So Alcatel are what i would class as the budget end of the mobile market. Not a phone brand you tend to hear about alot, however that may all change with their latest budget model the Pop 4.
The Pop 4 is part of a range of stylish budget smartphones which are said to combine design and performance at a very affordable price.
General Phone Stats
The phone boasts the following:
- A large 6-inch IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 resolution screen
- Sleek and slim curved design with metallic finish
- An Octa-core MediaTek P10 processor
- 2 GB of RAM with 16 GB of internal storage (maximum user storage 11GB)
- A 13-megapixel main camera along with a 5-megapixel front facing selfie camera
- Fingerprint sensor
- Micro SD storage expansion slot
- 4G Connection
- A powerful battery life offering over 15 hrs of talktime
Design
Now considering this is a budget phone the actual design is pretty good, nice brushed metallic finish, sleek curved design and nice overall screen ratio. Also considering the size of phone, which is rather large - it also feels nice and light. The main thing is it doesn't look like a budget phone.
Screen Quality
The screen quality is excellent even though it has mid range resolution with a 367ppi screen (medium pixel density). Colours are vivid and clear and the screen expands right to the edge giving you ample screen space for taking photos, gaming and surfing the net.
Processor Power and Storage
The phone has a Octa-core, 1800 MHz, ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit processor and it comes with a pretty standard 2gb of RAM. The general function of the phone is quick and responsive with email, internet and general apps all running and performing easily with no lag. With regards to gaming and streaming music i found no real issues at all - you can comfortably play without any drag and music streaming was great.
The phone has 16GB of internal storage which is pretty standard, but you can expand this up to an extra 32GB with the Micro SD capability.
Battery Power
This is a huge plus point with this phone - battery life was excellent. My current phone is a Samsung and pretty much most evenings after a standard days use of email, text messages, browsing, using social apps etc - I'm getting the battery low warning every evening - this just wasn't the case with the Pop 4 and most evenings it would be at about 25/30% so big gold star for that!! Another plus is the quick charge feature which allows you to charge your phone up to a max of 50% within 30 minutes.
Camera
The phone has a 13MP camera as well as a 5MP front facing selfie camera. The large screen is a huge advantage however the overall quality of the photos taken isn't the sharpest I have seen, but for general every day usage its great. Simple to use with 6 different modes:
- Auto mode: just aim and shoot, it also auto focuses for you. Also if you hold down the shoot button it goes into burst mode and takes a series of shots whilst you hold the button down. These are then displayed in order and you have the option to then save them as individual images.
- HDR: High Dynamic range - basically balances the shadows and highlights of a photo
- Panoramic mode: which has a cool onscreen features which shows you the image being built as you pan across
- Manual mode: where you have control and can take the photo your way
- Scanner function mode
- Face Beauty mode: Applies a soft focus to the photo when taking selfies
The video camera option has zoom capability whilst recording which is really handy and there is an option to trim the video once taken.
Set up and Applications
Set up is pretty straight forward and pretty standard for an android phone - just follow the on screen instructions, link your google account etc. etc. and you are up and running in no time. The phone comes with your standard set of factory fitted apps and you can download new from the Google App Store. Standard apps include:
- Calendar
- Contacts
- Camera
- Email/Gmail
- One Drive
- Maps
- Messaging
- Google Play Store
- Weather
- File Transfer
- Gallery
- User care: basically an online warrenty and hardware testing app
- And comes with some standard social apps including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
The benefit of the large screen is that the keyboard function on this phone is alot larger - its not only large but it has a multitude of features:
- Don't like a large keyboard - there are 5 different sizes to choose from as well as 3 different keyboard layouts.
- You can unlock the keyboard from the bottom of the screen and move it to where you want it
- You can add, change, activate different key functions
- You can even change the theme of the keyboard
There are a load of other functions also - maybe a bit OTT for a keyboard function, however if you spend alot of time flexing those thumbs this vast functionality allows you to set your phone just how you like it.
Value for money
So this phone retails anywhere between £89 - £120, prices vary dependent on retailer and deal offered. Considering this is a budget phone you don't feel compromised on quality and it holds its own against the more pricier options on the market. For a simple to use, everyday day phone you can't go wrong.
Overall Conclusion
As far as budget phones go I have to say I'm quite impressed. Sleek robust design and large vibrant screen makes it look like a much pricier model. Major pros are the excellent battery life and a easy functioning camera. The cons to this phone i would say are the storage - internal storage isn't massive but the 32GB expansion option is a blessing ( just remember to format SD as internal). Alcatel have packed alot into this budget version and it offers excellent functionality and value for money.
Thank you to Alter Agency for allowing me to review the Pop 4 Phone.
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