T-Mobile U.S. launches the Windows 10 Alcatel Idol 4S on November 10 for $469 unlocked

Although Microsoft did not mention Alcatel's forthcoming Idol 4S for T-Mobile (US), we know the phone is coming. A few weeks ago, we leaked the spec sheet and details about the powerhouse phone and we can now add release date and pricing.
We can now confirm that the Idols 4S launches with T-Mobile (US) on Thursday, November 10. While the phone will be offered in retail, web, care, and telesales the phone can be bought outright for $469.99.
The Idols 4S packs some impressive features, including:
Category | Features |
---|---|
Data | 4G LTE T-Mobile Extended Range LTE |
CPU | Snapdragon 820 | Quad Core CPU @2.15 GHz |
Display | 5.5-inch FHD AMOLED Dragontrail 2.5D Glass 180-degree viewing |
Memory | 64GB ROM 4GB RAM microSD |
Camera | 21 MP Rear 8 MP FF Dedicated camera button |
Battery | 3,000 mAh Quick Charge 2.0 |
Continuum | Yes |
VR | Yes |
Windows Hello | Yes (Fingerprint) |
Audio | Dual speakers with Hi-Fi surround sound |
Dimensions | 153.9 x 75.4 x 6.99 mm |
It's worth noting that T-Mobile is listing the phone as running Windows 10 with no mention of Mobile. There is also now confirmation it will have a dedicated camera button, which is great for previous Lumia owners.
The Alcatel Idol 4S is originally an Android phone that was launched in July. The phone has had some specifications updated for Windows including a more robust Snapdragon 820 processor (vs. Snapdragon 652) and a bump in the camera from 16 to 21 MP.
Considering the price is $200 cheaper than the business-focused HP Elite x3 the Idol 4S with Windows 10 may be a solid high-end phone for those on a budget.
It is not yet clear if Alcatel and Microsoft will sell the phone direct without T-Mobile branding.
We'll, of course, follow up with more information the Alcatel Idol 4S as necessary.
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Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.