Alcatel enters high-smartphone market with Idol 4, Idol 4S

Alcatel has taken the wrapping off its new line of smartphones at Mobile World Congress, dubbed the Idol 4 series. Notably, Alcatel has dropped its OneTouch name for smartphone branding and has opt for the Alcatel branding instead. The company is beefing up its Idol 3 line with a sleeker finish and more features.

The Idol 4 features a 5.2-inch display, while the higher-end Idol 4S packs a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display. Inside is Qualcomm's octa core systems-on-a-chip Snapdragon 617 processor for the Idol 4 and Snapdragon 652 for the 4S. Both devices feature 3GB of RAM, while the Idol 4 has 16GB of storage and the Idol 4S has 32GB.

Both the Idol 4 and Idol 4S will launch with Android 6.0 Marshmallow -- the latest major release of Android.

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On the rear of the Idol 4 is a 13-megapixel camera, and on the rear of the Idol 4S is a 16-megapixel camera capable of recording in 4K. A 8-megapixel front-facing camera is on both devices.

Alcatel will ship the Idol 4S in a plastic version Google Cardboard, allowing users to experience virtual reality on the cheap. Google's device is literally made out of cardboard, but Alcatel took it a step further with a plastic coating -- sure to catch the eyes of some prospective smartphone buyers.

The Idol 4 series will be available in Gold, Dark Gray, Rose Gold, and Metal Silver. The Idol 4 will be available for $250 the Idol 4S will be available for $400. There's no word on availability.