Alcatel Idol 4S full specifications and included VR apps revealed

The Alcatel Idol 4S coming to T-Mobile (US) on November 10 is quickly garnering interest as more information leaks out. Besides the street date and price for the phone we can also now share the pre-installed VR apps and full specs.

Like the Android Idol 4S, the Windows 10 Mobile variant has a focus on VR. Alcatel makes the shipping box for the Idol 4S double as the VR headset, which is a great twofer. (You can watch the unboxing of the Android version below to get an idea of what to expect).

What's interesting though is the fact that up until now Windows 10 Mobile has never had much of a VR game, but that is evidently starting to change. Here is what is pre-installed related to VR on the Idol 4S:

  • VR 360Gallery
  • VR 360Video
  • VR Gallery
  • VR Launcher
  • VR Store
  • VR Video

It makes sense that Alcatel would have a few VR apps on hand to demonstrate the power of the feature, so while not surprising it's still nice to see.

Combined with the recent VR push by Microsoft last week and the announcement of new VR gear, we should begin to see more UWP-based VR apps in the coming weeks and months.

Also, we received a more detailed specifications sheet, which we'll use to update what was already known:

Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10 Mobile

Swipe to scroll horizontally
CategoryFeatures
CPUSnapdragon 820 | Quad Core CPU @2.15 GHz
Display5.5-inch FHD AMOLEDDragontrail 2.5D Glass180-degree viewing
Memory64GB ROM4GB RAMmicroSD
Camera21 MP Rear8 MP FFDedicated camera button
Video4K @ 30FPS1080P @ 60 FPS
Battery3,000 mAhQuick Charge 2.0420Hrs Standby15Hrs Talk
ContinuumYes
VRYes
Windows HelloYes (Fingerprint)
AudioDual speakers with Hi-Fi surround sound
Dimensions153.9 x 75.4 x 6.99 mm
Data4G LTET-Mobile Extended Range LTE
3G/4G BandI, II, IV, V
LTE Bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 20
HD VoiceYes
VoLTEYes
Wi-Fi802.11 a/b/g/n/acWi-Fi Calling 1.0
BluetoothBT 4.1A2DP, OPP, HFP, AVRCP, PBAP

Of note is the inclusion of HD Voice, VoLTE, and Wi-Fi calling, which are must-haves for many T-Mobile customers. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be support for T-Mobile Video Calling.

It's also great to see 60 FPS video recording at 1080P, which is something the Elite x3 cannot yet do.

The only serious feature that the Idol 4S is missing would be Qi wireless charging, but the inclusion of Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 will go a long way to ameliorate that deficiency.

The T-Mobile Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10 Mobile comes out Thursday, November 10 with a full-retail price of $469.99. It is not yet known if the phone will be sold non-carrier branded or in other parts of the world.

Neither Alcatel nor T-Mobile have announced this phone yet, so information could change.

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.