Alcatel, famous among skinflints across the land for its serviceable budget mobiles, is threatening to go all lah-de-dah by bringing out an Android smart phone. Worry not, cheapsters, because it's set to cost just £99.95.
The OT-980 is Alcatel's first Android-based slider phone, with a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen and a Qwerty keypad, reminding us of a low-rent Palm Pre.
But for this price it looks remarkably well stacked, featuring Wi-Fi, HSPA data up to 7Mbps, a compass, a multi-IM client, an MP3 player and a 2-megapixel camera. It will be available on pay as you go from Carphone Warehouse and online, in cherry red and silver colours.
Smart phones are often hideously expensive -- just take a look at how much the new BlackBerry Torch will set you back -- so it's fantastic that companies such as Alcatel can produce phones for the cheap end of the market, with most of the functionality that makes smart phones smart. And without trying to stretch a contract out of it either.
"We position our product to bring aspirational feature sets and design to new price points," said Alcatel's William Paterson. "We have always done pre-pay and think there is an opportunity to change with the Android."
Phones such as the OT-980 will make it easier for those on a microbudget to take on an app-friendly Android phone, whereas before they might have had to plump for janky old Symbian.
It's the latest attempt by Alcatel to provide cheap phones targeted at specific markets. Last month we saw a pink and black Microsoft Kin-styled device in the VM202, which only cost £30 and was aimed at young social networkers.
Just a week later it reached out to skint emailers with the Alcatel OT-802, a BlackBerry-styled Qwerty phone priced at £45. Fine, but pretty short of the features we expect today, particularly 3G browsing.
But with Android 2.1, the OT-980 carries a powerful version of the mobile OS, if not the latest. More expensive phones don't manage this version, such as the Motorola Dext, which is permanently stuck on 1.6, while the Sony Ericsson Xperia is still awaiting a 2.1 upgrade.
We'll be extremely interested to see how a sub-£100 phone can handle Android, and whether it proves adequate for your app and Web-browsing needs. Key concerns will be how responsive the old-fashioned resistive touchscreen is, and whether its processor can handle the Android smoothly. We'll have a full review soon.
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Comments 15
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Dean Shepherd 16 September, 2010 14:38
holy hell, that actually looks very damn tempting....almost makes me think I might trade in my old nokia 5800 for something like that...I mean yea sure my old nokia is running symbian and yes its a lil janky BUT it still runs very well compared to some of the other 'cheap' smart phones. BUT if this looks like it will be good I might be tempted very tempted to join the android team.
Anonymous 16 September, 2010 22:11
This phone is not priced at under £100, or atleast not yet. It has been available at the carphone warehouse for the past few week for £129.95. Too much for an alcatel phone...
Anonymous 22 September, 2010 23:02
I have the phone it has been great keyboard is lovley but!
Wifi does not scan very far i lose connection in my house when all other wireless devices are fine!
Battery life isnt to great! I have got it to last two days at the most and that with little usage other than texting.
The touchscreen has broken! I have taken great care in looking after the phone, i have even left the screen cover on to protect it yet in two weeks of owning the phone there is no response from the touchscreen. i am now having to take the phone back to carphone warehouse to see what they do about it.
The microphone does not work in apps other than phoning someone! (faulty phone maybe?)
I realise your not going to get a great phone for the price but i still dont expect the phone to break after a few weeks! all phones should have atleast a years life apart from a nokia that will go forever haha woop 3310 :)
Thanks for reading
Anonymous 17 October, 2010 23:24
phone looks good but alcatels arent the best phone in the world and what that girls saying about it being faulty makes me think twice lol but android is most proberebly the best thing out there.
Anonymous 3 November, 2010 11:30
Be careful with this - Mine won't hook up to my PC. Spent ages on the phone to carphone warehouse and Alcatel trying to download drivers for it. Alcatel say the ot701 driver should work as there is no specific software for this yet.! But it doesn't work on mine!!!! Goin' to get my money back. " days is all the battery last even on standby.
Anonymous 3 November, 2010 19:23
Yeah I bought this moby a couple of weeks ago. I'm having problems. First of all carphone warehouse are selling it only with t mobile sims. Now t mobile don't even have any of the settings for the device? Can't picture message, I've been onto t mobile and was pretty much fobbed off. I do like the handset and features, gr8 android abilities. Anyone know how to sort the picture msging out? I would like to keep the phone I had the 5800 previously, yeah its gr8 also but since goin over to android I love it. Some things could be improved, its a dilema!
Anonymous 3 November, 2010 19:32
Forgot. I'm also having problems linking it to my pc. I can access the memory card ok but to use it as a modem. Computer Says NO! Surely they could've put a mini cd with the pc suite on in that tiny box? Do I take it back n get a nokia or lg?
Anonymous 8 November, 2010 09:24
I've managed to get it linked to my PC but the helpline is rubbish - you need the alcatel ot 980 software which I was eventually able to download from a foriegn site and now the SD card switches off when it's plucgged into my pc making it useless. It's going back I think,
Anonymous 31 December, 2010 22:51
I love this thing. Perfect Intro smart phone. I wasnt too sure about android and wanted to try it out without having to send $500.00 on a handset. for $200.00 CAD I was and still am pleasantly surprised. I needed a smart phone for work. its quick software doesnt get hung up. does everything i need it to do and more. its a steal i almost feel guilty
Anonymous 15 April, 2011 02:52
I've had this phone for two months now and i have to say i'm very impressed. Im loving all the apps, its very easy to use and i got mine for 65 pounds from Carphone Warehouse best smart phone i've had and i've had 4 Blackberrys but this one seems more reliable. i can answer all my emails, go on facebook, no problems. Big thumbs up from me.
Anonymous 24 May, 2011 22:15
i like the look of this fone i wonted one with a qwerty keyboard slide like a bbt but they r too expensive so i looked at a simalarity but after reading these comments im not so sure :[????!!!!
anonymous 15 September, 2011 16:55
can not use ot-980 for 64 bit windows 7. i am having a problem installing the driver? any ideas?
anonymous 5 March, 2012 02:16
i have this phone for almost 6 months and its the best!!! it downloads apps quick and works fine with any app!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! you must know how to use it and instal antivirus!!!!
anonymous 23 May, 2012 04:02
hey you Hi,how are you?,im fine okay :)
anonymous 24 May, 2012 02:35
I've had this phone for about a year now. I don't know if they still even make it, but it's working fine for me. One problem is that if you have a long convo ( around 30 mins) the phone heats up and the battery drains. That's pretty much the only problem I've had. The phone itself is in good condition, even in the hands of a clumsy person like me. One tip though, if you have this phone, do NOT take the SD card out before ejecting it. You will loose a lot of your data, I've definitely learned my lesson. Hope this helps :)