Alcatel One Touch Pop C9 hands on

In addition to the new octa-core packing One Touch Idol X+ announced at CES, Alcatel also lifted the veil off the mid-range One Touch Pop C9 Android powered smartphone. This device has a familiar form factor. It is not out to win a specification race, rather, the Pop C9 gives users a large screen for media consumption without a premium price point.

The One Touch Pop C9 fits into Alcatel's line-up perfectly.  The company has an established line of hand sets that can be acquired without unreasonable sums of money, many of which carry a dual-SIM card capacity.

Design

The physical design of the One Touch Pop C9 is unassuming, but functional. The dual-SIM variant that was on display has all the necessary components for device that will find a home in established and emerging markets. It is not a 4G LTE device, rather it supports HSPA+ speeds up to 21Mbps. Alcatel is circling its wagons around silicon made by MediaTek, and it is that company’s silicon that beats inside the Pop C9.

Display

The display is large and bright. At 5.5-inches, the One Touch Pop C9 will be a fine device to consume media with. Since it is a mid-range device however, the Pop C9’s display has a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels which gives it a pixel density of just 100ppi. The display is bright and fluid though, and ultra-HD displays are not expected on a device that is not intended to be a class leader.

Interface

The One Touch user interface for the Pop C9 is consistent with the experience found on other Alcatel One Touch devices. It is not a heavy interface and is functional. Underneath the thin overlay is Android 4.2.2.

Processor and Memory

A quad-core MediaTek CPU can be found at the heart of the One Touch Pop C9. At 1.3GHz, it has little trouble processing the comparatively low resolution content on display. On board is 1GB of RAM and just 4GB of storage. Thankfully that storage can be expanded with microSD cards up to 32GB. The One Touch Pop C9 will come in single SIM and dual-SIM versions.

Camera

The Pop C9 is equipped with an 8MP camera and LED flash. There are multiple settings with the camera interface. It can also record video up to 1080p HD. It does not have some of the detailed settings that can be found on its flagship cousin, the One Touch Idol X+.

The Alcatel One Touch Pop C9 is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2014 and pricing has not yet been announced. Given its form factor and spec sheet, this device is aimed at those that want a large screen and access to the rich Android ecosystem without having to shell out a bunch of cash in the process.