What's good
- Premium design
- Great audio quality
- Massive internal storage
- Included VR headset
- All-day battery life
- QuickCharge 3.0 support
What's bad
- Limited carrier availability
- Limited app availability
- Weak low-light camera performance
- Questionable resolution for VR use
- No NFC support
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a contender for the top of the Windows 10 phone rankings. With a quick glance at the specs, it’s clear that the Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows is set to shuffle the rankings. But does the phone have what it takes to hold its own at the high-end of the price brackets?
Reviewers have been testing out this latest release and reviews are rolling in! Let’s see what’s good and bad about this new VR-ready device.
The Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows might look familiar. That’s because the phone already has an Android version available. There’s also the latest BlackBerry DTEK60 sporting the same design. But the Windows version isn’t a simple variant—It’s a whole new phone.
Fortunately, the metal and glass design is still classy looking and a hit with reviewers. Pocket Lint noted, “Those glass surfaces have subtle curves towards their edges, so [they] look elegant, but it's not quite enough to stop the phone feeling like a big shiny block in your palm.”
One area where reviewers had a few issues as the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone. Many noted that it was hard to find with its small size and lack of haptic feedback. Many also noted delays in fingerprint recognition. NeoWin said, “The fingerprint scanner on the IDOL 4S is satisfactory. It can feel a bit slow when using it to wake the device, although it certainly feels faster if you're already on the lock screen.”
Flip the phone over and it continues to look the same as it’s Android cousin. However, while the phone used a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen, the resolution is only 1080p. Pocket Lint was pleased with the screen overall, but noted, “On a phone this large the Full HD resolution does start to look a little bit rough around the edges compared to some other flagships.”
The big problem with the display came when reviewers snapped on the VR headset included with the phone. While the fit was great, and the effect worked, most reviewers mentioned pixelation issues and a lack of supported VR apps on the Windows Store. Pocket Lint said, “The 1080p screen isn't sharp enough, while the motion and animations aren't quite smooth enough to make it a pleasant experience. It's more a fun additional feature than a genuinely good experience.”
While the screen loses a few points compared to the Android version, the processor gets a significant boost. The Windows version sports a 2.15GHz quad-core Snapdragon 810 processor and 4GB of RAM—though only 3.5GB are accessible by the phone. Performance reviews were mostly positive in both normal operation and Continuum mode. PC World declared, “I could stack and stack applications in the background without any apparent slowdown, and everything I threw at the Idol 4S ran fluidly.”
With 64GB of storage and microSD support, there’s zero worry about having enough room for your favorite apps and media either.
Reviewers were torn on the 21MP rear camera. While they all noted it was an acceptable camera—most felt they lacked the detail and low-light performance of previous Windows models. Windows Central summed up opinions well, saying, “While I think the rear shooter is okay for regular users, it will be hard to convince Lumia fans otherwise. That's a shame for what is otherwise a fantastic phone.”
However, there was no debate about the battery life on the phone. The 3,000mAh battery lasted every review a full day with ease. A full charge clocks in under 2-hours thanks to USB Type-C and QuickCharge 3.0 support. There’s little to worry about keeping your phone running throughout the day.
Overall, reviews are positive. While the phone carries the same potential pitfalls as other Windows phones, it offers a powerful flagship option with a few VR goodies at a fair price. NeoWin’s verdict reflected other reviews, saying, “For [the price], you're getting an elegantly designed Windows phone with a vibrant display, powerful internals, and a bundled VR headset. If you were looking for a new Windows phone, this is it.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Cam Bunton, Pocket-lintThere's no doubting the hardware capability of the Idol 4S - we've seen it at work several times on Android. What's disappointing in the Windows 10 version is the lack of optimisation from a software standpoint. With its slow loading - and that's despite a hardware boost - it can be quite an off-put...
- Ewan Spence, ForbesThe Idol 4S with Windows 10 is a competent phone. The specifications are modern enough that it feels future-proofed for the upcoming Windows 10 software updates expected in 2017, it meets the expectations of a modern smartphone, and it is possible to live with the mobile version of Windows 10 and ha...
- Rich Woods, NeowinThe Alcatel IDOL 4S with Windows 10 is a powerful and beautiful Windows phone that's actually designed with consumers in mind. It's an extremely pleasant device to use, although it's not without its shortcomings.
- Daniel Rubino, Windows CentralThe Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10 is a fine phone, physically, but a huge part of the experience comes down to the second half of the name: with Windows 10. There's no denying that the current situation with Windows 10 Mobile: it's in a barely-registering distant third place behind Android and iPh...
- Mark Hachman , PCWorldYour consumers Windows phone choices boil down to two: the Microsoft Lumia 950 or the Alcatel Idol 4S. The Lumia 950’s superior camera offers a significant edge. I’ll back any phone that delivers outstanding battery life, however, and the Idol 4S’s silky-smooth performance compleme...
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Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows user manual here.
Alcatel backs up the Idol 4S with Windows with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Idol 4S with Windows has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Alcatel support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Alcatel's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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