After an extended wait, Alcatel has today announced that it is finally rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow to last year’s popular budget device, the IDOL 3. The update is available starting today for ‘unlocked IDOL 3 devices’, presumably both the 5.5-inch and 4.7-inch models.
When Alcatel OneTouch (now just Alcatel) launched the 5.5-inch Idol 3 last year, I think it’s fair to say many of us tech reviewers were pleasantly surprised. For a device costing under $300 it had an array of high end features, including a crisp, colorful big screen, great stereo sound and fantastic battery life. Of course, it also helped that the software was clean and almost stock Android.
I won’t lie, in recent months I’ve found the traditional flagship smartphone market decidedly boring. Although phones from the likes of LG, Samsung, HTC and Sony are all steadily improving all they time and — by all accounts — are very good phones, they all cost a small fortune. The price of flagships from the “big” manufacturers can be anywhere between $500-$900, which is a heck of a lot to spend on a small pocket computer. With the prices steadily rising, it’s created the perfect opportunity for smaller companies to take advantage and release great devices that cost less. In my mind, if it’s below $400 full retail, has a full HD (or better) display and an octa-core processor, that makes it a flagship killing, disruptive smartphone…
Months after its initial announcement at MWC in Barcelona, Alcatel OneTouch is finally making the smaller, 4.7-inch Idol 3 available to buy in the US and Canada. You will be able to order the device for $179 from the company’s online store or Alcatel’s official Amazon store from Friday, August 14. In terms of design, the 4.7-inch model looks virtually identical to its bigger brother. But it does come with different specifications.
Instead of housing a full HD display panel, the smaller phone comes with a 1280×720 resolution screen. Thanks to its size, that still pushes it over the 300ppi mark. It has a 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and has a 2,000mAh battery to keep it going all day. What’s more, it’s powered by a Quad-core 1.2GHz processor paired with 1.5GB RAM and with 16GB of internal storage. Like the bigger model, you can expand the memory using a MicroSD card, but only up to an extra 32GB. Surprisingly, for a phone this small, it still manages to pack in a pair of stereo front facing speakers powered by JBL audio, just like the 5.5-inch model.
On the software side, it runs Android 5.0.2, what’s more, a security update to patch the Stagefright bug will be available to download OTA as soon as you power the device on.
Overall, it’s a promising device but it will be interesting to see how well it compares to Motorola’s latest Moto G. At the same price point, and similar-ish specs, these two devices are clear competitors.
When you think of the word “budget,” rarely does it fit in-between the words “great” and “smartphone.” Well, you may not be super familiar with them, but Alcatel OneTouch has a new budget offering that’s not only a smartphone, but overall pretty great. Meet the Idol 3…
There’s no denying that 2015 will be filled with smartphone releases, but only a few will shine as the best in the budget category. We’ve seen a few major players make their mark in this area recently, but back at MWC 2015 Alcatel OneTouch announced a budget offering that may give the others a run for their money. The Idol 3 smartphone is in many ways a budget flagship smartphones. We’ve been pretty excited to get our hands on it and today, we’re doing just that…
Alcatel originally announced its Idol 3 budget smartphone at Mobile World Congress and now the device is available for pre-order. While the company had originally promised an April 21st pre-order date, it’s now offering an early bird special on Amazon and its own website. For the brief time being, the 5.5-inch Idol 3 is available on Amazon and Alcatel’s website for $200. That’s $80 off the anticipated price.
Alcatel first showed off its Idol 3 budget smartphone at Mobile World Congress about a month ago, and now the company has come out to announce the phone’s availability and pricing. The 5.5-inch version of the phone will be available for pre-order unlocked at an exclusive online price of $249.99 starting on April 21st, and orders will start shipping in May. Retail price for the phone will be a slightly higher $279.
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Alcatel has just taken the wraps off of its new Idol 3 series of budget smartphones, as well as its Hero 2+ flagship. The Idol 3 series consists of two variants, one that comes in at 4.7-inches and another at 5.5-inches. The 4.7-inch Idol 3 is powered by a quad-core CPU clocked at 1.2GHz paired with Android 5.0 Lollipop and a 13MP rear-facing camera. The battery comes in at 2000mAh, while the screen packs a 1280×720 resolution.
