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Alcatel OneTouch Idol X, Idol Mini make North American landfall with Virgin, Bell

At CES 2014, Alcatel lays out its plans to bring two of its smartphones to Canadian soil.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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Watch this: We examine Alcatel's 5-inch Idol X

LAS VEGAS--Alcatel is teaming up with Canadian carriers Bell and Virgin to sell a pair of the company's Android smartphones.

First, there's the One Touch Idol X, a slim, bright, 5-inch 1080p Android phone we first saw at Mobile World Congress almost a full year ago.

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Since then, the Idol X has gotten an Android upgrade to version 4.2, which lags two version behind, but will still deliver the meat of what Android does best. In addition, it's equipped with a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, a 13-megapixel camera, and a microSD slot (32GB) for people who dig extra storage space. Design-wise, the Idol X is a waifish 6.9 millimeters thin, or 0.27-inch.

Then there's the Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini that emerged at the IFA show in September. This 4.3-inch handset runs on a modest 1.2GHZ dual-core processor and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera.

Intended as an approachable, budget device, the One Touch Mini balances its tiny 4GB or 8GB internal storage space with a microSD card slot that holds up to 32GB.

Although there's no pricing information to share yet -- the carriers like to announce that on their own -- Alcatel did share a timeline that's leaning toward sooner rather than later. Subscribers in Canada should look for more news and availability "in the coming weeks."

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