Alcatel is now selling unlocked phones and tablets directly to U.S. consumers

AT CES today in Las Vegas, Alcatel announced that it is now selling devices directly to U.S. consumers through the use of e-commerce. The manufacturer will sell unlocked smartphones, tablets and accessories through a website with the url of www.alcatelonetouch.us. A site for Canadian consumers will be live later this quarter.

Alcatel took a step in this direction during November when it launched shop.alcatelonetouch.com for Spain,UK, France, Italy, Germany. The site, which sells accessories, will expand to other European countries later this year.

The first unlocked devices to be offered directly to U.S. consumers include the 5-inch Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+. This model is powered by a 2GHz octa-core MediaTek CPU with a 13MP rear snapper, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of native storage and a 2500mAh battery. Android 4.4 is pre-installed.  This phone is priced at $275. The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 2 S also carries a 5-inch screen and is powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU. 1GB of RAM is inside as is 8GB of native storage. Android 4.3 is pre-installed. The price of this model is $198.

Also offered online is the Alcatel OneTouch Pop 8 tablet which is equipped with an 8-inch display carrying a resolution of 1280 x 800. A quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek CPU drives the slate, which includes 1GB of RAM and 4GB of native storage. A 4050mAh battery keeps the power going, and there is a 2MP "main" camera. This device will cost $199.99. The Alcatel OneTouch Pop 7 tablet has a 7-inch screen with resolution of 1024 x 600. A dual-core 1.3GHz MediaTek CPU is powering the tablet, which includes 1GB of RAM and 8GB of native memory. Other features include a microSD card, and a 2MP camera. This tablet is available for $149.


source: Alcatel via AndroidCentral