14 DAY TRIAL // Some appealing Alcatel devices have been made official this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, including three new smartphones running under Mozilla’s Firefox OS operating system, namely OneTouch Fire C, Fire E, and Fire S.
Affordable yet stylish, these new handsets are meant to provide more users out there with the possibility to enjoy the capabilities of a smartphone, something that Mozilla has been aiming at since first unveiling plans for the building of a mobile operating system.
Unfortunately, Alcatel did not have all three smartphones on display at its stand at MWC 2014, but only showcased the cheaper Alcatel OneTouch Fire C and Fire E there. Apparently, a working Fire S unit was not ready in time for the conference.
Even so, we did have the chance to play a bit with the other two devices, and we must say that we were pleasantly impressed with what they could offer.
The first thing that you need to know about these phones is the fact that they are meant for the entry level of the market, and that they pack hardware specs in line with that.
They are cheap, featuring a plastic case that does make them feel as such, but they are still pleasant to hold in the hand and can offer a pretty fast user experience, which makes them highly appealing, especially to those looking for affordable, easy-to-use smartphones.
It also comes with 512MB of RAM inside, paired with 4GB of internal memory, and a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes. However, it does feature HSPA+ connectivity, along with the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, built-in GPS receiver, and Wi-Fi Hotspot.
On the back, there’s a VGA camera, capable of video recording. The smartphone is powered by a 2000mAh battery that can deliver up to 20 hours of talk time, or up to 720 hours of standby time, on 2G. Those who will connect it to a 3G network will enjoy only half of that.
According to Alcatel, the new OneTouch Fire C should start shipping globally by the second quarter of the year and will sport a price tag of only €59 ($81). Alcatel will release it with various color options when it comes to its back cover.
Alcatel OneTouch Fire E, on the other hand, is a bit larger, courtesy of a 4.5-inch touchscreen display capable of offering a 540 x 960 pixels resolution. However, it is powered by the same 1.2GHz dual-core processor as Fire C.
Alcatel plans on making the device available sometime in the second quarter of the year, with a price tag of €139 ($192) attached to it. Both smartphones are expected to land on the market in Asia and Europe, but they might not hit shelves in North America in the near future.
