Sleek, Smooth, Mid Level Phone.
That sentence sums up the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+. But what is a “mid level phone”. Let’s say you are in the market for a new cell phone and you don’t have an extra $200 to drop on a Samsung S5 with a 2 year term. Perhaps your parents have decided to join the true “smart phone” world and don’t want to keep using that flip phone but their request is “I don’t want to pay for anything fancy”… What do you do? Stay with that outdated Razr? No Folks! There is no need to wait any longer to upgrade.
Enter the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+.
Alcatel provided me a phone to play around and review for you. You may not have heard of Alcatel phones, but they have been around since 2004, when Alcatel-Lucent did a joint venture with TCL Communication, a chinese based electronics company. They have put out many phones since that time period.
The Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ is an impressive mid level phone, competing with the features of the big phone brands at a fraction of the cost. The phone has Android 4.4 Kitkat on it and boasts true Octa-Core Power. That’s 8 processors running simultaneously that allows you to multi-task and in fact is slightly overkill since it would require you to do video processing in order to need 8 processors running at the same time. More power than you could ever use. It also has Edge to Edge full HD 1080p IPS screen that is bright and clear. And it’s thin. 8.1mm with a nice blue-black finish.
On to my actual usage. The phone has practically no bloat ware. Something you don’t see very often with other Canadian carriers who like to fill it up with pointless software you wont ever 
These software changes are a neat difference from what I’ve seen on stock Samsung and Motorola products.
Unfortunately this device does not have LTE support. But if you are in the upgrade target market for this device, that might not matter to you so much.
I recommend getting a case for this phone. Although it is very slim, and thin I felt like I was going to drop it because of the smooth back surface material. A case would help with this and give added protection for sure. I didn’t like the power button at the top of the phone either. I found it an awkward spot for it, but thats also a personal preference.
Pros of Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ Review:
- Custom Software features like a custom ROM
- No Bloatware
- Powerful, design like High end phones
- Inexpensive Price
Cons of Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ Review:
- No LTE
- Power Button on top is kind of awkward
- Feels strange in Hand because of smooth cover
ALCATEL ONETOUCH Idol X+
Available at Telus for $350 outright or $0 on a 2 year term (with a plan of at least $45/month)
Available at Koodo for $300 outright part or all of which can be put on a tab to pay off over time (the amount you can put on the tab depends on your monthly plan) Available in Glossy Black
Disclaimer: Alcatel provided me a unit to review.
This sounds like a phone that would be perfect for my mom. It has all the basics and seems easy enough to use fo a novice like her.