Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus vs Lenovo A7000: battle of the PHP7000 smartphones

When we first did a review of the Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus we received a lot of feedback comparing the device to the Lenovo A7000. So we reached out to our friends at Lenovo and did a separate review of the Lenovo A7000.

These two devices bear striking similarities – both of them come with dual-SIM support, a 5.5 inch screen, an octa-core CPU, and a 7000 peso pricetag. Upon closer inspection we discovered that each has its own unique set of strengths that make it more appealing over the other.

READ: Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus Android smartphone review (video)

READ: Lenovo A7000 Android smartphone review (video)

Let’s do a quick run-down.

Build quality

The Lenovo A7000 and the Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus both support dual-SIM operation. However, the ONETOUCH Flash Plus supports 4G dual-standby operation, and with good reason – it does not have a removable back cover, and switching SIM cards requires a special tool.

With dual standby, you just need to go to your Android System Settings to switch 4G from one SIM card to another.

The unibody design of the Flash Plus means you cannot easily replace the battery, unlike on the A7000. However, this gives the Flash Plus a more solid overall feel, and the shiny plastic finish gives it a more premium feel compared to the low-key black finish on the A7000.

In addition, the screen on the Flash Plus is protected by scratch-resistant Dragontrail glass, so we have a clear winner here.

Winner: Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus

Performance

Both devices are supposed to be powered by a 64-bit octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU running at 1.5 GHz, although our Alcatel ONETOUCH Flsh Plus unit only showed 7 cores with 8 CPUs.

Not surprisingly, the A7000 left the Flash Plus’ behind in performance benchmarks. For example, we were consistently hitting 52k+ in AnTuTu 64-bit on the Lenovo A7000 while the Flash Plus struggles between 48-49k.

When we did 3D tests using Epic Citadel we consistently got 54+ FPS on the A7000 while the Flash Plus only managed 50 FPS.

Finally, the Flash Plus is only running on Android 4.4.4 Kitkat, while the A7000 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Winner: Lenovo A7000

Camera

On paper, the Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus comes with a 13 MP rear-facing camera and an 8 MP front-facing camera, which trumps the Lenovo A7000, which only packs an 8 MP rear-facing camera and a 5 MP front-facing camera.

On the other hand, the Lenovo A7000 comes with dual-LED flash which should come in handy for lowlight situations.

In side-by-side photography tests we saw less blur and more detail on the Flash Plus compared to the A7000.

Winner: Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus

Audio

The Lenovo A7000 comes with a Dolby Atmos surround sound processor that you can turn on and off using a button located in the top drawer. In our experience it makes the sound crisper and more vibrant – i.e. “in your face”.

The difference is very noticeable when using the built-in speakers or a headset.

Winner: Lenovo A7000

Memory and internal storage

Although both devices come with 2 GB RAM, the Flash Plus comes packed with 16 GB of internal storage, double that of the A7000 with only 8 GB.

Winner: Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus

Battery

Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus comes with a non-removable 3500 mAh battery, which, in our experience, lasts us over a day. This translates to at least 20% more battery life compared to the 2900 mAh removable battery of the Lenovo A7000.

Conclusion

When Lazada first did a flash sale of the Alcatel ONETOUCH Flash Plus for only PHP 6,490 it sold out within 5 minutes, and for good reason. Along with the Lenovo A7000 both smartphones are great value Android devices that can outperform last year’s flagship models.

The Lenovo A7000 retails on Lazada at a slightly higher price of PHP 7,499 but it comes bundled with a power bank , back cover, and a screen protector.

We hope we were able to help you decide between these two great devices. Here’s a table that summarizes the differences between these two devices.