Home › Reviews ›

Review: Alcatel Idol 5 for Cricket Wireless

Alcatel did a fine job with the Idol 5. The handset is attractive, made from quality materials, and delivers the right mix of value for the dollar.

I'm keen on the metal chassis and svelte glass that give the Idol 5 its classy personality. The full HD display is very pretty. I wish data performance were a little better and calls sounded cleaner, but the stereo speakers are great for music and video. Battery life is adequate.

The Android interface is really nice, and Alcatel added some cool twists with the reversible user interface and more flexible Now Key. The camera app offers some powerful tools and yet the under-powered processor and limited RAM cause it to stumble a bit. Thankfully the pictures look pretty good.

The Alcatel Idol 5 finds itself in an odd spot in Cricket's lineup. Most Cricket devices range between $50 and $150. The Idol 5 is the most expensive non-flagship at $200. If you prefer a compact metal design to a large plastic one, the Idol 5 delivers big. You can eke out a bit more performance from the less expensive ZTE Blade X Max, but you'll lose some portability.

I'd recommend the Idol 5 to those who idolize a premium feel on a budget.

Our Ratings

Overall

Reception

Battery Life

Hardware Usability

Hardware Quality

Display

Interface Speed

Audio Volume

Camera

Related

Hands On with the Alcatel Idol 5 for Cricket

The Alcatel Idol 5 is a $200 Android phone with a premium design carved from metal and curved glass. It has a few unique features like a reversible display and a theme creator that uses the colors the camera sees.

Alcatel Idol 5 Offers a Premium Design for $200

Sep 28, 2017
Alcatel today announced the Idol 5 for Cricket Wireless. The Idol 5 is a $200 Android phone with a premium design that marries a solid metal body with a curved glass front.

Samsung Refreshes Galaxy S Series with S Pen, New Cameras

Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.

iPhone 15 Series Goes All-In on USB-C and Dynamic Island

Sep 12, 2023
Apple has revealed the iPhone 15 series, which moves to a USB-C connector and brings several key features from last year's Pro models to the more-affordable standard models. These include the pill-shaped sensor cutout in the display that Apple calls Dynamic Island, a brighter display that can reach 2000 nits, a 48 megapixel main camera, and the A16 Bionic processor chip.

Motorola Adds 5G to the Moto G Stylus

Jun 9, 2021
Motorola today announced the moto g stylus 5G , a version of this year's moto g stylus with 5G and a larger battery, for $400. The new 5G model has excellent support for all 5G and 4G networks in the US, (except mmWave 5G.) The battery has been bumped up from 4,000 mAh to a whopping 5,000 mAh.

Alcatel Idol 5

5.2" display FHD+ resolution
MediaTek Helio P20 processor 2 GB RAM
2,850 mAh battery
Memory Card Slot, Headphone Jack (3.5mm), NFC

more news about: