Alcatel Xess arrives April 22 for $499

When we first got our hands on the Alcatel Xess back in January, we were fairly impressed. Historically we’ve been dubious of oversized tablets, which tend to seem bulkier than they are useful. Alcatel seems to have figured out how to walk this particular tech tightrope by building the Xess to be deceptively light and razor thin and equipping it with a stylish and adaptable kickstand. The company originally offered a fairly vague release date of ‘early 2016,’ but now we’ve finally got the hard date: the supertablet will be available online as of April 22 for $499.

If five hundred bucks seems a bit steep to you, then you should know you’re not alone. A lot of prospective users have balked a bit at the price tag, so let’s take a look at what you’re getting when you spring for an Xess. It might not be a device for everybody, but some might find it an essential addition to their home.

This 17.3-inch tablet is aiming to be the end-all-beat-all home device. On the software side of things, the Xess runs a kind of modular interface that lets you view several things at once. It’s kind of like strapping several smaller tablets together, which makes it a great device for displaying a recipe while streaming YouTube and browsing social media. Kitchen-savvy technophiles will probably love this tablet. The LCD display has a 1920×1080 resolution, and it stays alight thanks to a massive 10,000mAh battery. The 64-bit octa-core MediaTek MT8783T processor is powered by 3GB of RAM, and you get 32 gigs of internal storage that can be expanded via microSD.

For the full scoop on the Xess’s release, check out the press release below. In the meantime, let us know what you think of this Alcatel tablet in the comments below. Something you’d be interested in, or too big for your tastes? Give us your thoughts, and be sure to stay tuned to Android Authority for the full review of the Xess once we get our hands on one.

[press]MEET THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF HOME SIMPLICITY: XESS

Designed to bring more engaging experiences to the home, the 17-inch Xess is the perfect kitchen accessory with pre-loaded recipe applications and other partner content

IRVINE, Calif. – April 7, 2016 – Alcatel – the number four mobile phone manufacturer in North America[i] – today announced a new device category in partnership with the TCL brand, with the North American launch of Xess. Initially unveiled at CES in January, Xess is purpose built to be the perfect 17-inch accessory for the kitchen, whether it’s for discovering and creating new meals via the pre-loaded recipe applications, accessing Nickelodeon content, such as PAW Patrol for kids, or catching up on the latest news and entertainment. Xess will be available for early-access purchase beginning on April 22 for the online exclusive price of $499 USD.

“We’ve been committed as a company to expanding the reach of our consumer technology and how it can bring better experiences and value to the lives of our customers, and with Xess, we’re delivering a meaningful connected kitchen hub that allows users to access more of the content they want and need, “said Steve Cistulli, President and General Manager for Alcatel, North America. “By bringing Xess to North America with the TCL brand, we leveraged their consumer electronics expertise with Alcatel’s proven record of bringing the perfect amount of mobile technology to our customers at affordable prices. This also allows us the opportunity to work with new partners like Viacom, and others to bring valuable content to our customers.”

“Through this partnership with Alcatel we are leveraging the power and reach of the Nickelodeon brand and our beloved IP, to connect kids and families with a seamless entertainment experience on the Xess that will greatly improve the time they spend together,” said Pam Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Consumer Products, Nickelodeon.

Every Xess sold in North America will also come with an in-box IP camera, perfect for keeping an eye on the nursery, playroom or living room. The Xess launcher also comes with a dedicated IP camera portal, so parents can be at ease and keep a lookout on their kids while working in the kitchen or another room in their home where they may have Xess setup. The real star of Xess though is the content you have access to from partners like Viacom and others to be named later.

Nickelodeon content just for kids at families’ fingertips Xess truly is made for families, right down to providing easy access to content from Nickelodeon, a Viacom media network, that includes hit shows such as TV’s number-one preschool series, PAW Patrol, and the award-winning Nick App, as well as the Noggin App. With this partnership, kids are able to have direct access to Nick branded content with ease, and thanks to Xess’s Android software, parents are also able to download additional content for their kids, like educational games, directly from the Google Play Store.

Discover, plan and prepare great meals Planning meals is a whole lot easier with Xess thanks to pre-loaded recipe applications to find new recipes and cooking how-to videos for your favorite meals; making meal discovery and planning simple and something the whole family can take part in. Preparing those new meals is a breeze as well, with step-by-step how-to videos to help along the way and integrated shopping applications pre-loaded on Xess, allowing users to order groceries easily through these apps.

Xess Key Features Include:

• Immersive 17.3-inch Full-HD display for a more brilliant viewing experience
• Dual 3-watt speakers featuring JBL Audio® for a high-fidelity home audio experience
• All-day battery life with a 9600mAh battery and magnetic quick release charger so you never have to worry about tripping over cords
• Portable design and adjustable stand for use anywhere in the kitchen or elsewhere in the home
• Powered by a 1.5 GHz MediaTek Octa-Core processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (supports up to 64GB of additional MicroSD expandable storage)

For more information on Xess, please visit Alcatel’s website.

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