****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I usually do not write reviews here, but I am posting a review for this one because there is very little information about this phone. I bought it because my old Nexus 6p was dying. Not willing to spend $500 on a phone again, I decided to try out Honor 8, but returned it because it had poor calling quality and was prone to overheat. I bought an ad-free version of Idol 5S here for $220, my score is based on the price.GoodBuild & Design -- As others have said, this looks and feels like $400 phone, not $250 phone. Its look and feel is much better than Moto G5, its main competitor.Speakers&Headphone jack -- This must have the best speaker I have ever heard from a smartphone (though I have never tried boomsound HTCs). Similarly, its headphone output is much better than N6P or H8. I am impressed here.Performance -- It uses Snapdragon625, so don't expect a speed demon here. That being said, it is snappy enough for daily uses and light gaming, and it does not overheat like N6P or H8.USB Type-C -- it is the future, and it supports quickcharge as well.Near stock Android -- although custom skins are getting better nowadays, I still prefer starting from the stock or near-stock Android.FM Radio -- oddly enough, this phone comes with FM Radio, in case you like to use it.MixedScreen -- its screen has a nice colors, especially for a sub $300 phone (I would say it is better than the screen on H8), and it can get very bright. However, it is no match to quality AMEOLED when it comes to production of darker colors.Battery -- it lasts long enough, and having ad-free version helps here according to some user reports. However, it does have relatively small battery.Camera -- it is not bad, especially for a sub $250 phone -- but it is nothing to write home about, and tend to struggle in poor lighting conditions. N6P and H8 performed better here. The front camera is merely serviceable, as well.Tweaks -- its version of Android is near stock, which means there are no useful custom tweaks -- the only exception are the equalizer and the ability to change color tones.(edited) It turned out that Alcatel did add few more common tweaks -- they added the ability to display battery percentage on the status bar (this option is somewhat well-hidden), and they split the volumes for alarms and notifications. As these are some of the most popular tweaks for Android, they win points here.BadCase&Screen Protector -- as far as I am aware, these don't exist as of now for this phone. This phone is slippery, so you have to be extra careful. Note that many of the cases and screen protectors listed on Amazon ATM are for Idol 5, not for 5S, AFIAK.NFC -- as often with budget phones, there is no NFC here.Lack of future updates -- Alcatel is not known for providing speedy (or any) major Android updates. You are most likely staying with Nougat till the end of time. This is the biggest flaw IMO, though it may change in future.Overall, this is a very good media-focused midrange phone it is a great value if you can buy it under $250.
