Alcatel adds a 5.5-inch model to its OneTouch Pixi 3 lineup

BARCELONA -- Given that there were already 24 versions of Alcatel's OneTouch Pixi 3 announced at CES, it was almost a relief to find that the company only has one more new model to show off this time, a 5.5-inch model that's the largest of this entry-level series.

Keeping much to the same design, the phone has the same rounded edges and plastic design. Mind you, the unit shown to us was a mock-up, but it greatly resembles the the other handsets in the lineup.

Like the other Pixi 3's, the 5.5-inch model is no different. Depending on the carrier, it can be customised with different hardware configurations. However, it will only run Android 5.0 Lollipop. There will be two main models for the phone, one with 3G and another with 4G.

The phone's 4G will be compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile's networks in the US, while it will also have support for some networks in the UK, such as Three and EE. It is also compatible with LTE networks in Asia.

As mentioned, the Pixi 3 sports a 5.5-inch display, and depending on the model, with have different resolutions. For the 3G model, it has a lower-resolution qHD (960x540 pixels), while the 4G model comes packing a higher-resolution display of 1,280x720 pixels. It will have 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage and external storage support via its microSD card slot for up to 128GB.

Other specs include an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front shooter. Depending on the configuration, it can also come with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. The 3G version will have a 2,910mAh battery, while the 4G model packs a slightly smaller 2,800mAh charge.

The 3G version of the phone will be powered by MediaTek, specifically, the MT6580, which has not yet been officially announced at the time of writing. From what we could determine, this is an entry-level 1.3GHz quad-core processor that's meant to be launched in the second quarter this year.

For the 4G model, Alcatel has chosen to go with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor clocked at 1.1GHz.

While it's not really a flagship phone like the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, the 5.5-inch Pixi 3 offers a large-screen experience without the usual associated price tag. Expect to see this phone arrive in European markets first in July for the 3G version and some time in the third quarter for 4G variant. There's no word on US availability or pricing for the handsets at the moment.

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