Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances. The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos
Alcatel 5 is inexpensive by modern standards Russian market mobile devices is a smartphone, which, nevertheless, has now taken the place of the flagship in the Alcatel family. TCL, which owns this trademark, after acquiring the brand, Blackberry began to separate the products of these two brands away from each other, and Alcatel products were assigned a lower price niche against the backdrop of the premium Blackberry. Thus, simple in many respects, but certainly interesting in some ways, Alcatel 5 turned out to be a completely affordable model, and today we will look at its technical capabilities in detail.
Main characteristics of Alcatel 5 (5086D)
- SoC MediaTek MT6750, 8 cores ARM Cortex-A53 @1/1.5 GHz
- GPU Mali-T860
- Operating system Android 7.0
- Touch display IPS 5.7″, 1440×720 (18:9), 282 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, internal memory 32 GB
- Nano-SIM support (2 pcs.)
- microSD support up to 128 GB
- GSM/WCDMA/HSPA+ networks
- LTE FDD Cat.4 networks (3, 7, 8, 20, 28)
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
- Bluetooth 4.2
- USB Type-C,USB OTG
- GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
- Main camera 12 MP, f/2.2, autofocus, 1080p
- Front camera 13 + 5 MP, f/2.0, f/2.4; fixed focus
- Proximity and light sensors, magnetometer, accelerometer, gyroscope
- Fingerprint's scanner
- Battery 3000 mAh
- Dimensions 152×71×8.5 mm
- Weight 144 g
Contents of delivery
The smartphone comes complete with a USB cable, an AC adapter (5 V; 2 A), a wired stereo headset with headphones without pads, and a card eject key. Paper documentation in Russian is available.
Appearance and ease of use
The body of Alcatel 5 is completely plastic, but we really liked the design: it’s not the usual symmetrical, battered “remnant” streamlined on all sides with rounded edges, but a kind of prefabricated version, where the main part of the body looks like polished metal, and the top and bottom are fixed at the ends panels made of chromed metal.
The body narrows towards the side edges; in profile, the smartphone seems very thin; in the hand, due to the sloping rear back and small mass, it fits perfectly, does not slip and does not collect fingerprints. Due to its light and narrow body, the smartphone can be placed in clothing pockets without any problems. Overall, in terms of ergonomics, the Alcatel 5 is a pleasure to handle.
There are no complaints about the quality of materials or assembly - everything fits perfectly, does not creak when compressed, the body is monolithic. Matte coating The case is not at all slippery, but still a case included would have been nice. Chinese manufacturers like Oppo and Vivo, even Huawei have already learned that it is easier to get a cheap transparent case in the kit than to look for one for a rare model. Sometimes this is simply impossible to do; it will hardly be easy to find a case for the hero of the review.
The only thing that spoils the impression of the finished stylish design is the corrugation of the ring around the camera. Why is this? The notches are completely out of place there; a smooth chrome-plated rim would look organic with the end inserts, but it’s neither one nor the other.
The design of the remaining elements, on the contrary, does not cause rejection: the fingerprint scanner area, for example, is designed exactly as it should, with a smooth polished ring, it looks great. The scanner is slightly recessed, its platform is conveniently installed under the index finger, it is easy to find by touch, it stands out well tactilely. There are no complaints about the work of the scanner; it works clearly, without errors in recognition.
The front panel under the glass is attractively decorated with a geometric pattern in the form of longitudinal lines, and this immediately enriched the image. All elements above the screen are located symmetrically, there is an event indicator - in general, it’s a real pleasure.
Special thanks for doing without the notorious “bangs”, which most manufacturers are now copying from the Apple iPhone X design.
There are no touch-sensitive hardware buttons below the screen, so there is only a very narrow strip of empty space left here. Thank God, at least TCL does not attach its logo here - this terribly infuriates users.
The side keys are usually installed on one side face. The buttons are narrow and harsh, but they have a tactile difference.
The card slot is hybrid: it can accommodate two Nano-SIM cards or a memory card with one Nano-SIM. Hot swapping of cards is supported.
On the top end there is a hole for an auxiliary microphone and a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones - yay!
At the same time, the USB port is represented at the bottom end with a modern and up-to-date Type-C connector, and this is so pleasing that you can even forgive its asymmetrical location relative to the longitudinal axis. The main speaker, as well as the conversational microphone, are also located here, at the bottom end.
In addition to the golden color (Metallic Gold), Alcatel 5 is also sold in black (Metallic Black), which looks even more beautiful and more strict. The smartphone did not receive moisture protection.
Screen
Alcatel 5 is equipped with an IPS display covered with Asahi Dragontrail 2.5D protective glass. The 5.7″ diagonal screen is elongated, it has an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a resolution of 1440×720, its physical dimensions are 65x130 mm. The frame around the display is narrow: 3 mm on the sides, 7 mm on the bottom and 16 mm on the top.
It is possible to use automatic brightness adjustment based on the operation of the ambient light sensor. Multi-touch tests diagnose support for 5 simultaneous touches.
Detailed examination using measuring instruments conducted by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Alcatel 5, then they can be distinguished by size):
The Alcatel 5's screen is slightly darker (photo brightness 119 versus 122 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Alcatel 5 screen is very weak, this 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 - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (slightly better in efficiency than the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.
When manually controlling brightness and when outputting a white field full screen the maximum brightness value was about 480 cd/m², the minimum - 15 cd/m². Maximum brightness high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability on a sunny day outdoors could be good, but everything is spoiled by the dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness (see below). In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located in the upper right corner on the front panel). In automatic mode when changing external conditions The brightness of the screen both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 50 cd/m² (a little bright, but acceptable), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 550 lux) it sets it to 230 cd/m² (normal), in very in a bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more), the brightness increases to 480 cd/m² (to the maximum, which is what is needed). If the slider is at about 50%, then the values are as follows: 15, 95 and 480 cd/m² (the second value is a bit low, but generally normal), and if the slider is at 0% - 6, 20 and 480 cd/m² (the first and second values underestimated). We were more satisfied with the option with a slider of about 75% - 20, 160 and 480 cd/m². It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.
IN this smartphone matrix is used IPS type. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which identical images are displayed on the screens of Alcatel 5 and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forced to switch to 6500 K.
There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.
AND test picture:
The color balance of the screens is clearly different, color saturation is normal, the picture on Alcatel 5 is clearly darkened.
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 on the Alcatel 5 the contrast decreased to a greater extent due to the strong bleaching of blacks.
And a white field:
The brightness at an angle of the screens has decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the Alcatel 5 screen at this angle is slightly brighter. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly and acquires a bluish tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):
And from another angle:
When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is average:
The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1200:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 21 ms (11 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 35 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.20, which is equal to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:
This device has an aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the output image - on average dark images, the backlight brightness is greatly reduced. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on 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, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - (however, as always) when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen. In general, such a non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since constantly changing the brightness of the screen can at least cause some discomfort, reduce the visibility of gradations in shadows in the case of dark images and reduce the readability of the screen in bright light, since in images that are not the lightest on average, the backlight brightness is underestimated .
Color gamut is close to sRGB:
The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:
As a result, the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is average, since the color temperature is significantly higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is below 10, which for consumer device considered an acceptable indicator (data signed as Without corr. in the graphs below). At the same time, the color temperature changes little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there is no color balance of great importance, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
This device has a fairly advanced system of profiles and settings, supposedly providing the ability to adjust color balance, etc. It’s called MiraVision. You can try to correct the color balance (or more specifically, lower the color temperature) in three places. On the page Colorful temperature in MiraVision:
In the screen settings (parameter Colorful temperature):
And on the page EYE PROTECTION in MiraVision. Let us recall that, in principle, bright light can lead to disruption of the daily (circadian) rhythm (see article about), but this problem can be solved by adjusting the brightness to a comfortable level, and there is absolutely no point in distorting the color balance, reducing the contribution of blue.
Moreover, only the last option works normally; for the first two, 6500 K is not within the range. The result is data signed as Corr. in the graphs above. As a result, we adjusted the color temperature, and ΔE on average decreased slightly. At the same time, the maximum brightness decreased to 400 cd/m².
Let's summarize: formally the screen has a high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can somehow be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day. For conditions of complete darkness, you can set a comfortable brightness level. The mode with automatic brightness adjustment works adequately. The advantages of the screen include the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, an effective oleophobic coating, high contrast, as well as an sRGB color gamut and a color balance close to standard (after correction). Significant disadvantages include low black stability due to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane and aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image. In general, the screen quality is conditionally slightly above average.
Cameras
The front camera in Alcatel 5 is advanced, it has a dual module with a sensor resolution of 13 and 5 megapixels, the lenses have a maximum aperture of f/2.0 and f/2.4. It even has its own LED flash, but there is no autofocus. You can apply a “beautifier” to your photos, the difference is visible in test shots. The last photo is taken in group selfie mode; it is selected separately in the menu; there is no quick button for it on the viewfinder screen. But the camera automatically switches to group mode, detecting the presence of three or more people’s faces in the frame.
The quality in terms of detail and color reproduction of the main front camera is quite tolerable, especially considering the abundance of green in the frame. The camera handled all this well, and even the white balance was set correctly. There are also no special complaints about sharpness across the frame field. The camera is very good for its level, this is one of the strongest points of the Alcatel 5 smartphone, but it still lacks autofocus. The wide-angle module, designed for taking group selfies, takes worse pictures as expected; you should not switch to this shooting mode unless necessary.
But the main camera is unremarkable, although in good lighting it produces images of quite passable quality, both in detail and in sharpness. It received a sensor with a resolution of 12 megapixels and a lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The control menu is chaotic: it’s impossible to even get to the settings in video mode; you have to switch to photography every time. Regular capabilities Naturally, there is no saving of pictures in RAW.
Examples of photos taken with the main camera:
The quality of the images is surprisingly decent even in dim lighting, and on a sunny summer day the images do not require correction at all, they can be viewed in full size. Perhaps all the pictures lack sharpness a little, ringing You can’t really call it here - perhaps this is a consequence of the work of the noise reduction. But for its intended purpose, the noise reduction works perfectly. In general, for a smartphone priced at 13 thousand rubles, such cameras are a real find.
The camera can shoot video at a maximum resolution of 1080p at 30 fps; there are no more advanced modes. Optical stabilization also no. In general, the camera copes well with video shooting, but nothing more. Sharpness is normal, there are no special complaints about color reproduction, but detail is low. IN soundtrack You may notice slight distortion; the sound recorded here is not of the best quality.
Video examples:
- Video No. 1 (34 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
- Video No. 2 (25 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
- Video No. 3 (21 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
Telephone and communications
Alcatel 5 has support for LTE Cat.4 networks (data transfer speed 150/50 Mbit/s). Depending on the region, the smartphone can support six LTE FDD frequency bands, including three used in Russia (Band 3, 7, 20). In the Beeline operator network within city limits, the device registers quickly, but high speeds It doesn’t show it even in 4G.
Only one Wi-Fi band is supported (2.4 GHz), there is also Bluetooth 4.2, but NFC module missing, which is sad.
The navigation module works with GPS (with A-GPS) and with the domestic Glonass, but without Chinese Beidou. During a cold start, the first satellites are detected within the first minute. Magnetic compass needed for navigation programs, they didn’t forget to install it on the smartphone, that’s good.
Phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing phone number A search is also carried out immediately using the first letters in contacts. Methods for sorting and displaying contacts are standard for the Android interface.
The platform supports active standby of both SIM cards in 3G/4G simultaneously. That is, the SIM card can be in active standby on a 3G/4G network, and not just on 2G, even if another card is assigned to transmit data on 4G. The cards operate in Dual SIM Dual Standby mode, there is only one radio modem.
Software and multimedia
As software platform Alcatel 5 uses the Android OS, which is no longer the latest version 7.0, with its own shell and the ability to update over the air (OTA). There is support for gestures, a virtual on-screen multifunction button. There is an application cloning mode for working with different accounts on social networks. A set of useful utilities includes a voice recorder, a compass, FM radio, a file manager, a store of your own themes, and a familiar phone manager that performs comprehensive system monitoring.
The ability to recognize face to unlock the smartphone has been implemented, and it works perfectly - in any conditions, without errors. It is officially reported that front-camera supports facial recognition function with 106 identification points.
In terms of sound, Alcatel 5 does not demonstrate anything special; through the loudspeaker the sound is quite simple; in headphones the sound is clearly better, but still this is not a solution for music lovers. The sound is thick and pleasant, but for some reason there is not enough volume reserve. The settings have a five-band equalizer with presets. There is a built-in FM radio.
Performance
Alcatel 5 uses the MediaTek MT6750 single-chip system as its hardware platform. This 28nm SoC is configured with an octa-core processor, with 4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz and 4 more at 1 GHz. A dual-core Mali-T860 (MP2) video accelerator with a frequency of 520 MHz is responsible for graphics processing. The amount of RAM is 3 GB, and the built-in flash memory is 32 GB. Of these, about 23 GB are free.
It is possible to expand the memory by installing microSD cards, and you can install applications on the memory card. The system offers, among other things, to format the card as internal storage. You can also connect external flash drives in USB OTG mode.
MediaTek MT6750 is a weak platform by today's standards. It is produced using an outdated 28-nanometer process technology, is not economical, and is intended for entry-level smartphones. It is pointless to expect high results from it, all tests clearly demonstrate this, and releasing a smartphone on it in 2018 is nonsense.
The platform's capabilities are still sufficient for basic needs and tasks, but this is clearly not a gaming solution; demanding games like Injustice 2 slow down. And such a smartphone certainly doesn’t have any performance reserves for the future.
Testing in complex tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:
For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so 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.
| Alcatel 5 (MediaTek MT6750) |
Vivo V9 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 626) |
Oppo F7 (MediaTek Helio P60) |
Meizu m6s (Samsung Exynos 7872) |
Honor 9 lite (HiSilicon Kirin 659) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu (v7.x) (more is better) |
52404 | 90155 | 139207 | 92315 | 87589 |
| GeekBench (v4.x) (more is better) |
608/2518 | 942/4650 | 1533/5831 | 1321/3190 | 930/3625 |
Testing graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:
When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability 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 5 (MediaTek MT6750) |
Vivo V9 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 626) |
Oppo F7 (MediaTek Helio P60) |
Meizu m6s (Samsung Exynos 7872) |
Honor 9 lite (HiSilicon Kirin 659) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot ES 3.1 (more is better) |
310 | 474 | 1090 | 420 | 311 |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot Ex Vulkan (more is better) |
— | 424 | 936 | 341 | 362 |
(Onscreen, fps) |
12 | 12 | 5 | ||
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps) |
12 | 5 | 5 | ||
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen, fps) |
37 | 24 | 19 | ||
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen, fps) |
38 | 17 | 19 |
Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.
| Alcatel 5 (MediaTek MT6750) |
Vivo V9 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 626) |
Oppo F7 (MediaTek Helio P60) |
Meizu m6s (Samsung Exynos 7872) |
Honor 9 lite (HiSilicon Kirin 659) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozilla Kraken (ms, less is better) |
14182 | 17080 | 4738 | 4463 | 9666 |
| Google Octane 2 (more is better) |
3198 | 2459 | 4874 | 8450 | 4696 |
| SunSpider (ms, less is better) |
1812 | 2146 | 1755 | 859 | 1320 |
AndroBench memory speed test results:
Thermal photographs
Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:
Heating is more localized in the upper right part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 41 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is the average heating in this test for modern smartphones.
Playing video
To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t 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 summarized in a table.
Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.
This unit does not appear to support DisplayPort Alt Mode for USB Type-C - outputting image and sound to an external device when connected to USB port, - which was found out with the help of (company). Therefore, 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 “”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: Resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. The test results are tabulated: no
Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes exhibited green estimates, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Reds marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.
According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since in most cases frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. The screen refresh rate is 61 Hz, so in the case of files with 60 fps, ideal smoothness is not obtained. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly at the height of the screen (in landscape orientation), one to one pixel by pixel, that is, in the original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the actual range in the given file.
Battery life
The non-removable battery installed in Alcatel 5 has a capacity of 3000 mAh. This is not much, especially considering the outdated SoC, which eats up battery power at an incredible rate. IN real life The device, depending on the usage scenario, will last half a day or a day, until an evening charge maximum.
Testing has traditionally been done at normal power consumption levels without using power-saving features.
| Battery capacity | Reading mode | Video mode | 3D Game Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcatel 5 | 3000 mAh | 15:15 | 7:00 am | 3 hours 50 minutes |
| Vivo V9 | 3260 mAh | 20:00 | 10:00 am | 6:00 am |
| Oppo F7 | 3400 mAh | 20:30 | 13:15 | 5:00 am |
| Meizu M6s | 3000 mAh | 13:00 | 10:00 am | 4 hours 20 minutes |
| Honor 9 lite | 3000 mAh | 21:20 | 11:10 am | 4 hours 40 minutes |
Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted until the battery was completely discharged for about 15 hours, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device operates for only 7 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work for up to 4 hours, depending on the specific game.
The smartphone does not support fast charging; it charges from its own AC adapter within 2 hours 15 minutes with a current of 1.9 A at a voltage of 5 V. Wireless charging The smartphone doesn't support it either.
Bottom line
Poor technical equipment is compensated in Alcatel 5 by its attractive design and fashionable screen geometry with an elongated 18:9 aspect ratio. However, by design and unexpectedly good cameras The strengths of the hero of the review are perhaps exhausted. Screen quality, sound, communication capabilities, autonomy - everything is at a satisfactory level, nothing more. Installing an outdated SoC is frankly frustrating, and the lack of NFC for many now may be a decisive factor against the purchase, especially considering how high the competition is in this price segment. By the way, about the price: in official Russian retail they ask for 13 thousand rubles for Alcatel 5, and this is clearly an inflated price for a device with simple characteristics on a backward platform, albeit in a very attractive shell. This smartphone simply needs to throw off a couple of thousand - fortunately, this device can actually be purchased for 11 thousand rubles, you just need to look hard.
Yes, yes, another Xiaomi. Because the Meizu M6 Note is gradually disappearing from retail, and numerous clones of budget Huawei are still not up to the Redmi supermodels in terms of their overall characteristics.
A slightly more sophisticated budget model compared to the Redmi 5 Plus, but it also sells for a very attractive 13 thousand rubles, if you take it in versions with 3 GB and 32 GB of RAM. In this case the processor Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is already like a mid-class smartphone (in ASUS ZenFone 5 for 28 thousand rubles is the same), the camera is slightly better than that of Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, and is installed right away modern version firmware - Android One 8.1 Oreo. The design is almost exactly the same as that of Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, except for the module rear cameras shamelessly copied from iPhone X.
Finally
Alcatel 5 is a delicate matter. And it really depends on what you compare it to. For example, against the backdrop of outright hackwork like the Samsung Galaxy A6, it is simply an obvious winner. But in comparison with Xiaomi smartphones is already losing in almost everything.
The worst thing about the top Alcatel is the old and slow MediaTek MT6750 processor. You can use your smartphone without special problems, but the camera takes pictures slowly, and you can’t really play games. And then it will only get worse, because applications become heavier. The second problem is overheating. Of course, in common applications It’s difficult to get there, but in games the smartphone capitulates very quickly. And then the already low performance will drop even lower, and the backlight will even be forced to dim.
But Alcatel 5 has clear advantages for which one cannot help but love it. First of all, great design. Often, budget smartphones seem to show with all their appearance, they say, since you are such a miser, then look at me and suffer now. Alcatel 5 looks as if its design was approached with soul. It still feels, of course, that this is an inexpensive model, but still beautiful and neat.
Alcatel 5 is a smartphone with an almost frameless display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Equipped with almost all the functions that are available on top models, although the functionality is still more modest. It can be an excellent phone if everything stated works as it should.
- stylish;
- almost frameless screen;
- There is a face recognition unlock feature.
- small memory (32 GB);
- doesn't work with Android Oreo.
Usually the path from the top model to budget analogue takes quite a long time, but in the case of Alcatel 5, the manufacturer was able to make a cheaper smartphone with an 18:9 screen a year after the debut of this type of display. Alcatel price 5, much more affordable than the Galaxy S8 or LG G6, could make this model a smart choice for those who want a larger display but don't want to pay a premium. However, this smartphone can hardly be called a budget choice due to the range of available functions, including unlocking by face scan.
Price and sales start date
This model is already on sale in some countries. In Europe, the company plans to set the price at 229.99 euros (about $280).
Exterior design and display
The appearance of the smartphone is impeccable. It differs from models of other brands with the same display size. Minimal bezels are present on the bottom and sides of the phone. The top frame is wider and houses a selfie camera and several sensors.
A superbly crafted matte metal-look body makes the device look more solid and expensive. Although, upon closer acquaintance with the case material, it becomes noticeable that for the sake of a low price, the designers had to find a compromise in the choice of material.
There are two color options for the case: the more visually advantageous Metallic Gold and the more versatile Metallic Black. The smartphone weighs only 144 g. It feels a little light in the hand, although this will only be noticeable to people accustomed to heavier premium models. The fingerprint sensor is located quite well - on the back of the device, under the camera. But it may not be necessary as Alcatel has launched its own Face Key facial recognition technology, similar to the face unlock technology on the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Judging by the demo video, the system works quickly and without failures.
The 5.7-inch HD+ display looks flashy, although upon closer inspection the 1440x720 resolution becomes noticeable. Comparing the Alcatel 5 with the recently released Alcatel 3V model with a 6-inch display and a resolution of 2160x1080 is puzzling - why was a lower resolution screen chosen for a more expensive device? The difference in playback quality is especially noticeable when you place both models side by side. However, many buyers are not too concerned about such subtleties - when viewing clips, the available resolution is quite enough.
Camera and technical features
Since the time provided for testing the device was limited, it is difficult to describe in detail the operation of the smartphone. The eight-core MediaTek MTK6750 processor used is very fast at first glance. The built-in memory is installed in a single version - 32 GB. You can increase it up to 128 GB using microSD cards.
So far, the company has not provided any details about the device's 3,000mAh battery. Given the screen resolution, a full charge is unlikely to last more than a day.
It's a little disappointing that the phone comes pre-installed with Android Nougat rather than Android Oreo. Also, the manufacturer does not promise that the device will contain latest version software Google.
Alcatel uses dual cameras in the new model line, but the Alcatel 5 does not. There is one 12-megapixel camera installed at the back, which did not cause much excitement during testing. On the front panel there is a dual selfie camera (13 megapixels + 5 megapixels), which allows you to take pictures with a 120-degree capture angle. That is, you can photograph a large group without using a selfie stick.
Conclusion
Despite the somewhat odd absence of some of the expected features, such as a dual rear camera and a higher display resolution, the Alcatel 5 still appears to be a great phone, especially considering the expected price. No other brand offers this price range high-quality display with an aspect ratio of 18:9, unlocking with face recognition and dual camera for selfies.
At the very beginning of the year, TCL, which produces smartphones under Alcatel brand, announced a new series of devices. All models belonged to the budget and middle class. At the same time, the device with maximum functionality was Alcatel 5, made in a frameless design with a 5.7-inch screen, a fingerprint scanner and a camera with facial recognition.
In the line of brand devices Alcatel smartphone 5 takes the place of the flagship. It’s clear that you can’t compare it with real flagships from other manufacturers. Among the features worth noting are the original plastic case, a fingerprint scanner and a facial recognition function. The screen of this model has an 18:9 ratio and HD+ resolution.
The hardware uses a Mediatek MT6750 chip with a clock speed of 1.5 GHz. Memory - 32 GB for data storage and 3 GB of RAM. 3000 mAh battery, USB Type-C and function fast charging. Operating system - Android Nougat. Alcatel 5 is available in two colors: metallic black and metallic gold.
Alcatel 5 also uses a main single camera (12 megapixels) and a dual front camera, in which the main 13 megapixel module is combined with a wide-angle (120 degrees) 5 megapixel, which is useful for group selfies.
All that remains is to evaluate the performance of the new product in action and understand whether it is worth the money.
Technical characteristics of Alcatel 5 (index 5086D)
id="sub0">| Characteristic | Description |
| Case materials: | Plastic, glass |
| Operating system: | Android 7.0 |
| Screen: | diagonal 5.7 inches, resolution 720x1440 pixels, IPS with 18:9 ratio, 2.5D, Dragontrail, up to 5 clicks, automatic brightness adjustment |
| CPU: | 8-core MediaTek MT6750 (4 Cortex A53 cores up to 1.5 GHz, 4 Cortex A53 cores up to 1 GHz) |
| GPU: | MALI-T860M2 |
| RAM: | 3 GB |
| Flash memory: | 32 GB built-in (23 GB available), card slot microSD memory up to 32 GB |
| SIM card type: | two nanoSIM, one of the slots is combined with a slot for a memory card |
| Mobile connection: | EDGE/GPRS/GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), WCDMA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), LTE (800/1800/2600 MHz) |
| Communications: | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type C connector for charging/syncing, FM radio |
| Navigation: | GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU |
| Sensors: | G-sensor, light sensor, proximity sensor, fingerprint scanner, gyroscope, compass |
| Main camera: | 12 megapixels, dual-tone flash, sensor - 1/2.8, pixel size - 1.25 microns, PDAF, video recording 1080p (30 frames per second) |
| Front-camera: | 13 and 5 megapixels (sensor - 1/3.06; 1/4; pixel size - 1.12 microns, 1.4 microns; aperture f/2.0, f/2.4; fixed focus), effects, background blur, wide-angle selfie, flash |
| Battery: | Non-removable, 3000 mAh, fast charging |
| Dimensions, weight: | 152.3x71.1x8.45 mm, 144 g |
| Case colors: | black metallic and golden metallic |
Delivery package and first impressions
id="sub1">The Alcatel 5 smartphone comes in a box made of white hard cardboard with blue inserts on the sides. On the front side of the package there is an image of the model and the name. In addition to the smartphone itself, the package contains a cable for synchronizing and charging with USB connector Type C, headphones with a 3.5 mm jack, power adapter with support for fast charging (current 2 A), a clip for opening the SIM card tray, instructions and a warranty card.
The first impressions after unpacking the smartphone are that it is very compact compared to recent devices. Its dimensions are 152.3x71.1x8.45 mm, weight - 144 grams. The phone's dimensions are similar to models with a 5-inch screen, but it has a 5.7-inch display. This is achieved by reducing the edges on the sides and bottom. So, on the left and right the frames reach only 2 mm, on the bottom - 4 mm, on the top - about 10 mm. Due to this, the usable surface area on the front of the device has increased.
Alcatel 5 feels surprisingly comfortable in the hand. He's more grippy or something. Holding your smartphone is comfortable. This is largely due to the aspect ratio - the phone is elongated in length. Therefore, the width of the device is about 71 mm. You won’t feel the device in your clothing pocket and fits extremely comfortably. You can carry your phone even in skinny jeans.
You can buy Alcatel 5 in two body colors: black metallic and golden metallic. We tested a golden-colored device. It looks very organic.
Design and appearance
id="sub2">The appearance of the new product is very interesting. In some ways it is similar to the design style from Sony. The most important thing is that the gadget stands out from dozens of similar models. The body of the Alcatel 5 is made using a metal coating, but it is made of plastic. At the presentation of the device, Alcatel's chief designer boasted that they managed to make it feel more expensive than it actually is. In reality, this is not entirely true. The phone looks really original, but it is not clearly perceived as an expensive thing. The smartphone is very light and feels rather flimsy.
During the two-week test, isolated abrasions and marks from use appeared on the body. At the same time, the solidity of the structure remained at the same level. No squeaks or gaps. The assembly is good.
The screen of the smartphone is widescreen with an 18:9 ratio and a diagonal of 5.7 inches. Above the screen is a speaker for phone calls. On the left and right there is a dual front camera with 13 and 5 megapixel modules. Here you can also see the proximity sensor, light sensor, as well as led indicator. Depending on the occurrence of certain events, it begins to glow. The speaker volume is enough to communicate in a noisy room or on the road.
There are no buttons or sensors under the screen. Function keys are fully integrated into the on-screen Android shell 7.
The power button (has a raised pattern) and screen lock are located on the right side. They are quite thin, but they do their job properly. They can be felt well by hand.
On the left side there is a tray for two nanoSIM-sized SIM cards, one of which can also be used for a microSD memory card if the built-in 32 GB is not enough for you. You can open the compartment using the included paper clip or a regular paper clip. The tray itself is plastic and requires care so as not to break it.
At the top end there is the usual 3.5 mm jack for wired headphones and a microphone for noise reduction during a telephone conversation. On the bottom right side there are speaker holes for external calls and music, as well as a microphone. In the center you can see the USB Type C connector. It is used for charging and connecting to a computer.
The sound quality and volume of the main speaker are at a fairly high level. The sound is powerful and bright, although the detailing is not the best quality. However, the melodies do not wheeze or hiss. If you cover the speaker with your hand or finger, the volume drops.
On the back side there is a main 12 megapixel camera unit. The module protrudes 1 mm relative to the surface of the housing. The camera takes pictures with autofocus and has an LED flash.
Just below the camera block there is a fingerprint scanner. It is round in shape. You can use it to unlock your device. The scanner, by the way, not only unlocks the screen, but can also duplicate the shutter button in selfie mode or can be programmed to launch any application.
The fingerprint sensor itself works quickly. During testing, it accurately recognized my fingerprints and did not react to strangers. In total, you can save up to five prints in the device memory.
Screen. Graphics capabilities
id="sub3">The screen in Alcatel 5 has a diagonal of 5.7 inches. HD+ resolution (720x1440), 18:9 aspect ratio. This is an almost ideal combination for those who value compactness. Due to increased usable area and thin frames.
The picture on the display looks good. Viewing angles are decent. However, under straight lines sun rays The image is not always readable. The screen starts to glare. It is worth noting that automatic brightness adjustment does not always work correctly. For example, it lags a lot on the street, so the display often becomes unreadable and you have to peer into it. The maximum brightness of the backlight is lower than on many devices, which does not cause problems indoors, but in the bright sun it already creates inconvenience. By turning the backlight to maximum, you will get a clearly visible picture.
It is also worth noting the ability to select settings color temperature screen. If we talk about the sensitivity of the screen, it responds quickly to touches and recognizes gestures without problems. In total, the device supports up to five simultaneous touches.
Hardware platform: processor, memory, performance
id="sub4">The performance of the smartphone is ensured by the MediaTek MT6750 chip, which includes 4 Cortex A53 cores with a clock frequency of up to 1.5 GHz and 4 Cortex A53 cores up to 1 GHz. The Mali-T860M2 graphics coprocessor is used here. There is 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, of which about 23 GB is available to the user. This volume can be expanded using external microSD cards up to 32 GB.
Alcatel 5 hardware copes with all tasks. This is an average solution in terms of performance, there are no outright failures or achievements, it is enough for the interface and operation of most applications.
Streaming YouTube videos, web surfing and instant messengers do not pose a serious threat to productivity. But heavy games can pretty much fill up the RAM and processing power.
Communication capabilities
id="sub5">In respect of communication capabilities Alcatel 5 is a typical budget phone. There is support for single-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C connector, 3.5 mm headphone jack.
It is also interesting that the device received two methods of biometric identification: the usual one - by fingerprint and the second - by the owner’s facial features. The unlocking function is only available when the screen is activated (on), but it works correctly, even in the dark.
Like all modern smartphones Alcatel 5 received support for two nano-sized SIM cards. One connector is universal: you can insert either a SIM card or a memory card into it. The smartphone has one radio module. This means that when any activity occurs on one of the cards, for example, an incoming call, the second one goes offline. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G/4G networks, but only one of them can function in this mode at a time. To change the assignment of slots, cards do not need to be swapped - this can be done directly from the phone menu.
The smartphone supports everything modern networks communications: 2G/3G and 4G on Russian frequencies (4G TDD LTE: Band 38/40 and 4G FDD LTE: Band 1/3/7/8/20), reliably receives the signal and does not lose it for no apparent reason. Testing the 4G network of the MegaFon operator using Speedtest.Net yielded about 30 Mbit/s. Talking on the phone is comfortable. The speaker has a good volume reserve, and the interlocutors during testing poor hearing didn't complain.
Among the additional communication tools, it is worth noting GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou (standard cartography is built into the smartphone Google Maps). The navigation error radius during testing was about 1.5 meters, which is very little. The gadget copes well with the role of a navigator.
Duration of work
id="sub6">Alcatel 5 received lithium-ion battery capacity 3000 mAh. Under testing conditions, with 30 minutes of calls per day, browsing the Internet for about 1.5 hours via 4G, listening to an mp3 player through a headset for about 2.5 hours a day, and average brightness of the display backlight, the device worked for 28 hours. When watching a video, the gadget worked for just under 5 hours, in navigator mode - 3 hours. As a result, the device has to be charged once a day. If you use your smartphone in less intensive mode, then it will work for 1.5 days or even more.
In terms of battery life, the phone is typically average. In the “Battery” section in the settings there are all the necessary functions: energy saving mode, selection of screen resolution, activity limitation background applications, detailed statistics battery usage and optimization tool.
Using the supplied power adapter, a full charge takes about an hour. There is a “fast charging” mode (the included adapter supports fast charging). Fast charging technology provides a 45% charge level within 30 minutes.
User Interface and Operating System
id="sub7">Alcatel 5 runs under operating system Android systems 7.0 Nougat. The user can select the effect when unlocking or moving between desktops, select the style of icons, fonts, and responses to incoming call when you bring the phone to your ear. There is a function here to switch to silent mode when turning the screen down, as well as tilt the phone to organize widgets. In general, there are a lot of little things that especially impressionable people should like.
In the settings there is a translucent Joy key, with which you can open a carousel menu with quick access to functions and applications. The only disadvantage of this solution is that the key is always visible on the screen and this may irritate some. You can also assign the key to simulate touch buttons (“Home”, “Back”, “Open applications”).
Among the preinstalled applications there are standard applications for the manufacturer: free Google programs, OfficeSuite, Opera Mini, WhatsApp, Sberbank online application, etc. It is worth noting the presence of FM radio.
Camera. Photo and video capabilities
id="sub8">The device is equipped with a dual front camera. It includes a 13 Mpix and 5 Mpix module (sensor - 1/3.06; 1/4; pixel size - 1.12 microns, 1.4 microns; aperture f/2.0, f/2.4; fixed focus). The disadvantage of the camera is the lack of autofocus. Still, selfies.
The main camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels, sensor - 1/2.8, pixel size - 1.25 microns, PDAF, video recording 1080p (30 frames per second). There is a two-tone flash. The quality of the pictures is average. Very often the scene is processed incorrectly, there is no light compensation, and the white balance is off. In short, this camera is not for those who want to take high-quality photographs. And, in principle, this is a problem for many manufacturers of this level.
Alcatel 5 can record video from maximum resolution FullHD at 30 fps with stereo sound (AVC, 17 Mbit/s). Stereo audio (AAC, 192 Kbps, 48 kHz). The quality is not the best among similar devices. In the video, autofocus works with difficulty, and the light correction in the composition is also not adjusted.
Results
id="sub9">The main features of Alcatel 5 are its stylish appearance, widescreen display, powerful chip and face recognition function. Another question is that the phone case is plastic, time battery life not as big as we would like, and the main camera doesn’t always do it excellent quality pictures. Taking into account the large number of alternatives in the price segment of 10-15 thousand rubles, the choice of a new smartphone from Alcatel is not so obvious. However, it’s worth taking a closer look at the device. At the very least, hold it in your hands and draw your own conclusions.
Among the alternatives to purchasing Alcatel 5 are: Huawei Honor 7C with a price starting from 9,000 rubles, it is also worth taking a closer look at Honor 7C Pro and Xiaomi Mi A1 for 13,000 rubles. The listed devices have comparable and more productive hardware, a metal body and a comparable screen diagonal.
Advantages
Stylish appearance
Good build
Widescreen
Flaws
Plastic case
Battery life below average
Poor gaming performance
Widget from SocialMartOn the day of publication, the Alcatel 5 smartphone could be purchased at a price 10,990 rubles.
Alcatel 5 looks quite original, but we still can’t call it beautiful or cute: because of the huge frame on top, it seems that the screen underneath it is unfriendly, as if sullenly, looking at you.
The front panel is distinguished by the already mentioned large frame on top, which they try to “compensate” with very thin ones on the sides and bottom. In addition, you can note thin glossy inserts at the top and bottom.
On the back, the smartphone is decorated with the Alcatel logo, a textured metallic pattern and the same gloss stripe as on the front. There is also a camera lens in the center and a round fingerprint scanner underneath it.
The dimensions of the new product have not yet been announced; only the thickness is indicated - 8.5 mm and weight - 144 grams. By specified parameters it is close to 5 inches, which is not bad, looking at big difference in diagonals. The case materials are also unknown yet, but it looks and feels like metal.
Alcatel 5 will be available in black and gold colors.
Screen
Alcatel 5 has a fairly large 5.7-inch screen with an IPS matrix, an elongated 18:9 format and HD+ resolution (1440x720 pixels). The pixel density isn't all that high at 282 per inch, but up close you'll see some jaggedness and blurriness in the image.
Cameras
Alcatel 5 has a 12 MP main camera and two front cameras, 13 and 5 MP. Most likely they will shoot at an average level.
The rear camera has focus and a typical f/2.0 aperture. Not much is known about the front ones either, only the same aperture for the first front and a wide viewing angle of 120 degrees for the second. Obviously, the latter is here for group selfies.
Communications
The communications set of Alcatel 5 is quite typical:
- simple Wi-Fi b/g/n, with access point
- LTE support
- Bluetooth 4.2
- FM radio
- A-GPS.
Everything is simple and without frills like a second band for Wi-Fi, an infrared port or an NFC chip. But there is USB type C and support for two SIM cards; it is not clear whether the slot for the second will be separate or shared with microSD card. And with the USB port, not everything is so smooth - the promotional video shows the “old” Micro-USB instead of the new Type C.
Battery
Capacity Alcatel batteries 5 is 3000 mAh, this is normal for a 5.7-inch diagonal and should be quite reliable for a day of use. Especially considering the moderate screen resolution. For comparison, the battery capacity is the same 3000 mAh, while the other frameless one is only slightly higher - 3200 mAh.
Performance
The performance of the Alcatel 5 can be called mediocre, but it will not slow down very much. The device uses a MediaTek MT6750 chipset (eight Cortex-A53 cores at 1.5 GHz) and 3 GB of RAM. This should be enough to quickly solve daily tasks and most applications. Except that in heavy games it will slow down.
Peculiarities
Alcatel 5 runs a new version of Android 8 OS and a proprietary interface. The features of the phone are immediately visible - it is a FullView display of 18:9 format, thin frames on the sides and below it, as well as a dual front camera. Another feature is the ability to unlock with your face, in the manner of .
Memory
The smartphone's memory capacity can be called decent: 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, which corresponds to a level above the budget level. There is also a slot for which you can add up to 128 GB.
Price
The start of sales of Alcatel 5 is still unknown, but there is an estimated price - 230 euros or about 16,000 rubles. I must say that this is not cheap for a device of this level; there is clearly a premium for the fashionable screen and dual front camera.
