Hi, my name is Erin and I’m a technology geek. It’s true, my husband has called me “gadget girl” pretty much since we met in 1992. The gadgets are WAY cooler now. So, when I was asked to try out the brand new, unlocked ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL 3 smartphone and smartwatch, I was all in. I love bells and whistles. You should know that I love to personalize my cell phone. I like wallpapers, personalized ringtones, apps, widgets, you name it. I’m an Android girl because iPhones are too simple for me. Enough background, let me tell you about these cool new devices.
The ALCATEL ONETOUCH smartphone is unlocked, meaning you simply pop your sim card into the back of the phone and you’re off. No contracts, no payment plans. I was skeptical but it really was SUPER simple to swap out the sim card from my Galaxy to the new ONETOUCH IDOL 3. Right away, my contacts were available. Good thing because I’ve decided I know entirely too many people. Having two teenage boys, most of their names start with “Coach”. The ALCATEL ONETOUCH 3 has a very nice 5.5” full HD display. The resolution is amazing. Geek alert! This is the first phone of it’s kind that has a fully reversible display. This means you can multi-task until your heart’s content. Pick up the phone right-side-up or upside down and you can just start talking. 
There’s a microphone on both sides. To go along with the great display, the dual FRONT FACING speakers deliver sound unlike any cell phone I’ve ever heard. Can’t believe it’s taken this long for a phone manufacturer to realize that when we are watching videos on our phone, we are IN FRONT OF IT! Duh, why are other dinky speakers on the back?
All moms will want to know that this little baby has a GREAT camera too. We took it on this summer’s staycation and it was the only camera I used. The display makes it easy to see the photo you’re taking EVEN IN FULL SUN!!!! I took several hundred photos and there’s room for all of them. Resolution of the photos is top notch as well.
The ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL 3 is more affordable than other phones of its kind. At $249, it offers all the features my MUCH more expensive phone did. I purposely set out to set this phone up as close to my other one as possible and it passed the test. Still ran quickly and smooth. The memory is great and I’ve been able to install all of my favorite apps. This is a great option for any Android fan.
This brings me to the perfect companion to the IDOL 3. The ONETOUCH WATCH. This thing is COOL!!! Does all the things you want your activity tracker to do like; steps, sleep, stopwatch, calories, etc. I have another activity tracker and either the ONETOUCH WATCH is more accurate or my previous tracker is stingy because it seems a little more difficult to rack up the steps.
The ONETOUCH WATCH will also notify you of calls, texts, emails, or social media notifications. You can personalize these settings any way you’d like.
OK, here’s the coolest part (keep in mind, I’m a geek). The wallpaper!!! Fully customizable! You can use one of the many backgrounds provided, or, better yet, use ANY PHOTO ON YOUR PHONE!!! I’m not going to lie, my watch face has matched my outfit every single day since it arrived. LOVE this feature. 
It will also chime your phone when you’ve misplaced it. I’ve used that feature more than a few times. By the way, the ONETOUCH WATCH will pair with just about any Android or iOS phone so you don’t have to own the IDOL 3 to use this neat smartwatch. At a bargain price of $149, it’s a smartwatch for everyone.
I’m hard pressed to find many cons with this nifty little phone/watch duo but I did come up with a couple of pet peeves. As I’ve said, I love to personalize. For that reason, I usually use a third party text messaging app. Unfortunately, it seems that the watch is not able to give notifications from non-native text messaging apps. Additionally, it would be nice if the watch could pair with a wider variety of activity tracking apps. I like to ride my bike and I want to see “credit” for that exercise in the activity app. The ONETOUCH WATCH has an app called “Move” but doesn’t have a ton of features. Honestly, if that’s all I can come up with on the con side of these two super affordable gadgets, they’ve hit a home run.
All in all, it’s pretty obvious that I won’t be running out to buy any of the competitor phones that are 4 to 5 times the price. The ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL 3 phone and ONETOUCH WATCH are feature packed and stylish. Give them a try yourself, for more information visit ALCATELONETOUCH.US!
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Erin is a writer for Jen is on a Journey. She’s a 40 year old Student Data Specialist at a rural K-8th grade school, but her most important job in life is being a wife (married almost 21 years) and mom to two boys 18 and 15. Ever the multi-tasker, she loves to volunteer and be involved with her boys’ activities. Vice President of the High School all sport booster club and Player Agent of the local Babe Ruth baseball league, her greatest joy is watching her boys do what they love. In her spare time (what’s that?) she enjoys custom making & selling t-shirts, sweatshirts and other gift items. A HUGE fan of all things sparkly, she tries to leave a little trail of glitter wherever she goes. Find Erin online, http://facebook.com/
Product was sent for honest review, all opinions are 100% my own.
