New Orleans – TCT
Mobile Multinational Limited, a subsidiary of China’s TCL Communications, went
to CTIA Wireless 2012 this week with new Android smartphones for U.S. and
Canadian carriers.
The company, which
markets in the U.S. under the
brand, showed the OneTouch 995, targeted to regional carriers.
The Android 2.3 phone features 4G HSPA+14 technology; 1.4GHz processor; DLNA;
HDMI output; 5-megapixel rear camera and VGA front camera; 4.3-inch, WVGA 480
by 800 touchscreen with 16 million colors; and Wi-Fi mobile hot spot capability,
said North American product manager Aja Schmit.
The 995 will be
available in two versions, both with quadband GSM. One version will add
850/1900MHz HSPA+, and the other will add HSPA+ in the AWS band.
A second phone, the
918 Mix, is also Android 2.3-based. It will be a 3G HSPA+7.2 phone with
3.2-inch HVGA display, interchangeable front and back plates in different
colors, 5-megapixel rear camera, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi mobile hot spot capability. It
lacks DLNA.
The 918 Mix will be available
in two versions. One version will add 850/1900MHz HSPA+7.2 technology in the
850/1900MHz bands, and the other will add HSPA+7.2 in the AWS band.
Also at the show, the
company announced that it struck an agreement with BrightPoint Americas, which will
provide distribution services to CDMA regional carriers and the Associated
Carrier Group (ACG), a buying group consisting of regional CDMA carriers.
Rayford Higginbotham, executive director of TCT Mobile in
North America, said the deal would complement the company’s strategy of
targeting regional GSM carriers.
Alcatel One Touch is increasing its exposure in the U.S. and
in March launched an Android smartphone through Virgin Mobile.
Alcatel One Touch entered the U.S. market in 2007 by selling
to regional carriers, and in October 2011, Alcatel sold a phone to a national
carrier for the first time. That model was the Sparq for the T-Mobile network.
