LG G5 review

The LG G5 is a massive change of pace for the South Korean firm. It's done away with the cheap plastic and confusing leather finishes of the LG G4 in favor of a full metal body, while keeping fan-favorite features like a removable battery and microSD card.

That's a big deal, because Samsung disappointed a vocal minority when it ditched its swappable battery and expandable storage hallmarks for the Galaxy S6, although it realized the errors of its way as it reinstated microSD support in the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge a year later.

See all LG G5 deals

The LG G5 may not be as ornate as Samsung's glass-and-metal-fused phone, or Apple's aluminum iPhone 6S, but it's a step in the right direction after the questionably styled G4.

LG G5 tips and tricks

Not only does it include perks for power users, LG's changed the way we access the battery with a cartridge-like input so you don't have to remove the back cover.

This 'magic slot' is located in the bottom frame of the phone and doubles as an accessory port. Add-ons so far include a battery grip with physical camera controls and a Hi-Fi audio module.

You don't really need either of these accessories to enjoy the camera or audio, though. LG G5 has a dual-camera setup on the back, with one lens that provides extra-wide photos.

The front is highlighted by an always-on, 5.3-inch display. It never goes to sleep, with the time, date and notification icons visible when the phone is off.

When it comes to price, it launched at around $650 (£500, AU$890) SIM-free for the LG G5, which put it slightly below the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6S. Thing is, the G5 hasn't exactly been flying off the shelves.

Dimensions: 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm 
OS: Android 6
Screen size: 5.3-inch
Screen Resolution: 1440x2560
CPU: Snapdragon 820
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Battery: 2800mAh
Rear camera: 16MP+8MP
Front camera: 8MP

It's already seen its SIM-free price slashed to $450 (£420, around AU$600) in some places, and LG has openly admitted it's been disappointment with the G5's "somewhat slow" sales.

Add to that the fact the South Korean firm has now teased us with its next flagship device - the LG V20 - complete with Google's upcoming Android 7 Nougat software which will be arriving in the next couple of months and you'd think that perhaps the G5 has been shifted to the back burner.

It's far from over for the LG G5 though, and there's still a lot to love about this smart modular phone.

Design

The LG G5 looks and feels completely different to the G4, and that's thanks to the all-metal body that rightfully kicks the plastic to the curb.

It feels suitably smooth, although the G5 struggles to feel as premium the likes of the iPhone 6S or Samsung Galaxy S7. That's thanks to a relatively thick layer of primer-paint mix which LG has used to the color the G5.

Initially I thought the G5 felt more like plastic, and it can be deceiving, but the sturdy aluminum frame becomes more apparent the more you use it. This doesn't mean the G5 feels cheap, far from it in fact, but the finish doesn't sing in your hand.

The slender metallic rim which rounds round the edges of the handset on the rear adds an extra layer of class, but it also feels a little sharp. It's not as cutting on my final unit compared to the pre-production model I had, but it's not exactly smooth.

Unlike Apple's handset the LG G5 won't be notorious for antenna lines. It doesn't have any of those unsightly bands, instead relying on Micro-Dizing to cover up antenna slits.

This allows you to enjoy color of the device, and in the G5's case you get a choice of four: silver, titan (grey), pink and gold. The pre-production handset I used was pink, and the color is rather muted. It's not as dazzling as Apple's rose gold, but at the same time it seems a little apologetic.

The hue will likely appeal to some, but for me it doesn't really work. The final review unit I received came sported the silver paint, and it's more agreeable to the eye.

Another big difference between the design of the LG G5 and its predecessor is the fact that the curved design has been ditched.

 Gone is the bananaphone style of the LG G4 and its even curvier cousin, the LG G Flex 2, and in returns the flat frontage which is the norm in the mobile market.

I say flat - it's almost there, but LG couldn't help itself, with the G5's front sloping away from you at the top and bottom. It's a slightly odd finish which offers little in the way of aesthetic grace or practical use.

LG's reason for the switch is simple - consumers preferred the flat designs of rival handsets over its own curved offerings.

And I'd agree. The LG G5 feels more balanced in the hand and it's easier to slip into a pocket.

Downsized from a 5.5-inch screen on the G4 to 5.3 inches and roughly the same amount of bezel, the LG G5 feels light at 159g and easy to hold in one hand measuring 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm.

I can reach apps across the entire display without resorting to using two hands, which ties into LG's goal of making the phone all about ease of use and something to recommend to mom and dad. This does, of course, depend on your palm size as those with smaller hands will still find the G5 a bit of a beast.

In fact the G5 is almost identical in size to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, which despite having a larger 5.5-inch display has managed to keep excess to a minimum.

LG G5's volume rocker has shifted to the left side of the frame, ending the company's opinion-dividing practice of having the buttons flank the power button on back.

While I got used to that quirky rear-facing volume keys and clean edges on the G2, G3 and G4, LG's signature feature was a flaw for many.

I'm relatively indifferent about the new side volume rocker, however it does make changing volume much easier when it's lying on a desk. Sadly, that same ease of use can't be said for the fingerprint scanner.

The still-back-facing power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor on the G5, and while it's better than the questionable experimentation on the LG V10, it's still too small.

Like the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, it can light up the phone and unlock the screen quickly without you having to press the button. There's no two-step process, as it was on the press-in-and-hold-hold-hold LG V10.

The gentle volcanic protrusion it rests on also makes it relatively easy to find, but a slightly larger landing pad would have been nice. The real Achilles heal is realized when you place the G5 on a surface.

I tend to have my phone sitting on my desk at work, and if I want to unlock the phone to read a message I'm forced to either tap in my code - ugh, slow - or pick it up and place my finger on the reader.

With the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6S, their front mounted finger scanners allow me to unlock far more easily. Even the Sony Xperia Z5's side mounted effort is better in this respect.

Sticking with the rear of the G5 and it's the area where most are likely to decide whether they love or hate the look of the phone. The protruding power key sits below a far larger raised area which house the G5's dual camera lenses as well as the LED flash and laser auto focus.

It's a sizable presence, and to some it may look like the phone has sprung a couple of nasty growths. On the other hand the protrusions are minimal and if you opt for the darker titan (grey) model they seem less obvious.

Something I'm not really a fan of is the headphone jack and speaker placement. Headphones plug into the top, unless you have the 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC module that is, as that adds a second headphone jack to the bottom. Odd.

Worse, the speaker is on the bottom. I was really hoping that the LG G5 would upgrade to a pair of front-facing speakers for stereo sound without resorting to headphones. Not this time around.

LG has redesigned its bottom port, however. It uses a USB-C connection, which means all of your micro USB cables are useless. The advantage? It's reversible, unlike all other USB forms.

That's a huge win for anyone taking advantage of that always-on display and plugging in their phone in the dark. Just be prepared to carry around both cables, as micro USB is probably going to be used by every other gadget and accessory you own for the next few years.

Sony A99 II

TRUSTED'S OPENING IMPRESSIONS OF SONY'S LATEST PRO-CAMERA

Sony dropped a bit of a bombshell at Photokina by introducing a camera that wasn’t a new mirrorless model. Instead, it was a full-frame camera in the shape of the A99 II.

The A99 II does have a mirror, but it’s translucent and doesn’t move – this is unlike the conventional design you’ll find in most DSLR cameras. Sony is very squarely aiming the camera at professional users, especially sports and action photographers. However, at a price point that’s a few grand short of the top-end pro models from Canon and Nikon, it’s arguably something that may appeal to serious enthusiast amateurs as well.

It includes a 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor, 12fps shooting, an electronic viewfinder, 4K video recording, and a host of other interesting features.

Related: Best cameras 2016

SONY A99 II – HANDLING

The A99 II is a chunky camera, but, despite cramming it full of new features, Sony has in fact managed to shrink it by 8% compared with the original A99.

It has a large, moulded grip with a textured coating, which although heavy makes it feel pretty comfortable in the hand. We tried it with the 24-70mm lens and it’s certainly something you’re going to know you’re carrying - but that can be said of every other full-frame camera of this type.

On the top of the camera you’ll see a window that displays certain key settings, handy for quickly knowing how you’ve set up the camera. This is particularly useful in darker conditions, as you can illuminate the window via a button also found on the top of the camera.

A number of other direct-access buttons can also be found across the top plate, including those to change ISO, drive mode, exposure compensation and white balance. It’s clear from the number of buttons and dials on this camera that it’s intended for a top-end audience.

Related: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000

On the rear of the camera you’ll find even more controls; one that’s particularly useful is the joystick, which you can use to set the AF point. There’s a decent wide spread of AF points across the frame this time, with 79 hybrid Cross-Type AF points available, along with 399 supporting points. A total of 323 are actually selectable, and there’s good coverage, so you shouldn’t have to spend too much time focusing and recomposing with this camera.

This is a camera that, because of its translucent mirror design, is essentially always shooting in live view. That means that you can see what you’re photographing on the screen at all times.

Sadly, Sony – for unknown reasons – remains reticent to include touchscreen technology on its camera models. It would have been very useful here for quickly setting autofocus point, or perhaps if you’re holding the camera in an awkward position and can’t quite reach the joystick with ease. That said, using the joystick in conjunction with the viewfinder is a good experience. It’s placed within easy reach of your thumb and since it protrudes from the body, it’s easy to locate and use.

Speaking of the screen, it’s a slightly odd-looking beast, but that works well to provide flexibility of viewing angles. Unlike most full-frame cameras currently on the market, Sony acknowledges that having a fixed screen can sometimes prove awkward when you’re photographing from a less straightforward positions. The one on the A99 II can move to the side, down, and even face completely forward - ideal in many situations, including the selfie. Videographers are also likely to find this useful.

On the front of the camera, near the lens mount, is a button and dial setup that you can use to change certain functions of the camera. It’s customisable, and is therefore again something that videographers will appreciate; it can be setup to work completely silently and therefore not disturb any video footage you may be recording. By contrast, the scrolling dial on the top of the camera that you may traditionally use to set aperture makes a clicking noise when you move it.

Related: Pentax K1 

Using an electronic viewfinder simply isn’t to everybody’s tastes - and you’ll find many pros shudder at the thought. But the large, bright, high-resolution viewfinder on the A99 II provides a great view of the scene – and thanks to improvements in the technology, it displays hardly any shutter lag. You can even shoot at up to 8fps and maintain continuous live view.

Sony has reworked its menu system to be more sensibly arranged, grouping together features and functions to save you having to figure out where to find the particular setting you want to use. This makes for a much more enjoyable experience, and is certainly less frustrating that previous implementations of Sony’s menu system.

SONY A99 II – PERFORMANCE

We haven’t yet had the opportunity to give the A99 II a full spin, but early indications are promising. Image quality looks great – and crucially that AF performance, along with the high continuous frame rates, seem to work well. It’s something we’ll be keen to put through its paces later in the year, when production samples become available.

It looks likely that the A99 II could be a camera that competes very strongly with Nikon’s D5 and the Canon 1DX Mark II for sports and action - and it may even convince some people to make the switch.

On the downside, Sony cameras – with their constant live view – don’t tend to fare well for battery life. We’re looking at less than 400 shots per charge - and only a single battery is supplied in the box. Compare this to the battery life of something from Canon or Nikon, and the A99 II simply can’t match up. The Nikon D5 has an incredible battery life of 3,780 shots per charge, while the Canon 1DX Mark II stands at 1,210 shots.

Related: Fujifilm GFX 50S hands-on

SONY A99 II EARLY VERDICT

The pro world is very much dominated by Canon or Nikon - especially when it comes to sports, action and wildlife. It’s interesting to see a camera that, on paper at least, seems to offer serious competition.

There are a few niggles here – namely, the lack of a touchscreen and a battery life that’s a fraction of what Canon and Nikon can offer at the Pro end of the market. The first we can live without; the second is more limiting.

It will be interesting to see how the A99 II shapes up in reality when full working samples become available. Keep an eye out.

FIFA 17 review

Available on Xbox One (version tested), PS4, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PS3

In football's incredibly unpredictable world, FIFA's regular yearly launch provides us with a nice bit of stability. But in the most odds-defying 12 months of football I can remember, can the latest update to the beautiful game's most popular sim still stand tall against Konami's fantastic PES 2017?

In many ways it’s a resounding yes, but FIFA and PES are now more different than ever, and that’s a good thing.

There are two huge changes to FIFA 17: the move to a brand-new engine, Frostbite, and the focus on a story lead ‘campaign’.

Related: Watch Dogs 2 preview

It sounds odd at first having a single-player campaign in a football game that isn't completely about management, but it’s hardly something new. 2K has been at it for years with its MyCareer mode in the NBA series, with the mode becoming increasingly popular with each iteration. Spike Lee even directed last year's version.

I too had misgivings about The Journey – FIFA 17's name for the story mode – when EA first announced it. I instantly likened it to some crappy straight-to-TV football film, or the laughably bad but also quite entertaining Goal! movie series. In many ways it’s just like that, but I have to give props to EA (and BioWare who assisted with the story) for how well it’s been done.

The premise of The Journey is simple, and packed with cliché. You play as Alex Hunter, an up-and-coming ‘wonderkid’ and third-generation pro. We first meet Alex playing as a boy, on a muddy Clapham Common, before witnessing a vital trial that could make or break his career. It starts off slow, but it gets better.

The mode is broken down into three distinct sections: games, training and cut-scenes. The games are self-explanatory, just typical FIFA matches with the odd tinker to make them fit into the story dynamic. You can either control the whole team or, like in Be A Pro, just control Alex.

The way you perform in the matches, and training, helps determine whether you’ll be on the bench or in the starting XI. But I get the impression that sometimes it makes no difference, and this is the mode's downfall. In one game, I played – if you'll pardon my arrogance – an absolute blinder and bagged a hat-trick, but my team lost. The cut-scene that followed was full of dejection and disappointment. Next week, I scored another hat-trick and my reward was to be sent out on loan.

Related: PlayStation VR review

There are reasons to stick with it, though. The mixed bag of characters are very well voiced, but follow the most obvious stereotypes. The doting mother, the busy-with-work dad, the gruffled flat-cap-wearing grandad and slightly seedy agent – they’re all present. But they work well, and the cut-scenes are nicely done and look fantastic.

At the most basic point, The Journey is simply a career mode with some fancy acting and a simple story. That’s far from a bad thing, though.

The Journey is just one of the many modes in FIFA 17, but there hasn’t been that much added to the others. Ultimate Team is still as addictive as ever, and the career mode is fun if you have plenty of time to put into it.

Related: Gears of War 4 review

Of course, the sticking point for any football game is gameplay. For FIFA 17, EA has switched engines to Frostbite and while this could have signalled huge change on the pitch, it doesn’t.

If you’re familiar with the slow pace, defensive focus and intricate button combos of FIFA 16, you’ll feel right at home with 17. If you’re coming from PES, then things might feel a bit complicated. In PES 2017, things happen naturally. The game cleverly knows if you’re trying to dink the ball over the top of defenders with the outside of your foot. In FIFA, you have to do all this for yourself.

It can be frustrating at times, especially when you think your player is going to curl the ball into the top corner and he instead smashes it over the bar, but there’s nothing more satisfying than successfully finessing a long-range shot and have it nestle in the corner of the net

Play is more physical this time around, with naturally stronger players now far more commanding. It makes things much more realistic, but you’ll have to get used to getting knocked off the ball a lot more than in previous versions of FIFA.

The use of Frostbite does rack up the number of animations, and this makes a visible difference. Players will force a header downwards, curl a free-kick or twist their body to spray a ball downfield. These don’t make a whole load of difference to overall gameplay, but they help things flow, and look, better.

One change I’m not so keen on is the set-piece system. Again, there’s a load of new button combos to learn and corners and free-kicks are overly complicated. I often ballooned corners into the box and got increasingly frustrated.

Penalties are a different story, and I actually much prefer the changes there. You can alter your run-up and there’s much more control. It takes some getting used to, though.

Related: ReCore review

Some familiar FIFA annoyances rear their ugly head again – notably the pesky referees. Penalties are given for the slightest touch in the box, and yellow (and red) cards are handed out seemingly for challenges that shouldn’t even warrant a stop in play.

Online play is as important as anything in a football game, and my experience so far has been steady. Games start quickly, it finds opponents well and the matches themselves run without lag. This changes if you're playing against an opponent with a poor connection, but then that's to be expected.

VERDICT

FIFA 17 is another strong entry in the iconic series, and one that looks to lay the groundwork for future titles by switching to a new engine. The hyper-realistic graphics are great, with facial expressions finally helping players look more than mannequins.

The story mode is fun, if slightly cliched, and you can simply ignore it if it’s not for you, while Ultimate Team is still as addictive as ever.

The slow-paced gameplay and numerous button combinations might irk some people, but get used to it and it’s thoroughly rewarding.

BlackBerry DTEK60 review

Just when we thought the flagship smartphone onslaught was over for another year, BlackBerry has jumped in before 2016 wraps up with its own new top-end handset in the shape of the Blackberry DTEK60. 

The bigger, more powerful and pricier sibling to the DTEK50, this new phone has the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, LG G5 and iPhone 7 Plus firmly in its sights. 

A quick glance at the spec sheet and BlackBerry is off to a strong start, with the DTEK60 boasting a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 21MP rear camera, 8MP front snapper and a 3,000mAh battery.

That’s comfortably up there with the best phones of the year, and with a price tag of just £475 / $499 (around AU$650) it undercuts most of its key rivals. 

It’s available to buy now from the BlackBerry website in the US, UK and Canada, and the DTEK60 will be coming to other markets very soon. 

At its heart the DTEK60 takes up BlackBerry's “world’s most secure smartphones” mantra, with the firm's trio of Android devices (the Priv, DTEK50 and DTEK60) featuring additional security from the ground up including a secure bootloader, full disk encryption and the DTEK App.

What does it all mean? In short, the DTEK60 will keep all your information safe and secure, give you granular control over your applications, and will automatically detect threats and protect against them.  

While BlackBerry's devices are still very much skewed towards the enterprise market, it’s also trying to appeal to consumers who want full access to the Android ecosystem, but don’t want to sacrifice security and productivity. 

The phone itself boasts a machined aluminum frame, and a toughened glass front and rear – similar in a way to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, as the glass on the front curves ever so slightly at its edges. The screen doesn’t curve with it, but it makes for an easier, more comfortable hold. 

Weight: 165g
Dimensions: 153.9 x 75.4 x 6.99mm
OS: Android 6.0.1
Screen size: 5.5-inch
Resolution: 2560 x 1440
CPU: Snapdragon 820
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Battery: 3,000mAh
Rear camera: 21MP
Front camera: 8MP

At 153.99 x 75.4 x 6.99mm the DTEK60 is taller and wider than the S7 Edge, but thinner, meaning it still nestles into the palm reasonably well.

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It's smart and slick, but we found that it didn't feel as premium as we'd hoped in the hand. The glass rear can feel a little like plastic – it's a trait we also noticed on Samsung's devices, but on the DTEK60 it's a little more pronounced.

The additional lips above and below the display house speakers, but it's not the most aesthetically pleasing style decision. It's similar to the design of the DTEK50 – which is no surprise, as both phones were built by TCL, the firm behind the Alcatel handset brand.

At 165g the DTEK60 is also heavier than rival 5.5-inch handsets (Galaxy S7 Edge, OnePlus 3, Huawei P9 Plus), which could become taxing during extended use. 

While one-handed operation is just about possible, you’ll want to employ both mitts when it comes to tapping out emails. The power/lock key is rather annoyingly located on the top-left side of the phone, while a centralized ‘convenience key’ sits in the middle of the right side – a position we’d expect the power button to be instead. 

The convenience key can be programmed to launch a specific task or action, giving you quick access to your favorite features.

That can make reaching the power/lock key a bit of a stretch, but the responsive fingerprint scanner on the rear at least makes unlocking easier. 

A USB-C port resides on the base of the handset, while a 3.5mm audio jack sits up top, allowing you to plug in headphones. 

BlackBerry fans will also be pleased to learn that the iconic notification LED makes an appearance alongside the 8MP front-facing selfie camera.

The screen, with its 2560 x 1440 resolution, is crisp and clear, although it lacks the color vibrancy of rival AMOLED offerings, with things looking a little more muted – holding the DTEK60 up alongside the OnePlus 3 and Galaxy S7 Edge it isn’t as bright.

Other phones aside, though, the screen is still excellent, and will be great for gaming and movies.

On screen you’ll find Android 6.0.1. It may not be the latest Android 7 Nougat offering, but BlackBerry keeps its skin to a minimum, and is focused on turning around monthly security patches from Google in 24 hours, so the hope is that it’ll be upgraded to Nougat soon. 

It wasn’t quite as quick under the finger as we were expecting, but the DTEK60 was still setting up and downloading updates as we were using it, so it will hopefully become more fluid once it’s over those initial processes – performance should be decent with the Snapdragon 820 chip and 4GB of RAM at its heart. 

There's just the one model available, with 32GB of internal storage (of which around 22GB is available to you out of the box), but a microSD slot enables you to build on that by 2TB.

The 21MP camera on the back of the DTEK60 is difficult to miss, thanks to its sizable volcanic bump. Place the phone down and it sits at a jaunty angle – and we’re worried about just how exposed the camera is.

During our brief time snapping on the DTEK60 it looked to be a solid shooter, with a manual mode in the camera app if you want to tweak things such as white balance, shutter speed and exposure levels.

BlackBerry is promising a solid battery performance from the DTEK60, with a 3,000mAh power pack crammed inside its slender frame; we’ll reserve judgement on that for our full review, but we hope it lives up to the claim.

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Alcatel Idol 4 review

You can scarcely swing a phone charger these days without hitting an accomplished Android phone for around the $250/£200/AU$330 mark, and here’s another in the Alcatel Idol 4. As that suggests, though, it’s getting increasingly difficult to stand out from the highly competent crowd. 

Some manufacturers look to squeeze in a higher-end component or two to make their phone stand out, while others focus on a more premium design. Alcatel, for its part, has decided to throw in a couple of features that tread the narrow line between showstopper and gimmick.

See all Alcatel Idol 4 deals

While the initial RRP for the Alcatel Idol 4 is £230 (around $280/AU$370), at the time of writing this review it was possible to pick one up for roughly £190 (around $245/AU$320)

That’s not a bad price for a capable lower-mid-range Android handset such as this, but it’s not a brilliant one either. After all, you can pick up the similarly specced Motorola Moto G4 for £170/$200/AU$330.  

However, this price is made more impressive when you consider that the Alcatel Idol 4 comes with a VR headset as standard. It even forms part of the box, so you know this isn’t some temporary give-away à la the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Gear VR. 

Stir in some bold audio claims and an unusual multi-function hot key, and we undoubtedly have one of the more interesting entry-level Android phones we’ve tested in 2016. But does it all hang together?

Future's made of virtual reality

• Customizable Boom key
• Decent VR headset, but the screen isn't good enough
• Impressive speakers

If you’ll pardon that Jamiroquai reference (tough ask, we know), VR is without a doubt the Alcatel Idol 4’s headline feature. The manufacturer hasn’t just thrown a headset in - it’s built the very packaging for the phone out of it. 

We’re essentially looking at a competently made, altogether more permanent take on Google Cardboard. The headset is made out of reasonably lightweight plastic, and there’s a headstrap and generous sponge padding around your eyes and nose that both makes the headset comfortable to wear for longer periods and keeps out light.

The Idol 4 hooks into a simple but sturdy clip system, and there’s space for earphones to be used - which really is recommended with any such VR experience. 

There are a couple of slightly cheap-feeling, touch-sensitive plastic buttons on the bottom edge of the headset that we weren’t too sure about. We found that we would often mistakenly press one of these in the process of slipping the headset on, so we had to deliberately modify our natural process. 

Still, the VR headset itself is an effective piece of kit. What isn’t up to VR scratch is the Idol 4. It’s not the lower-end CPU that does it - though we can’t imagine the Snapdragon 617 being ready for the next wave of advanced VR games - but rather the phone’s display. At 1080p, all of the VR experiences we tried were blurry and ugly.

VR is arguably the one thing that justifies QHD and even 4K resolutions in mobile displays. Using the Idol 4 for VR will have you pining for that Samsung Galaxy S7 with the Gear VR - if such casual VR is your thing, of course. 

Tying into this idea that the Idol 4 is a multimedia-focused device, it has an unusually accomplished speaker set-up. Not only does it have stereo speakers - which is still relatively unusual for a high-end phone, let alone an affordable one - but it also has a second pair on the back.     

This means that even if your phone is face down, you’ll be able to hear your music loud and clear. You won’t get a lot of bass from that sound, but there’s definite stereo separation in there. 

You also get a set of standard JBL earbuds bundled in. They’re not great, but they’re better than most bog standard efforts. 

Another unusual feature of the Alcatel Idol 4 is its dedicated ‘Boom key’. This is an additional context-sensitive button found mid-way up the right hand edge of the phone. 

It can be customized to fulfil a number of roles. By default, it will kick off a little weather animation on the home screen, while a double tap while the phone is asleep will take an instant snapshot with the main camera. Holding will take a burst shot.

You can also set the Boom key to launch the camera app - though only when the screen is on, unfortunately. It’s also possible to assign a specific app to it, which could come in useful if you’re a heavy Facebook or Spotify user. 

We often wonder why more Android manufacturers don’t experiment with such specialist shortcut keys - particularly with the increasing scarcity of physical home buttons. Alcatel’s efforts here aren’t fully formed, but they’re most welcome.

Design and display

• Strong metal and glass design
• Display is bright and well proportioned

We can’t say that we found the Alcatel Idol 4 attractive, as such, but its metal and glass design is streets ahead of what you would have expected of a $250/£200/AU$300 phone just 18 months ago. 

Its look and feel benefit greatly from a metal rim, which gradually thickens towards the top and bottom edges. Those edges also stick up above the glass front and back (yes, it’s a fingerprint magnet) by a good few millimetres, allowing for the four speakers to face directly out towards you. 

This latter feature isn’t particularly appealing from an aesthetic standpoint, but it’s certainly functional. It also helps the phone stand out from all those iPhone and Galaxy wannabes. 

One other thing to note is that the presence of the unorthodox Boom key has forced a bit of a reshuffle on the button front. The volume key feels a lot higher than normal, near the top of the right hand edge.

The power key, meanwhile, has been forced over to the left hand edge. Both buttons fall naturally under your thumb and forefinger, but it will still take a while to adjust to their placement. 

At 7.1mm thick and 135g, the Idol 4 is in that sweet zone for a smartphone - it’s just thick and heavy enough to sit unobtrusively in a pocket whilst remaining comfortable to hold. It also makes the phone significantly thinner and lighter than the Moto G4 at 9.8mm and 155g. 

One major reason for these smaller dimensions is that the Idol 4 has a relatively petite display by modern Android standards at 5.2 inches. 5.5 inches almost seems to be the new normal for phones, though around 5.2 inches isn’t uncommon where there are two sizes of a phone on offer (as there is here, thanks to the Alcatel Idol 4S).  

The screen isn’t lacking in quality, either, with 1080p proving plenty sharp enough for a phone of this size - except when it comes to VR, of course. We were also impressed with the brightness of the display, which is often something that suffers on cheaper phones, whilst the color temperature is nice and cool. 

The colors don’t pop as much as they do on a decent mid-range phone, but they’re just fine for something of this price.

$399.99

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£192.00

Shipping from Free

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