Alcatel has announced the US availability of the One Touch Idol smartphone. For now the handset is only available for pre-order, however those shipments will begin soon enough. According to details coming from Alcatel, the One Touch Idol pre-orders will begin shipping on June 15th. The handset is selling unlocked (contract-free) and is available for $299.99 by way of the Alcatel website.
Given it has been some time since we last mentioned the One Touch Idol a recap on the specs seems to be in order. The handset will be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and with hardware to include a 4.7-inch qHD IPS display along with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 1800 mAh battery, 2 megapixel front-facing camera and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera that is capable of shooting HD quality video.
Alcatel is also billing this as the “lightest smartphone in its category.” Basically, that is to say the One Touch Idol will weigh in at 3.88 ounces. Additionally, the handset is on the slimmer side with a thickness of just 7.9mm. Alcatel has this model equipped with a microSIM card slot and support for GSM networks.
That means those in the US looking to make a purchase will need to choose either AT&T or T-Mobile for a carrier. Alternatively, something along the lines of Straight Talk could be a good option to consider. Other perks with the One Touch Idol include an “all-over splash-proof water protection” as well as pre-loaded anti-virus software and a scratch-resistant display that also has what Alcatel refers to as an anti-finger print coating.
Looking back to April and we saw details about how the One Touch Idol was going to be featured in Iron Man 3. Well, that connection still applies today as the handset will ship with a free merchandise pack with some Iron Man 3 goodies. All that being said, while this is not a high-end device, it does seem like a decent option to consider by those choosing to go the prepaid route.
SOURCE: PR Newswire
Nexus 4 is the same price, unlocked as well
512 ram…..why???