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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.
Apple Watch vs. the competition: Where does it stand?
Now that Mobile World Congress has come and gone, bringing with it a slew of smartwatch announcements, it's time to learn more about Apple's own highly anticipated entry into the market. We finally have a firm release date and a price -- April 24, starting at $349 for the 38mm Apple Watch Sport. But the field it's entering has changed quite a bit since the Apple Watch was first announced in September. What can the Apple Watch expect to face off against when it hits stores, and how does it ultimately stack up? We've compared some of the top models in the table below, and you can walk through our gallery to learn about even more options on the market.
Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 can take phone calls even when upside down
Yes, that's me holding a phone upside down while pretending to make a phone call. It may look silly, but that's exactly what the folks over at Alcatel OneTouch want to see going viral on the streets soon. What we have here is the new "orientation-free" Idol 3 smartphone series, which lets users quickly pick up phone calls without having to check whether they are holding the device -- either the 4.7-inch version or the larger 5.5-inch model -- the right way up. The trick? It's all down to the symmetrical design consisting of a speaker and a mic at each end of the phone; and yes, you do get to use the two front-facing speakers in stereo mode for entertainment purposes.
Year of the Goat: 11 Chinese smartphone brands to watch
2014 had been a wonderful year for the ever-competitive Chinese smartphone market. We saw the birth of new brands, the record of world's thinnest phone broken three times, and a couple of companies entering India with great reception (although not without some struggle). So with MWC following right after Chinese New Year, what better way to celebrate both than to look at the top Chinese smartphone brands? Granted, not all of these companies will be on the show floor next week (not Xiaomi or Oppo, for instance), but there's no stopping us from saying "ni hao" to them, anyway.
Alcatel OneTouch wants to be the Zara of smartwatches
Alcatel OneTouch wouldn't be the first company to bring us a round smartwatch (well, near-circular, in this case), but with its eyes set on the sub-€100 and sub-$150 price points in Europe and North America, respectively, the company clearly has ambitious plans. Previously known as the "Wave," this device is now simply dubbed the Watch and features a much prettier UI than what we saw back in September. In addition to the aforementioned updates, Alcatel's added two slightly different designs to go alongside the original sporty black-and-red look: a feminine all-white version and a premium all-metallic version. While these two will cost a little more, we understand that they likely won't exceed €150 (about $180), which should still encourage more folks to give them a spin.
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.
Virgin Mobile scores the Alcatel OneTouch Venture, can be yours March 15th for $100
Alcatel OneTouch isn't a heavy hitter in the States, but that doesn't stop it from doing its darndest to push devices here with a little help from distributor PCD. The Venture is the latest model and is heading to Virgin Mobile on March 15th with an option to pre-order right now. What it's got is actually not too shabby for a $100 prepaid messaging device: Android 2.3, 2.8-inch touchscreen, 600MHz single-core CPU, 2MP camera with LED flash and 512MB of RAM. If you're intrigued, head to the source link below to take the next step.
Alcatel Onetouch 905A gets measured by the FCC, receives a stamp of approval for AT&T
When we played with Alcatel's entry-level Android offerings at this year's MWC, it was assumed the handsets would begin infiltrating the domestic paygo market -- of course, we hadn't expected a previously unseen feature phone to be the first arrival. The Onetouch 905A recently graced the FCC, and it's now clear for take-off on AT&T, bringing a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen at 320 x 240 pixels, a 2 megapixel camera and FM radio to Ma Bell's bottom shelf. Get a good look, because if you accidentally destroy your iPhone and are needing a quick fix, the Onetouch 905A has "punishment phone" written all over it.
