Although the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 is mostly about the most mobile of devices — namely smartphones and wearables — that doesn’t meant that manufacturers of larger mobile devices like PCs are being left out. Whether it’s traditional notebooks or Windows 2-in-1s, PC vendors are taking advantage of the hype to introduce some new machines.
Alcatel is a well-known smartphone purveyor that makes a variety of mobile devices, and it announced its new Plus 12 machine at MWC 2017. It’s a new tablet-based 2-in-1 running Windows 10, with a detachable keyboard and a specific benefit: Integrated 4G LTE and a built-in Wi-Fi hot spot.
As far as Windows 10 tablets go, the Alcatel Plus 12 is a rather typical, if a bit low-end, machine. It sports a 12-inch Full HD IPS display (1920 x 1080 resolution) with 10-point multitouch. The tablet portion utilizes an Intel Celeron N3350 processor running at 1.1GHz with boost up to 2.4GHz, 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and 64GB storage made up of 32GB eMMC and embedded 32GB MicroSD storage.
Connectivity is provided by a USB Type-C connection, a micro-HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headset jack. MicroSD card support is also provided for external storage. Wireless connectivity comes by way of 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 support. A 5MP front camera supports videoconferencing.
Where the Plus 12 stands out is in the 4G LTE functionality built into the keyboard base, which can serve as a Wi-Fi hot spot for up to 15 other devices. The keyboard base has its own Cortex A7 processor and 128GB of LPDDR2 RAM to support the hot spot function and adds in a USB 3.0 connection and a SIM for the LTE connectivity. Windows Hello via fingerprint recognition and Windows Ink support is also on hand.
Alcatel senior vice president Vittorio Di Mauro pointed out the importance of mobile connected devices like the Plus 12, saying, “We are convinced that productive devices will be more and more connected to cellular networks. With the Plus 12, Alcatel has created the perfect office on the go. ”
The Plus 12’s tablet portion is a light 596 grams, and when the keyboard base is attached the entire machine weighs in at 990 grams. Alcatel has yet to provide pricing and availability information for the new Windows 10 detachable tablet device.
