Alcatel Onetouch announces a smartwatch and Pixi 3 series phones ahead of CES

CES 2015 doesn’t officially begin until January 6th, but that never stops companies from announcing their new products a bit early. Alcatel Onetouch is one of the first manufacturers to make an early announcement, and it’s quite a big one. The company has just announced a new affordable smartwatch, as well as the Pixi 3 line of smartphones. They plan to show these devices off in full at CES 2015 in the coming days.

The Pixi 3 line is a set of affordable smartphones that come in 4-inch, 4.5-inch and 5-inch sizes, which are all 4G LTE compatible. There’s also a 3G-capable 3.5-inch model that will likely cost much less than the others. The best part about these devices is that they’re OS-agnostic, meaning there are three different operating systems to choose from: Android, Windows or Firefox OS. One thing to remember about these devices: Alcatel’s Pixi line has been around for a few years now, and they shouldn’t be confused with the Alcatel Onetouch/Palm rumors that have surfaced lately. Unfortunately, we shouldn’t get our hopes up to see Palm coming back anytime before CES.

Alcatel Onetouch has also announced their new affordable smartwatch. Named the Watch, it connects to Android devices to monitor daily activity, control music, receive notifications and more. The Watch has a circular display and small bezels, and unlike the Moto 360, it doesn’t appear to have a break in the display at the bottom for any type of sensors. Alcatel Onetouch says the Watch aims to be an small, affordable smartwatch that will be sold for a fraction of the price of its competitors. There is no mention of the OS running on the Watch, so we’ll have to wait until the company shows it off at CES.

The company will have both of these devices to show off at CES in the coming days. If the price is right for both of these devices, would you buy into the Pixi 3 line or the Watch?

[press] With a series of announcements at the International CES, ALCATEL ONETOUCH, one of the world’s largest smartphone brands, makes good on its commitment to offer the latest technological innovations to all.

The brand’s new PIXI smartphones make mobile Internet available to everyone, while offering another innovative feature of OS-agnostic. It is available with Firefox, Windows or Android, providing the flexibility to all consumers. What’s more? The smartly priced WATCH creates a newly attainable smartwatch category.

4G LTE at an affordable price

First among ALCATEL ONETOUCH’s announcements at CES, the smartphone brand is launching its affordable PIXI 3 series, ranging from a pocket-friendly 3.5-inch display to a larger 5-inch display. Offering both 3G and 4G LTE connectivity for the PIXI 3 (4″), (4.5″) and (5″) and 3G for the PIXI 3 (3.5″), the PIXI 3 series further features easy customization and the most popular applications pre-loaded.

OS-agnostic – Firefox, Windows or Android

Besides being the first among the PIXIs to offer 4G, the PIXI 3 series is also first to be compatible with three major operating systems: Firefox, Windows and Android.

“Our users do not want complicated systems — they want something familiar from their work environment in the office, but also on a smartphone,” said ALCATEL ONETOUCH Chief Marketing Officer Dan Dery.

Cross-device integration, from smartphones through to PCs. PIXI 3 series offers consumers simplicity of use and the reassurance of having the same system at home, at the office and on the go. With its OS-agnostic PIXI 3 series, ALCATEL ONETOUCH presents operating-system choices to its customers.  This continues the efforts begun last year, when the brand teamed with Mozilla to launch the Firefox OS on its FIRE series of smartphones.

A Smartwatch at a Smart Price

It looks like a watch and feels like a watch but it’s much smarter than that. ALCATEL ONETOUCH introduces the WATCH series, a smartwatch that puts a premium on elegant design at a very accessible price. In launching the WATCH, ALCATEL ONETOUCH creates a new market segment: the affordable smartwatch.

Offering the WATCH at a fraction of the cost of competitors, the smartphone brand has implemented its compact design expertise to offer a series of fine finishing that meet the demands of everyone looking for the same look and feel as a traditional watch.

While offering choices and styles, the WATCH is also packed with sensors and apps that allow users to monitor daily activity, and connects to Android smartphones to control music, take photos, receive notifications and more.

A Blast of Color: ALCATEL ONETOUCH’s Interactive Booth

Visitors to ALCATEL ONETOUCH’s CES booth will not only be able to test the brand’s products but also really get in the game with activities such as the Interactive Color Run. Color Run is a five-kilometer race during which runners are doused with color at every kilometer. In this virtual version, a video wall will display landscape at a scrolling speed that matches the runner’s speed. To win points, players will be able to throw colored sand at the images of other people as they run. Four different smartwatch functions will also display onscreen.

Stop by our booth #9829 at the International CES. [/press]