The 2013 edition of IFA may not officially begin until Sept. 6, but Alcatel has decided to kick things off a bit early by introducing a handful of new Android-powered smartphones. The company today announced four new devices in its One Touch Idol series of handsets, ranging from the entry-level Idol Mini to the higher-end Idol Alpha and Idol X. There's a lot of information to digest here, so we're going to break it down for you bullet point style:

• One Touch Idol Alpha: As you can see above left, the Alpha's unique design includes a metal body with a translucent edge that will light up under certain circumstances, like if the phone is charging or has unread notifications. When it comes to specs, you're looking at a 4.7-inch 1280x720 IPS display and 1.3-megapixel camera on its face, and around back is a 13.1-megapixel shooter. Inside of the Alpha's metal frame lives a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 16GB storage, 1GB RAM and a 2,000mAh battery. Expect the Idol Alpha to begin rolling out globally in Q4 with Android 4.2 in tow.
• One Touch Idol X: The Idol X is the largest of the new One Touch Idol models thanks to its 5-inch 1080p display. The display isn't the only part of the Idol X that's high-end, though, as it also packs 13.1-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras as well as a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU. Rounding out the X's feature set is Android 4.2, a microSD slot, 2,000mAh battery and either 16GB (single-SIM) or 32GB (dual-SIM) built-in storage. The Idol X is available now in some markets and will continue to roll out globally going forward.
• One Touch Idol S: Next up is the Idol S, which Alcatel says is its first smartphone with 4G LTE. Besides its speedy wireless connectivity, the Idol S has a 4.7-inch 1280x720 IPS display on its face as well as 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras. Buried inside the Idol S is a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4GB storage that can be expanded upon with a microSD card, 1GB RAM, a 2,000mAh battery, Android 4.2 and support for optional wireless charging. The Idol S is will come to market in slate, cherry red and fresh rose color options later this month. 
• One Touch Idol Mini: Just as its name suggests, the Idol Mini is the smallest of the One Touch Idol bunch, packing a 4.3-inch 854x480 IPS screen. The Idol Mini a fairly entry-level unit, sporting a 5-megapixel rear camera, VGA front-facing shooter, 512MB RAM, 2GB (single-SIM) or 4GB (dual-SIM) built-in storage and a 1,700mAh battery. There's also a 1.2GHz dual-core processor inside the Idol Mini's frame. The Android 4.2-powered Idol Mini will launch later in September in slate, silver and cranberry pink hues.

It looks like Alcatel's got itself a pretty wide range of hardware in the One Touch Idol series, which gives shoppers considering a new Alcatel handset the ability to compare several products and choose the one that best fits their needs. It's worth noting that Alcatel tells us that while none of these devices are slated to hit the U.S., it is planning to bring similar products stateside later this year. Stay tuned and I'll update you with more information on Alcatel's plans as it's available.