A few months ago,
T-Mobile CEO John Legere pitched a fit over AT&T exclusivity for the Microsoft
Lumia 950 and
Lumia 950 XL Windows 10 Mobile flagship smartphones. T-Mobile customers can still purchase both smartphones and use them on T-Mobile’s network, but they have to purchase them off-contract at full price direct from Microsoft to do so. They can’t be purchased using T-Mobile’s financed installment plans. But despite the fact that Microsoft seems to be making a big mistake by
limiting its flagship smartphones to AT&T, T-Mobile hasn’t given up entirely on Windows 10 Mobile. Unfortunately, T-Mobile’s first foray into Windows 10 Mobile won’t be a high-end device. Instead, we’re looking at an entry-level smartphone from Alcatel.
The Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL is not exactly what we’d call a desirable device and might have trouble standing out in a field that is dominated by affordable and feature-packed Android devices. The OneTouch Fierce XL is a snoozer when it comes to specs, offering a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 210 processor with 2GB of RAM, 5.5-inch 720p display, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 8MP rear camera and 2MP front-facing camera. Unfortunately, unlike most Lumia smartphones, the OneTouch Fierce XL will come with a non-removable 2500mAh battery.
Given the low-end specs, don’t expect to see
Continuum support on the OneTouch Fierce XL. Continuum requires rather stout hardware (Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 v2.1 in the case of the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL respectively) to enable support for desktop class apps when hooked up with a
Microsoft Display Dock, external monitor, mouse and keyboard.
As for pricing, it’s reported that OneTouch Fierce XL will be priced below $100 and will make it debut at CES 2016. A sub-$100 price tag is a far cry from the $549/$649 price tag of the Lumia 950/Lumia 950 XL and seems to be par for the course from previous budget-minded Lumia smartphones.
