Alcatel reveals 5-inch One Touch Scribe HD smartphone (hands-on video)

Alcatel wasn't shy about letting the world know that it had plans to 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 provides the same premium experience. Check out the gallery below and ht the break for our hands-on video and Alcatel's PR. %Gallery-174937%

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World's Slimmest Smartphone, ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Idol Ultra, Unveiled at 2013 Consumer Electronic Show

Las Vegas, Nevada (Consumer Electronic Show) – January 7, 2013 – TCL Communication, the leading global designer and manufacturer of ALCATEL ONE TOUCH branded mobile devices, today announced the brands 2013 smartphone lineup, including the world's slimmest smartphone, the ONE TOUCH Idol Ultra and the first phone to feature the new MediaTek MT6589 quad-core chipset, the ScribeHD.

"The Alcatel ONE TOUCH brand has grown exponentially since entering the U.S. market eight years ago," said Nicolas Zibell, President, Americas & Pacific for ALCATEL ONE TOUCH. "And with the launch of our new smartphone collection we plan to take things to the next level."

ONE TOUCH Idol Ultra

The ONE TOUCH Idol Ultra smartphone is the thinnest smartphone yet. The device breaks current market records at 6.45mm thin. Performance is not compromised in this design with features such as a stunning 4.7'' HD AMOLED display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8MP camera that captures 1080p video, and running on Android Jelly Bean.

ONE TOUCH Idol

In the same product line, the ONE TOUCH Idol also breaks current records, weighing in at 110 grams (3.88 oz) making it the lightest smartphone in its category. The device's dual-core processor and Android platform provides a feature-rich experience and supports a large, bright 4.7" IPS display, 8MP camera and 2MP front camera, running on Android Jelly Bean and offered in premium brushed metallic finishes.

"The ONE TOUCH Idol device series represents a breakthrough in technology," said Alain Lejeune, Head of Research and Development for ALCATEL ONE TOUCH. "We've pushed the barriers on design, resulting in devices that offer the perfect balance between ultra-slim form factor, large display, outstanding performance, and rich user experience, while keeping the devices affordably priced to consumers."

ONE TOUCH Scribe HD

The ONE TOUCH SCRIBE HD introduces new creative tools for personal expression and productivity. The 5" HD smartphone is first to debut the new MediaTek MT6589 quad-core chipset, providing faster Internet performance, smoother user-experience to simultaneously run power-hungry apps & games, along with premium multimedia & graphics capabilities. Beyond running a quad-core CPU, the ONE TOUCH Scribe HD also supports 4G speeds, 8MP camera plus 720p HD front camera, and operates on Android Jelly Bean.

A perfect blend of technology and design, these phones offer both form and function and are available in a wide collection of fresh and trendy colors. Additionally the company will be showcasing the exciting and colorful ONE TOUCH POP series of smartphones that redefine simplicity, as well as a series of thinner, sharper and faster tablets and new innovative connectivity devices.

For 20 years now, the ALCATEL brand has brought consistent innovation to consumers and quality in mobile phone technology to the widest audience. The ONE TOUCH smartphone product line is leveraging on that expertise bringing unique products, priced to be accessible to all.

"These mobile devices represent a small portion of the Android smartphones that the company will bring to market globally in 2013, and that will be brought to the public eye for the very first time at CES," said Nicolas Zibell.

Zach Lutz and Brad Molen contributed to this report.