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Alcatel's new budget smartwatch is designed for grownups
A few years back, Alcatel surprised plenty of people by announcing its own smartwatch, the originally-named, uh, Watch. Now, the company has arrived at IFA 2016 with the follow up, that takes much of the same technology but puts it in far nicer clothes. The MoveTime WiFi uses the same basic operating system as the Watch, and has the same optical heart rate monitor, but gains a WiFi radio for better connectivity. The big selling point is the more mature case, and the new device looks a lot more mature, even if some of the original device's uniqueness has been lost in the process.
PayPal's simple One Touch payments reach the web
PayPal helped fast-track your online shopping when it rolled out One Touch payments on phones last year, and today it's bringing that simpler system to the web. As with mobile apps, you shouldn't have to sign in more than once to use your PayPal balance for purchases on any device with a browser -- it'll remember your details, so you only need to acknowledge that you're draining your account. You should see One Touch today at numerous web-based shops that already take PayPal, and it should reach other countries in the months ahead. [Image credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]
Alcatel OneTouch Watch review: No beginner's luck here
The Alcatel OneTouch name doesn't exactly conjure up images of premium, fashion-forward devices, but that hasn't stopped the company from dreaming big with its first smartwatch. To add steam to the Alcatel OneTouch Watch hype train, the company's design brass went as far as telling our own Richard Lai that the company's gunning to be the Zara of the wearable world. Not a style guru? Essentially, Alcatel's been trying to cook up a fashion-forward smartwatch without a price tag that'll make your wallet groan. At $150, I'd argue the end result fulfilled the latter half of that equation more than the former, but the bigger question is whether Alcatel's first attempt at a wearable (running its own homebrew software, no less) is actually worth a damn. Well, after having spent a full week with the Watch lashed to my wrist, I'm unconvinced.
Pre-orders for a 'reversible' Android phone open April 21st (updated)
Wondering when you could get your hands on the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3? You know, the Android smartphone that can take calls upside down? Well, it shouldn't be too much longer. Pre-orders start April 21st with a $249 asking price for the 5.5-inch version (pictured above, left). As Android Central notes, that's a $30 break if you lay money down now as opposed to later on down the road. The official launch date is still rather ambiguous, but a press release over on 9to5Google says that the unlocked Lollipop devices start shipping sometime in May. Update: Slight change of plan: Alcatel OneTouch is now doing a "limited time early pre-sale" ahead of the original April 21st pre-order launch. Better yet, the phone will cost just $199.99 during this period, which translates to a $50 discount.
PayPal's One Touch wants to power your in-app mobile purchases
It's a pretty common thing to see in an online store: pay with PayPal -- but what about on mobile devices? Well, the eBay-owned company is working on that. The company just announced PayPal One Touch, a new system that (as the name implies) hopes to make paying of items in mobile apps a one-touch affair. The feature isn't an app itself, but rather a service that can be embedded in other apps. Users will log into their PayPal account one time, and subsequently be able to pay for products in supported apps with a single click.
Alcatel OneTouch Idol Alpha gets a champagne gold option, headed to Europe this quarter
You may recall that back at IFA, Alcatel surprised us with a prototype of its shiny OneTouch Idol Alpha. This time at CES, the company brought along a champagne gold version to tease its European launch this quarter. Like before, both the top and bottom transparent parts are lined up with LEDs, with the top ones acting as notification, and the bottom ones shining a light on the three Android soft keys. It's rather pretty when you see it up close. Spec-wise, the 3D aluminum frame envelopes a 4.7-inch 720p IPS display with Dragontrail Glass, a 1.2GHz quad-core SoC with 1GB RAM, 16GB of built-in storage and a 2,000mAh battery. There's no info on pricing just yet, but given Alcatel's target market, we have a good feeling about this one, and we'll let you know once we hear more.
Alcatel to bring world's fastest octa-core phone to Europe in February
TCL's already jumped the gun by launching its Idol X+ in China last month, but the same flagship device will be heading to Europe this February under the Alcatel brand. For those who missed the news the first time round, this dual-micro-SIM, 7.9mm-thick Android phone packs MediaTek's 2GHz MT6592, which is currently the world's fastest true octa-core chipset. You'll find the usual top-spec components around the Idol X+ as well, including a 5-inch 1080p IPS display, a 13-megapixel main camera (which supports 40-megapixel panorama and digital stabilization for video capture), a 2-megapixel front-facing imager, a 2,500mAh battery and dedicated audio amplifier chips by ESS. Internal storage starts from 16GB (with 12.3GB available to the user), along with microSD expansion of up to 32GB. The phone also comes with a pair of JBL earbuds, but there's no word on whether the China versions' Bluetooth activity tracker will be included as well -- at least it won't be called Boom Band, as it will apparently be a more refined version when it goes global. We were left rather impressed by the Idol X+'s design and build quality. The solid plastic bezel features a brushed-metallic effect, accompanied by a spin finish (achieved by in-mould labelling) on the back of the phone. Like the screen, the backside will also have a nano-coating treatment to minimize fingerprint smudges. Shoppers will be given a color option of either black or white when this 3G phone lands in Europe sometime in February, and it'll likely be sold for around the attractive $300 price point unsubsidized. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
Alcatel's 4-inch Bluetooth e-reader will offer a more portable reading experience
Alcatel doesn't just show up to trade shows with phones, it also likes to come with a handful of clever accessories (regardless of whether they're final products or just prototypes) as well. At this year's CES, the TCL-owned manufacturer showed off a 4-inch e-reader called the Magic Flip, which connects to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. It's incredibly small, thin and light, and is meant to be a companion to your daily driver -- as long as it's made by Alcatel, that is. The Magic Flip is exactly what you'd expect it to be: a pocket-friendly e-book reader capable of receiving notifications from your phone. The E Ink reader, company reps tell us, is supposed accept every standard e-book format, which theoretically should make it pretty easy to transfer books back and forth. In terms of hardware, it offers three capacitive buttons underneath the display, consisting of backwards, forwards and home buttons. Since the demo unit we played with did not feature final firmware and was prone to quite a few bugs, we weren't able to navigate the user interface outside a basic demo page. Still, the Magic Flip makes its way to the market in the next few months, and even though it will likely appeal to only a small number of people, we appreciate a smartphone maker that's at least thinking outside the box and taking risks.
Alcatel's 7-inch OneTouch Pop tablets are colorful, and subject to leaks
Way back in January this year, Alcatel trotted out some new tablets set for debut in Q3. Some we saw come to light in August. But, what's this we have here? Perpetual thorn in every product release's side -- @evleaks -- has just thrown up images of what are apparently new colorful 7-inch tabs from Alcatel. The difference here, to what we saw earlier, seems to be that they are part of the OneTouch Pop family, much like those recent budget handsets we saw -- which incidentally should start popping up in stores soon. As well as the hues you see above, we hear the covers are removable, and it will come in black, too. Plus there's word of a translucent flip-cover to keep it clean. Whenever it gets official that is.
Alcatel intros four One Touch Pop C-series smartphones, keeps them cheap
Not everyone needs a giant, higher-end smartphone like the One Touch Hero -- many can get by with just the basics. For those users, Alcatel has unveiled four One Touch Pop models with smaller screens and entry-level performance. The Android 4.2-based range begins with the Pop C1, a starter phone with a 3.5-inch screen, a dual-core 1GHz processor and sprightly color options like neon green and pink. Need more? The Pop C3 jumps to a 4-inch screen and a dual-core 1.3GHz chip; the Pop C5 steps up to a 4.5-inch screen, and the Pop C7 carries both a 5-inch display as well as a quad-core 1.3GHz processor. If you're interested, you can pick up the C1 or C3 as soon as October. The C5 ships in November, while the C7 arrives sometime during the last quarter of the year.
Alcatel quietly reveals One Touch Idol S, Idol Mini and Evo 8 HD tablet
Unlike babies that wail when they're born, the three new members of Alcatel's One Touch family have silently slipped into the company's website. The two handsets, the Idol S and the Idol Mini, follow the original trio revealed at CES this year, sharing similar elements despite the difference in size. Both run Android 4.2, can read microSD cards up to 32GB in capacity and support quad-band GSM, as well as some UMTS (3G) bands, depending on the model. Idol S, the larger of the two weighs 110 grams, has a 4.7-inch 1,280 x 720-pixel screen and DC-HSPA data connectivity. It's powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, has 4GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel rear / 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. On the other hand, the Idol Mini has a smaller 4.3-inch 854 x 480-pixel display, weighs 96 grams and comes with HSPA+. It's equipped with up to 8GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM and a 5-megapixel rear / VGA front camera.
Alcatel's One Touch Idol now available in the US for $300 unlocked (update: correction)
Alcatel announced today that its One Touch Idol smartphone is now available for the US market, but without a carrier. Weighing in at only 110 grams, the supposed "world's lightest" handset will be sold unlocked for $300 via the company's website. Meant as an entry-level device, the specs betray its low-end status: you get a 4.7-inch qHD (960 x 540) IPS display, 512MB 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2GHz 1GHz dual-core CPU with Android 4.1 in tow. Still, its quad-band GSM and 900 / 2100 MHz HSPA bands mean it'll work with either AT&T or T-Mobile, which should be good news to those who want carrier flexibility. If that sounds like a bargain to you, head on over to the source below to snag one for yourself. Update: Specs of the One Touch Idol have changed since our initial hands-on. It actually has a 1GHz dual-core processor instead of 1.2GHz and 1GB of RAM instead of 512MB.
Alcatel's MWC wares: hands-on with One Touch Snap and Scribe Easy
Alongside the other Alcatel notables at this year's Mobile World Congress were the One Touch Scribe Easy and the Snap. The One Touch Scribe Easy is a 5-inch WVGA display, 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, 5-megapixel shooter, a large 2500 mAh battery to power the whole thing and a clever magnetic cover called the MagicFlip. Connectivity options include quad-band GSM and HSPA+ in either 900 / 2100 or 850 / 1900 / 2100MHz. Attached to the MagicFlip is a small stylus that Alcatel demoed to us using Vision Object's very impressive Myscript Calculator. Scribble down a formula and the app converts your scribbles to numbers and fills in the blanks where your equal sign ends up. While the Scribe Easy's display isn't comparable to its twin the Scribe Easy HD, it's more than reasonable for what we'd expect is going to be an inexpensive handset when it launches in March this year. Moving on is the One Touch Snap with a 4.5-inch QHD display, 8-megapixel camera, 4Mbps HSPA+ and quad-band GSM. Housing quality was very good here and at just 9mm thin it fits well in the pocket. The Snap will ship in silver, white, or cloudy white colors. Again, we don't have pricing or a firm release date but as Alcatel explained the price really can shift depending on market. Have a look at the gallery of these two just below.
Alcatel One Touch Star hands-on
Alongside Alcatel's other launches today at Mobile World Congress the One Touch Star is another example of an affordable handset that still manages to maintain good looks with excellent fit an finish. Featuring a 4-inch WVGA AMOLED display, 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, quad-band GSM and 900 / 2100 UMTS, all powered by a 1GHz dual-core CPU. The handset is a little on the heavy side, but not in an awful way, more like a quality sort of feeling, reminiscent of iPhone's weight. Clever touches such as the corner tab being recessed a little more to get at the 1500mAh battery and SIM slots -- or dual-SIM slots when optioned with that -- is also a clever touch and just generally adds to the device's appeal. Of course the One Touch Star will be a budget phone but it is also a brilliant example of how lower pricing and excellent quality can coexist. Well done Alcatel, well done. No word on pricing but it is expected to begin shipping sometime in March 2013. A Gallery showing off the cranberry variety is just below the break.
Alcatel Idol X hands-on (video)
Alcatel converted its One Touch Idol line from a duo to a trio with today's launch of yet another set at Mobile World Congress: the Idol X. While not quite as thin as its 6.45mm-thin Idol Ultra sibling, at 7mm thick with a tiny 2.4mm bezel, it is definitely about as small as a 5-inch set can get. The Idol X's giant 1080p IPS display is fantastic to look at and Jelly Bean is snappy driven by a quad-core MediaTek MT6589 1.2GHz CPU. Like many of Alcatel's other sets, the range of configurations varies by market as we'll see both 13- and 8-megapixel variants -- both with 1080p front-facing cameras -- and dual- or single-SIM options, with the single variety getting a bonus microSD slot. While the Idol X is not equipped with LTE it does have 42 Mbps HSPA+ connectivity, quad-band GSM and offers dual-band UMTS in both 900MHz/2100MHz or 850MHz/2100MHz frequencies. Alcatel's all about mass market; it isn't chasing the likes of Apple or Samsung, but rather is quite happy to simply make "devices for people." So while 2012 marked its first foray into smartphones, judging by what we've seen so far in 2013 from them it seems they've nailed affordability while maintaining a surprising amount of quality -- a great combination. Pricing and availability remain a mystery, but until we find out more, go ahead and join Myriam after the break for a quick video tour.
Alcatel outs two high-spec One Touch phones: the 5-inch 1080p Scribe X and Scribe HD-LTE
Rather like CES itself, Alcatel is only just getting started. In addition to the 5-inch 720p Scribe HD that was just announced, there's also going to be a Scribe X version of that handset with a top-end 1080p panel, a slightly faster 1.4GHz quad-core processor and a higher-res 12-megapixel rear camera. Separately, there'll also be an LTE version of the Scribe HD, which we gather will have much the same specs except for the faster modem. So, the crucial upgrade options are there, just not at the same time.
Alcatel announces One Touch Evo 7 ICS tablet in Europe, doesn't say when it's coming
Just as we had talked about Alcatel not necessarily being known for its hardware offerings, the company's now announcing its first "modular" tablet, the One Touch Evo 7. As the moniker adequately implies, the Ice Cream Sandwich slate boasts a 7-inch display (mum's the word on the resolution), which is paired alongside an unnamed processor that's clocked in at 1GHz, 1GB of RAM and a microSD slot is available to take care of up to 32GB of storage needs. While the One Touch Evo 7 is set come out of the box with WiFi capabilities only, Alcatel says a 3G option will be available as a separate bundle via a "removable 3G module." -- a fitting fact given some of the slate's additional characteristics, such as detachable colorful frames. Unfortunately, Alcatel made no mention of when it plans to release its One Touch device, but we'll let you interested Euro folk know as soon as those details come out.
Alcatel intros One Touch T10 tablet with 7-inch display and Ice Cream Sandwich
Even though Alcatel does have devices out in the market like that Venture or OT986, the company still isn't exactly known for its hardware offerings. With the 7-inch (800 x 480) One Touch T10, Alcatel's entering the overcrowded Android tablet space, and doing so without much flare -- especially when compared side-by-side with, say, Google's flagship, the Nexus 7. Something also tells us the One Touch T10 might just be one of those reincarnated slates, but that's not to say some won't appreciate the inclusion of Ice Cream Sandwich alongside a 1GHz, single-core Rockchip CPU, 1GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage (expandable up to 32GB via microSD). Details on pricing and availability are still a tad bit scarce, though word on the web is it'll be priced at €130 (around $170) once it's up for grabs in the US and Europe.
Orange hopes to drive smartphone sales with three Facebook phones, two seem kinda dumb
Orange is unhappy. The company cites that of its new phone sales, nearly half are feature phones. While the statistic isn't exactly a shocker, the French telecom believes it can do better. In an effort to drive the adoption of smartphones, Orange has chosen to jump on the Facebook bandwagon with three new options that offer immediate access to the iconic social network. Perhaps the carrier's efforts are a bit misguided, however, because of this trio, only one handset is actually a smartphone. (As such, it's the only one we care about.) Known as the Alcatel One Touch 908F, it's a re-configured 908 with the same 2.8-inch display, 600MHz Qualcomm CPU and Froyo -- yeah, you read that correctly. Could it be that the two feature phones are so unpalatable that they'll also drive smartphone adoption? Whatever the case may be, each device is squarely aimed (and priced) at teens and emerging markets. For example, the 908F will debut south of €100 off-contract, accompanied by plans that start at €9 per month. Before year's end, Poland and Romania will be among the first victims to receive the bunch, followed by countries such as Armenia, Botswana, Cameroon and France. Speaking of misguided, perhaps Orange should have asked AT&T how the Status is selling.
Alcatel Onetouch 990 coming to O2 this August, wants to be held (even just once)
When you previously met the Alcatel Onetouch 990 at MWC, it frankly wasn't behaving very well. Still, we were mildly pleased to see a phone aimed squarely at the prepaid market that featured a 3.5-inch screen and a 5 megapixel camera with flash. Apparently O2 agreed, because it's bringing the 600MHz handset to market in August for £99. This value menu option is expected to ship with vanilla Froyo, but the carrier promises to serve up helpings of plain Gingerbread during Q4. Meanwhile, Electric Pig got its hands on a pre-production unit, and their early impression seems positive. Apparently the poor load times and unresponsive interface that we experienced are resolved -- it's said the phone is now quite zippy. So, how's this OT-990 striking you as a worthy adversary to the £129 Samsung Galaxy Mini? Yea? Nay? Meh?