Alcatel OneTouch Watch hands-on, first impressions

Along with the OneTouch Idol 3, Alcatel also has a smartwatch to pair with it. Simply called the OneTouch Watch, the smartwatch is compatible with any Android device that runs Kitkat 4.4 or higher.

The device has a round face but the display is slightly cut off at the bottom end, just like in the Moto 360. The circular glass panel is painted with silver markers for the clock’s face and surrounded by a metallic silver frame. At the back side are some biometric sensors to measure heart rate.

The OneTouch Watch uses a soft rubber strap attached to the metal body with a couple of tiny screws at the bottom so it’s possible to replace it. The strap is secured by a metal buckle and clasp which can be adjusted to find the right length when fitting on the wrist.

When this was first announced back in January during CES, Alcatel also showed a more elegant metal chain band (although we were told that one will not be available locally).

The watch does not need a cradle to recharge the built-in Li-Ion batteries. Instead, the end of the rubber strap has a hidden full-sized USB port so you can just plug it straight to the charger, laptop or powerbank to recharge. That makes it very convenient especially when most batteries of smartwatches do not last more than a day.

Aside from the standard Bluetooth 4.0 connection, the watch has an NFC tag along the band so you can just tap and pair it with any Android smartphone easily. Just download the Alcatel Move app in the Google Play Store to be able to access the data on the phone, sync some information and receive notifications.

Navigating the watch is very easy and mostly self-explanatory. The single physical home button on the right side of the frame and the rest of the navigation is via the touchscreen. It look and feels like the UI of Android Wear but this one runs on Alcatel’s homemade platform.

Aside from the usual functions like step counter, clock, compass, SMS/voice call notifications, social media sync and heart rate monitor, the watch can also function as a remote control for music playback and remote trigger for the camera of the phone.

The Alcatel OneTouch Watch will be available locally this month and will be offered by Globe alongside the Alcatel Idol 3 under a postpaid plan (both the watch and the phone are free under Plan 1499).

You can also check our hands-on and first impressions of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 here.