When Alcatel OneTouch first introduced the Idol 3 back in March, it said that the phone would be available in two screen sizes: 5.5 inches and 4.7 inches. So far, though, we’ve only seen the 5.5-inch model. That’s finally changing this week.
The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 4.7 will launch in the US and Canada on August 14 for $179.99 unlocked and contract-free. You’ll be able to buy from Alcatel OneTouch’s US and Canadian shops online shop or from Amazon.
We got the Idol 3 4.7’s spec rundown when it was first introduced, but that was five months ago, so most of us could probably use a refresher. The Idol 3 4.7 has a 4.7-inch 1280x720 display and a pair of front-facing speakers with JBL audio on its face. There’s also a 5-megapixel shooter on the front of the phone, and around back lives a 13-megapixel shooter with autofocus.
Inside the Idol 3 4.7’s 7.55mm frame lives a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 16GB of storage, a microSD slot that supports cards up to 32GB in size, 1.5GB of RAM, and a 2000mAh battery. It’ll come preloaded with Android 5.0.2, and it supports LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, and 17, so it ought to play nicely with both AT&T and T-Mobile in the US.
Compared to the larger Idol 3 5.5, the Idol 3 4.7 offers a step down in processor, smaller battery, and slightly less RAM. In exchange, though, you’re getting a smaller phone (134.6 x 65.9 x 7.55mm vs 152.7 x 75.14 x 7.4mm) that’s better suited to one-handed use, as well as a smaller price. The Idol 3 4.7 also retains two of the Idol 3 5.5’s most notable features: its front-facing speakers and its fully reversible design, the latter of which means you can use the phone upside-down and the software will adapt.
The budget smartphone market has been getting pretty good lately, and Alcatel OneTouch gets some of the credit for that thanks to the Idol 3 5.5. Now the Idol 3 5.5’s design and software will be available in a smaller package, so if you’re hunting for a new sub-5-inch smartphone, keep the Idol 3 4.7 on your radar