Alcatel Idol 4
Cricket Wireless Debuts HD Voice for Select Phones
Cricket Wireless recently added HD Voice to its service offering. HD Voice, which requires both the caller and receiver to have compatible devices connected to Cricket's LTE network, delivers significantly improved voice clarity. HD Voice reduces background noise and permits people to talk and browse at the same time while on LTE 4G. The list of compatible handsets is rather limited at launch. The four devices that support HD Voice include the Alcatel Idol 4, LG Escape 3, Samsung Galaxy Sol 2, and the ZTE Grand X 4 — all of which need to be updated to most recent software build. The company didn't indicate if or when new phones will gain access to HD Voice. Cricket says HD Voice may not be available when the network is congested. HD Voice is free for Cricket customers to access and use.
Cricket Drops Entry-Level Plan to $30 Per Month
Cricket Wireless today dropped the price of its least-expensive plan to $30 per month. The plan includes unlimited talk and text and 1 GB of high-speed (8Mbps) data. Users who exceed 1 GB of data per month will be throttled to 2G speeds (128Kbps) for the remainder of the billing cycle. The new plan will be available September 9. Also kicking off September 9 are several promotions from Cricket. For example, customers who activate new lines of service will be eligible for a free Alcatel Streak, ZTE Sonata 3, or Kyocera Hydro View. Further, customers who port their number to Cricket from another carrier can purchase the Alcatel Idol 4 with VR Goggles for $99.
Idol 4 Now On Sale at Cricket Wireless
Cricket Wireless today said the Alcatel Idol 4 is now available for sale from its web site. The Idol 4 is the smaller brother of the Idol 4S. The Idol 4 has the same basic appearance as the Idol 4S, with a metal frame and glass back, and features such as JBL stereo speakers and a reversible user interface. The Idol 4 has a 5.2-inch full-HD LCD display, Snapdragon 617 processor with 3 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage. It has a 13-megapixel camera main camera, 8-megapixel front camera, NFC, Cat 6 LTE, memory card slot, Android 6.0, and fast charging. Cricket is charging $199 when the Idol 4 is activated on a service plan. The package includes Alcatel's virtual reality goggles. Alcatel is selling the larger Idol 4S directly to consumers through its web site for $349.
Hands-On with the BlackBerry DTEK50
BlackBerry's DTEK50 may be a rebadge of the Alcatel Idol 4, but it still manages to look and feel like a BlackBerry. This slim slab should appeal most to those who need enterprise-class security for their business smartphone. Here are Phonescoop's first impressions of the DTEK50.
BlackBerry DTEK50 Is A Secured, Rebadged Alcatel Idol 4
BlackBerry today announced the DTEK50 smartphone, a slab-style handset that runs Android and features BlackBerry's signature communications and security software. BlackBerry says the DTEK50 features FIPS-2 hardware encryption, rapid security patching, secure boot process, and a hardened Android OS core. It includes Android for Work and Google Play for Work, as well as support for BlackBerry's full enterprise mobility management suite. Other features include BBM, BlackBerry Hub, the BlackBerry intelligent keyboard, and a customizable action key. The hardware is a rebadged version of the Alcatel Idol 4, which was announced earlier this year. The DTEK50 has a 5.2-inch full-HD LCD display, Snapdragon 617 processor with 3 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage. It has a 13-megapixel camera main camera, 8-megapixel front camera, NFC, Cat 6 LTE, memory card slot, and Quick Charge 2.0. The phone ships with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The DTEK50 is available for preorder in the U.S. and other countries starting today for $299. BlackBerry said it will reveal shipping dates on a regional basis over the coming weeks.
Cricket to Carry Alcatel Idol 4 with Virtual Reality Goggles
Cricket Wireless today announced plans to sell the Alcatel Idol 4 beginning next month. The Idol 4 is the smaller brother of the Idol 4S. The Idol 4 has the same basic appearance as the Idol 4S, with a metal frame and glass back, and features such as JBL stereo speakers and a reversible user interface. The Idol 4 has a 5.2-inch full-HD LCD display, Snapdragon 617 processor with 3 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage. It has a 13-megapixel camera main camera, 8-megapixel front camera, NFC, Cat 6 LTE, memory card slot, Android 6.0, and fast charging. Cricket says the Idol 4 will reach its stores on August 4 for $199 when activated on a service plan. The package includes Alcatel's virtual reality goggles. Alcatel is selling the larger Idol 4S directly to consumers through its web site for $349.
Hands On with Alcatel's Idol 4 and 4S
Alcatel’s new flagship phone for 2016 is the Idol 4S. It’s accompanied by the Idol 4, a smaller and more affordable cousin. Both phones sport a “reversible” design similar to last year’s Idol 3, but with a more premium metal frame and glass back. The specs on the 4S are impressive, and not too shabby on the 4, either. There are small differences that are only apparent upon close inspection. Read on for our hands-on impressions.
Alcatel's Flagship Idol 4S Includes VR Goggles
Alcatel today announced the Idol 4 and Idol 4S, the company's new top-end phones. Both phones sport a premium design with metal frame, and glass front and back. Both also include 3.6-watt JBL stereo speakers and come with JBL earbuds. Like the Idol 3, the Idol 4 series is revisable, so it can be held in any orientation and the screen and speakers will flip to be right-side-up. The larger 4S model comes (in some markets) in packaging that doubles as virtual reality goggles when used with the phone. The 4S also has a 5.5-inch quad-HD OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 16-megapixel camera, and 32 GB of internal storage. The smaller Idol 4 has a 5.2-inch full-HD LCD display, Snapdragon 617 processor, 13-megapixel camera, and 16 GB of storage. Both models have 3 GB of RAM, 8-megapixel front camera, NFC, Cat 6 LTE, memory card slot, Android 6.0, and fast charging. The Idol 4 series will ship first in Europe in the second quarter of this year, to be followed by the U.S. later in the year.
Alcatel Web Site Spills Details Of Idol 4S and Idol 4
Alcatel OneTouch today inadvertently revealed details of the unannounced flagship Idol 4S and Idol 4 smartphones on its own web site. Similar to last year's Idol 3, the Idol 4S and 4 will be available in two different sizes. The Idol 4S has a 5.5-inch quad HD screen while the Idol 4 has a 5.2-inch full HD display. Shared features include support for LTE networks, dual-band WiFi, GPS, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.2. The phones include stereo speakers and Alcatel's reversible user interface, so they can be used upside down. Basic specs show the Idol 4S will ship with an octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor with 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, and support for memory cards up to 512 GB. The Idol 4S also includes a 16-megapixel main camera with slow-motion video capture, an 8-megapixel selfie cam, and a 3,000mAh battery. The Idol 4's specs are stepped down just a bit. It will ship with an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 2 or 3 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, and support for microSD cards. It packs a 13-megapixel main camera and a wide-angle 8-megapixel user-facing camera. It includes a 2,610mAh battery. Both phones will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. Alcatel OneTouch has not officially announced these phones, so pricing and availability are not yet known.
