The 90s’s mobile scene probably have witnessed the goof of a lifetime with those rather unfashionably flashy Alcatel phones, but the prospects of tasteful design and cutting-edge sophistication are second-millennium euphoria in store for those who would have an Alcatel for their mobile.

        Since May 2005, Versatile have been handling the distribution and support services of Alcatel’s new line of incredibly affordable yet functionally loaded and, not to mention, aesthetically sensitive mobile phones here in the Philippines. To date, Versatile has made available nine equally enterprising Alcatel models in the market. And each boasts distinct qualities that can potentially appeal to a wide range of consumers.

Classical, modern, or trendy?

        Whether you want your phone in classical or modern or trendy look, OT-157, OT-158, and OT-E159 will not disappoint you. At prices ranging from as low as P2,000 to P3,500, this entry-level troika possesses identical standard cell phone features but comes in different designs to suit varying consumer preferences.

        OT-E159 must be the most remarkable, though, being in a fairly stylish clamshell outfit that comes in either “thinking black”, “metallic blue”, or “lipstick red.” And being at entry level, this 77-gram clamshell phone, must also be the most affordable fold-type in the market these days. OT-157 and OT-158 are both in monoblock form yet, similarly, display class and style.

Videotone, Video Caller ID, and did anybody say Talk & Shoot?

        But OT-157, OT-158, and OT-E159 are just the preliminaries. If you're looking for cell phones that not only enable you to make calls and send SMS, but also have camera capabilities and are loaded with multiple entertainment features, Alcatel showcases an arsenal of innovations that indulges consumers in ultimate mobile pleasure at amazingly economical prices.

        A cell phone or a digital camera? Freud may never have thought that even machines can be vulnerable to identity crisis. But if you can call it one, it perfectly works for OT-552. Designed like a digicam, this mobile phone enables landscape-positioning when shooting videos or capturing photos. The resolution, of course, is not as sharp as how images would appear in an actual digicam. But hey, just imagine people mistaking your phone for a digicam—how's that for identity crisis and mistaken identity working for you! The “urban trendy look” of this phone also gives it a youthful appeal that matches an outgoing and adventurous lifestyle.

        If you crave for action and entertainment in your phone, OT-757 is packed with Java games and original MP3 melodies. Not only that, owning this phone makes you one of the first people to enjoy Video Caller ID! Yes, video clips can be set as caller Ids with OT-757—something no other phone on the planet is capable of doing.

Do 3G phones appeal to you and yet there's no putting them on the menu for their expensive price? Settling with OT-C651's Talk & Shoot technology won't be  a bad deal. At P6,250, this clamshell phone that comes in either “dark grey metallic” or “tampo red” is ideal for lovers (or perhaps even friends and family members) who just can't get enough of each other. OT-C651 users can capture video footages or shoot pictures while making conversations on the phone. After the call, the images are automatically sent to the other party via MMS. Works pretty much like the 3G technology, only the images come in “delayed telecast.”

The GlamPhone ELLE
        What happens when a hot fashion magazine collaborates with a telecommunications carrier? This unlikely fusion was realized when Elle and Alcatel married beauty with technology and gave birth to a high fashion mobile phone.

        Ladies, meet the GlamPhone ELLE. Yes, you heard right... it's Elle the fashion magazine on the name (and housing) of this phone.

        If “fashionista” can be qualified as a fitting description for mobile phones, GlamPhone ELLE would be the most haute couture of them all. Designed by Elle Magazine and put together by Alcatel, GlamPhone ELLE is likely to make a fashion statement in the market with its runway material look, thanks to its carrying strap that allows the phone to dangle “like a jewel” on the user. You can always look good with this phone as its innovative reflective screen functions as a mirror when not in use. And though containing only 3 MB of memory, functionality is not neglected as its unique features such as  videotone (setting a video with sound as ringtone) complements the phone's aesthetic qualities like its rubber and candy-tone finish, which comes either in red or black.

The Sound Machine

        It's easy to forget that you're actually playing music on a  mobile phone and not on a CD player the moment you press the play button on the side of this phone. Whether you're playing Beach Boys or Backstreet Boys, OT-853's high-definition 3-speaker system delivers clear and crisp unadulterated sound free of crackling distortions.

        The Sound Machine is comprised of 2.1 stereo loudspeakers (one bass loudspeaker and two tweeters), making it highly sensitive to the sound patterns of your favorite band, be it Aerosmith or Pussycat Dolls. But don't let the image of what three speakers in a mobile phone may have made this Alcatel innovation look like scare you. The phone looks good in deep black with a stylish keypad design.

        If listening to your favorite DJ, meanwhile, is the order of the day, switching to FM mode is another bonus feature from the Sound Machine. And if your nosy neighbors don't like noisy neighbors, the remote control with headset that comes with this Alcatel genius makes listening either to the Beegees or the Three Tenors a cool treat to your auditory senses.

        Aside from its 3D surround sound, OT-853 has more to offer than just music. It is also equipped with 32 MB internal memory, a 1.3 megapixel camera that progressively zooms up to 8x, and Bluetooth technology that allows voice management making it indeed the Sound Machine to beat.

More to come
        If you have not been overwhelmed by these affordable yet highly sophisticated mobile phones, Versatile promises to deliver more of Alcatel's latest innovations in the coming months.
       
Aside from catering on mostly entry level and mid level products, Versatile also markets high end mobiles with the newly shipped line of Dopod personal digital assistant (PDA) phones: Dopod 818 Pro, Dopod 838, and Dopod 900.

        Having manufactured by the same company that did the O2 Xda II PDA phone, Dopod 818 Pro's semblance with the O2 PDA is hard to ignore. But it's enhanced with quad frequency band, memory retention capability, and more new applications.

        Dopod 838 comes with a top slider QWERTY keypad with Chinese and English input.
        And if its small presentations you need to make, Dopod 900 is the ideal PDA for you as it acts as a mini-laptop fused with mobile phone functions.

Looking ahead

        Whether or not the fledgling telecoms distributor Versatile would succeed in realizing its prospects of top-chart sales and a more handsome brand image for the mobile phone old-timer, perennial tail ender Alcatel (and the new-comer Dopod) is something to watch out for as the next three quarters of 2006 unfold.

        According to Versatile, they are still expanding operations centripetally from the provinces to the Metro. Toward the end of July, they are targeting to have at least one major partner per provincial area for distribution and customer service. They have also disclosed Alcatel's plans of manufacturing and distributing 3G-enabled phones in late 2006.
 
        Versatile adds that it would as well intend to capitalize on Alcatel's global reputation for quality, functionality and phone sturdiness in order to achieve a high sales mark for the product. Observably, the strength of Alcatel's phones lie on their affordability coupled with nice-looking designs and high end sophistication.

        The past decade has been a tough year for Alcatel here in the Philippines. And penetrating the market anew is not an overnight one-time big-time effort even if you carry a rejuvenated line of phone models with you.

        The next few months or years could be now-or-never moments for Alcatel. In fact, they may even be the most exciting periods in the Philippines' mobile landscape.

        But is the Philippine market ready to include Alcatel back to its mobile options? Or is it status quo once again for the next years? We will see.
        And Tech101 will be there to tell you.

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Further updates on some of the featured products in this article, especially those of Dopod's can be expected in future articles.