Still, the option to do it is useful because third-party apps can be added. For example, I added NHL GameCenter and Netflix to the list as app shortcuts, but I couldn’t set up a specific coque Huawei Ascend P8 Lite action for that app other than just launching it.

The boom key can step in to fill a similar role, except its list of choices is limited. There are only two options while the screen is etui Huawei Ascend P7 off, and a handful when it’s on, one of which is for the key to be disabled and do nothing. The camera shortcuts were best for me, and I could switch to trigger an application in the settings, if I wanted.

Performance and battery life

alcatelidol4-3

Making the Idol 4 VR-compatible with its own headset looks good on paper, but probably housse Huawei Nexus 6P not in practice. I wasn’t able to test this because I didn’t have Alcatel’s VR headset, but when looking at 1080p resolution on a processor like this, I am assuming the experience is more in line with Cardboard than anything like the Gear VR or Daydream VR. Thus far, Videotron is the only carrier to offer the headset with the phone in Canada.

Consumers demanding robust performance aren’t likely to take the Idol 4 seriously. This phone’s pedigree is in not doing too much at once. Even so, basic usage didn’t look or feel like a crawl, even if it was somewhat obvious when doing things like launching apps or navigating an interface. Casual gaming also felt pretty fluid.

The trade-off in all this is battery life. The 2610mAh battery inside isn’t especially large by today’s standards, and you would think a 5.2-inch 1080p display would help the cause, but the battery does drop precipitously during usage. The more the processor has to do, the faster it drops.

Having Quick Charge compatibility does help, with a 60 percent charge in about 30 minutes. The phone also uses microUSB, not USB-C, putting it in line with other lower mid-range devices.