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ALCATEL ONETOUCH launches award-winning flagship IDOL 3 smartphone in the UAE

Two surround-sound, front-facing speakers. JBL audio with Hi-Fi technology. True-to-life Technicolor Color Enhance technology. A 13-Mp rear camera with a next-generation sensor. Plus, an exclusive feature: 100% reversibility, so users can grab this smartphone upside down and the user interface automatically flips. ALCATEL ONETOUCH’s new IDOL 3 is packed with best-in-class components and software, designed with partners who are leaders in their fields.

Nicholas Zibell, ALCATEL ONETOUCH’s President of International Business started off with a welcome speech to highlight the brand’s commitment to the MEA market. “We are definitely focusing on the MEA region, we are making Dubai our new Hub this June for the region that is no longer dependant from Europe.  This will allow us to be closer to this high potential market to adapt to its requirements and to react much faster by bringing the innovation, and best consumer experience, in terms of price, colors, technology and design.”

Alcatel OneTouch’s Head of Middle East Zied Merichko shares his view that the IDOL 3 is a genuinely exceptional product aimed at smart buyers. “The IDOL 3 came about as a result of extensive research into what consumers wish to experience. We are witnessing the rise of the smart buyer in the region, who wants premium features but at the right price point. And the IDOL 3’s premium design, superb sound, excellent visual attributes and unique reversibility feature makes it a phenomenally crafted product joining us in this region to celebrate our brand spirit.”

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Alcatel OneTouch 4.7 and 5.5 Variants
Pump Up the Volume

An impromptu beach party. Hanging in the park with friends. A sparsely furnished loft.Somebody needs to make some noise! IDOL 3’s JBL audio with Hi-Fi technology gives users the power of professional audio components in the palm of their hands, to play their own music or stream tracks over the airwaves.

The two (yes, two) front speakers provide a 3D, surround-sound experience. With the Onetouch Mix music application, audiophiles can mix the tracks themselves or let the app do it, using either downloaded or online tunes. IDOL 3 is primed to party. Anytime. Anywhere.

Thomas Schnaudt, Director Business Development EMEA, HARMAN Lifestyle Division communicated the importance of partnership during his speech.   “The desire for higher quality sound is receiving more and more attention as consumers begin to understand the impact of digital compression. With JBL audio and Clari-Fi music restoration technology, the Alcatel Idol3 smartphone brings music back to life the way the artist intended it to be, for a richer, uncompromised listening experience.”

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Clubbing downtown. A street scene at night. An indoor gathering with friends.

IDOL 3 has got the shot. A high-resolution, 13-Mp rear camera with a large aperture for low light. A front camera with a wide (84°) viewing angle for selfies that include the whole gang. Fast Face Focus software detects faces in 0.26 seconds.

Sharp HDR real-time video at 30 frames per second. Auto Scene Detection automatically adjusts contrast, exposure and colors to provide the best shots every time, under every circumstance.

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I Can See Clearly Now

Check the score. Read that text message. No squinting is necessary, even in bright sunlight. Technicolor Color Enhance technology offers superb color rendering. The high-definition screen gives users perfect visibility from all angles and its increased luminosity furnishes crystal-clear outdoor readability, even under bright sunlight. That’s what you might call a win-win situation.

Technicolor’s Head of Trademark & Licensing Manuele Wahl took the stage to speak about continuous advancements in new digital color technology and immersive video experiences used in IDOL 3. The technology used for the phone creates a vivid cinema color experience and reinvents how people see the world in Technicolor.

Power Never Felt So Good

The powerful  64-bit, 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is designed to deliver an exceptional mix of great experiences and strong, energy-efficient performance in every feature. Incredible 4G LTE connectivity, fluid graphics performance, and long battery life mean you’re ready to face the world all day, every day.

Qualcomm’s Middle East’s President for Middle East, Africa and South East Asia Jay Srage participated in an interactive discussion on the Snapdragon 615 processor powering the IDOL 3, and the processor’s ability to deliver an exceptional mix of great user experience and strong performance with its 64-bit CPU.

Rock Your World

And by the way, IDOL 3 rocks even upside-down. The interface always rights itself. Even while executing a kickflip on the goofy foot. Or rummaging in a purse filled with makeup and files from work.

Pick up the phone any which way. That’s right: it’s 100% reversible. Answer a call, surf the Web, take a photo and mix tunes right-side up or upside down. No matter which direction users are heading, their display will always be looking right at them.

First Impressions during Hands-On:

During a Hands-On Experience of the Demo devices, I enjoyed using the reversibility feature to the best extent possible. The sound was pretty clear and loud enough to hear and why shouldn’t it be. JBL is a pretty big brand and only after a thorough examination during an extensive review will I be able to ascertain the exact beauty of the sound.  The camera performance was par in low light specially and overall device performance was smooth and fast. The storage of 16/32 GB is more than enough for a user like me so that is not a big issue as such. Battery life can only be explained once I get to review this device. Design and physical aspects wise it’s pretty light but elegant colors make it look better. For a nifty price of 899 Dhs for 4.7 and 1099 Dhs for 5.5, this is quite a competitor for other phones in this range.

In a short interview with Nicolas Zibell after the hands-on was completed the main question that was on my mind is how will they manage to keep the potential consumers interested once the technology is used in other phones from the bigger brands. His reply to that was short and concise that ” We have made the necessary arrangements to be protected if and when this idea of reversible UI and usage comes to the fore in other phones. Also that our reversible idea is not the only one key USP of this phone but we have a combination of JBL audio with mixing technology and technicolor screen which has the best luminosity in the market compared to competitors”.

Overall I cannot wait to get my hands on this device for a review. It’s quite a good-looking mid-range phone with a very unique feature which was inspired by the common human error of pulling the phone out of purses, pockets upside down. So I would think this particular main feature will attract most buyers while the JBL sound, Technicolor screen, good camera, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor will add to the fun.