User reviews!

[skipatrol]

Pros: Good screen, good battery life, great speakers, has new T-Mobile bands, cheap, can add SD card, double tap to wake/sleep (working much better with recent update), near-stock Android experience. Looks OK, doesn't look/feel cheap. Light. Unlocked. Many of the pre-loaded apps can be uninstalled.

Cons: Occasional lag (not such a big deal to me, nothing like my old Galaxy S3), sound a little muddled on phone calls, replacing stock launcher (I've tried Nova and a couple of others) removes double tap to wake / sleep. Might be a little too big for some, but bezels aren't huge. Photos not so good in anything but bright light. Idol 3 logo on back might be a little goofy for some. No T-mobile wi-fi calling. Only 16 GB onboard storage (can move apps to SD card).

TBD: durability

The cons, to me, are nit-picks. The solid "con" to me is the camera, it really needs good light. It's a great phone for me, and if I break it / it gets stolen, it's not such a huge loss.

I used the idol 3 for a few concerts over the past week (low light of course) and some of the shots were pretty good (good enough for me anyway). The mic on the video recorder on the other hand is pretty bad.

 

[SactoKingsFan]

Also, how is the volume while on a call. I switched from a Note 3 as my main phone because I couldn't hear callers well during a call. Just wasn't/still am not satisfied with the volume during a call. I use it in very quiet places hence it's okay for now but it is not great like if I am outside somewhere.

The volume during calls is more than loud enough. I've never had to adjust the volume higher than 50%.



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[convert]

The volume during calls is more than loud enough. I've never had to adjust the volume higher than 50%.



Sent from my 6045I using Tapatalk

Thanks so much!

Another thought I had was the 2 GB of RAM. Now my Windows Phone is running fine on that but that's a different OS so not sure if that compares. The Note 3 has 3MB so I'm used to its RAM.
The Asus Zenfone 2 would be the other logical dual sim option for me and for only $50 more I'd happily grab the 4GB option with 64 GB of on board memory but I might like the 4GB of RAM of the Asus aspect
even more so than the 64 GB of on board. (that kind of extra storage though is a heck of a lot more and I wouldn't need bother with an SD card) What made you choose the Alcatel over the Zenfone 2? (either of the Zenfone 2 models). Thanks. This question of course can go out to anyone as well too. Much appreciated.

 

[SactoKingsFan]

Thanks so much!

Another thought I had was the 2 GB of RAM. Now my Windows Phone is running fine on that but that's a different OS so not sure if that compares. The Note 3 has 3MB so I'm used to its RAM.
The Asus Zenfone 2 would be the other logical dual sim option for me and for only $50 more I'd happily grab the 4GB option with 64 GB of on board memory but I might like the 4GB of RAM of the Asus aspect
even more so than the 64 GB of on board. (that kind of extra storage though is a heck of a lot more and I wouldn't need bother with an SD card) What made you choose the Alcatel over the Zenfone 2? (either of the Zenfone 2 models). Thanks. This question of course can go out to anyone as well too. Much appreciated.

No problem.

The 2 GB of RAM hasn't been an issue with my Idol 3. I mostly steam music, watch YouTube, text and post on forums and lag has been minimal, especially after tweaking a few kernel settings. The Idol 3 isn't as fast as the top flagships but it's fast enough to use as daily driver over my G2 and G4.

I seriously considered the Zenfone 2 with 4 GB RAM, then I saw some great reviews of the Idol 3. After comparing the phones I decided to go with the Idol 3 for the following reasons:

(1) much brighter display
(2) loud and clear front facing speakers
(3) better battery life (6+ hrs SOT)
(4) runs near stock Android
(5) $175 with $25 promo discount and $50 Amazon prime day discount

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[convert]

No problem.

The 2 GB of RAM hasn't been an issue with my Idol 3. I mostly steam music, watch YouTube, text and post on forums and lag has been minimal, especially after tweaking a few kernel settings. The Idol 3 isn't as fast as the top flagships but it's fast enough to use as daily driver over my G2 and G4.

I seriously considered the Zenfone 2 with 4 GB RAM, then I saw some great reviews of the Idol 3. After comparing the phones I decided to go with the Idol 3 for the following reasons:

(1) much brighter display
(2) loud and clear front facing speakers
(3) better battery life (6+ hrs SOT)
(4) runs near stock Android
(5) $175 with $25 promo discount and $50 Amazon prime day discount

Sent from my 6045I using Tapatalk

Dude -
Totally helpful feedback! I would have easily made the decison toward the Alcatel but now it seems that in fact the dual sim variety is NOT available in the US! Would have been nice to have seen that noted when I read about it on one of the other Android sites that noted the listing of the 2015 dual sim phones.But upon closer review, and reading questions and answers on Amazon, yes, looks like no dual sim in the US. So, that totally rules it out for me. I'll get the Zenfone 2 if anything, but I'm not sure yet. Windows does offer one too now in a nice phablet size but it would be a stepdown for me compared to the Windows phone I have since it's just 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. That's a little too slim. I may end up carrying two phones for a while longer.

 

[skipatrol]

Thanks so much!
What made you choose the Alcatel over the Zenfone 2? (either of the Zenfone 2 models). Thanks. This question of course can go out to anyone as well too. Much appreciated.

1) The speakers were the #1 selling point for me. Prior to the idol my daily driver was an m8 (which sold me on stereo speakers for good)

2) better screen and better battery than the zenphone (the battery is better than any phone I've ever used for that matter).

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[convert]

Dang. The battery life is certainly an important issue for me. It's too bad I can't locate the Alcatel in dual sim in the US, and even if I could get one, I think it doesn't allow an SD card. Too bad all the way around. This could have been a winnner for me. I'm not ready to get the Zenfone yet-have to read more reviews before I decide. I have superior battery life on my personal line main phone right now the Windows phone and then the Note 3-there really is a noticeble difference in battery life between the two and the Note 3 is on standby and not even used nearly as much and if a Zenfone is less than a Note 3, that simply is not going to cut it with me too happily.

 

[seanpr]

Dang. The battery life is certainly an important issue for me. It's too bad I can't locate the Alcatel in dual sim in the US, and even if I could get one, I think it doesn't allow an SD card. Too bad all the way around. This could have been a winnner for me. I'm not ready to get the Zenfone yet-have to read more reviews before I decide. I have superior battery life on my personal line main phone right now the Windows phone and then the Note 3-there really is a noticeble difference in battery life between the two and the Note 3 is on standby and not even used nearly as much and if a Zenfone is less than a Note 3, that simply is not going to cut it with me too happily.

Hi Convert,

The SD card goes in the sim tray. Hope this helps!

 

[convert]

Hi Convert,

The SD card goes in the sim tray. Hope this helps!

hey thanks. I was being lofty. 1. I can't get hold of a dual sim in the US anyway, but if I could, 2. I still wouldn't be able to have more than the on onboard storage as just like you pointed out, the other slot would occupy the sd card. With a 32GB model I would be cool with it but not 16GB. The issue for me is that I am looking to have two phone lines in one so the Alcatel isn't going to work since I'm not able to get hold of the dual sim variant in the US. I'm back to assessing the Zenfone 2. The battery life is giving me pause. I know there are some other more expensive dual sim ones out there like Sony and LG but I'm not about to lay out that kind of money. I usually just go along with contracts but none to be had with my carrier in dual sim and I doubt with any of them is the point- so this time it's different since it's genuinely two lines I am now actually using for myself and getting tired of carrying two phones around.

 

[jazman_777]

Also, qualcomm 615 chip is not that great. If you want gaming, this phone will disappoint. But if you want gaming, what are you doing looking at mid-range?

Phone gets warm fast, even under moderate use.

 

[TelecasterM]

I am considering upgrading from my 1st gen Moto X. I am on Lollipop 5.1 and my dual core phone almost never stutters. In fact, 5.1 is almost as smooth as KitKat was. I'm wondering if the Idol 3 would be a backwards step? Seems the 615 might not be as good as my S4 Pro chip?

 

[jazman_777]

I don't notice stuttering except when I'm updating apps. So, when it's writing to disk a bunch it's stuttery. (I'm not playing any games on it.)

When I check Twitter and there's a ton of new tweets, it's stuttery when I scroll fast. It might be because it's trying to download images (avatars, embedded pics).

 

[Amorican23]

New update today. 302 ish mb

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[hpham72]

I am considering upgrading from my 1st gen Moto X. I am on Lollipop 5.1 and my dual core phone almost never stutters. In fact, 5.1 is almost as smooth as KitKat was. I'm wondering if the Idol 3 would be a backwards step? Seems the 615 might not be as good as my S4 Pro chip?

I came from a Moto x 2013. Agreed the 5.1 update was nice. Idol 3 feels snappy, maybe not as snappy. But the cameras are way better, as is the screen and audio. The battery life blows away the X. It can get me through two days and usually 12 hours with heavy use. The most surprising thing is that the size doesn't bother me even coming from the X because of the lightness of the phone. Hope that helps you.

 

[TelecasterM]

Thanks. Still looking at the Alcatel and Asus Zenfone 2. I do like the Moto active display though, I would miss that. Curious how the new Moto G is too. I really need an SD card slot to store my FLAC music on. 16 GB on the X is not enough

 

[guapinoy]

Was using the new Moto G since last week. I got the 4.7 Idol 3 yesterday. Wow. This phone is great. The 410 is a great processor. Both phones have great battery life and camera. At $180, this is the best deal for a smaller phone.

Moto G 2015 2/16 gb $230 after taxes

Pros: water resistant, longer battery life, more durable, slightly smoother experience, Active display, faster updates, Moto maker

Cons: slow charging, no NFC or Gyroscope (used in Google Cardboard, YouTube 360)

Idol 3 4.7 $180

Pros: Nicer and brighter screen, Dual stereo Speakers, JBL headphones, faster charging, smaller size, better low
light camera, stronger vibration

Cons: slower updates, Dragontail glass not Gorilla glass 3

My advice is save $50 bucks and get the Idol 3 4.7. The Idol 3 4.7 having NFC and Gyroscope is a big deal. Alcatel Onetouch didn't cut corners and threw in free headphones. Best value without being a phablet.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[cckgz4]

Great device. I picked one up from cricket yesterday. So snappy and light. Dont care for the cameras but battery is great. The screen looks better in person than online in reviews.