the device, since there are several of them. In option 6012X, this is a single-sample machine with a microSD slot, the volume of the built-in memory of 4 GB. In 6012D already two SIM cards, 8 GB of internal memory and no slot for microSD. It is possible that the presence of two SIM cards is seen as an advantage, but with one radio module it is not so important. For me, the presence of memory cards.

Phone size - 127x62x8 mm, weight - 96 grams. Slim case, well falls in hand. The backrest of soft plastic apparatus, and the three color solutions are available - black with a silver back, black with a pink back, black with a dark blue back.

The body is monolithic, as a result, change the battery cannot be changed. On the right side is a slot for the SIM card number one, it has a Microsim form factor, as, however, and the second one. Unlike senior models, covers are not made of alloy, they are plastic, attached to the body.

Comparison with Alcatel Idol s

Comparison with Alcatel Idol X

Comparison with Samsung Galaxy Ace 3

On the left side there is a paired volume adjustment key. The lower end occupies a microUSB connector, but at the top we see 3.5 headset connector, as well as the on / off button.

On the front surface above the screen is the illumination sensor, immediately the approximation indicator. No mechanical buttons, as on previous devices, these are three touch keys. For those who used the last years by Samsung devices, it will be unusual that the return key is put left, that is, the location is mirror.

On the rear surface is the 5-megapixel camera lens, right there - the LED flash, which can be used as a flashlight. Also below can see the dynamics hole.

Separately, I want to dwell on the fact that the materials that engineers used for this apparatus deserve a separate reminder. This plastic with a high level of wear resistance, in Alcatel it adores it - the phones retain their kind for quite a long time.

Display

The phone has 4.3 inch IPS matrix with a resolution of 480x854 points, which is typically for many models of this price range. But, as a rule, the quality of such screens is much worse, they are inferior in brightness, color reproduction.

There is a light sensor that can adjust the backlight automatically.

In the sun, the screen fades, but not much, remains readable. The type of screen is capacitive, supported up to 5 simultaneous presses.

In general, the screen quality is excellent for its price segment, no complaints.

Battery

The battery is fixed, lithium polymer (Li-POL), capacity - 1700 mAh. According to the manufacturer's application, in the conversation mode, the device operates on average 12 hours in 3G and 20 hours in 2G, and in standby mode - up to 540 hours, respectively (2G). Music playback time - 36 hours.

With the usual use of the apparatus (hour of conversations, two hours of music, about an hour of social networks, several photos) It is enough for a light day. At a smaller load - for a day. In the most severe script, it will work with two SIM cards to 5-6 pm. Full battery charging time - 2 hours (up to 90 percent - 1 hour 30 minutes).

Memory and memory card

The smartphone is equipped with 512 MB of RAM, on average about 300 MB after loading the device. For storage in a single-sample version, 4 GB is allocated, but about 2 GB are available (in a two-minute 8 GB of total, 5.6 GB is available). In one-way model, there is a slot for a microSD memory card. Maximum volume - 32 GB.

Performance

Here is a MEDIATEK MT6572 chipset, a dual-core processor, 1.3 GHz,. Mali MP400 stands as a graphics accelerator.

On the smartphone you can run almost any complex toys or applications.

Information from various applications and performance tests:

Camera

The camera interface has been processed in favor of simplification, you can turn on the HDR mode, get a panorama, turn off the flash, but only. You can photograph by clicking on the screen, at the point of pressing the focus occurs, then the machine takes the picture. The maximum resolution of the picture is 5 megapixels.

Video recording is supported in 720p resolution, up to 30 frames per second.

The final conclusion on the camera is typical for budgetary apparatus, not enough stars from the sky. Many of the manufacturers of the second echelon offer high-quality 8 megapixel modules that are removed very well, everything is quite simple and everyday.

Communication capabilities

The phones are working in 2G cellular networks (GSM / GPRS / EDGE, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and 3G (900/2100 MHz). In stock Bluetooth version 4.0 for file transfer and speech. There is a Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 B / G / N wireless. The devices naturally can be involved as an access point (Wi-Fi Hotspot) or modem. USB 2.0 (High-Speed) is used to transfer files and synchronize data. There is not too popular WiFi Display feature when you can transmit a signal from the phone to another device via Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Direct feature is traditionally present.

Software Features - Android 4.2.2

Alcatel first presents its software shell to Alcatel for the first time, which may be perceived by many ambiguous, as often people prefer "naked" Android and are quite satisfied with its capabilities. This device is completely similar to Idol X from the point of view of software and add-ons over Android.

Without unlocking the apparatus, you can see the weather forecast for the current day, pulling down, see the forecast for three days. Icons are pretty cute. The screen is in the right, there will be a calendar and a list of cases for the current day (enter cases or see another day will not be released). You can also see the status line, it is also available during the locked screen if there is no security key or digital code.

The cardinal difference between the Alcatel approach from other shells is that they decided to give up a separate menu for all applications. On the main screen are weather widget, several icons. This is the point of reference. Leafing the screens left, and here there will be widgets that you set. We go to the right, and it will be icons of programs, also some programs are already removed in the folder, it made the manufacturer. You get used to such an organization instantly, it is logical in something and accurately has the right to life.

The settings menu appeared their settings, for example, the super-circuit mode for the battery. The menu appears itself also recycled in white tones, which is quite nice. In our video, I am talking about most applications that are in the device, and about what has changed compared to previous models, I do not want to repeat.

Further one could stay on each program, describe it, but I do not see much sense in this, this is a smartphone, and this software is usually known or I touched it in the video. Therefore, see screenshots below.

Another part I want to describe separately, these are multimedia features. The device has support for non-converted video, but the chipset is poorly pulling 1080p, often there is no sound, there is no sound or it is not at all. From the point of view of musical formats, there is support for FLAC in addition to the usual MP3 and a number of others.

A good screen, but the shortcomings of the chipset do not give the opportunity to watch any files, in this aspect of Galaxy S4 mini are more omitous and digested a greater number of formats and files. On the other hand, all the same, these are models of different price ranges.

Impression

From the point of view of the quality of communication there are no complaints to the device, the volume of the call is excellent, it is heard even from the bag. The vibrating alert due to the thickness of the housing is felt unusually, they often do not notice it. There are no complaints about the quality of transmission speech.

The price for a version with one SIM card is about 6,000 rubles, with two - about 7,000 rubles. It looks like a sufficiently sensitive offer, as in this price segment, let there be similar models, but their appearance, the materials of the hull look much worse, inferior IDOL MINI.

I really liked this device for many reasons - he is smart for his class, despite the small amount of memory, quite thought out, it is convenient to use it. A certain solution for those who want to get a smartphone out of the box and start using it, without thinking about the additional options that are, but to which they usually do not get.

TFT IPS. - High-quality liquid crystal matrix. It has wide viewing angles, one of the best color rendering performance and contrast among all that are used in the manufacture of displays for portable equipment.
Super Amoled. - If several layers are used in the usual AMOLED screen, between which the air layer is located, then in Super AMOLED, such a touch layer is only one without air gaps. This allows you to achieve greater screen brightness with the same power consumption.
Super AMOLED HD. - It differs from Super AMOLED to a large resolution, thanks to which you can achieve a value of 1280x720 pixels on the mobile phone screen.
Super Amoled Plus. - This is a new generation of Super AMOLED displays, differs from the previous use of more subpixels in the usual RGB matrix. New displays are thinner and brighter by 18% than displays made according to old technology using Pentile matrix.
Amoled. - Advanced version of OLED technology. The main advantages of technology are significantly reduced power consumption, the ability to display a large color gamut, a smaller thickness and the ability of the display a little, without risk to break.
Retina. - Dyspals with high pixel density designed specifically for Apple technology. Pixel density on Retina displays is such that individual pixels are indistinguishable for the eye at the usual distance from the screen. It provides the highest image detail and significantly improves the viewing quality as a whole.
Super Retina HD. - The display is performed using OLED technology. Pixel density - 458 PPI, contrast reaches an indicator of 1,000,000: 1. The display has advanced color coverage and unsurpassed color reproduction. The pixels in the display corners are smoothed at the subpixel level, so the boundaries are not distorted and look smooth. The Super Retina HD enhancing layer is 50% thicker. Smash the screen will be harder.
Super LCD. - This is the next generation of LCD technologies, it is characterized by advanced characteristics, compared with earlier LCD displays. Screens have not only wide viewing angles and better color reproduction, but also reduced energy consumption.
TFT.- A common type of liquid crystal displays. Using an active matrix controlled by thin-film transistors, it is possible to significantly increase the speed of the display, as well as the contrast and clarity of the image.
Oled. - Organic electroluminescent display. It consists of a special thin-film polymer that emits light under the action of an electric field. This type of displays has a large brightness stock and consumes very little energy.