Alcatel wasn't shy about letting the world know that it'd debut a quad-core 5-inch smartphone here at CES, but now we have a better understanding of the company's lofty ambitions for the One Touch Scribe HD. The Android 4.1.2 handset features a 5-inch HD (1,280 x 720) IPS display, 1GB RAM and offers enhanced functionality with an optional capacitive stylus and specialized apps such as a notebook and movie editor -- this in addition to packing that previously announced 1.2GHz quad-core MT6589 SoC from MediaTek.
With the One Touch Scribe HD, Alcatel is aiming to bring stylus functionality to those unable to afford Samsung's Galaxy Note II. The phone will sell in the ballpark of $400 and is set for US availability in Q3, complete with an optional flip cover. The Scribe HD sports an 8-megapixel rear shooter, a front-facing camera that captures 720p video, 4GB built-in storage, a microSD card slot and a 2,500mAh battery. In terms of connectivity, the handset supports quad-band GSM and offers HSPA+ in three different configurations: 900 / 2100MHz, 850 / 1900 / 2100MHz and 850 / 1700 (AWS) / 2100MHz.
We spent a few minutes with the Scribe HD in Las Vegas and it felt well made. In terms of design the smartphone is somewhat reminiscent of both HTC's One X (the overall shape and unibody shell) and Samsung's Galaxy Note II (the camera pod and shiny finish). The screen looks decent enough, sort of middle of the pack for an HD IPS display. Performance was a bit more sluggish than during our Mediatek hands-on -- then again, the Scribe HD we handled was not running final software. We particularly enjoyed the flip cover, which latches on magnetically like Apple's Smart Cover and povides the same premium experience. Check out the gallery below and ht the break for our hands-on video and Alcatel's PR.
Continue reading Alcatel reveals 5-inch One Touch Scribe HD smartphone (hands-on video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
