Irvine, Calif. — Alcatel OneTouch is supplementing smartphone sales to carriers and MVNOs with the launch of direct-to-consumer sales of unlocked phones, unlocked cellular-equipped tablets, smart watches and accessories.
The Amazon-powered site, AlcatelOneTouch.us, will be followed in the first quarter by online direct sales in Canada.
Launching direct-to-consumer sales “allows us to form a more direct relationship with our customers” and marks “another step we’re taking to ensure consumers have the choice and opportunity to buy the smart devices they need at affordable prices,” said Steve Cistulli, North American senior VP for Alcatel OneTouch. The new sales channel “is a natural progression of our growth in North America.”
Last November, the company began selling online direct to consumers in the U.K., France, Italy, Germany and Spain. In 2015, the European e-commerce store will expand to include other countries in Europe.
In the U.S. store, two of the available smartphones are the 4G HSPA+ Idol X at $275 with 5-inch FullHD IPS 1,920 by 1,080 display with 440 PPI, 2GHz octa-core MediaTek processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB storage; the 13-megapixel rear camera has autofocus, LED flash, 4x digital zoom and EIS video stabilization. The 4.5-ounce phone runs the Android KitKat 4.0 OS and features a 2,500 mAh battery for up to 16 hours of talk time and up to 600 hours of standby time.
Another phone is the $198 4G LTE Idol 2 S with 5-inch IPS 1,280 by 720 display, 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and 4x digital zoom, and 1.3-megapixel HD front camera. The 4.4-ounce camera runs Android 4.3 and packs a 2,150 mAh battery.
Two connected tablets include the $199 POP 8 with 4G HSPA+, 8-inch IPS 1,280 by 800 capacitive touch display, quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, 64GB MicroSD slot, 4,060 mAh battery, 2-megapixel main camera, front camera and 11-ounce weight.
The $149 4G HSPA+ POP 7 features a 7-inch TFT 1,024 by 600 capacitive touch display, dual-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, 32GB MicroSD slot, 3,240 mAh battery, 2-megapixel main camera and a front camera.
Web store accessories include covers, NFC tags, 1,800 mAh power banks and Bluetooth headsets.
