Alcatel One Touch 332

Alcatel 332 is a very basic handset. In the words of Alcatel "The One Touch™ 332, an entry-level mobile phone equipped with a vivid color screen. A large number of melodies, images and skins enable users to personalize their phone. This simple, user-friendly model is very light weight and compact, and those who want to make the switch to color without spending a fortune will be simply delighted." This is precisely what the 332 is all about. Based on the GSM networks of GSM 900 & 1800; the 332 is meant for the Asian and European markets. The handset is powered by a standard Li-Ion battery. The company claims that the battery will perform for 120 hours of standby accompanied with 7 hours of talk time. However actual performance will actually vary depending upon usage.

The phonebook has a capacity to store 250 numbers; however the entire capacity is of the SIM card only. There is no memory for storing contacts in the handset itself. Multiple numbers per contact are allowed. However unlike in other handsets where the user can store details such as address etc, in this case only numbers can be stored. Three numbers to be precise for each contact. However considering that the Alcatel 32 is meant for the lower segment; other phones in this class do not even give this small privilege. Hence, this point should be considered in favor of the phone rather than against it. A contact can be made a part of three different calling groups - Office, Family and others. Each group can be associated with a unique ringtone.

The display is a 4096 color one which ca show 4 lines of text and has a resolution of 112 x 64 pixels. This is about the only part which has a "new" feel to it. Her features of this phone are comparable to some earlier handsets released by Alcatel such as the OT 320 in case you have heard of these. A special navigational key has been included at the centre of the keypad. However this is useful only to scroll through the menu and for making a selection by depressing the joystick. The phone has standard features such as SMS and EMS (picture messaging). Exchanging animations and melodies is also permitted. These ring tones can be downloaded to be set as call alert as also the user can use the inbuilt melody composer to create his own ring tones. There is a total of 27 ring tones which are preset plus space for downloading more (or creating ones own tones). Commonly sent messages can be simply stored in the form of SMS templates (10 allowed) and there is no need to create new ones each time. The T9 predictive text input technology which allows quick writing of messages is also present in the 332.

Other features such as calculator (along with currency converter). The clock feature is an important one, meant for the alarm clock and for alerting the user in case an entry is present for a particular date and time. The alarm clock works even if the phone is switched off, thus getting activated automatically at the preset time. The organizer feature can store 5 events (each can alert the user); five anniversary dates are also storable.

For events where the user would not like to be disturbed by audio alert yet would like to be aware of an incoming call, silent alert (vibration alert) has been included. Wireless Internet is present and based on the WAP protocol. High speed data transfers are also possible by using the GPRS technology. However the makers have skipped the Infra red port in this case in order to save on costing, these small features make their absence felt only when the need arises. So the user must be fully aware of his requirements rather then just make a choice favorable to the pocket. The fact that the handset is meant for the budget conscious should be kept in mind at all times to avoid disappointment.