The MP3 player that thinks it's a handset

IN ORDER to get the cost of an MP3 enabled handset down to very a low level, Alcatel/TCT obviously had to cut some corners. The INQ had expected the E801 to be features-light. Instead the quality of speech this handset offers is well below current expectations.

Smart, slim and light

Tech specs:
OS: proprietary
Bluetooth support: No
Infra-red: No
Email clients: None
3G: No
Memory card type: Micro SD
Claimed Talk Time: 10 hours
Claimed Standby Time : 250 hours
Battery life: Poor
Weight: Light

The E801 comes with built-in music player which allows the user to play back standard MP3 music files. Indeed to make life easy there are three dedicated music keys built-in to give instant access to your tracks.

The company claims the unit normally comes with a 128 MB Micro SD disk as standard, although this can be expanded up to 2 GB if so desired. Better still, the card is accessible via a side slot, so the battery doesn't have to be removed.

The big snag comes when downloading MP3s from a PC to the handset. In theory, the E801 is immediately recognised as a removable, memory stick style, hard drive. So it's merely a question of dragging dropping.

That was the theory. In practice two PCs the INQ tested the E801 against, failed to recognise the handset at all. The instructions claimed a driver was available on the Web site but the INQ couldn't find it. Alcatel/TCT claim they are looking into this problem since the handset is useless if you can't download files to it.

Naturally the E801 is perfectly capable of using MP3 files as ringtones. In order to 'cut' an MP3 tone from a complete MP3 track, there's an MP3 converter supplied on the Web site. This program does actually work, the INQ succeeded in 'cutting' a 20 second ringtone with it. But the control keys are badly translated from the original Chinese version and you have to guess what their function actually is.

The handset's headphones work well, enabling you to speak hands-free when a call is received and once the call is finished the music carries on with the track from where you left off. The supplied headphones are also unusual in that they plug into the handset's mini USB port. So the same port is used to charge the phone; connect to the headphones and connect to a PC.

The screen is more than adequate for the purpose and the colours are bright. Overall, the E801 looks good, it's smart, slim and light. Given its price point, it's no surprise to find there's no camera, Bluetooth connectivity nor infra-red capability. It doesn't even have a WAP browser.

In case you're wondering the handset is made in China not France and TCT simply uses the Alcatel brand alongside its own name.

The E801 would have been given a big thumbs up save from the fact that the INQ couldn't live with the poor quality of speech. But if you want a cheap MP3 player that can just about make phone calls, it's worth the investment. ?