When it comes to budget phone offerings, Alcatel is no stranger. However, they might have a tough time trying to compete with our local brands. This was the thought that stuck in my head when I attended the launch of the Alcatel One Touch 2013 Q2 lineup a couple of days ago.

Well, Alcatel certainly appeared up to the challenge, and they pulled out all the stops when they treated members of the media and their partners to French cuisine by renowned Chef  Laudico while Chris Tiu and some gorgeous models showcased the One Touch Ultra Idol, One Touch Scribe HD and the rest of the Q2 lineup.

Alcatel One Touch 2013 Launch Chef Laudico

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a phone is pricing. Alcatel did well in this regard in that none of the new phones costs more than Php15,000. This is crucial considering how notoriously price-sensitive Pinoys are as seen on their fondness of the affordable pinoy android phones.

Alcatel 2013 Launch Chris Tiu with One Touch Ultra Idol

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

For example, the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra, also known as the Iron Man phone for its cameo in the latest movie installment, only retails for Php14,990. That’s despite sporting a gorgeous 4.7 inch Gorilla Glass-protected 720p Super AMOLED display while maintaining a slim frame at only 6.45mm thick! The world’s slimmest! Sure, the processor is a bit pedestrian, being a dual core 1.2GHz chip, but it responsive enough to be decent, and it comes with a respectable configuration of 1Gb of RAM and 16Gb of storage while running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Side

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Specs

  • Dimensions: 134.4 x 68.5 x 6.45mm
  • 4.7” HD 720p (720 x 1280 pixels) AMOLED display with Corning Glass
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Dual Core 1.2GHz CPU
  • 16GB EMMC + 1GB RAM
  • 8mp autofocus primary camera, 1.3mp secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS with AGPS
  • UMTS 900/2100 and 850/1900, 850/2100
  • 3G data up to 7.2Mbps DL and 5.76Mbps UL
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headset jack
  • 1,800mAh battery

Alcatel One Touch Idol

Should you be in the market for a more affordable option, the lower specced Alcatel One Touch Idol (Php11,990) is no slouch either. The One Touch Idol similarly sports a 4.7 inch screen, but instead of an HD Super AMOLED display, it’s a Dragontrail-protected qHD IPS panel. To be honest, it’s not that much of a compromise since 234ppi still offers quite a bit of clarity to the unaided eye and while the blacks may not be as deep, IPS is widely regarded as one of the better screen technologies in wide use today. Other specs include a dual core processor clocked at 1GHz, 1Gb of RAM and 4Gb of storage.

Alcatel One Touch Idol

Alcatel One Touch Idol Back

Alcatel One Touch Idol Specs

  • Dimensions:  133 x 67.5 x 7.9mm
  • 4.7” qHD (540 x 960 pixels) IPS display with Dragontrail Glass
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Dual Core 1GHz CPU
  • 4GB EMMC + 1GB RAM
  • Micro SD support up to 32Gb
  • 8mp autofocus primary camera, 2mp secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS with AGPS
  • UMTS 900/2100 and 850/1900, 850/2100
  • 3G data up to 7.2Mbps DL and 5.76Mbps UL
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headset jack
  • 1,800mAh battery

Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD

Another phone that is expected to draw a lot of interest is the Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD. Its 5 inch HD IPS screen with Dragontrail glass puts it squarely in the phablet category, while its quad core 1.2GHz processor makes it a powerhouse to contend with. With just those specs alone, I’m surprised that it’s retailing at only Php13,490. It comes packed with a some creativity apps like Scribe Note and Montage Movie Maker, along with a dedicated touch pen to take full advantage of the Scribe HD’s screen. It also comes with 1Gb RAM and a measly 4Gb of internal storage while running Jelly Bean 4.1 out of the box. The icing that tops this cake? A magnetic flip cover that Alcatel likes to call the MagicFlip to protect the already tough Dragontail glass from smudging.

Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD with Model

Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD Specs

  • Dimensions:  144 x 75 x 8.5mm
  • 5” HD (720 x 1280 pixels) IPS display with Dragontrail Glass
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Quad Core 1.2GHz CPU
  • 4GB EMMC + 1GB RAM
  • Micro SD support up to 32Gb
  • 8mp autofocus primary camera, 1.3mp secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS with AGPS
  • 3G data up to 42Mbps DL and 11Mbps UL
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headset jack
  • 2,500mAh battery

Alcatel One Touch Scribe Easy

Like the One Touch Ultra, the Scribe HD also has a “lite” version, shall we say. The Php8,990 Alcatel Scribe Easy is an even more affordable phablet if you think the Scribe HD’s sticker price isn’t already affordable enough. Similarly, it sports a 5 inch screen, but this time it’s a non-IPS panel with a WVGA resolution. When I got some hands on time with the Scribe Easy, I noticed that its screen was able to achieve a fair bit of color saturation, but the clarity and viewing angles weren’t that great. Anyway, it’s powered by a 1.2GHz processor and comes with 512Mb of RAM and 4Gb of storage. And like the Scribe HD, it also comes with a dedicated touch pen and MagicFlip magnetic flip cover.

Alcatel One Touch Scribe Easy

Alcatel One Touch Scribe Easy Specs

  • Dimensions:  143 x 78.4 x 9.8mm
  • 5” WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) display
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Dual Core 1.2GHz CPU
  • 4GB EMMC + 512MB RAM
  • Micro SD support up to 32Gb
  • 5mp autofocus primary camera, VGA secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS with AGPS
  • 3G data up to 7.2Mbps DL and 5.76Mbps UL
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headset jack
  • 2,500mAh battery

Alcatel One Touch Tab 7HD

Aside from these new phones, Alcatel has also decided to introduce a new tablet called the One Touch Tab 7HD. The Alcatel One Touch Tab 7HD sports a 7 inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 (WXGA). The dual core 1.6GHz processor should be fairly powerful and the quad core Mali-400 graphics will be able to run even the most demanding games. What’s nice is that there is a fair amount of accessories to choose from so you can customize or protect your One Touch Tab 7HD, such as snap covers, soft pouches and rigid cases. This WiFi-only tab also comes with 1Gb of RAM, 4Gb of storage and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. It is priced for only Php7,490.

Alcatel One Touch Tab 7HD Back

Alcatel One Touch Tab 7HD Specs

  • Dimensions:  191 x 125 x 9mm
  • 7” WXGA (800 x 1280 pixels) IPS display
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Dual Core 1.6GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPU
  • ARM Mali TM-400 Quad Core
  • 4GB EMMC + 1GB RAM
  • Micro SD support
  • 2mp autofocus primary camera, VGA secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headset jack
  • 3,300mAh battery

Related: Alcatel One Touch Insight 993D Review

Alcatel One Touch Sapphire 2, Inspire 2 and Glory 2

Finally, Alcatel has brought over successors to the popular Sapphire, Inspire and Glory. The Alcatel budget lineup of the One Touch Sapphire 2, Inspire 2 and Glory 2 are surprisingly affordable for what’s supposed to be an international brand. The 3.5 inch Glory 2 comes with a single core 1GHz, 512Mb of RAM and 4Gb of storage while retailing for only Php3,990! If you want more screen real estate, you can go for the Inspire 2 that comes with a 4 inch screen and essentially the same specs for just Php4,990. Want a dual core phone and larger screen on a budget? The Sapphire 2 has a 4.5 inch qHD display and a dual core 1GHz processor for just Php6,990. All three run Jelly Bean 4.1 out of the box and afford you a choice of custom covers and other accessories to personalize your phone.

Alcatel One Touch Sapphire 2 White

Alcatel One Touch Sapphire 2 Specs

  • Dimensions:  131 x 68 x 10.9mm
  • 4.5” qHD (540 x 960 pixels) display
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Dual Core 1GHz CPU
  • 4GB EMMC + 1GB RAM
  • Micro SD support up to 32Gb
  • 5mp autofocus primary camera, VGA secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS with AGPS
  • GSM850/900/1800/1900
  • UMTS 900/2100
  • HSDPA 7.2 DL / 5.76 UL
  • 1,800mAh battery

Alcatel One Touch Inspire 2 White

Alcatel One Touch Inspire 2 Specs

  • Dimensions:  121.5 x 64 x 11.8mm
  • 4” WVGA (480 x 800 pixels) display
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Single Core 1GHz CPU
  • 4GB EMMC + 1GB RAM
  • Micro SD support up to 32Gb
  • 5mp autofocus primary camera, VGA secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS with AGPS
  • GSM850/900/1800/1900
  • UMTS 900/2100
  • HSDPA 7.2 DL / 5.76 UL
  • 1,400mAh battery

Alcatel One Touch Glory 2

Alcatel One Touch Glory 2 Specs

  • Dimensions:  115 x 61.2 x 12.2mm
  • 3.5” HVGA (320 x 480 pixels) display
  • Android Jelly Bean 4.1
  • Single Core 1GHz CPU
  • 4GB EMMC + 1GB RAM
  • Micro SD support up to 32Gb
  • 3.2mp autofocus primary camera, VGA secondary camera
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS with AGPS
  • GSM850/900/1800/1900
  • UMTS 900/2100
  • HSDPA 7.2 DL / 5.76 UL
  • 1,400mAh battery

To be honest, it was hard not to come away impressed from their 2013 launch. It was a great mix of decent specs at affordable prices, and if it weren’t for the local budget brands, Alcatel would probably have a stranglehold on the budget smartphone segment. However, that’s not the case and I guess that’s where my apprehensions lie. Only time will tell how well Alcatel’s One Touch offerings will compete here locally.

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  1. No doubt that all models are user friendly also the quality and the perforrmance are great but its a shame to say that Alcatel Philippines did not release any 4g or LTE network Alcatel smartphones like =(Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD-LTE) = (Alcatel One Touch Snap LTE)…. Probably i know the reason why? haha ^_^

    I was really hoping next year 2014, Alcatel Philippines will release 4g or LTE network enabled smartphone to compete with other smartphone that already have LTE…BECAUSE THAT IS DEFFINITELY THE NEXT BIG THING HERE IN MANILA… i love KO kasi alcatel so much !!!! Bcoz im proud user Myself…Keep it up!!!

  2. The best sa akin un alcatel hd scribe…one day batt…pero unlimited surfing the wholeday and wifi hotspot… Putang inang suncell yan nsyang lng pera ko sa plan ng samsung grand nila palpak laging ng emergency call advice nila patayin at buhayin ahhahaah para mg ka signal..lhat ng grand user nila pareparehas ang dala sa samsung service center….i hate samsung grand ok na ako sa quadcore ng HD scribe te best quadcore po…bwist ang samsung grand super bagal…tapos TFT lng d gya ng HD scribe corning gorilla matsing ungoy kingkong at sma muna si godzilla glazzzzz… Hahahahah..ok pla ang glass na to un sa samsung nag rainbow pag na diinan mo screen..atlest ito lcd ips. Hyazzzzz….

  3. Alcatel is made from france but assembled in china lagi n gnun…pero ewan ko nk punta ako ng france wla naman akong nkitang alcatel n phone dun usually meron sila iphone,samsung,nokia,kata, sony, ahahhaaha…gulat ako un kata meron sa italy hahahaha…owtel shop sa italy my nkita ako…ewan ko kung namalik mata ako pero owtel tlga nkita ko hahahahaa…sa bergamo ko na nkita…