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This Budget Friendly Smartphone Does It All

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Thank you to Alcatel for sending the products. The honest opinions are my own.

I love seeing what is new in the world of smartphone technology. Everyone is aware of all the leading brands in the market, but one thing that is pretty impressive is that the technology has done a pretty good job of leveling the playing field. A couple of weeks ago, we were asked to try out and give our honest review on a new smartphone and smartwatch combo from Alcatel. Always up for anything, I gladly said – challenge accepted! I have a lot to say about both the phone and watch, so I have split up the posts, here are my thoughts on the new Alcatel smartphone.

The Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 is a lot of phone with a small price. It is very competitively priced at a steep discount from the flagship phones we all know. Coming in at a price under $250 I was interested to see how this budget friendly smartphone compared to its competition.

As I took the Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 out of the box, I really liked how it looked, it is a pretty big phone at 5.5” but is surprisingly thin. An often overlooked aspect is how a phone feels in your hand, the Idol 3 fits nicely, it is nicely balanced, but it feels a bit light. The casing of the Idol 3 is all plastic (part of the reason it is so light), but it looks nice. Some of the lower priced phones have a cheap plastic-like feel to them, the Idol 3 looks really good. The plastic backside looks like it is a metal, it actually looks like a brushed aluminum and it has a little texture to the touch.Alcatel Idol 3

The Idol 3 sports an Android 5.0 Lollipop Operating System and looks and runs like your typical Android phone. After using the Idol 3 for a couple of days I was very happy with its performance. The Idol 3 does everything well. There were a couple of features which I became really fond of.

  • The Idol 3 is the first smartphone (and only that I know of) to be truly reversible. I know that sounds funny, but you can turn the phone upside down and the screen will flip, some phone do this part, but the unique aspect is that you can answer the Idol 3 with either side by your ear. This is thanks to a mic and headset on each end of the phone. This is especially convenient for when the phone rings and you can just pick it up, regardless of what side it top or bottom. I no longer had to pay attention to which end was up when I put the phone in my pocket or placed it on the table. There is technically a top and bottom, you can differentiate with the camera and the buttons on the side, but the reversible function is unique and a nice added bonus.

  • I also really like the ability to turn the phone on and lock the phone simply by double tapping the screen. This is a function which is growing in popularity and is handy since the buttons can change spots on you due to the reversibility function. It works about 90% of the time, maybe I don’t always push down hard enough? But it is a welcome function.
  • Screen brightness – this is a 5.5” phone and I was very impressed with the brightness. I was able to see the screen very easily even in direct sunlight.
  • Dual Front JBL Speakers – this is a nice function, music and video sound is pretty good, not amazing, but definitely above average. The included JBL headset is a nice bonus and the earbuds perform very well.Idol 3 Banner

My time with this budget friendly phone also showed a battery that was pretty good, not great, but good. I am very tough on my phones, and use them a lot between music, email, text and calls. My other Android phone which I use normally has a battery that would last me til about 6 pm until I would need to recharge, with the same usage, the Idol 3 started to give me my low battery warning around 5, so pretty close. I am confident that this would last longer than this for the average user though.

The Idol 3 is a budget friendly phone which performs great for daily use, there are some areas for improvement which some people may notice, but I still need to point out. The Idol 3 has a slower frame rate loading rate, which can lead to some very minor issues when playing games or anything with quickly loading and changing screens. You also notice this when you are swiping back and forth, but again, this is very minor and barely noticeable.Alcatel Idol 3

Also, the cameras on the Idol 3 are made up of a 13MP on the back and an 8 MP in the front. These are great high MPs for a smartphone and the picture taking quality of the Idol 3 is above average, although the pictures seem to come in just a tad dark, I have been playing with the settings to try and figure this out, but haven’t come across it yet.

Overall, the Idol 3 has been a very pleasant experience. It is a budget friendly phone, and some may confuse it with an entry level smartphone. I don’t really believe it is entry level, I think this is a great smart phone for someone who is a savvy user who pays attention to the bottom line. You get a lot out of this phone, I am shocked at all that it has to offer at its price of under $250. To top it off, the Idol 3 comes unlocked and works on any GSM carrier – like AT&T and others.

If you are in the market for a phone that can do everything the flagship phones can do, but don’t want to spend the big bucks or be under contract, the Idol 3 is a must for you to check out. You will be happy you did.

I also had the opportunity to check out the new Onetouch Watch from Alcatel, check out my review of the smartwatch.

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Comments

  3. I would actually probably gift this to my sister since her phone is getting pretty old and I think she’d like to have a smartwatch too.

  4. I would use the watch to check my workout, and I would sync it with the phone so i could stay up to date on my workout routine.

  5. I would use it for photos texts calls remembering things I forget and am often late that is providing hubby didnt talk me out of giving it to him ;)

  8. I would use this for everything! It would be great to be able to take photos and use apps for a healthier lifestyle from my phone. I don’t currently have a smartphone!

  10. Text, calls and internet all rolled into these gadgets. I am old enough to remember when a watch was a time piece and now I have everything I need and tell time too!!

  16. I would like to have this Budget friendly phone. All the others are very expensive.

  17. I would use my new smartphone and smartwatch to make calls, download apps, listen to music and stay organized.

  18. I’d use the 13 MP camera to take pictures on the go and upload them to instagram.

  19. I would like because I need a modern phone (versus my dinosaur). Would love to have on backpacking trips with me to track my fitness too.

  21. I would use my new smartphone, and smartwatch, to surf the internet, download apps, listen to music and make calls

  26. I would use it to keep me organized. Reminders in the calendar, timers while cooking, shopping lists to keep me together. I am often a basket case so I definitely need an assistant which is usually a bunch of apps on my phone. I would use this to help keep me on track every day.

  32. Talk and text, because my current provider and phone do not work so well!

  34. I would use the phone and watch for receiveing businesses inquiries. My old phone will not work and I have no money to buy a new one.

  35. I would use the phone to text & get on Facebook and I’d use the watch to keep track of my workouts.

  36. I would use the Idol 3 and smartwatch to keep in touch with my kids by calling, texting, and posting pictures on social media. Thanks for the opportunity to win this great set!

  37. I would use it for my small business, the features are everything I need. I’m a mother of 4 and starting a small business, I’m always looking to spend less.

  38. I would use my smartphone and smartwatch to help better my life by being able to keep track of all my daily activities.

  44. I would use the watch to keep up wih everything and the smartphone to replce my dumb one (mine only makess calls no apps) This set up is nifty!

  46. I would use my phone for social networking and my watch would help me with daily tasks and appointments.

  49. My current cell phone is more of an “idiot-phone” as opposed to a smart phone. I can send and receive calls. It does not have a phone-mail option, although it will give the phone number from a missed call. I I text by hitting numbers repeatedly. And that’s it. This new set-up would bring me into the current century! I could use wi-fi. I could use gps! I could take pictures and share them without having to go home and hook up my camera to the deskyop computer! And I’d have a truly usable phone! (I’m sure there are other things I could do, but I’d have to learn about them!)

  52. i would down load my playlists and listen to music. And on the watch I’d use the heart monitor the most as i am heavy and I don’t want to put stress on my heart.

  53. I could definitely use them both to track my fitness & help me to achieve my goals in staying healthy

  54. I would use the phone for twitter, facebook, flipboard, youtube, whatsapp and maybe a few games. The watch I would use for notifications that come in on the phone and also for exercise monitoring.

  56. i would use my new smart phone and watch to track my steps, keep in touch with friends and lots of other things too. I would love this prize.

  58. I would use it for texting, for keeping track of my schedule, to try out apps, I’d use it a lot!

  60. I would use it for everything! Calls, checking the time, music, pictures, videos, games, etc. Thanks so much for the chance!

  62. I would use to keep on time and to keep track of my appointments and chaotic schedule

  63. This looks like a great phone with so many great features, I’d love to win for my husband.

  65. I would love to win this set because it looks like a great phone! I need a new one :) The watch also looks like a quality, great one. I would be so happy to win this set!

  67. Both my husband and I are. If we win, I get the package since I entered! :)
    I love the ‘reversible’ feature on the phone. Technology is amazing!