Alcatel is back with another heavy hitting mid-range device, this time around dropping the OneTouch name from its moniker. The Alcatel Idol 4s is the latest from a company that has often specialized in mid-range to entry-level devices, and is easily their most premium device yet. This one features an absolutely incredible build quality that’s all metal and glass, something you don’t always find on the $350-400 price range. On top of that Alcatel is throwing in a fantastic VR headset that’s not only comfortable to use, but features great lenses and two buttons to interact with the VR world, on top of a fully VR compatible UI that launches automatically when inserted.
JBL headphones and an Incipio case mark two additional accessories worth noting in this $400 package, and overall the value of this phone is far above many out there. With a Snapdragon 652 processor inside, the Idol 4s goes toe-to-toe in performance tests with 2015’s flagship phones like the Galaxy S6, Galaxy Note 5 and Nexus 6P to name a few. It’s also got 3GB of RAM inside, a 3,000mAh battery, a 16-megapixel camera on the back and even a front-facing camera with an LED flash for great low-light selfies. To round that out Alcatel has dropped in not one 3.6-watt speaker, but two, giving you true stereo sound on the front and rear of the phone thanks to the fully 360-degree grilles.
Not everything is rosy though as you might expect, and despite some incredible value and great overall performance, the Idol 4s does have a few negative points. Overall though this is definitely a phone to watch in 2016, especially if you aren’t looking to drop nearly a thousand dollars on something like a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 or any of Fall 2016’s other big-hitting flagship devices. Be sure to watch our video review below to see what we thought of the phone overall in a nutshell, and be sure to check out our full review to get all the nitty gritty details we couldn’t fit in the 7 minute video. Subscribe to us if you’d like to see more reviews and features, as we’ve always got plenty on board to deliver to you on a weekly basis!