New products and partnerships.
Alcatel will launch two new products, Vision and Alcatel 360, making it the first global smartphone brand to offer its users an all-in-one virtual reality (VR) experience. At this year’s IFA, Alcatel also announced new partnerships with four 360 degree global camera makers: 360fly, ALLie Camera, Arashi Vision (Insta 360 4K) and Primesom (Nico360).
Vision is the world’s first all-in-one mobile home entertainment virtual reality device to be offered with entry-level pricing. It can be worn comfortably for two to three hours, with or without glasses. Alcatel partnered with Jaunt VR, Magic Interactive Entertainment and Fraunhofer, which will provide preloaded content and hardware.
The Alcatel 360 Camera is an easy-to-use 360 degree camera that is available in two models, both with a dual 210 degree fisheye lens: a rectangular model, about half the size of a credit card, and a ball-shaped one, about the size of a coin. The compact, lightweight, plug and play Alcatel 360 allows users to capture then preview and share on the smartphones instantly.
With its smartphone IDOL 4S, introduced earlier this year, Alcatel was the first mobile phone brand to put VR in-the-box and ship a smartphone with VR goggles.
TCL Communication president and general manager of international business, Nicolas Zibell said, “VR is the next big computing platform and will reshape the way we experience the world. That’s why we are jumping in feet first. Our new mobile VR device and 360° camera are for those who believe that technology can change the world — and they want to be part of that change.”