Alcatel ONYX™ In-Depth Review
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Alcatel ONYX™ In-Depth Review Image Gallery
February 3, 2019
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What We Love About Alcatel ONYX
- Affordable price
- Compact design
- 4G LTE connectivity
- HD display
- Fingerprint scanner
- Dual camera setup
- HD video capture
- Good battery life
- Google assistant
Alcatel ONYX Overview
Alcatel has been making entry-level smartphones for quite some time now, and the Alcatel ONYX is another addition to its lineup. It is a tweaked version of the previously released Alcatel 1X with more storage and is exclusive to Cricket Wireless. Alcatel designed the ONYX to be as economical as possible, without taking away the essential features.
Alcatel ONYX launched in January 2019. With a 5.5-inch display and ergonomic design, this compact Android smartphone easily fits into your pocket. It features a sturdy, no-slip exterior and runs Android Oreo on the inside. We were surprised to see the support of two rear cameras at this price point. Also, instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon, the device is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. It is designed to be simple, fast, and easy while still providing the essential features that ensure a rich mobile phone experience. Let us take a closer look at our comprehensive Alcatel ONYX review.
Alcatel ONYX Unboxing
Alcatel ONYX comes in a highly durable box that ensures that the device is protected. The packaging is similar to the Alcatel Insight. The back of the box features a picture of the Alcatel phone and its primary specifications. When you open the package, you will find a SIM card and a quick start guide. Underneath the guide lies the Alcatel ONYX, covered by a transparent screen protector. Beneath the mobile device are the terms & conditions, charging adapter, Micro-USB cable, and SIM ejection tool.
What’s in the box:
- Alcatel ONYX smartphone
- Quick start guide
- SIM card
- Charging adapter
- Micro-USB cable
- Terms & conditions
- SIM ejection tool
Alcatel ONYX Related Videos
Alcatel ONYX Playlist
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Alcatel ONYX Design
Featuring a 5.5-inch screen size with slim bezels on the sides, the Alcatel smartphone looks stylish. The 18:9 aspect ratio ensures a more extensive view in a petite body, making it convenient to carry around. Instead of a punch-hole or notch, the selfie camera is placed within the top bezel.
The back has an exquisite suede finish that’s not only sleek-looking but smooth to the touch. Dual rear cameras are placed vertically on the top. Under the camera is an LED flashlight, followed by the fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is positioned conveniently, as it’s easy to reach. The Cricket logo appears at the center, and the Alcatel logo is near the bottom edge.
The power key and volume rocker button are on the right edge. The bottom edge hosts the speaker and Micro-USB charging port. A SIM card tray/microSD card slot is on the left edge. Finally, you can find the 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge of the phone.
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Alcatel ONYX Camera
The Alcatel ONYX comes with cameras that can take good quality pictures and record HD videos. It features the following cameras:
- 13MP main camera
- 2MP secondary camera
- 5MP front camera
The dual rear cameras can take decent photos with good details and depth of field. Color accuracy is on par with other smartphones within this price range. The secondary 2MP rear camera lets you add a nice blurred background effect, so your subject stands out in the image. You can choose to turn on the LED flash for clicking pictures when it’s dark. Auto-focus on the rear camera helps you capture better, clearer photos.
The 5MP front camera also has the Portrait Mode for blurred effect selfies. It also features screen flash to take better selfies under low light conditions. You can also access camera app settings right from the edge without losing focus. Alcatel ONYX can record 1080p videos at 30fps. In our opinion, the device’s camera is suitable for everyday use and sharing images with friends and family.
Alcatel ONYX Display
The Alcatel ONYX offers a vivid, 5.5-inch HD+ display with a pixel resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels. Alcatel calls it the Full View Display. It is an IPS LCD panel similar to that of the Alcatel 3L. Icons, texts, and photos appear in sharp, precise detail. The color reproduction is good, and watching videos in the 18:9 aspect ratio feels immersive. The display also responds quickly to touch. It has a pixel density of 293 PPI.
The viewing angles are decent, meaning you can see the screen clearly, even from various angles. The industry-leading 2.5D Dragontrail glass protects the display from drops and scratches while still being lightweight. We recommend you keep the cell phone under full brightness to see the content on the screen under direct sunlight. Overall, the display performed well according to our expectations.
Alcatel ONYX Battery
Alcatel ONYX smartphone keeps you going for longer. It comes with a 3000mAh battery that helps you stay connected throughout the day. According to Alcatel, the battery can last up to two days on a single charge. So, you can stream your favorite videos and share your social life without worrying about low battery warnings. It should keep up with 7.5 hours of talk time, 21 hours of audio playback, 6 hours of video playback, or 281 hours of standby time on 4G LTE. The bundled charger takes around 3.5 hours or 210 minutes to charge the phone fully from 0 to 100. In our opinion, a 3000mAh battery is perfect for an entry-level smartphone such as Alcatel ONYX as it does not require much power.
Alcatel ONYX Storage
With Alcatel ONYX, you’ll never need to worry about storage space. Considering it’s a budget phone, 32GB of internal storage is sufficient for most users. 32GB is an ample amount of space to store basic apps, photos, videos, and files. If you still require more storage, you can increase it further up to 128GB by adding a microSD card – right next to the SIM card. The expandable memory gives you the freedom to download as many apps, music, and videos as you like.
Alcatel ONYX Performance
A 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6739ww chipset powers the Alcatel device with 2GB of RAM to deliver optimal performance. The cost-effective chipset is designed for budget smartphones. It handles basic tasks like calling, texting, browsing, streaming, and scrolling social media without difficulty. Reception and sound quality are solid as well.
With an intuitive, user-friendly interface, it runs on Android 8.1 Oreo right out of the box. It comes preloaded with the latest Android apps, including Google Assistant, which lets you access the phone using voice commands. You can unlock the device via different sensors or options – fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, PIN code, or unlock code. The fingerprint scanner worked well almost every time. Overall, the Alcatel ONYX didn’t disappoint in terms of performance.
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Final Words About Alcatel ONYX
Going for an entry-level smartphone doesn’t mean you have to settle for an inferior phone. Available on Cricket Wireless, the Alcatel ONYX packs a lot of punch for an entry-level Android smartphone. At this price point, it is incredibly rare to find an iPhone or Android phone with an HD display, and the Alcatel ONYX is one of those rare phones. Dual cameras on the back are also a pleasant feature. The Alcatel ONYX is the ideal choice for people who want to use their smartphone mainly for listening to music, browsing the web, scroll social media, and occasionally watch content. It’s also a good choice for those upgrading from a flip phone.
Alcatel ONYX Specifications
- Android 8.1 Oreo operating system
- 5.5-inch Full View Display
- Pixel density: 293 PPI
- MediaTek MT6739ww quad-core processor
- PowerVR GE8100 GPU
- 2GB RAM
- 32GB internal storage
- Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP
- Front camera: 5MP
- 3000 mAh battery
- Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, and Accelerometer
- Dimensions: 5.76 x 2.7 x 0.32 inches (146.3 x 68.6 x 8.1 mm)
Frequently Asked Questions About Alcatel ONYX
No, Alcatel ONYX does not support fast charging.
Alcatel ONYX comes with 32GB internal storage.
Alcatel ONYX features 2GB RAM.
No, Alcatel ONYX does not support wireless charging.
Alcatel ONYX came out in January of 2019.
| Carrier | Cricket Wireless |
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