The smartphone can be purchased for $99.99 (75 EUR)

Mar 13, 2012 20:01 GMT  ·  By

Alcatel handsets are pretty rare in the United States. However, Virgin Mobile and Sprint plan to launch a budget-friendly Android-based phone manufactured by Alcatel.

The smartphone will be available on March 15 for only $99.99 (75 EUR) with the carrier’s unlimited data for $35 a month. Now word on Venture’s release at Sprint yet, but it shouldn’t take too long until the smartphone goes live.

Customers who are sure they want to own this entry-level Android-powered smartphone can now pre-order the Alcatel Venture via the carrier’s online store.

Aimed at those who want a cheap smartphone or mobile phone users who never owned an Android device before, Alcatel Venture is brought to market by Personal Communications Devices.

The phone is the perfect tool for communication too, as the Venture comes with a full QWERTY keyboard, allowing for faster and more accurate typing.

Alcatel Venture is powered by Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and sports a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display. The sales package includes a free 2GB microSD memory card.

On the back, the smartphone packs a mediocre 2-megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 are provided as well.

The smartphone comes pre-loaded with Mobile ID, which allows users to customize the phone’s interface with The Essentials ID Pack, which contains must-have apps such as Facebook and Pandora. It also provides access to more than 400,000 apps via Google Play.

We’re excited to add this new entry-level Android to the Virgin Mobile lineup. As part of A Higher Calling, we’re bringing customers a number of different options to experience the power of Android while getting only the services they want for a good price. The Venture is a great addition to the Virgin Mobile family for those people looking to purchase a sleek, easy-to-use smartphone at a great price,” said Mark Lederman, business line director, Virgin Mobile USA.