Alcatel Onetouch Scribe Easy Review

I've been using the Alcatel Onetouch Scribe for a week now. Alcatel's marketing arm sent this to me for review and I must say that this phone reminds me of the Samsung Galaxy Note very much. Although it might not be as responsive as the latter, it looks and feel like one with the metallic frame around it. The back part is semi-rubbery which looks better than the plastic back casing of Samsung. But, looking at the long term, the back rubbery part is more prone to scratches compared to the plastic backings.

Alcatel Onetouch Scribe Easy box (Right)

It weighs 162 grams at 143 x 78.4 x 9.8mm (dimensions), this is not an ordinary sized smart phone. Sporting a 5″ WVGA TFT display @ 480×800 pixels, 187ppi, the display is just so-so and not stunning so do not expect HD quality because for the price of P8,990, you'll get a dual-sim Alcatel branded Android Jellybean phone. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Alcatel OneTouch Scribe Easy specifications:
Android 4.1.2 Jellybean (out of the box)
5″ WVGA TFT display @ 480×800 pixels (187ppi)
Qualcomm MSM8225 Snapdragon
1.2GHz dual-core CPU
RAM: 512MB
Internal memory: 4GB
Expandable memory: Up to 32gb, microSD
WiFi: 802.11b/g/n
GPS: 4.0 w/ A-GPS support
Rear camera: 5MP camera w/ LED flash
Video recording: 720p @24fps
Front camera: VGA
Battery: 2,500 mAh
Dimensions: 143 x 78.4 x 9.8mm
Weight: 162g

SRP: P8,990.00

Camera Quality
I took some shots so you know what you should expect when you get this phone. These are all unedited and actual photos. Mostly taken inside Spiral at Sofitel Manila using the Alcatel Onetouch Scribe's 5MP camera.

Taken inside a well-lighted room

Taken @ Spiral Manila, this area is not that well-lighted.

Taken @ Spiral Manila

Doesn't quite handle pixelations well.

Reflections are kind of blurred

Ambiance not captured well

Camera handled details great

Video Recording
Check out the video recording using Alcatel OneTouch Scribe's video camera that can take 720p @24fps. (3gp format)
Benchmark Test Results
AnTuTu - 5,876
NenaMark 2 - 29.2fps
Quadrant Standard - 2,947

Actual Usage
In my one week of testing, I had a good experience using this phone. Typing on this unit is excellent! I tried to type as quick as I can and there were no mistypes. A sample of a phone that I usually have mistypes are the phones that have 3.5" screens like the Samsung Galaxy Pocket. The Galaxy Pocket has 75% chances of having a mistype for me. Another comparison is my iPhone 5 in which I have 20% chance of mistypes.

Response rate is slow. It lags in between pages and has delayed reaction sometimes. The ram is also not enough at 512mb because I get the warning "Unfortunately, 'program' has stopped". In my one week of usage, it happened to me around 6 times and that is considered a lot already.

I tried to stream music via the built-in "One Touch Radio" app. Connected it to the WiFi with battery at around 80%, I used it continuously from 1:30pm to 5:30pm and battery left was still around 30%. Not power hungry if I may say so. By the way, the 2,500mAh battery is built-in.

Actual photos of the unit: Alcatel OneTouch Scribe Easy

The Alcatel Onetouch Scribe Easy (Front)

Back part of the phone

Right side of the phone. Volume rocker and Sim 1 slot (2G/3G)

Sim slot swung open

Left side of the phone. Sim slot #2, Micro SD card slot and Micro-USB charging slot.

Sim slot #2 swung open

Top part. 3.5mm earphone jack slot and standby/power button.

Bottom part: Speaker holes just on the lower left portion of the back case.

Conclusion
Given the facts mentioned above, I still consider this one of the best 5-inchers at the 8-9,000 price point. The specs are just right and if you think that you cannot handle the flaws mentioned above, get ready to shell out more money to get what you want. The biggest failure for me was the camera. Given that this unit is a dual-sim, I actually initially considered selling my Apple iPad 1 in exchange of one of these units so I can have it as my back-up phone. Unfortunately, the camera is a huge downer for me. Here's a summary of the +'s and -'s.

(+)
Good battery life
SMS / Typing very responsive and accurate
Phone call clarity is normal. No distortions.
Dual active sim
5" screen
Charging using the usual micro-USB (B)

(-)
Programs keep on crashing
Camera poor for a 5MP camera
Video recording quality also not that good
Built-in battery
Had an issue using a 3rd party micro-USB charger

Do I recommend it?
Well, if you are looking for a dual-sim Android phone that has a large screen, this is your best bet so far as this one has a good battery life as well. If you need this for games and other memory intensive apps, stay away from this phone. This phone is more or less good for light apps like music streaming, video streaming and calls/SMS.

Cheftonio
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