Alcatel smartphones alcatel. Alcatel smartphones Alcatel Mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other

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

Design

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

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	71.4 mm (millimeters) 7.14 cm (centimeters) 0.23 ft (feet) 2.81 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	140.7 mm (millimeters) 14.07 cm (centimeters) 0.46 ft (feet) 5.54 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	7.99 mm (millimeters) 0.8 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.31 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	134 g (grams) 0.3 lbs (pounds) 4.73 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape.	80.27 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.87 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Silver
Materials for the manufacture of the case Materials used for the manufacture of the device body.	Plastic

SIM card

A SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Gsm GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and refers to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA with the aim of increasing the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 700 MHz Class 13 LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 850 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE 700 MHz (B28)

Mobile technology and data rates

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

Operating system

An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software required for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 MSM8909
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A7
Processor size The capacity (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and buses for data. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which in turn are more efficient than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
L2 cache L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but instead has a larger capacity to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for them in L3 cache memory (if available) or in RAM memory.	1024 KB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel.	4
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1100 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more.	Qualcomm Adreno 304
GPU clock speed Speed ​​is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	400 MHz (megahertz)
The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in the RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	1 GB (gigabytes)
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels which are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data rates.	Single channel
RAM frequency The frequency of the RAM determines its speed of operation, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data.	533 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

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

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device 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 by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters)
Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail.	720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail.	294 ppi (pixels per inch) 115 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen footprint The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device.	68.83% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen.	Capacitive Multitouch
	Full Lamination Technology

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that can be recognized by the mobile device.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for photo and video shooting.

Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as the optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device.	CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile cameras are LED and Xenon flashes. LED-flashes give softer light and, unlike brighter xenon ones, are also used for video filming.	LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras on mobile devices is their resolution, which shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically in an image.	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution for video recording by the device.	1280 x 720 pixels 0.92 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate / frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video capture and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30 frames / sec (frames per second)
Specifications Information about other software and hardware features associated with the main camera to improve its functionality.	Autofocus Burst shooting Digital zoom Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Scene selection mode

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are used mainly for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Locating

Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

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

USB

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

Headphone jack

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

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

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

Video file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR levels refer to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when using a mobile device.

Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed if you hold a mobile device near your ear in a talking position. In Europe, the maximum SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the IEC standards, following the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998.

0.901 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)

Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with ICNIRP guidelines from 1998 and IEC standards.

0.83 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)

Contents of delivery:

• Smartphone
• Accumulator battery
• USB cable
• Headphones
• Network adapter
• Manual
• Warranty card

Introduction

Alcatel has a line of mobile phones: IDOL, POP and HERO. In addition, for example, in POP, there are, let's say, subsections POP S and POP C. The former are relatively expensive devices, and the latter are budgetary ones, but the higher the number at the end, the cooler the gadget. In this case, we will consider POP C9, i.e. the device currently at the head of the POP Cx subsection.

Design, dimensions, controls

Despite the bright design of Alcatel POP C9 smartphones, in general the devices have a typical "average" design of all phablets: large sizes, rounded shapes, a lot of plastic and chrome-plated edging inserts loved by all manufacturers. The gadget resembles some Samsung, Fly, and Huawei, and practically does not differ from the POP C7.

The dimensions of the POP C9 are 150.95 x 77.5 x 9.5mm, i.e. not at all small and thin. But most of all, the weight is surprising - almost 190 grams. I had on my review a 6-inch metal Explay Diamond monster, it weighed 185 grams. It seems that there is a lead-acid battery inside the C9. Joke. The frames on the right and left are relatively thick - 5 mm each, so it is not as comfortable in the hand as we would like. However, thanks to the sloping edges, the ergonomics of the design are slightly improved.

The front side is covered with glass. It is durable, and only micro-scratches appeared on it during testing. It should be borne in mind that the smartphone "lived" in a backpack with other devices. Inside the substrate is white. The surface of the display is not too easily soiled, apparently, there is an oleophobic coating, the finger glides without problems.

The edging, as I said earlier, is made of chrome-plated plastic, rises slightly above the screen, thereby partially protecting the surface. The back cover is non-removable, white, glossy. It seemed slippery to me. Fingerprints remain on it, but are not particularly noticeable.

The company's website states that the POP C9 is available in several colors: pink, red, blue, white, black, gray. However, as always happens with new models, firstly, the smartphone is sold only in two cellular networks, and secondly, there is only a gray device.

The assembled POP C9 is excellent: no creaking, no backlash, the solidity of the case is felt. When squeezed in the hand, the body of the phone does not crunch; when pressing on the rear central area, the cover does not push through to the battery.

Above is the speech speaker. The volume is slightly above average, in noisy places it may be hard to hear, especially in the metro, on the street you have to turn the volume to maximum. The timbre is pleasant, not booming, the interlocutor is heard legibly and clearly. There is no echo. In general, it is quite a good speaker, but the volume would be a little higher.

To the left of the speaker is the front camera, to the right are the light and proximity sensors, they work correctly.

Below - the usual buttons "Back", "Home" and "Menu". There is no backlighting, so the buttons are poorly visible at night.

At the bottom there is a micro-USB and a main microphone, on the top there is a 3.5 mm audio-out for headphones or a headset.

The power button is on the right edge just below the center. It is practically recessed into the body, the pressure is soft, the stroke is small. The volume rocker is of the same type, it is slightly higher. Even higher - a slot for a memory card. It is closed with a plastic plug.

Two slots for SIM cards are located on the left edge under a plastic flap.

MicroSIM connectors, both slots function in 3G, but SIM cards operate according to the following scheme: 3G-SIM1 / 2G-SIM2 or 2G-SIM1 / 3G-SIM2. Switching between 2G / 3G takes about 10 seconds, that is, you won't be able to quickly switch.

On the back of the POP C9: a second microphone, a camera that rises a couple of millimeters above the body and framed by a chrome-plated plastic rim, a flash and a speakerphone.

Comparative dimensions:

Alcatel and LG Flex

Alcatel and Samsung Galaxy Note II

Display

Manufacturers will not calm down in any way, therefore they use huge screen diagonals in almost every second product. The Alcatel OneTouch POP C9 has a display with a diagonal of 5.5 inches (139 mm). The physical size is 69x121 mm, the frame is 11 mm at the top and 18 mm at the bottom.

The resolution of 540x960 pixels for such a diagonal, it seems to me, is already not enough, although the picture looks good, and pixelation at a distance of 30-40 cm is invisible. The density is 200 pixels per inch.

The brightness of the display matrix backlight is adjusted either manually or automatically. The range is relatively wide, but at the minimum brightness, the glow is still large. The maximum brightness is enough for comfortable reading outdoors, while in the sun the screen is saved only by the 5.5-inch diagonal.

The matrix is ​​made using IPS technology, unfortunately, not OGS: there is an air gap between the protective glass and the screen. Color reproduction is natural, saturation is calm. The viewing angles are wide, but under certain slopes the color rendition is disturbed: it goes into blue, then into yellowness. In general, this is the typical behavior of inexpensive IPS-matrices.

The capacitive touch layer works out up to 5 simultaneous touches. Sensitivity is good.

White color

Black color

Viewing angles and color rendering

Battery

This model uses a 2500 mAh Li-Ion battery. The battery is not removable.

The manufacturer indicates its data on the "life" of the battery, which I believe, since our results came out approximately the same:

• talk time: up to 8 hours (2G), 4 hours (3G)
• Standby time: 560 hours (2G), 550 hours (3G)
• operating time in music player mode: 24 hours

In 720p video playback mode, the device worked for about 5 hours. Average time is about 10-12 hours without active use of 3G.

The device is charged for about 3.5 hours.

In the settings there is an item called "Super Energy Saving". It is very similar to the features found on the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5. When almost all applications are turned off, the brightness of the matrix backlight decreases, and only the main ones become available to you: SMS, calls, calendar, notebook. In this mode, Alcatel works for about 3 days.

Communication capabilities

The smartphone operates in 2G (GSM / GPRS / EDGE, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and 3G (850/9001800 // 2100 MHz) cellular networks.

Available Bluetooth version 4.0 for file and voice transmission. There is a wireless connection Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b / g / n. The device, of course, can be used as an access point (Wi-Fi Hotspot) or a modem.

The device has a GPS. In the "cold" mode, the first satellites are detected in less than one minute, in the "hot" mode - three times faster. The sensitivity is average: in a room it can hardly find a pair of satellites, near a window - up to 4, on the street the device instantly finds more than 8 satellites. I did not observe any problems with GPS, everything works fine.

Memory and memory card

1 GB of RAM is installed inside. On average, a little less than 600 MB of free space. For data storage, 4 GB are allocated, of course, about two are free. There is a slot for a memory card. The maximum size is 32 GB.

Camera

As befits a real "android", the Alcatel C9 has two cameras: the main one is 8 MP, the front one is 1.3 MP (the official website says that it is 2 MP). There is a small LED flash.

The quality of the camera is average, mainly complaints about color rendition and narrow dynamic range. The camera is worth praising for its accurate focus, for the minimum focusing distance - about 7 cm, for the cool background blur thanks to the F2.2 aperture.

The front camera takes photos at 720x1280 pixels. The quality is not bad. Video - 640x480 pixels at 10 fps.

The camera can record FullHD video at 30 frames per second, which is good news. Autofocus is very fast, aiming from 3 cm, the sharpness is decent. The sound is mono, clear.

EXIF information

Video file characteristic:

• File format: 3GP
• Video codec: AVC, 17 Mbps
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080, 30 fps
• Audio codec: AAC, 128 Kbps
• Channels: 1 channel, 48 kHz

Sample photos:

An example of a photo on the front camera:

Performance and software platform

Most of these devices use a Taiwanese MediaTek chip. The Alcatel OneTouch C9 smartphone is no exception. It uses the MT6582 chipset, which is the most widespread among "state employees" lately: Cortex-A7 processor, 28 nm, 4 cores of 1.3 GHz, Mali-400MP2 graphics accelerator with a clock frequency of 400 MHz.

For comfortable operation of the device, this processor is more than enough. There are problems with games, but only with powerful ones such as Asphalt 8. The device does not glitch, does not slow down, it works relatively smoothly.

Phone Parameters Brief and Performance Tests (Quadrant Test, Antutu Test):

The device is equipped with an ancient version of Google Android 4.2.2. I'm not sure that 4.3 will come out, let alone 4.4. Although I personally don't see any point in them, especially in inexpensive gadgets. The branded shell is essentially absent here. The main screen icon, settings and unlocking of the display have been slightly changed (the “unlock” button “floats” in the circle, which must be shifted to the sides).

Multimedia

The device is equipped with a standard music and video player, radio. The loudspeaker volume is slightly above average, the quality was not pleasant: it wheezes, there are overloads, the sound is not very clear. The sound in the headphones has a high volume, the quality is good, no complaints. The device plays video in FullHD resolution.

Conclusion

Today Alcatel OneTouch POP C9 can be found in two mobile shops at the same cost - 7,990 rubles. It is very difficult to draw conclusions on such inexpensive devices, because nothing interesting can be said about them. All C9 parameters are average: processor, memory, camera, software chips. The appearance is also ordinary, besides, the device is available only in gray.

pros:

• Excellent build
• Decent battery life
• Good video quality, great macro photography
• IPS matrix
• Both SIM card slots work in 3G

Minuses:

• Large dimensions and heavy weight
• Speaker wheezes a little at maximum volume
• Low screen resolution

Specifications:

• Class: Smartphone
• Form factor: candy bar
• Body materials: plastic
• Operating system: Google Android 4.2.2
• Network: GSM / GPRS / EDGE, UMTS
• Processor: four cores, 1300 MHz, MTK6582
• RAM: 1 GB
• Storage memory: 4 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b / g / n), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB (USB 2.0) connector for charge / synchronization, 3.5 mm for a headset
• Screen: capacitive, IPS 5.5 "" with a resolution of 540x960 pixels
• Camera: 8 MP autofocus + 1.3 MP, flash
• Navigation: GPS
• Optional: accelerometer, proximity sensors, FM radio
• Battery: non-removable, capacity 2500 mAh
• Dimensions: 150.95 x 77.5 x 9.5mm
• Weight: 189g
• Price: from 7 990 rubles (Q2 2014)

Alcatel Pop 4 Smartphone has a stylish modern design and great functionality. At the same time, the cost of the device makes its purchase affordable for many. The mobile phone is a balanced, all-in-one solution for communication, work and play.

The smartphone has a 4-inch display with a wide viewing angle. A powerful battery is able to provide a gadget for six hours with active use or up to 250 hours in standby mode. Quad-core processor and Android 5.0 operating system guarantee high performance of the device. The volume of RAM 1 GB provides high system capabilities of the device in terms of the operation of various applications, and the internal memory with a volume of 4 GB allows you to download and store a lot of photo and video files, music. If you need additional gigabytes of memory, the gadget provides space for a memory card with a capacity of up to 32 GB.

Support for two SIM-cards will make it easy to separate all calls into personal and work calls, save time and money. SIM cards can be used alternately. Micro SIM cards are suitable for smartphones. The device operates in 2G, 3G and 4G networks. The Internet speed is high enough and will be able to please those who like to spend a lot of time on the net. The smartphone has a regular and front cameras with a high degree of resolution. Cameras allow you to take detailed photos, high quality videos, and vivid selfies. The cameras of the gadget are capable of operating in panoramic shooting mode, automatic face recognition and multiple zoom.

The smartphone comes with a charger, USB cable and headphones. The gadget provides speakerphone and voice control, FM radio and Bluetooth mode. If necessary, the device can be switched to offline mode.

Closest competitors Alcatel pop 4 in this price category these are Explay Air, Lenovo A2010 smartphone, Sony Xperia Z4.

Explay Air has much less memory and is designed to work with just one SIM card. The Lenovo A2010 smartphone, like the Alcatel POP 4, runs on Android 6.0, but has a lower resolution screen and a less powerful camera. Sony Xperia Z4 has the same screen size as the Alcatel POP 4, but with a higher screen resolution. The devices have cameras of equal functionality. In terms of internal memory and RAM, the Sony Xperia Z4 outperforms the Alcatel POP 4.

The Alcatel Pop 4 is a functional and stylish smartphone for communication, work and play.

Senior among juniors

The Alcatel Pop 4S smartphone is now considered the flagship of its line, but the Pop line itself is positioned as budget and affordable, while the Idol line is premium at TCL / Alcatel. As a result, Alcatel Pop 4S turned out to be far from the cheapest of the manufacturer's smartphones, but what it is able to offer its owner and whether it makes sense to pay attention to this model, you will learn from our review.

Key features of Alcatel Pop 4S (5095K)

• SoC MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755M), 8 cores ARM Cortex-A53: [email protected], 8 GHz and [email protected] GHz
• GPU ARM Mali-T860 MP2 @ 550 MHz
• Operating system Android 6.0
• 5.5 ″ IPS touchscreen display, 1920 × 1080, 401 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• Support Micro-SIM (1 pc.), Nano-SIM (1 pc.)
• MicroSD support up to 64GB
• GSM / GPRS / EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• WCDMA / HSPA + networks (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
• LTE Cat.4 FDD Band 3, 7, 8, 20
• Wi-Fi 802.11а / b / g / n / ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
• GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
• USB 2.0, OTG
• 13 MP camera, autofocus, f / 2.4, 1080p video
• Front camera 5 MP, f / 2.0, fixed. focus, flash
• Proximity sensor, lighting, magnetic field, fingerprint, accelerometer, gyroscope
• Battery 2960 mAh, non-removable
• Dimensions 152 x 77 x 8 mm
• Weight 153 g

Appearance and usability

Alcatel Pop 4S received a rather simple design, the device for 16 thousand rubles could, frankly, look more expensive. The first thing that comes to mind is the faceless black plastic smartphones of Chinese OEMs from three to four years ago. The device looks inexpressive and cheap. Perhaps this is due to the dull matte black color and the thin silver side bezel, gleaming with chrome.

Most of the body is formed by a cover made of thin and flexible plastic. The lid completely covers the entire frame of the case, the side buttons are fixed directly on it. The lid is matte, with a sanding effect, but somehow fingerprints are still clearly visible on its surface.

The size of the smartphone is a typical representative of large 5.5-inch devices, its shape and dimensions cannot be called graceful. The side faces have clearly defined straight ends, the sidewalls are slightly narrowed due to the sloping edges of the back cover. The ends are surrounded by a thin and shiny chrome bezel, but there is no real metal here, and this bezel does not separate the parts of the case, but is simply applied to a plastic casing. There is a suspicion that these shiny stripes will peel off rather quickly.

The cover can be easily removed with your fingers; there is a special notch for engagement. Inside there are two separate slots for Micro-SIM and Nano-SIM cards and one slot for a microSD memory card up to 128 GB. The memory card can be mounted so that applications are installed on it, this requires formatting with the loss of previous data. The battery, despite the removable housing cover, cannot be replaced by yourself.

The camera module on the back of the smartphone protrudes beyond the surface of the body, which makes the device, lying on a hard surface, sway when touched to the screen. The flash consists of two multi-colored LEDs, it is quite bright and can be used as a flashlight.

The main speaker is installed right there, on the back of the case, that is, the sound is directed in the opposite direction from the user, which is not the best option. In addition, the sound of a lying smartphone is muffled by the surface of the table.

The front panel of Alcatel Pop 4S is covered with flat transparent glass without fashionable sloping edges and tint. There is a mechanical hardware key under the screen with a fingerprint scanner inscribed in it. The scanner is quite sensitive, there are no complaints about the response time and recognition quality. You can move your finger to the sensor from any angle. The button under the scanner platform is mechanical, it fulfills the function of returning to the home screen. The other two buttons, located on either side of it, are touch-sensitive and have a white backlight.

In the upper part above the screen, in addition to sensors, there was also such a useful element as an LED event indicator. The diode, however, is very small, barely noticeable, it shines with a dull small dot of milky color in the left corner, notifying about the charging status and incoming messages. There is also a window for its own front-facing flash for a selfie camera.

The side buttons are reversed: most modern smartphones have the power button on the right side closer to the middle, and the rocker or volume keys are above it. Here, the opposite is true, so when switching from other smartphones, confusion arises. The volume usually has to be adjusted much less often than using the lock key, but it is its rocker that is brought out here under the thumb of the right hand, so the volume button is pressed more often, sometimes unintentionally, and you have to stretch to the unlock button every time. However, using the fingerprint sensor to unlock the smartphone and the double-tap screen blanking function, on the one hand, and the use of the volume buttons to turn pages in the browser and the reader, on the other hand, can significantly change the way the user interacts with the device and his preferences in location. buttons.

The Micro-USB connector was installed not in the middle of the bottom end, but closer to the edge. It supports connecting flash drives and other devices in USB OTG mode. On the other side you can find a hole for the spoken microphone.

The hole of the second, auxiliary microphone is located on the opposite end, the smartphone is equipped with a noise reduction system, for which this additional microphone is used. The 3.5 mm headphone jack is cut in here, in the upper end.

As for the colors, in Russian stores the model is most often found in black, the most ordinary-looking version, but in general, in nature there are brighter colors of Alcatel Pop 4S.

Screen

Alcatel Pop 4S is equipped with an IPS touchscreen display with flat protective glass without bezels and sloping edges. The physical dimensions of the screen are 68 × 121 mm, the diagonal is 5.5 inches, the resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels, and the dot density is approximately 401 ppi. The width of the frame around the screen is about 4 mm on the sides, in this regard the smartphone looks simple, it does not set records for “framelessness”.

The brightness of the display can be adjusted manually, or it can be automatically adjusted based on the operation of the ambient light sensor. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 5 simultaneous multitouch clicks. When you bring the smartphone to your ear, the screen is adequately blocked using the proximity sensor. The functions of turning the display on and off by tapping on the glass are the only set of gestures that the review hero can use. These capabilities are manually enabled in the corresponding settings menu.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev... Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Alcatel Pop 4S, then they can be distinguished by their size):

The screen of the Alcatel Pop 4S is also dark. The doubling of reflected objects in the Alcatel Pop 4S screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with greatly different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense ambient light, but their repair in the case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen, there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating, which is slightly better in efficiency than that of the Nexus 7. Therefore, fingerprints are removed much easier, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and with the display of the white field on the whole screen, the maximum brightness value was about 400 cd / m², the minimum - 15 cd / m². The maximum brightness is not high, but given the good anti-glare properties, something on the screen will be visible even on a sunny day outdoors, but only if the image is bright on average - see below. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment. In complete darkness, if the slider is at 100%, then the auto brightness function reduces the brightness to 70 cd / m2 (a bit too much), if the adjustment is about 50%, then - 15 cd / m2 (normal), and if by 0%, then - 3 cd / m² (a little dark). Whereas in an office illuminated with artificial light (about 550 lx) and in a very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lx or slightly more), the brightness rises to 400 cd / m2 regardless of the setting of the brightness slider ... It turns out that the automatic brightness control function works inadequately. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering either.

This smartphone uses an IPS-type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.

However, the subpixels themselves are located unconventionally - in the horizontal direction (in landscape orientation) there are typical columns, but in each of the columns the triads of subpixels are shifted by one subpixel vertically, first up and then down.

Note that we have already seen a similar arrangement of subpixels in the case of the HTC 10 and a number of other smartphones. As a result, the ratio of columns horizontally to triads vertically is 3 to 2, that is, the actual vertical resolution is 1/3 less than the horizontal one (hereinafter, we mean the landscape orientation of the screen). That is, the points (RGB triads) on the screen are actually only 1920 by 720, and not 1920 by 1080. The resolution is high in any case, and these features of the matrix practically do not appear in any way when viewing text, photos and video, but test targets are displayed with visible artifacts.

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting (except for the darkest when deviating along one diagonal) shades. For comparison, we present photographs in which the screens of Alcatel Pop 4S and Nexus 7 display the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set at about 200 cd / m² across the white field across the entire screen, and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. Perpendicular to screens white field:

Note some unevenness of brightness and color tone of the white field, exceeding the average level.

And the test picture:

The screen of the Alcatel Pop 4S is dimmed, and the color balance of the two screens is clearly unequal.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, but in the Alcatel Pop 4S the contrast decreased to a greater extent due to the strong black lightening, and it also began to show signs of inverting dark shades.

And white box:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in exposure), but the Alcatel Pop 4S has a slightly brighter screen. The black field is strongly lightened when deviated along the diagonal, but remains approximately neutral gray. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same, for which we had to move the brightness adjustment slider to the maximum, and still it turned out only 190 cd / m2 on the white area!):

And from a different angle:

When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is good:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1500: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 27 ms (13.5 ms on + 13.5 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 38 ms in total. The gamma curve, plotted using 32 points at equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 4.19, but in this case it does not matter, since the real gamma curve does not at all look like a power dependence:

This device has a very aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness depending on the nature of the displayed image and on the time of displaying this image. As a result, the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen. For this reason, a number of tests - determining the contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - we carried out (however, as always) when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields across the entire screen. In general, such a non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since a constant change in the brightness of the screen can at least cause some discomfort, greatly reduce the visibility of gradations in the shadows in the case of dark images and the readability of the screen in bright light, since in not the brightest in average images the brightness of the backlight is greatly underestimated, and it is not too much.

The color gamut differs slightly from sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters mix the components together to a moderate extent:

However, the deviations of the coordinates of the primary colors from the vertices of the sRGB triangle are small, so visually the colors on this screen practically do not differ from the natural ones. The balance of shades on the gray scale is medium, since the color temperature is above the standard 6500 K and the deviation from the spectrum of the absolute black body (ΔE) is greater than 10, which is considered not a very good indicator even for a consumer device. However, in this case, the color temperature and ΔE do not change much from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of the color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

This device has a fairly advanced system of profiles and settings, which provides the ability to adjust the color balance, etc. It is called MiraVision.

In the graphs above, the curves Without corr. correspond to the results without any color balance correction, and the curves Heat- the data obtained after shifting the color temperature correction slider to the extreme "warm" position, as in the picture below.

It can be seen that the change in balance corresponds to the expected result, since the color temperature approached the standard value, although ΔE also increased significantly. It doesn't make much sense to perform the correction.

To summarize: the screen has a low maximum brightness, but has good anti-glare properties, so the device can somehow be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day, but you should expect a strong decrease in legibility when displaying images that are dim on average. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. The mode with automatic brightness adjustment works inadequately, it is better not to use it. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, no air gap in the layers of the screen and no flicker, as well as high contrast and good uniformity of the black field. The disadvantages are low stability of black to deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen, poor color balance, as well as non-switchable dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Even taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality cannot be considered high.

Sound

The Alcatel Pop 4S has nothing special to offer in terms of sound. There is a proprietary Mix player with emulation of a DJ console: you can synchronize tracks, do mixing, add audio effects. But it looks more like momentary entertainment than a serious application for making real music, and the sound of the speakers on the smartphone is rather modest. Sound without noticeable presence of low frequencies, rather monotonous, not bright and not too loud. In headphones, the situation does not noticeably improve, the sound is the same dull and monotonous, with a predominance of high frequencies and not quite clean.

There are no special complaints about the spoken dynamics and microphone: the sound of the voice of a familiar interlocutor is a little dull, but quite legible. The interlocutors on the other side also do not notice any noticeable problems with the sound during phone calls. The microphone sensitivity is enough for dictaphone recordings, but the noise reduction system does not cope with its duties. During the playback of the received records, the background noise is clearly audible, it spoils the whole picture. FM-radio is included in the standard configuration of the smartphone.

Camera

Alcatel Pop 4S is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 13 and 5 megapixels. The front module has a 5 megapixel sensor and f / 2.4 aperture optics with fixed focus and its own front flash. The quality of the shooting turned out to be quite mediocre, even by the standards of a selfie camera. There are serious complaints about sharpness, detail, and especially color rendition and automatic white balance.

The main camera received a 13-megapixel sensor and an f / 2.0 aperture lens. Autofocus is quite fast, the dual flash is bright, there is an electronic stabilization function for photo and video shooting.

Alcatel did not add its own menu to control the camera, the menu here is standard for systems based on the MediaTek platform, it is simple in appearance, but it has everything you need. You can manually adjust and expose exposure, ISO (up to 1600), white balance, brightness, contrast, you can choose additional modes like night, sports, or even PIP and QR code. You cannot transfer control of camera settings to third-party applications using the Camera2 API, there is no possibility of recording in RAW either.

The camera can shoot video at a maximum resolution of 1080p, but there are no 4K and 60 fps modes. Electronic IS is there and really makes shooting on the go smoother. But this is where the pros end: the camera copes with video shooting in general, the detail is rather low, the picture is faded, blurry, not juicy, the colors are not natural. Sensitive microphones record sound quite well, but the noise cancellation system cuts out noise poorly, the sound remains cluttered and noisy.

• Movie # 1 (52 MB, 1920 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)

	The text is not worked out very well, but readable.
	The camera copes with macro photography.
	The foliage begins to merge already in the foreground.
	A small area of ​​focus in the foreground at the bottom.
	From time to time, the camera somehow fulfills the distant shots.
	The entire right half of the frame is out of focus.
	The entire frame is out of focus.

Alcatel Pop 4S	Apple iPhone 6s Plus

From the first shots it is clear that the camera can only be used for capturing text. She was out of luck with the program, and even more with optics. Perhaps the point is in the skew of the lens, which can explain the periodically appearing areas of focus in the pictures. But in most cases, the camera can barely focus. So the verdict is quite obvious: only shooting the text, and then with a double-check of the results.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for LTE FDD Cat.4 networks, that is, the maximum download speed is limited to 150 Mbps. The device has no problems with Russian frequencies, it can operate in all three 4G bands supported by domestic operators (LTE Cat.4 FDD Band 3, 7, 8, 20).

In practice, in the Moscow region, a smartphone registered and worked in 4G networks without any problems, and everything is generally in order with the connection speed via LTE. The quality of the signal reception raises no particular criticism, the device maintains communication in rooms and does not lose the signal in areas of poor reception.

The rest of the network capabilities also do not cause any complaints: the smartphone works in both Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz), there is Wi-Fi Direct, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.1 channels, and even there is support for NFC ... Micro-USB 2.0 connector supports connecting external devices in USB OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS (with A-GPS) and domestic Glonass. There are no complaints about the operation of the navigation module, the first satellites during a cold start are detected within the first tens of seconds with a minimum error. The smartphone is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the digital compass of navigation programs usually functions.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, when dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts /. The stock keyboard is rather modest (for example, it has no support for swipe input), but the device is already preinstalled as an additional alternative SwiftKey keyboard, you can use it, there are wider possibilities.

The smartphone supports work with two SIM-cards. The standard interface allows you to select a specific card for each of the functions in advance or right during the connection. Working with two SIM cards is organized according to the usual Dual SIM Dual Standby standard, when both cards can be in active standby mode, but cannot work at the same time - there is only one radio module.

OS and software

Alcatel Pop 4S uses Google Android 6.0 software platform as a system. There is no full-fledged alternative interface here, but there is its own launcher, which modifies the application menu, adds limited support for gestures and several widgets.

As for additional programs, there are a lot of them here. This mainly concerns pre-installed games, and there are some that would otherwise be purchased for money. For example, you can play Minecraft completely free of charge through your own app center. Any applications can be installed on a microSD card. The rest of the interface remains familiar, because in general there are practically no differences from the original Android OS version 6.

Performance

The Alcatel Pop 4S hardware platform is built on the MediaTek MT6755M SoC, also known as the Helio P10. The Helio P10 is configured with a 64-bit True8Core eight-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 2 GHz and an ARM Mali-T860 GPU clocked at 700 MHz. True, in this version of MT6755M, the maximum frequency of four processor cores is reduced to 1.8 GHz, and the other four - to 1.0 GHz, while the graphics processor operates at 550 MHz.

The amount of RAM of the younger modification of the smartphone is 2 GB, the built-in flash memory is 16 GB, of which about 10.3 GB are initially available to the user for his needs. This volume can be increased by using microSD cards. It is also possible to connect external flash drives to the USB port in OTG mode. MicroSD cards are supported up to 128GB, in practice our 128GB Transcend Premium microSDXC UHS-1 test card was successfully recognized by the device. The installation of applications on a memory card is supported, for this it must be formatted with the loss of all previous data. You can use the card in the usual storage mode, but then you will not be able to install applications on it.

Judging by the comparison table with the test data of other current mobile platforms, it is possible to repeat what was already known from previous tests. SoC MediaTek MT6755 (Helio P10) has a far from top level, but a confident average. It does not give high numbers in benchmarks, but it copes well with any tasks, including demanding games. Although, of course, games are not run at the maximum settings and fps values: even in World of Tanks, the indicators average 40-45 fps with the maximum possible 60 fps and higher. In more demanding games, sometimes there are short brakes, but overall this does not affect comfort. Such a platform does not have a noticeable performance headroom for the future.

Testing with the latest AnTuTu and GeekBench benchmarks:

All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks, we have summarized in tables for convenience. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, therefore, many worthy and relevant models remain behind the scenes - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Alcatel Pop 4S (MediaTek Helio P10)	Huawei Nova Plus (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)	Micromax Canvas Q465 (Spreadtrum SC9832)	Leagoo M5 (MediaTek MT6580)	Doogee T6 Pro (MediaTek MT6753)
3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot (more is better)	414	463	—	—	198
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen)	5 fps	7	—	—	7
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen)	5 fps	6	—	—	3
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen)	17 fps	23	7	8	19
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen)	17 fps	23	4	4	12

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of a javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Heat images

Below is a thermal image back surface obtained after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

It can be seen that the heating is strongly localized on the right side of the device, which, apparently, corresponds to the location of the SoC microcircuit. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 42 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees). This heating cannot be called insignificant.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats that make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that it is important for mobile devices to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are tabulated.

According to the test results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network, in this case, audio files. To play them successfully, you will have to resort to using a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings in it and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Native video player
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720, 24fps, AAC	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720, 24fps, AC3		the video plays normally, there is no sound
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080, 24fps, AAC	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080, 24fps, AC3	the video plays normally, there is no sound	the video plays normally, there is no sound

Further video playback testing was done by Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720 / 24p

Okay No

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Skips green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but do not have to) be output with more or less even interval alternation and without frame drops - with the exception of files with 60 fps, in in which case 3-4 frames per second are skipped, and often in pairs in a row. The reason is the atypically low refresh rate of the screen, equal to 56-57 Hz. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the edge of the screen, one to one pixel by pixel, that is, conventionally in the original resolution. (Conventionally, since this screen does not have a physical resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels - see above. In particular, artifacts appear on the test worlds: instead of horizontal (in landscape orientation of the screen) stripes, some color pattern is displayed through the pixel.) Displayed on On the screen, the brightness range corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: in the shadows, only a couple of shades merge with black, and in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

The non-removable battery installed in the Alcatel Pop 4S has a capacity of 2960 mAh. The battery, it seems, is not bad, but smartphones on the gluttonous MediaTek platforms have never been distinguished by longevity, and the hero of the review, unfortunately, was no exception. Here, with autonomy, everything is average: not a failure, but the Alcatel Pop 4S is very, very far from the level of the foremost in this regard. With such a battery, autonomy could be even higher. The smartphone lasts up to evening charging, but you should not hope for a longer use.

Testing has traditionally been carried out at the usual power consumption level, while the smartphone also has a standard power saving mode.

Continuous reading in the Moon + Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m2) with auto scrolling lasted about 11 hours until the battery was fully discharged, while continuously watching high quality video (720p) with with the same brightness level through the home Wi-Fi network, the smartphone works no longer than 8.5 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone lasted only 3.5 hours.

The smartphone is charged from a standard charger for 2.5 hours with a current of 1 A at a voltage of 5 V. The device does not support wireless charging.

Outcome

As for the price, at the moment the Alcatel Pop 4S can be ordered in Alcatel's own online store for 16 thousand rubles, and the device is certainly not worth that kind of money. This is a completely ordinary, nondescript in appearance and lacking stars from the heavens, an overpriced middling, having a huge number of competitors in an extremely oversaturated segment. A smartphone could surprise with little even at a lower price: the screen here is of low quality, and this is one of the main characteristics of a modern smartphone. The sound, quality of shooting, autonomy and even appearance, many rivals can offer better and for less money. Of the obvious advantages of the Alcatel Pop 4S, one can single out only the support of all Russian LTE frequencies, the presence of a fingerprint sensor and NFC support. Realizing this, many sellers reduce the price of this device: now you can find retail offers for 12-13 thousand rubles, although sales of Alcatel Pop 4S at this price are unlikely to be significant.

At MWC 2016, Alcatel unveiled two new POP smartphones. Both models were assigned the corresponding serial number 4. One of the gadgets was named Alcatel POP 4 Plus and, in fact, is a variation of POP 4 with a larger screen. Today we will take a closer look at the Alcatel POP 4 Plus and reveal the "light" and "dark" sides of Alcatel.

Specifications

• Screen: 5.5 ", IPS, 16 million colors, 1280 × 720 pixels, capacitive;
• Operating system: Android 6.0 Marshmallow;
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 MSM8909, Cortex-A7, 4 x 1.1 GHz;
• GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 304, 409 MHz;
• RAM: 1.5 GB;
• Built-in memory: 16 GB, support for microSD memory cards up to 32 GB;
• Cameras: Main 8 MP - LED flash, digital zoom, autofocus, f / 2.0, HDR;
  frontal 5 Mp - flash, digital. zoom;
• Video recording: 1280 x 720, 30 frames / s;
• Battery: Li-Ion 2500 mAh;
• Dimensions: 151.0 x 77 x 7.99 mm;
• Weight: 156 g;
• SIM slots: 2 microSIM / microSIM, Dual Standby;
• Communication: GSM: 850/900/1800/1900,
  UMTS: 1/2/5/8,
  FDD LTE B1 / 3/7/8/20 / 28A,
  EDGE HSPA +: Down - 42 Mbps, Up - 5.76 Mbps,
  4G LTE Cat 4: Down - 150 Mbps, Up - 50 Mbps,
  WIFI: 802.11 a / b / g / n 2.4GHz,
  Bluetooth 4.1,
  GPS (AGPS);
• Sensors: illumination, proximity, accelerometer, compass, Hall;
• Available colors: silver, black.

Equipment

The manufacturer presented the device for review in a white cardboard box with a sticker with the name of the company, the code name of the device, barcodes, IMEI and the main supported communication formats. A funny fact was that the sticker said that inside was Alcatel POP 4S 5095K in dark gray, which introduced me to some confusion while getting to know the subject of the review.
Along with the box was an A4 sheet with the (correct) name of the smartphone model and its technical characteristics.

Inside, besides the phone itself, there was a 5V 2A charger, a 1m micro-USB cable for connecting to a PC, as well as in-ear headphones-headsets with two pairs of spare nozzles of different sizes.

Appearance

The body is made of plastic, but very high quality, like metal. Without opening the back cover, also plastic, you will not understand this.

The front panel is covered with glass. Above the display are from left to right the notification LED, front camera, light and proximity sensors, earpiece and flash.

Below the screen are touch buttons "back", "home" and "menu". The home key is a design element of the smartphone and fits perfectly into it. The rest are "hidden" and are highlighted together with the central button when directly activated.

The top edge of the POP 4 Plus houses a 3.5mm jack and a microphone.

The manufacturer has placed physical power and volume keys on the right side of the smartphone, and they are located very high and close to each other, which is very inconvenient, especially given the considerable dimensions of the device.

Accordingly, there is nothing on the left side of the gadget.

At the bottom there is a microUSB connector and a second microphone.

The back panel, as mentioned earlier, is made of plastic. Covered with paint from the outside. Inside it is white. The cover has holes for the main camera, flash and speaker. The physical buttons are on the side of this panel.

The back panel is removed quite easily, as a result of which the user will be able to see not only the camera and flash, but also two slots for SIM cards of the microSIM format, as well as a slot for a microSD card and a speaker. The battery is non-removable, hidden under an aluminum plate with a white sticker. You can insert and remove SIM cards and USB flash drives whenever you want, the connectors are independent and conveniently located on the edge.

It is quite pleasant to hold Alcatel POP 4 Plus in hand. The device does not slip out. Inconvenience during use is created only by the buttons on the right side.

Display

The presented gadget is equipped with a 5.5 "screen with an IPS matrix displaying 16 million colors and having a resolution of 1280 x 720 - it may seem not enough for such a large display. However, this is completely invisible. The screen, like the entire front surface, is covered with glass with full lamination and an oleophobic coating, which, as usual, copes with its function up to a certain degree of grease on the user's fingers.

Color reproduction can be adjusted in hardware in the "Display" section of the phone settings. You can change the color temperature and choose between vivid and natural saturation modes. In general, the color rendition looks a little dull, perhaps this is due to the used resolution and screen size.

In the above situation, brightness does not come to the rescue. In conditions of excessive light, the phone perfectly replaces a mirror. The content displayed on the screen is barely visible not only due to insufficient brightness, but also due to glare. Taking pictures with this device in such conditions is extremely inconvenient, almost blindly.

Multitouch support - up to 5 points.

Iron

Alcatel POP 4 Plus is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor on MSM8909 chipset, four ARM Cortex-A7 cores, 1.1 GHz each. This processor was developed for devices of the price category below the average. Among its distinguishing features are the 28 nm process technology and H.265 hardware decoding, but the main feature is the presence of a built-in LTE modem, which was previously only available for Snapdragon 400 and higher.
The fact is that Alcatel POP 4 Plus differs from the usual "four" in the screen size at the same resolution and increased RAM - one and a half times, and internal - twice, memory. In this situation, it looks strange that the phone runs on such a weak processor.

Responsible for the graphics is the integrated graphics core Qualcomm Adreno 304 with a maximum frequency of 409 MHz.

The test results are not very good, to put it mildly. In 3DMark, the recommended test for this device on OpenGL ES 3.0 and 1080p unexpectedly showed zero result. With OpenGL 2.0, things are better, but in terms of the overall rating, this device is far from even the average result.

In practice, everything is the same. An uncontested choice between good texture quality and smooth frame transitions.

The real amount of RAM, according to the phone, is 1.4 GB. When the intensity of use is above average, the load is about 60%. The speed of work is quite satisfactory, the loading of applications does not make you wait long.

Of the 16 GB of internal memory, 11.1 GB is available to the user. If desired, the memory can be expanded with a microSD card up to 32 GB.

Software

Alcatel POP 4 Plus runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with a redesigned interface. The transformations have touched the main menu, which automatically categorizes apps in alphabetical order. I was unable to return the menu to a "normal" look. In the settings, you can choose the effect of turning off the screen: fading out or "old TV". The second looks pretty funny.

Together with the Play Music application, the OneTouch Music Lite player is installed with the ability to listen to music, both from the phone's memory and the Deezer online service.

Sound

The smartphone is equipped with a speaker, which is located on the back side, at the bottom. The sound quality is mediocre, low frequencies are not audible at all, mids are not much, most of all are highs. The sound is "dry". However, the speaker volume is good. The maximum level is 82.4 dB.

The in-ear headset is a nice addition to your smartphone. Listening to music is a pleasure. The depth of the "bass" and the clear volumetric resonance of each instrument pleases me. However, the disadvantage of the headphones is the telephone control unit (remote). It is very small in size and only has one button, no volume controls.

The headset serves as an antenna for listening to FM radio both in headphones and through the speaker of the gadget.

Connection

The earpiece is loud enough. Noise cancellation works well. When talking in a car while driving with open windows on a busy street, the interlocutor hears only the speaker's voice, there is silence around.
The advantage is that the smartphone supports the LTE communication standard. It is interesting that where other phones do not catch 3G, the gadget catches a 4G signal. But, of course, everything depends on the telecom operator.
The Wi-Fi module does its job perfectly. The connection is clear even at a great distance from the router. There are no gaps.

The GPS module almost instantly "saw" 24 satellites, of which 15 "saw" it in response.

Battery

The Alcatel POP 4 Plus is equipped with a 2500 mAh Li-Ion battery. Checking the Treshbox test showed the autonomy of the device for almost 13 hours - a pretty good result for a smartphone with a 5.5-inch screen. Most likely, the main role here was played by the low power consumption of the processor.

Camera

The main camera takes photos with a resolution of up to 8 megapixels. There is a single-tone LED flash, autofocus, digital zoom. Available modes: auto, HDR, panorama, QR scanner, auto retouch. Product photography works better than landscape photography.

The front camera takes pictures up to 5 megapixels. There is a flash, digital zoom, fixed focus. Of all the modes, only automatic and auto-retouching are available.

Both cameras shoot video in HD 1280 x 720.

Results and conclusions

Alcatel decided to create another "pair", but were a little lazy about it. By increasing the display size and POP 4 memory, the developers did not change the "heart" of the gadget, leaving a weak processor, low resolution for such a display, battery capacity and camera resolution.
But on the other hand, this decision is quite understandable if you look at the cost of Alcatel POP 4 Plus - with an average price of 10,500 rubles, the buyer gets a "pleasant to the touch" smartphone with a huge screen. Not every company can boast of such an achievement.
I did not identify any critical shortcomings during testing of this smartphone. Yes, the graphics are lame, and the processor is weak by modern standards, but its power is quite enough for listening to music, surfing the Internet, taking photos and videos and watching videos in HD quality without slowdowns. Applications quickly open and load into RAM.

Pros:

• Affordable price
• Big screen
• Loud speaker
• Cool headset included
• LTE support
• Sufficient battery capacity

Minuses:

• Weak processor for such a large smartphone
• Graphics performance is poor
• Insufficient display brightness
• Insufficient color depth