Affordable yet compelling unlocked smartphones are hard to come by in America, but the new Alcatel One Touch Idol might buck the trend. Priced at $299, this sleek and thin Android handset sports a big 4.7-inch screen, plus it’s splash-resistant.
The One Touch’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software is driven by an adequate if not blazing 1GHz dual-core processor. An 8-megapixel rear camera along with a 2-megapixel front-facing imaging device handle photo and video duties.
What makes this gadget really stand out though is its superslim 0.31-inch thickness. By comparison, even the ultratrim Samsung Galaxy S3 measures slightly more plump 0.34-inch.
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Of course if you want to go even more trim, the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra shaves its chassis down further to a razor-thin 0.25 inch thickness. The Idol Ultra, essentially a beefed up version of the Idol, also boasts an HD AMOLED screen which trumps the Idol’s qHD IPS LCD. Sadly though, Alcatel hasn’t announced plans to bring the Ultra stateside just yet.
Alcatel’s bright, thin One Touch Idol Ultra (pictures)
![](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/95aaae0bcf053d13095ac1c9c95c065ecd6ba006/hub/2013/01/08/9e651678-f0e2-11e2-8c7c-d4ae52e62bcc/35560686-6154.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=299&width=532)
![](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/8bbd16efb2f5a34ef799f98da7d64faa991b7224/hub/2013/01/08/9e6368a1-f0e2-11e2-8c7c-d4ae52e62bcc/35560686-6165.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=299&width=532)
![](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/03555aa63f08f2a6687421dd3ba261565fff3fd8/hub/2013/01/08/9e5f4b9b-f0e2-11e2-8c7c-d4ae52e62bcc/35560686-6163.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=299&width=532)
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Be advised though, that as an unlocked GSM smartphone, the Alcatel One Touch Idol will connect to AT&T and T-Moble networks only. So if you have dreams about setting the Idol up on Sprint or Verizon, you’re in for a rude awakening.
![](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/25c15e5817e4c4d31bd1f10e4fcf57dada6c5aeb/hub/2013/01/07/7f37c316-8ae8-11e2-9400-029118418759/Alcatel_One_Touch_Idol_and_idol_Ultra.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=110&width=196)
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Alcatel’s ultraslim One Touch Idol Ultra
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