Alcatel announces the IDOL 3 pair of smartphones, hoping to rival Apple's dream iPhone 6 duo

IDOL 3 Rocks the Smartphone World With Top-Line Technology

Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, 1 March 2015 – ALCATEL ONETOUCH’s new IDOL 3 smartphone is packed with best-in-class components and software, designed with partners who are leaders in their fields. Award-winning JBL audio with two front-facing speakers and Clari-Fi technology. Technicolor Color Enhance technology. And a 13-Mpxl rear camera with a next-generation sensor. Plus, an IDOL 3 exclusive feature: it is 100 percent reversible, so users can grab their phone upside down and the IDOL 3 user interface automatically adjusts.

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-Mpxl 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.

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 tailor-made, award-winning JBL audio with Clari-Fi technology gives users the power of professional hi-fi 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.

I Can See Clearly Now
Check the score. Read that text message. No squinting 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.

Rock Your World
And by the way, IDOL 3 rocks even upside-down. The interface that always rights itself.
Even while executing a kickflip on the goofyfoot. 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.

A Tech-Stacked Deck
The ultra-slim smartphone is available in two sizes, 4.7” and 5.5”. It comes equipped with dual hi-fi speakers, a 13-Mpxl rear camera, a large aperture for shooting in low light and a sensor that enables the camera’s lightning responsiveness. The 4.7” model has a quad-core CPU and HD screen; the 5.5” has an octa-core CPU and a full HD screen. Both offer 4G LTE connectivity. Both run on Android L. IDOL 3 features a symmetrical design for complete reversibility.

Three Questions for Francois Chambon, Head of Innovation Lab, ALCATEL ONETOUCH

1. Is there a feature of IDOL 3 that you’d like to highlight?
Today we use our smartphones as a camera. To immortalize the most important moments of our lives, we grab our smartphones without even thinking about it. That’s why it’s important to offer an integrated camera that is able to focus quickly, especially to capture people, who are always moving. So we partnered with Fotonation to create Fast Face Focus, which enables face detection in just 0.26 seconds. Now you can take great pictures in any kind of situation.

2. Rumor has it that IDOL 3 will feature the latest innovations in audio.
Absolutely. We completely redesigned the IDOL’s music player to make it fun. It includes the leading streaming services and lets users mix their music manually or automatically. At the same time, the front stereo speakers produce true-to-life sound thanks to a state-of-the-art hi-fi chip; Clari-Fi by Harman, which rectifies digitally compressed music; and 3D audio, which is great for watching movies.

3. ALCATEL ONETOUCH is the brand that makes innovations accessible to all. Can you give us some concrete examples?
Yes, one of the most exciting things we’ve introduced lately is the award-winning WATCH, a beautifully designed, multifunction smartwatch that’s a fraction of the cost of comparable products. Not to mention our low-cost PIXI line of smartphones, which makes 4G connectivity accessible to a wide base and offers a choice of three operating systems.

Three Questions for CW Park, Global Design Director, ALCATEL ONETOUCH

1. Where did you get your inspiration for this smartphone?
It came from a struggle that we all have in our everyday lives. Whether we’re shopping at the supermarket, riding a bike or carrying files in the office, our hands are often full. When the phone rings, we don’t usually have much time to answer. By the time we free our hands or search through our bags and find the right way to pick up the phone, it’s already too late.
That’s why I had this idea of a smartphone you can pick up both ways. IDOL 3 rocks, even upside down.

2. How about the overall design of the phone?
With the upside-down effect comes the necessity of keeping the phone perfectly symmetrical. So we put a lot of effort into designing this orientation-free structure with dual front speakers. We also paid attention to the minutest details. The elegant casing, for example, featuring a brushed metal frame with a dual-color diamond-cut effect, is unique in the industry.

3. How do you work with your design studio?
Our team of designers is rapidly expanding — we have a whole group of young and passionate designers. My designers are inspired by everything around them: what’s going on in the music, film and automotive industries, for instance.

Three Questions for William Dowie, Portfolio Director, ALCATEL ONETOUCH

1. What does the launch of this smartphone mean for ALCATEL ONETOUCH?
It’s a smartphone that really shows that we can deliver the best experience for our customers. IDOL 3 is a premium smartphone that will reach a worldwide audience and we have high hopes for its sales. It’s the perfect product to demonstrate the value we provide and to showcase the ALCATEL ONETOUCH brand.   
On another note, it is also our first fully global launch. We’ve put a lot of effort into synchronizing everything, from product availability to the marketing approach to advertising. This smartphone will be shipped to many of the major carriers and retailers all across the world. 

2. How would you compare IDOL 3 with the competition?
I think it’s the best in its category — especially if you look at all of the features (JBL sound, Technicolor Color Enhance technology), the massive innovations that are in it (Fast Face Focus, its reversibility) and the design. It’s a smartphone you can proudly show your friends.

3. What makes this smartphone stand out?
With IDOL 3, we are delivering a premium experience for the masses. The smartphone will be loaded with your favorite apps and content right out of the box. For example, for music lovers, we are collaborating with Rdio and Deezer.
Dan Dery, ALCATEL ONETOUCH’s Chief Marketing Officer:
“We held nothing back when we were designing the new IDOL 3. The premium features go head to head with the best in the industry and set a new performance standard.”

Manuele Wahl, Senior Vice President of Technology & Trademark Licensing, at Technicolor:
“Backed by 100 years’ experience leading color and image innovation, Technicolor Color Enhance technology gives the IDOL 3 smartphone a vivid cinema color experience right in your hands, at home and on the go. From any angle and in any light, the consumer’s picture and video will always be stunning.”

Raj Talluri, Senior Vice President of Product Management, at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc:
“We are very excited about the launch of the IDOL 3, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor. The Snapdragon 615 processor is designed to deliver an exceptional mix of great user experience and strong performance with a 64-bit CPU, incredibly fast 4G LTE connectivity, crisp video and long battery life. We are proud to work with ALCATEL ONETOUCH to bring the richness of the Snapdragon mobile experience to a wide range of consumers with the IDOL 3.”

Michael Mauser, President of HARMAN Lifestyle Division:
“More and more people listen to their favorite music through compressed music files via their mobile phone. At JBL we want the quality of the music to be the way the artist intended it. Harman’s Clari-Fi technology automatically restores audio quality of compressed files. The new IDOL 3, featuring award-winning JBL audio with Clari-Fi technology, now provides the best possible sound quality for the listener.”