Alcatel announced today that its new flagship Windows phone, the IDOL 4S, will ship exclusively on T-Mobile in the U.S. next week, on November 10. The IDOL 4S features Windows 10 Mobile, of course, but it also includes support for Continuum and, get this, a bundled virtual reality headset.
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“The IDOL 4S with Windows 10 Mobile is the device Windows Mobile fans and enterprise smartphone users have been waiting for,” an Alcatel representative told me. “Featuring flagship specs and performance, including support for innovative Windows 10 Mobile experiences like Continuum, the IDOL 4S with Windows 10 puts PC-like productivity right in your pocket.”
As you’ll see in a moment, the IDOL 4S is a high-end handset, but the most interesting bit, perhaps, is the inclusion of the IDOL 4S VR Goggles, a virtual reality headset which, as Alcatel notes, brings a VR experience to Windows 10 Mobile for the first time.
Beyond this unexpected new capability, the IDOL 4S is very much a high-end smartphone, with a 2.15 GHz Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage with microSD expansion, and a large 5.5-inch AMOLED 1080p screen. The rear-facing camera, at 21 MP and featuring a Sony IMX230 sensor, is potentially interesting, and there’s a Windows Hello-compatible fingerprint reader on the back of the device.
From a fit and finish perspective, the IDOL 4S features an all-glass body and what Alcatel calls a halo gold metallic frame for a premium look and feel.
The Alcatel IDOL 4S will set you back $470, which is a lot more reasonable than most premium smartphones, especially when you consider that the VR Goggles are included.
You can find out more about the IDOL 4S on the Alcatel web site. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but it’s a great looking phone. And for whatever it’s worth, there is an Android version as well.
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<p>Alca…what? Windows Mobile has VR Apps?</p>
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