Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 S & Alcatel Pop 7 Review

Last updated on April 26th, 2021 at 12:42 am

I think I need a new phone.

Maybe it’s the way it only charges when propped up at just the right angle thanks to its damaged micro USB port, a port that’s ever so fragile on just about any device it graces. Or the times when the phone randomly restarts, or spontaneously ejects the microSD card, or decides that the device memory is corrupt, requiring a battery pull to get it working again. Maybe it’s the fact that technology moved so fast these days that despite winning the phone at the end of 2012, it’s already several generations old, an ancient relic of a time when “4K” was only the price tag for that shiny new MacBook Pro you coveted from the Apple Store. Or maybe—just maybe—it’s a sign that it’s time to try something new, and fortunately, I got the opportunity to do so!

Because My Phone is My Lifeline.

I run my tech into the ground.

Ever since my first Nokia brick phone back in ’02, I’ve taken my phones to their limit before replacing them. The BlackBerry Bold whose letters rubbed off of its keys from all the vigorous texting. The Motorola C350 whose screen eventually stopped turning on—probably for the best, though, with my friends always trying to drag me out at all hours of night.

Time and again, I rocked phones that wound up getting… well, rocked… and with the sad shape my current Samsung Galaxy S III is in, I’m on the hunt once more for a device that can keep up with the ever-expanding demands on my #BloggerLife! Hearing my plight, Bell and TELUS stepped up to see if they could help with the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 S smartphone and the Alcatel OneTouch Pop 7 tablet!

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 S, or, The Phone That Can Do All the Things Those Other Phones Can… Just Not All at the Same Time.

So let’s put it out there—as a blogger and social medialite/”influencer”, I very likely use my phone very differently from someone whose lifestyle doesn’t rely so heavily on their mobile device.

But for an entry-level phone for those looking for the features from the flagship phones of larger companies without the need for the fastest, most powerful—or most expensive phones on the market, the Alcatel Idol 2 S performs pretty well if you’re in search of an Android device that works.

My Galaxy S III grew pretty lonely in my trial period with the Idol 2 S, loving a device unburdened by the years of history, data, and sheer abuse that my poor S III endured.

To give you an idea of how I get the most from my phones, I used the Idol 2 S to:

• Keep on top of my clan NoTimeForThat! in Clash of Clans, putting the time in to make my village as powerful as possible;
• Taking lots of photos and videos for my Instagram and the blog, making sure to give them a little Snapseed love where possible, since I’m looking for new ways to tell my stories;
• Showing the Candy Crush Soda Saga what up (currently at level 242), largely because the Candy Crush Saga’s level 751 is way too hard
• Letting the world know I’m alive and well through social media, focusing on my Facebook and Twitter accounts (though Instagram quite often finds itself in the mix)
• Broadcasting data to my other devices, because let’s face it—phones are good and all, but I’m not about to type my ridiculously lengthy blog posts with my thumbs

And all this is on an average day.

So yes—if I’m gonna use a device that pretty much never leaves my side, it’s gotta keep up with my frenetic lifestyle… I’m up at all hours putting in work; my phone should be too.

The Alcatel OneTouch Pop 7, or, A Good Place to Start When Someone’s Thinking About GETTING a Tablet, but Still Haven’t Figured Out What They’d DO With One

Sadly, the Alcatel OneTouch Pop 7 just wasn’t for me. It was nice enough—with the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, it played well enough with everything else that Google’s connected me to, but as someone used to retina screens and shooting in 1080p, its IPS 1280 x 800 screen just wasn’t cutting it.

But I’m not everyone—my wife loves it, using it as an e-reader to replace an old Kindle she has kicking around that didn’t even allow her to read ebooks from the library! She’s found it light, convenient and easy to use—all good things if you want to take it with you wherever you go!

My take on the Pop 7 is this—if you’ve never owned a tablet before, it’s a great place to start! You get access to more than a million Android apps through the Google Play Store; it’s quite responsive, so you shouldn’t have to stress about lag; and the Quick Start Guide makes getting used to it so easy, a baby could do it*!

*Claim not tested on actual babies. 

Really, I’m sure it’d meet most people’s needs—I just need something that’s part viewing screen, part writing device and part drawing tablet—for my specific needs, the Pop 7 doesn’t quite make the cut.

Why Alcatel?

They may not be designed to blow your mind, but these devices can get the job done.

That said, maybe I’m not the target demographic for Alcatel—my parents, for example, use our hand-me-down phones, finding features my brothers and I find passé and outdated as cool and interesting since the phones they had before were even more basic.

But the younger you get, the more competitive the tech—there’s little chance I could hand this to a teenager as their primary phone, as they’d likely want something with a ubiquitous fruit on the back to fit in with the cool kids.

I’m now on the other side of the fence—when I was young, and my parents would tell me something was a “perfectly good {fill in the blank}”, I too rejected their helpful advances to get the flashiest thing I could, regardless of whether it was what I actually needed.

Now, just because I had mixed experiences with the Idol 2 S and the Pop 7 doesn’t mean you will—maybe they’re just the devices you need in your life… you just need to give them a chance.

So while Alcatel didn’t prove itself the ideal solution for my needs, I definitely enjoyed having a speedy little companion to help run my #BloggerLife while it lasted. If you’re looking for $0 down devices that go well with your new phone plan, consider Alcatel OneTouch as a possible option—in the end, the Idol 2 S is still with me wherever I go, faithfully helping me zoom through the Candy Crush Soda Saga on those sardine can subway commutes home.

Remember—a tool is but a tool… it’s how we use it that really matters!

Adios amigos,

Disclaimer: While Bell and TELUS provided Alcatel OneTouch devices and some free air time to test them out, opinions in this blog are very much my own. I recognize that everyone’s looking for something different from their tech, and hope that this post helped if you’re looking for something that won’t break the bank.

You can find out more about everyone involved in the making of this post at the following:

• Bell—Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
• TELUS—Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
• Alcatel OneTouch—Website | Twitter
• Casey Palmer — Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Also, if you’re looking for others’ views on the Alcatel OneTouch line, I encourage you to check out this post from My Bits and Bleeps!