Alcatel may not be one of the big Android heavy hitters in the US like Samsung or Nexus, but around the globe they've been building a reputation for affordable, quality smartphones. The company's Idol 3 turned out to be a hit last year in the budget category, and now Alcatel is at MWC 2016 to officially announce not one, but two follow-ups: the Idol 4 and Idol 4S.
Alcatel may be particularly pleased with its Idol 4S smartphone at MWC 2016 this week, with packaging that doubles as a VR headset, but it also brought along a convertible Windows 10 tablet. The Alcatel PLUS 10 is a combination tablet and laptop, the company's first 2-in-1 to run Microsoft's latest OS, and one of a rare breed of such models with integrated 4G.
Just as the been pre-announced last month, a new kind of Alcatel smartphone has arrived on T-Mobile's shelves. While the carrier already has the OneTouch Fierce XL in its list, that one ran Android as expected. This new version, however, runs on Windows 10 Mobile, making it the first smartphone on T-Mobile's portfolio running that particular operating system. But as if to balance the forces and keep peace during Valentine's Day, T-Mobile has also launched one of LG's most recent budget-friendly, photography-oriented Android smartphones, the LG K7.
MWC 2016 is fast approaching, so naturally OEMs are trying to get in the last pieces of their wares. Or trying hard not to let the public see yet. Of course, with all the leaks and tips going on, that's nigh impossible to accomplish. Even Alcatel isn't exempt from that malady. In fact, it may have just been hit hard the most, with its entire lineup having practically been revealed. That said, it does bear one new interesting tidbit, that Alcatel's new OneTouch Idol 4S will come in a plastic box that will double as a VR headset.
Alcatel has a new Android smartphone heading to MetroPCS and T-Mobile, and it’s called the OneTouch Fierce XL. This is an LTE smartphone with a sizable 5.5-inch 720p HD display. The phone has modest but notable specs, and a better price tag to match them at $139 USD off contract. The phone will be available first at MetroPCS stores (November 2), then at T-Mobile sometime later on this winter, specific date not provided.
As reported earlier, Alcatel has a bunch of new devices ready for us at IFA 2015 and now it's sharing the details about those. Well, as least some of the details. The manufacturer isn't still spilling all the beans but is teasing just enough to keep things interesting. The 5-inch POP STAR, for example, boasts of a wide array of covers to choose from while the POP UP shows some muscle with its octa-core processor. And Alcatel's new GO line comes with a smartphone and a smartwatch for more active users.
Alcatel has really been surprising us this year, first with a surprisingly good smartphone in April, now with a full set of devices here at IFA 2015. Check our full Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 Review to see what I mean about "surprisingly good", then check the details on all of Alcatel's new devices here. Everything from a stand-up tablet-like device with a circle on its back to a set of smartphones that have wildly customizable looks.
Alcatel has announced that it will launch its new Alcatel IDOL 3 4.7 Android smartphone in the United States and Canada on Friday. The phone, despite having a budget price, has fairly decent specs, including Android 5.0.2 Lollipop and dual front-facing speakers coupled with JBL Audio. In addition, the phone sports a classy design befitting of a higher end smartphone, eschewing the common plastic and cheap appearance of many handsets that fall in the sub-$200 range.
The software-agnostic Alcatel OneTouch Watch has launched a new color this week - bringing white to the table where before there was black. This is the color we saw the watch in earlier this year, while the Black option was released to pre-orders just a few weeks ago. This smartwatch is different from the rest. It doesn't run Android Wear, it's not running Tizen - and it's certainly not an Apple Watch. This is a unique offering from Alcatel, and it's prepared to connect with your Android or iOS smartphone right out of the box.
It hasn't even seen the light of day and it no longer will. Alcatel and Cyanogen, Inc. have jointly announced that they are canceling their previously announced plans for a ONETOUCH Hero 2+ remix. Based on last year's Hero 2, this particular smartphone would have been Cyanogen's first device from a well known international brand. Of course, the two will still collaborate on a new Alcatel device bearing Cyanogen OS, but this incident perhaps demonstrate Cyanogen's overeagerness to spread its software, counting their eggs before they even hatched.
Budget smartphones are a dime a dozen. When faced with a horde of competitors, differentiation could be a matter of life or death for a product line. Although Alcatel has brought its affordable ONETOUCH brand to the US before, it is now trying to reach for the starts with the new POP Astro. While still staying true to the promise of extremely affordable handsets with more or less acceptable hardware specs, the ONETOUCH POP Astro promises something that not every smartphone of its kind don't have: LTE connectivity.
The device you're seeing here is not what it seems. While you might have never owned an Alcatel smartphone before - and you might never have even seen one in the wild - they've been around for a while. Here, with the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, the company has created a device that aims to take out the top tier with a surprisingly lower-tier bit of cost. While this smartphone does not break the bank, it certainly brings some heat to the feet of its far more expensive competitors.