Alcatel OneTouch Unveils Fierce XL, An Affordable Windows 10 Smartphone

Windows 10 Mobile finally has some third-party interest. After Microsoft's own Lumia 950 hit shelves late last year, pundits were left wondering whether the industry would ever bother giving Windows on phones a second chance. Alcatel OneTouch has come to the rescue, revealing on Wednesday the 5.5-inch Fierce XL will launch in the coming weeks.

“This will be our first Windows 10 device to hit T-Mobile stores nationwide, and since the Fierce XL is coming from Alcatel, our customers know the build quality and feature set will be top notch,” said Roger Brown, vice president of marketing at T-Mobile, in a statement.

The OneTouch Fierce XL will be available for $140 all in from T-Mobile. The device is part of a portfolio of devices the company is planning to roll out, from the low-end to the ultra high-end, with the Fierce XL providing an answer to the budget-conscious consumer.

A 1.1GHz quad-core Snapdragon powers a 1280x720 resolution display, with an 8 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front camera. 16GB of storage is expandable through a microSD slot, expandable up to 32GB.

The phone also has a full 2500mAh battery inside, providing 14 hours of talk time and 820 hours of standby time. By comparison, the Lumia 950 has a 3000 mAh battery and offers 18 hours talk time and 275 hours standby time.

Alcatel OneTouch, a subsidiary of Chinese vendor TCL, is highlighting the phone's seamless Microsoft Office and Cortana integration. Not only are these features available on the Lumia, Microsoft is now introducing them to Android and iOS devices.

If the Fierce XL sounds a tad underwhelming, rest assured the company has plans for more impressively-specced phones. Alcatel OneTouch has future plans for what it's referring to as a Windows 10 "superphone," designed to take on the major high-end flagships on the market.

The company told CNet it does not consider any of its current phones to qualify as a "superphone," suggesting future devices will blow the Fierce XL out of the water.