A recent update for the Alcatel Idol 3 — one of our favorite budget-friendly Android phones of 2015 — came in to address some minor issues like double-tap to unlock sensitivity, and general performance. Like many minor (this one was only 46MB in size) updates, it also told us to expect "refinements to camera performance." I'm usually pretty skeptical when it comes to mystery updates that claim to make the camera better. But this time, I was pleased to be wrong. The update really does make the Idol 3 camera better.

The Idol 3's camera isn't as good as some of the top of the line phones that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars more camera's are. It was always "good" but not really great. If you snapped a picture with the goal of sharing it on Facebook or Google+, it was perfectly fine. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines It's still not as good as what you'll find in the Galaxy S6 or the LG G4, but the update has made a pretty dramatic difference.