We go hands on with the Flash 2: An improvement over the original?
Today Alcatel has officially unveiled the Flash 2, the latest entry in the company’s Flash lineup, and successor to their widely popular Flash. It’s obvious that the Chinese manufacturer understands the appeal of the original, as they’ve managed to retain many of the features that endeared the Flash Plus/Flash to techies while improving greatly on issues that we found on the previous iteration.
Alcatel OneTouch Flash 2 Spec Sheet
- 1.3GHz Mediatek MT6753 octa-core processor
- 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage (expandable)
- 5.0-inches IPS HD LCD, 1280 × 720 pixels
- 13.0-megapixels primary camera with Auto Focus, Dual LED and Dual Tone Flash
- 5.0-megapixels secondary camera with LED Flash
- 3G, HSPA+, LTE, Dual-SIM, dual LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, aGPS
- 3,000mAh Li-Ion battery
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- SRP: Php6,190
Intitial impressions: Feels more premium than the Flash Plus
One of our biggest issues with the original phone was it’s overall construction. While it was sturdy and had good build quality, it never felt as solid and as premium as other bang for the buck phones it went against. The Flash 2 on the other hand, features a more robust build, and certainly is a huge leap from the Flash Plus.
Another big issue with the Flash Plus was the LeWA UI overlay. Alcatel recognizes that Western audiences aren’t too keen on their own take on Android, and had completely stripped that UI from the phone. Yes, you’re left with stock Android Lollipop on the Flash 2.
Alcatel has overhauled the camera of the Flash 2, as it was easily the weakest link in the previous iteration. The front selfie cam for instance, has a bigger sensor compared to other cameras, which also allows in more light, resulting in a brother photo. The rear camera uses Samsung’s ISOCELL sensor, along with phase detection autofocus and a dual LED real tone flash. The Flash 2 also has a dedicated shutter button on the side.
The internals of the Flash hahasn’t changed too much from the previous iteration – 2GB of RAM, 64-bit octa-core SoC, 5-inch HD display and 3,000mAh Battery. The flash 2 isn’t what you’d call a big leap, as Alcatel has ddowngraded the speedand the battery of the phone compared to the previous iteration, though most people aren’t going to mind when the tradeoff is a cheaper price.
Alcatel certainly showed us today that they’re willing to listen to their fans to provide a better smartphone. We’re also very happy to report that the Flash 2 will arrive in the PH first ahead of all other ASEAN countries, launching on September 30 on Lazada, with an affordable price tag of Php6,190.