The Idol 4S is the higher-end device of the two, but both devices come with a virtual reality headset and VR content preinstalled on the device. The Idol 4S is available right now at $400, and you can read more about it here.
The Idol 4 isn’t as stellar as the 4S — it has a smaller 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080p display, which is powered by the Snapdragon 617. Alcatel doesn’t skimp on the RAM, offering 3GB but you only get 16GB of internal storage. Thankfully, the 4G LTE-capable device offers MicroSD card support which means you can expand your storage with an additional 512GB. Unlike the Idol 4S ,which has a 3,000mAh battery, the Idol 4 only has a 2,610mAh one. While the front-facing camera is the same 8-megapixel one on both devices, with a wide-angle lens and flash, the rear camera on the Idol 4 has a lower 13-megapixel count.
Of course, one of the highlights on the Idol 4 and 4S is the Boom Key experience — it’s a button on the side of the phone that can activate certain effects, like make the music louder, trigger burst mode in the camera, and more.
The device costs $200 and works with all of Cricket Wireless’ smartphone plans. That’s $200 less than the Idol 4S, which has been available for purchase everywhere since August 3.
The Idol 4 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and Alcatel says it will likely push the upcoming Android 7.0 Nougat update to its devices when they believe it is stable enough. With the device, however, you’ll get a solidly constructed VR headset — Alcatel’s goal is to bring VR to the masses. It’s not Google Daydream-certified, so it won’t be optimized perfectly to run the search giant’s upcoming Android VR platform.
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