Alcatel Idol 3 (5.5) and Idol 3 (4.7) review: Two phones, one soul

The Alcatel Idol 3 name is shared between two smartphones that couldn't be any different. Announced during MWC 2015, one is a 5.5-inch behemoth, while the other is a more than pocketable 4.7-inch device. And as luck would have it, we got to review both concurrently, but in different spots in the world.

Both devices should be available worldwide, but Alcatel will be using the Alcatel Idol 3 to start a proper offensive on the US market. The Alcatel Idol 3 (5.5) is the company's boldest entry there to date, aiming to bring style, a rich feature set and value in the upper mid-range segment. It comes with 1080p screen resolution and a Snapdragon 615 chipset. So we got to review this one on US soil.
The other one, the The Alcatel Idol (4.7) is the more affordable of the two and it's no surprise it comes with lesser hardware. It's got the same camera as its bigger sibling, but it has a 720p only resolution screen and a Snapdragon 410 chipset. It's the mini in the duo and it's aiming at the lower midrange spectrum of the market. We got to review one in our European HQ.
A quick glance at the long list of features of both phones shows Alcatel means business with its latest products. With IPS screens, dual speakers, 13MP Sony IMX214 main cameras, and lightly customized Android 5.0.2 Lollipop and sleek exteriors they certainly leave the right impression. Both come with the industry first fully reversible design meaning you can talk on either of them holding it with either way up. Not only the UI, but also the active speaker and mic combo will happily rotate to accommodate your preference even mid-call.