Alcatel Announces The Budget-Friendly Hero 2+ Running Cyanogen OS

Need a big, unlocked phone that won't break the bank? Good news! Alcatel is introducing the Hero 2+, a device with a 6-inch screen that comes unlocked. An android device, this one is a touch different than you might imagine it would be on the software side. Rather than running a home-brewed, modified version of Android, Alcatel is wisely turning to Cyanogen for their software needs. Another disruptive tidbit — the Alcatel Hero 2+ can be yours for $299 beginning in Q2 2015.

Ready for some specs? Of course you are! Here are the hardware details, as outlined by Alcatel:

• Display: 6-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) TFT 16M color display + built in stylus

• Processor: MT6592 2.0 GHz octa-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor

• Camera: 13MP main camera + 5MP front camera for the perfect selfie

• Video Capture: Full HD 1080p 30 frame per second video capture

• Memory/Storage: 2GB RAM / 16GB of storage (Expandable to 32GB via MicroSD)

• Operating System: Cyanogen OS 11 on Android KitKat 4.4.4

• Dimensions: 160.5mm x 81.6mm x 7.9mm

On paper, the Hero 2+ is a fairly capable handset. Though we haven't had any time with it — and no time with the MediaTek processor inside via another handset — this one seems pretty solid.

Even more intriguing is the Cyanogen angle. After seeing their partnership with OnePlus dissolve, Cyanogen promised we'd see them again soon. The Android-based software has some unique features out of the box like Themes and Camera tweaks. While Cyanogen has been working on a handset with Micromax in India, this Alcatel deal brings them back to the United States in a notable way.

And really, for $299, this is going to turn heads online. We're not aware of it coming to any carrier, but it's available online via Alcatel, and will likely hit Amazon as well.

Source: Alcatel