Alcatel is looking to bring hardware to the US through O2 Wireless (not to be confused with O2 in the UK). The Alcatel E206a will be offered as a super-basic (read: cheap), dual-band GSM handset. The Alcatel E206a doesn't offer Bluetooth or even GPRS (let alone EDGE) data services, and is aimed at the entry-level market. In fact, the Alcatel E206a's spec-sheet is devoid of much more than basic voice calling functionality.

via intomobile.com

Alcatel had mentioned a few months ago that it planned to roll deep with US launches this year -- kind of hard to swallow, considering the non-presence they've had here for years and the difficulty for a new player to break into the market -- but sure enough, here we go with the first volley. Locus Telecom's prepaid O2 Wireless brand (naw, not that O2) has launched two low-end Alcatel sets two accompany its range of LGs and Motorolas, the E206a candybar and E227a flip.

via engadgetmobile.com

Alcatel has nestled in the niche for reasonably cheap solutions and with every new phone they are trying to accomplish the impossible – come up with an affordable, yet snazzy device enjoying quality materials. What may seem like an unrealistic dream at a glance is being proven by Alcatel these days, as they keep rolling out handsets with decent materials that are normally utilized in higher-end offerings. But the world knows very few miracles, and there is no escaping from the fact that inside these handsets are only as good as budget solutions, and even subpar, compared to similar devices in this class. The reason being that you can’t deliver cool looks, a slew of features and a light price tag all in one package – you can play around with any two of these parameters, but only at the expense of the third one. If some vendor will actually break through the limitations of this formula, its merit will be on par with the creation of a perpetuum mobile.

via mobile-review.com

Here is another offering from the CTIA Wireless 2008. The Alcatel Playboy-branded handset OT-V770A is available in Pink, Gold, or Silver metallic trim. Alcatel’s latest handset supports 1.3 megapixel camera, 10MB onboard memory and media player. Delivering full-screen video playback the cell phone has microSD card slot for extendable memory. Sporting Playboy logo, the headset comes with metallic rear-panel. Alcatel can be good but I am crazy for Nokia.

via mobilewhack.com

Alcatel-Lucent announced the expansion of its CDMA/EV-DO portfolio with a new distributed base station that gives mobile operators greater flexibility for third-generation (3G) network deployments while lowering power consumption and reducing operating expenses.

The Alcatel-Lucent 9234 Base Station d2U Distributed is designed to support CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) services, enabling both high-quality voice and high-speed data services such as streaming video, Web browsing, voice over IP (VoIP) and more.

This "zero footprint" distributed base station seamlessly integrates into existing networks and can be deployed in a wide array of physical locations such as utility poles, the sides of the buildings and tower tops, without taking up any floor space at an existing site, or with minimal space at a new site, thus minimizing real estate costs, a key expense for operators. The platform effectively separates baseband and radio frequency components into a baseband unit and remote radio heads (RRH) allowing a wide variety of configurations, and enabling different elements of the base station to be separated by miles. This provides exceptional flexibility for operators facing physical site constraints and site acquisition challenges, allowing them to provide seamless coverage to their subscribers.

via 3g.co.uk

The mirrored flat keypad gives the Alcatel OT-V770 a real sense of prestige. Its slim build makes it comfortable and light in the hand.

Despite there being no definition among the buttons, the numeric keys are spaced out enough that there shouldn't be any accidental key nudges. The various menu icons are a breeze to navigate around.

With a built-in music player, Alcatel has also bundled in a 2GB microSD card so there is plenty of space for you to store your media content. The handset also boasts a webcam that can be hooked up to your PC, as well as a 1.3-megapixel camera and Stereo Bluetooth.

The music player is the handset's standout feature, with various ways of storing and displaying your tunes. In today's multi-megapixel market, the camera may disappoint, but this should be compensated by the fact you can record unlimited-length video.

via 3g.co.uk

It’s available in three colours – lilac, cherry red and the brightest of lime green shades. Each has a glossy inside surface while the casing has a half glossy, half rubbery-matt finish and is a darker shade. The cute duck emblem is on the top half of the back of the phone, and splendid it looks, too.

The smooth, flat keys almost blend into one another and the direction and OK keys at its centre are particularly hard to separate so working your way through the menu isn’t always easy. Alcatel’s operating system has never been the most intuitive, and things don’t get any easier as you drill down into the animated icons, let alone the slim and uninformative instruction manual.

There’s a camera in the lid of the phone, but it’s only VGA. There is also a music player. There are two Java games on board, HeliMinator, where you shoot down helicopters and Rocket Adventure, which is a platform game as baffling as it is thankfully brief.

via 3g.co.uk

Alcatel's foray into a tri-band cell phone has resulted in the extremely svelte OT-V770. This candybar handset comes with the following specifications :

Supports MP3, AAC and AAC+ file formats

Bluetooth stereo connectivity

1.3 megapixel camera with webcam functionality

262k color screen (176 x 220 pixels)

Tri Band 900/1800/1900

10MB internal memory (bah!)

microSD memory card slot (that's better)

Measuring a mere 10mm thin, you get 7 hours' of theoretical talk time, there is no word on pricing and availability of the Alcatel OT-V770.

via ubergizmo.com

Alcatel-Lucent today announced plans to develop and distribute a prepaid option to operators in the wireless market for use with the BlackBerry platform.

Customized for BlackBerry smartphones, the real-time, volume-based charging solution will be hosted by Alcatel-Lucent and will seamlessly integrate with operators' existing networks. This option will enable BlackBerry smartphone users to track the minutes and data they have used against the prepaid amount remaining in their account so they can easily refill their account as needed.

"In line with Alcatel-Lucent's strategy to provide extensive expertise in managed communication services, we are proud to develop and provide customers with prepaid options for BlackBerry smartphones. We hope this solution will enable more operators in high-growth economies to greatly expand their business opportunity", said Michel Rahier, President of Alcatel-Lucent's Carrier business.

via mobiletechnews.com

Phones from Alcatel tend to be in the lower price bracket even when they have features like music playing at their core. However, it also has half an eye on fashion.

Recently the fashion end of things has become more prominent with several phones being tied in with fashion brands. There's the Elle No3 handset, the LG Prada KE850 and now the dual-band Mandarina Duck mobile.

via trustedreviews.com

Alcatel-Lucent, the mobile operator 3 Italia and Italian public broadcaster RAI have launched the first trial of Mobile TV based on the DVB-SH standard in Italy...

via intomobile.com

Alcatel-Lucent, 3 Italia and Italian public broadcaster RAI are launching the first trial of Mobile TV based on the DVB-SH standard in Italy.

DVB-SH (Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite services to Handhelds) is an evolution of DVB-H, which is providing higher spectrum efficiency and allows integration with hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks...

via 3g.co.uk

Alcatel-Lucent may not be Uncle Sam, but they surely want you. They want you to design a gadget prototype (or more of them) that will utilize all the potential of the upcoming 4G technology. In case you’re interested, it’s up to you to envision the heads up display, wearable communications device, video terminal or any other gadget that you think will be used in the year 2017. To do that more easily, Alcatel-Lucent is providing you with a “sandbox” area where you can use Second Life capabilities to turn your ideas into a “Second Life reality”.

Interested? Your entry should be submitted by December 1st and if you get lucky, you may win 50,000
Lindens, or 20,000 Lindens in case you end up as one of three runner ups… Full release follows after the jump.Read the rest of this entry »

via intomobile.com

Gee, Verizon, go ahead and take your time there, will ya? Alltel follows up Sprint to become the second network in the US to launch HTC's next-gen CDMA Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset (Alltel's site claims it's Windows Mobile 5, but we're not believing that -- check the screen shots), offering WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, 2 megapixel cam, and just about all the EV-DO you can handle as the HTC PPC6800. Grab it for $549 off contract, or $249 after two-year agreement and a $100 snail mail rebate....

via feeds.feedburner.com

Alcatel's upmarket phone, the OT-C701A, was recently approved by the FCC. The handset, available in orange, black, and light blue, features a VGA camera, a 128x160 pixel 65k color display, A2DP stereo bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion slot with support for up to 1GB for more storage. The onboard music player supports MP3, M4a, AAC and AAC+ audio formats.

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