Hands on: Alcatel One Touch Idol review

The Alcatel One Touch Idol is one of a trio of new smartphones from the French firm which are pushing towards the top end of the mobile market.

A less powerful understudy to the One Touch Idol Ultra, the Idol slides in with a 4.7-inch IPS LCD display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 8MP camera and Android Jelly Bean.

This is all squeezed into a slender 7.9mm chassis and Alcatel is claiming the One Touch Idol is the lightest smartphone in the world in its category tipping the scales at 110g.

We're not too sure what category Alcatel is referring to, but we can confirm that the handset does feel very light – shocker.

It also feels pretty cheap thanks to the low quality plastic which has been used to keep the weight down, and that detracts from the experience as it's like having a toy in your hand.

On the right side there's a volume rocker switch and a microSIM port, while on the flip side there's a slot for a microSD card to build on the lack lustre 4GB inside the One Touch Idol.

Up top you'll find a headphone jack and the power/lock key which required quite a bit of pressure to register our prod, meaning we had to tightly grip the One Touch Idol to stop it popping out of our hand.

Android 4.1.1 looks good on the 4.7-inch, 540x900 display and while it's not HD it is bright and colourful – although Alcatel has tweaked the icons to its own design which we're not big fans of.

The Alcatel One Touch Idol couldn't make up its mind if it wanted to offer a fluid or laggy user experience with Android running smoothly most of the time, but broken up by short periods of unexplained slow down - making it all a bit jarring.

Thankfully Alcatel hasn't stuck its own keyboard on the One Touch Idol opting to stick with the default Android offering which is a decent input method, especially with the responsive touch screen on the phone.

Round the back of the Idol you'll find the raised 8MP camera with single LED flash which will allow you to record full HD video.

The One Touch Idol sports the stock Android Jelly Bean camera app complete with panorama and photo sphere modes allowing you to have some fun.

Shutter speed is good and we were able to snap photos in quick succession without issue. Image quality is acceptable, but the results won't blow you away.

There's a non-removable 1,820mAh battery inside the One Touch Idol which should offer a reasonable amount of life, but we reckon heavy users will still be reaching for the charger before the day is out – we'll find out in our full review.

Alcatel was not forthcoming on the One Touch Idol release date or price, but we were told that it would be available worldwide when it does finally launch sometime this year.

Early Verdict

It's difficult to tell how much exposure the Alcatel One Touch Idol will get in various regions and it could well fall under many people's radar.

The One Touch Idol doesn't blow us away, nor does it completely disappoint – it's a middle of the road smartphone which will struggle to stand out in the crowded mobile market, even with its array of nine colour options.

Panasonic unveils new tough tablets

Panasonic has added 10.1-inch Windows 8 Pro and 7-inch Android devices to its Toughpad range of rugged business tablets.

The Windows 8 Pro version, named Toughpad FZ-G1, is the company's first rugged device made for the new operating system and is designed for mobile workers who spend much of their time on the road.

It weighs 1.1kg and has two-way touch input with a capacitative 10 finger touchscreen and digitiser pen.

It is the company's first fully rugged device to use IPSα Panel technology, and includes strengthened glass, extra wide viewing angles, a high contrast ratio and 800cd/m2 high brightness paired with an anti-reflection layer. Its full HD screen is built to perform in any light conditions.

The device G1 will have a MIL-STD-810G rating for 120cm drops and an IP65 ingress protection rating for resistance to dust and water. It will also be rated for use in extreme temperatures.

Other features include a front web camera and optional rear camera, customisable application keys, flexible configuration ports and an optional dual external antenna connector. It is powered by third generation Intel Core i5-3437U vProTM 3MB cache, 1.9GHz, up to 2.9GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology and comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD as standard and a 256GB SSD option.

Android for one hand

The JT-B1 Android model is designed for one handed use, weighing just 544g and offering four finger touch, a high visibility and low reflection display and an ambient light sensor.

It has a dimpled, concave surface to aid one-handed grip and a back-fitted hand strap. There are three customisable one-click keys, allowing users to jump straight to the apps they need with a short or long click.

The device is also equipped with a 1.3MP front web camera and a 13MP back camera with autofocus and LED light for detailed documentation and image capture. It has a MIL-STD-810G rating for 150cm drops and an IP65 ingress protection rating for resistance to dust and water.

Other features include connections for Bluetooth, 3G, wireless LAD and near field communications, a Texas Instruments Ti OMAP 4460 1.5GHz Dual Core ARM processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB Flash storage, and an open interface for developers to design specialist accessories. These could include barcode readers, payment devices or smartcard readers.

BlackBerry 10 devices to cover all price points, RIM exec claims

The long awaited debut of handsets running BlackBerry 10 OS is just three weeks away, and Research in Motion claims they'll be leaving no stone unturned when it comes to pricing.

PhoneArena reported Tuesday that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion plans to cover the entire spectrum of consumers' wallets with its latest wave of devices - including low, middle and high price tags.

RIM Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben was on hand at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week talking up the company's new BlackBerry 10 devices, which RIM will introduce on January 30.

BlackBerry lovers may have to be patient, however: Out of the gate, RIM is expected to only debut two new models, with others to come in the months ahead.

No exclusives

The new models are rumored to be the previously leaked BlackBerry Z10, a full touchscreen handset, and BlackBerry X10, which features RIM's popular - and more traditional - QWERTY keyboard.

"We intend over time as we transition the portfolio to have a full range of devices," the RIM CMO told PhoneArena at CES 2013.

Boulben claims RIM will introduce at least six BlackBerry 10 models in 2013 which are currently being tested around the world by 150 carriers, none of whom will have an exclusive on the handsets in any region.

Via PhoneArena

Hands on: ZTE Grand S review

ZTE is another Chinese manufacturer looking to tackle the high-end smartphone market with its latest flagship device, the ZTE Grand S.

Due to launch in China at the end of the first quarter the Grand S is set for a global release but an exact date and regions are yet to be revealed.

The Grand S joins the Grand Era and Grand X in ZTE's premium handset range, with the latest handset being the stand out offering.

On paper the Grand S is an intriguing proposition packing a full HD 5-inch display, 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 13MP camera, 4G connectivity and Android Jelly Bean into a chassis which is just 6.9mm thick.

This pits it squarely against the Sony Xperia Z and Huawei Ascend D2, both of which were also revealed at CES 2013, as well as stalwarts such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X+.

Design wise ZTE has stepped things up with the Grand S wrapping it in a classy polycarbonate unibody which makes the phone feel premium in the hand and thanks to that 6.9mm depth it's pretty easy to hold, however we'd have liked a slightly more curved rear to make it sit in the palm a little better.

On the front ZTE had opted to stick the Android menu buttons below the screen instead of having them on the display like the Xperia Z and Ascend D2, which adds a bit of extra length to the Grand S, but it's nothing to worry about and we were able to hit the keys easily.

One the right hand side there's a metallic volume switch and a port for a microSIM covered by an easy to remove, yet sturdy flap.

The port set up is mirrored on the left side, this time servicing you with a microSD card slot allowing you to expand on the 16GB of internal storage, while on the top there's a power/lock key and headphone jack.

With all that power we were expecting to be blown away by the user experience – instead we ended up being rather disappointed.

The whole Jelly Bean OS seemed slow and unresponsive compared to the Sony and Huawei devices we played with, leading us to question what on earth the quad-core chip and sizeable chunk of RAM was up to in the Grand S.

Transitions between home screens, of which you can have up to nine, lacked the zip we expect from high-end smartphones and apps took a second or two to load up, which is acceptable for a lower end device, but not a flagship handset.

ZTE's Android overlay is pretty subtle allowing you to enjoy the full flexibility of the Jelly Bean platform, and everything appears crisp and clear on the full HD display.

The Grand S sports a slightly tweaked Android keyboard powered by TouchPal providing you with a mediocre typing experience.

It's not a bad effort as far as Android keyboards go, but we still prefer downloading SwiftKey from Google Play as it's far more accurate and efficient.

The 13MP camera is housed in its own glass bubble on the rear of the Grand S along with the single LED flash and speaker grill.

It's capable of recording video in full HD, which you can the enjoy on the 5-inch display and the camera app comes with the standard array of Android features.

The shutter speed isn't overly quick so taking photos in rapid succession is out of the question, but at least the app to simple to use and you can easily switch to the 2MP front facing camera if you desire a self portrait.

Video playback on the 1080p display on the Grand S should have been top notch, but we found it to be pretty lack-lustre with faded colours and a lack of detail which puts it well below the other two full HD handsets we've seen.

This is a real shame as it looks like ZTE has failed to capitalise on the key feature of the Grand S which leaves you wondering why someone would plump for this over the Xperia Z or Ascend D2.

Possibly the only thing which could salvage the Grand S is a super-cheap price tag, but that's probably going to be unlikely given the tech stuffed inside.

ZTE is promising excellent battery life with the Grand S thanks to the power efficient Snapdragon S4 Pro chip running the show – although you'll have to wait for our full ZTE Grand S review to see if it can deliver.

Early Verdict

Taking a look at the specs the ZTE Grand S looks to be a blockbuster of a phone and one which could easily trump the big boys of the mobile market.

The reality however is not so great, with a sluggish interface and disappointing screen quality seriously wounding the Grand S, which is then pushed further down the pecking order by the superior Sony Xperia Z and Huawei Ascend D2.

Perhaps ZTE will be able to iron out the kinks before the handset hit shelves, but we're not holding out breaths and the Grand S will need a pretty special price tag if it's going to succeed.

TechRadar Best of CES Awards 2013 presented by DTS winners announced

CES has been an absolute whirlwind, giving us a thorough and at times mind boggling look at all the hottest tech on the market and coming soon.

We got to tinker with a new Sony phone, a 20-inch 4K tablet that was only overshadowed (size wise) by a 27-inch "table PC," and a host of other products we can't wait to see on the market.

As part of our presence at the show, TechRadar is honoring certain attendees with a Best of CES Awards 2013 presented by DTS.

We were floored by the innovation at the show and though it was hard, we were able to narrow down our selections to a group of winners that demonstrated the most innovative gadgets and electronics that showed groundbreaking design, technology and user experience.

You'll find the complete list of honorees below.

Best in Show:Sony Bravia 4K 65-inch Television

Peoples' Choice Award:Steam Box - Valve

Best Cell Phone:Sony Xperia Z

Best Tablet:Razer Edge

Best Laptop:Lenovo ThinkPad Helix

Best GPS Device: Bad Elf GPS Pro

Best Digital Camera:Fuji X20

Best Audio Accessory: MUNITIO PRO40 High Performance Headphones

Best All-in-One Computer: Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC

Most Unique Product:Panasonic 20-inch 4K Windows 8 Tablet

Best Car Tech: Lexus Self-Driving Car

Best Home Theater Product: Sony Bravia 4K Television 65-inch

We congratulate all the entrants and winners for their excellent work and look forward to seeing what innovation CES 2014 has in store!

BlackBerry 10 devices to cover all price points, RIM exec claims

The long awaited debut of handsets running BlackBerry 10 OS is just three weeks away, and Research in Motion claims they'll be leaving no stone unturned when it comes to pricing.

PhoneArena reported Tuesday that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion plans to cover the entire spectrum of consumers' wallets with its latest wave of devices - including low, middle and high price tags.

RIM Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben was on hand at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week talking up the company's new BlackBerry 10 devices, which RIM will introduce on January 30.

BlackBerry lovers may have to be patient, however: Out of the gate, RIM is expected to only debut two new models, with others to come in the months ahead.

No exclusives

The new models are rumored to be the previously leaked BlackBerry Z10, a full touchscreen handset, and BlackBerry X10, which features RIM's popular - and more traditional - QWERTY keyboard.

"We intend over time as we transition the portfolio to have a full range of devices," the RIM CMO told PhoneArena at CES 2013.

Boulben claims RIM will introduce at least six BlackBerry 10 models in 2013 which are currently being tested around the world by 150 carriers, none of whom will have an exclusive on the handsets in any region.

Via PhoneArena

Software update brings Paperwhite features to Kindle Touch

Amazon has released a new software update for the Kindle Touch, giving it a new lease of life after it was usurped by hot young upstart, the Kindle Paperwhite.

New features include a revamped user interface in which your archived books and mags will be stored under the heading Cloud, some enhanced parental controls, book cover view in your library and store, recommendations and better ability to handle graphic novels and comics by letting you read panel-by-panel.

The update also brings Whispersync for Voice to the Touch, which allows you to swap between reading a Kindle book and an Audible audio book without losing your place.

Book it in

There are other little Paperwhite-esque additions to look forward to, like Amazon's Time To Read feature which tells you how long it will take you to finish a chapter and the book as a whole based on how quickly you read.

Endurance readers might like that, others will want to disable it pronto. Still, the faster you get through one e-book, the sooner you'll buy another from the Kindle Store…

A more universally useful addition is the sample-to-book upgrade, which will set you off reading from where you left off in the sample when you upgrade to the full book.

Whatever you make of the new features, Kindle Touch owners will be relieved to hear that Amazon isn't leaving them out in the cold. You can download the new software from Amazon now, or sit tight for the over-the-air update to hit in due course.

From Amazon via The Digital Reader