ALCATEL PIXI 4 6” REVIEW BY SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

Above (top): The Alcatel Pixi 4 "6 & (below) Screenshot of the Nova Launcher Prime.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT 

ALCATEL PIXI 4, 6” REVIEW

PRICE £85 - £120

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers!
#Alcatel #Pixi #Pixi4 #6 #BudgetAndroid #SmartPhone


LIFTING THE CEILING?

London, UK, February 16, 2017, Synapse Circuit has uncovered a possible gem in the Alcatel Pixi 4, "6!
   SPECS:-
NETWORK: GSM / HSPA / LTE

LAUNCH: Announced January 2016. Available. Released 2016, June

BODY: Dimensions 165 x 83.8 x 8.3 mm (6.50 x 3.30 x 0.33 in)

SIM: Micro-SIM

DISPLAY: Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Size: 6.0 inches (~71.8% screen-to-body ratio)

Resolution: 720 x 1280 pixels (~245 ppi pixel density)

Multitouch: Yes, up to 5 fingers

OS: Android OS, v5.1 (Lollipop) - Upgraded to Android 6.01 (Marshmallow)

Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8909 Snapdragon 210

CPU: Quad-core 1.1 GHz Cortex-A7

GPU: Adreno 304

MEMORY: Card slot microSD, up to 32 GB (dedicated slot)

Internal: 16GB, 1.5GB RAM

CAMERA: Primary 8 MP, autofocus, LED flash

Features: Geo-tagging, touch focus, HDR, panorama

Video 1080p@30fps

Secondary: 5 MP, LED flash

SOUND: Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones

Loudspeaker: Yes

3.5mm jack: Yes

COMMS: WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot

Bluetooth: v4.1, A2DP

GPS: Yes, with A-GPS

Radio: FM radio

USB: microUSB v2.0

FEATURES: Sensors Accelerometer, proximity, compass (optional)

Messaging: SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM

Browser: HTML

Java: No

Media: MP3/AAC+/WAV player

MP4/H.264 player

Document viewer

Photo/video editor

BATTERY: Non-removable Li-Ion 2580 mAh battery

Stand-by: Up to 650 h (2G) / Up to 650 h (3G)

Talk time: Up to 26 h (2G) / Up to 15 h (3G)

Colour: Black

UNDERRATED
This Alcatel budget handset has got to be one of the most underrated handsets of 2016! I can’t say that I have seen a review of this very, very good Android smartphone; I am happy to be in a position to write about it.

The above spec is just about right for today’s market of low-end budget Android handsets, and what sets the Pixi 4, “6 apart is the 1.1GHz quad-core CPU, 1.5GB of RAM and a fairly decent 6” IPS screen. One of the biggest problems with low-end budget Android handsets since inception is the fact that they have been extremely underpowered. Sure, out of the box, such low-end Androids would perform surprisingly well for the money, that is until apps such as Facebook, YouTube, G+, and WhatsApp receive an update… Then the whole experience and concept of the “budget Android” slides downhill so fast that there is no flesh left on the body; such is the force of friction when going downhill and super-breakneck speed! Sorry, I do not play any games and I couldn’t tell you if you would enjoy playing CPU and RAM intensive games. I suspect that you’d be able to play some games that don’t require a huge demand on the hardware!

The Alcatel Pixi 4, 6” is a very good performer when it comes to the base apps: Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Chrome, PicsArt, Google Docs, to name a few. Well, at least those are my key apps that I use on an everyday basis. The aforementioned apps have been updated several times and they still function reasonably well and the response time is also reasonable. I am inclined to think that it is the 1.5GB of RAM that makes all the difference. I have had budget handsets in the past with 1GB RAM and the performance was horrendous - the handset was too thick to use as a doorstop! Oh, the dual core CPUs on those things were equally as useless! Alcatel got it spot on with the combination of a quad-core 1.1GHz CPU and 1.5GB of RAM. By today’s standards, I suspect that 2GB of RAM should be the base of the budget Android but I guess there will be some manufacturers that would try to get away with less - much less! Such handsets, as I have stated before, aren’t worth the money - no matter how much of a bargain they seem! Do not do it!

AESTHETICS & SCREEN
Well, I guess you could say that the Alcatel Pixi 4, “6 looks like a standard Android budget uniform design. There is nothing really special that stands out in its design. But it does look good, though! The bezels are quite slim at the sides and the top and bottom bezels aren’t too thick! The bottom bezel could have done with some backlighting to accentuate the capacitive menu buttons, still, you do get used to where the buttons are.

The 6” screen is a delight! It’s got an overall good colour balance and it makes for a good experience when editing photos in PicsArt, for example. The one thing that makes the screen less than wonderful is the presence of bright sunshine; I struggle to see anything on the screen in direct sunlight. Well, this is where you will notice the budget aspect of this handset.

CAMERA
I would say that the camera is not too bad. The 8MP main camera does a fair job; I have been better 8MP cameras on other budgets handsets such as the Moto G, but the results are just about good enough for Social Media Feeds! I was quite impressed with the front facing 5MP camera for the purpose of taking selfies! The front facing camera has a flash too! Great! The video quality is pretty grainy via the main 8MP & front 5MP cameras, as with all cameras, the better the lighting conditions the better the recording will appear. I can’t say that I was impressed by the video quality. These days, it would appear that 13MP is the minimum for a good camera oriented budget handset in the price range.

Above: The Alcatel Pixi 4, "6 camera results! Not bad, huh? The interface has some great settings - including HDR! The results can be gorgeous! A very good effort for the asking price!

STORAGE
The Alcatel Pixi 4, “6 comes with a remarkable 16GB of storage and 32GB external storage via the trusty microSD card slot! I have always advocated that manufacturers of budget handsets should quit the 8GB option in favour of 16GB as a standard. I just do not see the point in anything less than 16GB! Thankfully, Android Marshmallow (6.01) allows the user to store and run apps from the microSD card! This move by Google to bring back storing apps to the microSD card is one of the best things they could have done for the Android platform! Kudos! This means a great deal to manufacturers wishing to create better budget handsets. 8GB storage on today’s smartphone and tablets is a joke!

Alcatel has done themselves proud here!

OVERALL CONCLUSION
I wasn’t expecting much from this handset but it turned out to be very impressive. As a daily driver, it is almost perfect! Yes, really! Like most budget Android handsets there can be the occasional stutter and lag but it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. Of course, the Pixi 4, “6 is not meant to compete with Samsung, LG, Huawei, Lenovo-Motorola, HTC, premium handsets, still, it performs like a handset that costs more than its £120 price! You can get it cheaper on Tesco PAYG for £85 but it is locked into the Tesco network. You should be able to pick it up unlocked for around £120 or less.

If you aren’t into intensive 3D gaming on your smartphone and you are in need of a handset powerful enough to get you through a day of Social Media Networking, YouTube, Email, writing the odd report, etc on Google Docs and taking photos and videos then the Alcatel 4, “6 smartphone could be right for you! The price is most reasonable and it could very well be a secondary handset to the main driver!

The battery life is pretty good - a little above average. Again, manufacturers make great claims about the battery but in usage, it’s different story! With the Alcatel Pixi 4, “6, I could get away with a good day worth of taking photographs, video, Social Media Networking, browsing Google Chrome, sending/receiving messages on WhatsApp & Line and so on. When the battery goes down to about 15% it can hold its charge until I get home.

Yes, I do rate the Alcatel Pixi 4, “6 very highly despite the 6” screen being marred occasionally by direct sunlight; I just had to angle the screen away from the Sun as you would! So, the screen is not a deal breaker. It would have been so much better if the screen was full HD! Come on, screen technology has gotten to the stage whereby 1080p should be the standard. Some handsets have gone full 4K already! I am curious if Alcatel will make a version of the Pixi 4, “6 for 2017; I think it would be another great handset! Just bump up the RAM to 2GB, go hexacore for the CPU, 13MP main camera and front facing speakers and I will be a customer!

As it stands, the Pixi 4, “6 is a great budget all-round handset in that it does everything just a tad well. Again, there is nothing exceptional about it; it just gets the job done a little more than adequately. Budget handsets can be capable of more but, for the most part, manufacturers have a tendency to play it safe. Alcatel has stuck its neck out a little on this outing to make the Pixi 4, 6” worth having! Well done, Alcatel!

Oh, I think it is important to let you know that I used Nova Launcher Prime by TeslaCoil Software to replace the interface. I tried the default OneTouch Launcher but, at least for my personal tastes, the Nova Launcher gives me a very satisfying experience. I almost forgot… The backfiring speaker is very, very exceptional! It is nice and loud, it delivers very clean audio at high volume! It is great for watching video content! Awesome! The Alcatel Pixi 4, "6 has got to be one of the best budget Android handsets of 2016 and is definitely worth picking up if you, today, are looking for a smartphone that will give you a good amount of power to get things done in an enjoyable and fluid way! Thank you for reading! Best wishes, Synapse Circuit/Blue Gene

GOOGLE i / O 2015 SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

Are we there yet? No!

Are we there yet? Uh-uh...

We are here!

 SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

GOOGLE i / O 2015
M-PRESSIVE?

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! How’s it going? It is great to see you as always! Did you enjoy Google i / O 2015?

Here are my thoughts... Read on!

#GoogleiO2015 #iO2015 #Android6 #AndroidM #AndriodWear #AndroidAuto

CODENAMED ‘M’
Is it me? Have you noticed that the Google i / O keynotes have become progressively lacklustre? Don’t misunderstand me... ...there were great tidings as per usual but these revelations are mostly aimed at developers (app programmers and general Google / Android / Chrome programmers). In other words: There were no announcements regarding new tech for us to drool over! Typically my mind wandered and I don’t think that that the Nexus Player was mentioned at all nor was Google Glass. Hmmmm... I would have thought that there would have been an announcement on the next version of Chromecast; I had the inclination that Google Glass wouldn’t be mentioned at all as I reckon that there is a lot of work to be done still! That said we learned that more content was being added to Chromecast – including HBO! Yay!

We learned about developments in Google Wear and Auto; there are new wearables on the horizon but, again, no details. Fair enough!


‘M’ PEOPLE
I was very happy and surprised to learn of Android codenamed ‘M’ that’s in the pipeline that will go back to basics i.e. quashing thousands of bugs (not that I have noticed anything untoward with my Nexus 6, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S4 and Moto G 2014)! The sound settings will return to having control of notifications, ringtone, alarms and media on an individual basis! As predicted Google are going to try and deliver battery efficiency with a facility called “Doze”. Doze effectively allows your device to go into a deeper sleep mode when not in use for long periods. There is, predictably, support for the USB C type port that should allow devices with the USB C port to charge more efficiently. Great!

If, like me, you do a lot of messaging and word processing on your mobile device you will be glad to know that selecting text will be easier with Android M – Milkshake. That’s good news as there are times when I am close to throwing some of my handsets against the wall!

Sharing will be made even easier! I never had a problem with sharing – when I borrowed my nephew’s iPhone I realized just how wonderful life is on Android.
FINGERPRINT SCAN & ANDROID PAY
Android M – Mudpie will include the fingerprint scan as part of the security functionality within. This means that any device with a fingerprint scanner will be compatible directly with Android 6, M – Moonpie.

Android Pay pretty much sounds like what Samsung has created with Samsung Pay; I am no expert by any means but it seems as though there isn’t much between these two payment options.

Perhaps we can glean from this that the next Nexus devices will include a fingerprint scanner. Of course there was no mention of the next Nexus devices as they are typically announced towards the third quarter in time for Christmas! The tablet isn’t such a big deal anymore and so there is no need to wax lyrical over the Android (iPad killing) tablet! In the event of these new Android devices I can only hope that they’ll be getting some decent processors respectively.

BRILLO:
THE INTERNET OF EVERYTHING
In a nutshell ‘Brillo’ is a scaled down version of Android that should allow electronics manufacturers to include Brillo in a multitude of devices such as smarthome devices such as Nest, fridges, coffee machines, cameras and so on. The idea is that these devices do not need to run on the up to the minute CPU! Brillo is said be able to run on the most minimal hardware requirements. Brillo can definitely up Google’s game somewhat as Android is ubiquitous and it should make things easier for the manufacturer to create devices that make it easy for the consumer to connect to (and control).

Brillo opens up many, many possibilities for manufacturers to add Android compatibility with just about every conceivable piece of electronic equipment! So, the next time you purchase a standalone digital camera it could very well be that it has Android compatibility built into it which brings me to...

GOOGLE PHOTOS
I have been hearing and reading on the prospect of Google Photos... Google Photos does look pretty awesome with its ability to catalogue photos and videos for free and unlimited! Whoohoo! But the catch – if you can call it that – is that the photos are taken with a 16MP camera (so there goes the standalone Brillo enabled 30MP camera) and the video is limited to 1080p! I think it’s pretty good going! I like it and I will use it for sure! It’s available right now! Yay! Oh, but does this mean that the forthcoming Nexus handsets will be limited to 16MP??? Mind you 16MP is great quality! But you know me and Android fanatics – we want the biggest, fastest and the best! Yes, this is subjective but I am sure that those who just love taking pictures on the handset would want to have the highest possible MP rating!

Just to go off tangent slightly... I found myself looking for a dedicated digital camera recently... Why? Four things:-

1. Optical zoom; I find that there is no Android handset or any other handset that has a really useful optical zoom. Digital zoom is no substitute!

2. Mega Pixels; I can get a very high MP rating on a standalone dedicated digital camera that should – with a decent lens – translate to even better pictures.

3. It ties in with points 1 and 2... ...it’s a good lens! A good lens can make such a difference!

4. Video quality; although many of today’s top handsets can record high quality video I think better quality can be had with a better lens and microphone.

The question is: Will there be a Photos Pro and how much will it cost per month or year?

Anyhoo, it appears as though we’ll get a video editor thrown in the mix! Oh, Google Photo will put together photo collages and edit video for you automatically! It sounds interesting! I must give it a try some time... Google Photos is available NOW on Google Play Store!



THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SEE
Apart from new toys for the consumer I wanted to see...

The Android PC; I know that I keep going on about it but now that Android is multi-processor compatible I keep imagining the possibilities with an i7 CPU and a decent graphics card! I reckon that it would be easier to edit video on an Android PC than a Windows one. I am sure that many established software developers for the PC would do an Android PC version!

Google Car; with today’s electric car engines becoming more powerful, efficient and cost effective and 3D printing technology I think it is time for the consumer to design his / her electric car online and either have it delivered or be able to go to the manufacturer and drive it off the premises. When I take public transport I see people getting on the bus just to take them 5 minutes down the road. That’s nuts! The main reason is for shopping; all too often lone mothers with a push buggy have the arduous task of jumping on a crowded bus – often with no space for a third buggy – and I reckon the solution is the affordable Google (electric) Car! I’d get one as I would use it for short trips i.e. to shop, visit my folks (more often), etc. And because advances in battery technology it is possible to charge fully in a short space of time thus making Google Car a Godsend! Do you know how expensive it is to run a petrol / diesel car in the UK??? Jeez, Louise!

CONCLUSION
Oh, I forgot to mention that in Android 6, M – Maltesers, the user will be able to have more control over app permissions which is a welcome relief as I am concerned as to why certain apps have to access my contacts! What else do these apps access – my emails???

It’s always great to see, as an Android user, Google making greater improvements on the best and most used mobile operating system on the planet. However, it would have been better if the consumer had a new toy to get excited about – even if it was Chromecast 2! I did feel that there could have been more said on the Nexus Player and possibly a hint at a strong tablet to come... Yes, tablets are kind of passé at the moment but I feel that it is because the best is yet to come from Android. I think that Google’s Sundar Pichai missed out on an opportunity to get Android tablet users whipped up into frenzy over the delivery of a truly outstanding tablet (I still think it’s going to come from Samsung this year)! I am seriously ready to throw my Asus FonePad 7 LTE out of the window!

I get that Google might want to keep the forthcoming Nexus handsets under wraps for now but I look at the Moto products as taking up where the Nexus 5 left off in terms of affordability. I would have like to have heard news on the Moto G 2015 (add that to my things that I wanted to see list).

Google i / O 2015 was definitely one for the developers! The consumer will reap the benefits later. I did enjoy i / O 2015 nonetheless. I have come to appreciate this latest subdued style of keynote instead of watching and listening to the Apple one that blows smoke up...


Above: Flick your wrist and change the screen! Wow!



Saying that (above) I have yet to be convinced by the Android Wearable... Not that I find the Apple Watch better... So far I am just not enthusiastic with the reinvention of the watch. At least Google have, once again, made me curious about the forthcoming new wearable devices.

It’s now time to play the guessing game as to what the next version of Android will be called and to await its release early next year (I hope).

If you are a consumer I can only say to you: Watch out of Google announcements throughout the year! I am almost certain that Chromecast 2 is on the way... I think Google are waiting for Apple to announce Apple TV 2.

As for the Nexus handset or handsets (as the latest rumour is that LG and Huawei will be launching 2 new Nexus variants later this year)... ...the announcement will probably come late September – after Samsung announces the Galaxy Note 5. Certainly after Apple has announced the iPhone 6S and 6C (if they will release another plastic handset with a multitude of colour options again).

Roll on!

Thank you so much for reading Synapse Circuit!

Expect more reviews, news, opinions, competitions and more from Synapse Circuit!