Alcatel Uses VR To Augment Idol 4, Idol 4S Smartphones’ Appeal

Even in the smartphone sea of sameness, one doesn’t need to take extreme measures to be noticed, necessarily. Case in point is Alcatel’s latest Idol smartphones, the Idol 4 and Idol 4S, whose packaging doubles as a VR viewer.

360-Degree Content

Granted, this is no Gear VR (it may not even be Google Cardboard), but if it's a gimmick, at least it's a fun one. Alcatel didn’t state definitively whether this packaging-as-VR-viewer meets the Google Cardboard spec, but it said you can pull content from the LittlStar network via the preloaded Onetouch VR Store app.

This follows a recent trend of 360-degree content and “VR lite” content that outlets such as the New York Times  and Associated Press are offering users. This is actually, arguably, one of the most exciting aspects of the burgeoning VR content landscape, as it provides users a chance to create, submit and share their own experiences, in 360 degrees. Note that both YouTube and Facebook support 360-degree video.

Boomification

The other “extra” selling point of the Idol phones is the “Boom Key,” which is a way to unlock more capabilities on the devices. Alcatel’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dan Dery, delightfully described this feature in a press release thusly: “The Boom Key boom-ifies everything, from the sound to photos to gaming.”

There are actually six boomifiable features on the Idol 4 phones, and they include the camera, gallery, videos, music, games and a 3D Parallax effect on both the homescreen and the weather widget. Basically, the Boom Key is a way to goose any of the above with a single button press.

For example, you can use the Boom Key to switch the camera into burst mode, whip up and share a photo slideshow, and add video effects. You can also use it to apply special features in games; the example Alcatel offered was releasing a nitro in a racing game. In collaboration with Waves, the Boom Key punches up the bass and clarity of the audio across “all media,” too.

Specifications

Even if you consider all of the above completely extraneous, the specs on these phones are solid. The Idol 4S runs on a Snapdragon 652, and the Idol 4 has a Snapdragon 617, both of which are midrange chips, but they both have 3 GB of RAM. Onboard storage is a bit of an issue, though, as the Idol 4 has just 16 GB. However, the Idol 4S offers a reasonable 32 GB, and both handsets support up to 512 GB of microSD storage.

The rear cameras of both handsets are satisfactory (16MP for the Idol 4S [1080p@60fps] and 13MP for the Idol 4 [1080p@30fps]), but the front cameras on both are a surprising 8MP.

Alcatel has not divulged pricing or availability.

Update, 2/21/16, 3:50 am PT: Snapdragon 652 specs corrected.

Seth Colaner is the News Director for Tom's Hardware. Follow him on Twitter @SethColaner. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.