Hands-on with the Alcatel OneTouch Xess

We’ve just visited with Alcatel OneTouch at CES 2016, where we’ve finally gotten some hands-on time with the recently-announced Xess tablet. First unveiled at IFA 2015 back in September, the Xess is a new family-oriented device that comes with a few interesting features you’re definitely going to want to see. Without any further ado, let’s dive right in.

Since this is a tablet that will likely be used by multiple members in the home, Alcatel OneTouch decided to include a big enough screen that will be great for watching movies, playing games and looking up recipes in the kitchen. The IPS LCD display measures 17.3 inches and comes with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. One benefit of having a display with only a Full HD resolution is that it will help out greatly in the battery life department. Not that this tablet needs help in that area, though, thanks to its massive 10,000mAh battery.

Under the hood we have a 64-bit octa-core MediaTek MT8783T processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 3 gigabytes of RAM. Also included is 32 gigabytes of on-board storage and microSD expansion up to 64 gigabytes. We’re happy the company included expandable storage on this tablet, as this will ensure families will have more than enough room for storing plenty of games, photos, videos and much more.

Speaking of photos and videos, the Xess comes with a 5MP front-facing camera that can be used for video chatting and taking family photos. And there’s probably no need to hook this tablet up to a pair of speakers while video chatting – it also includes a pair of powerful 3-watt JBL speakers for enhanced audio quality.

Perhaps the biggest news with the Xess is the kickstand, which will allow you to lay the tablet flat, at a 30-degree angle (perfect for drawing), a 50-degree angle (great for looking up recipes in the kitchen), or a 75-degree angle if you’d like to watch videos. The stand also includes a slide-out carrying handle and a stylus.

On the software front, the Xess runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box. Since this is a family-oriented device, the company understands not all members of the family will be familiar with the Android operating system. To help out with this problem, the Xess comes with two interfaces – one stock-like UI with a traditional application drawer, home screen layout, etc., and second launcher that’s put in place to make switching between tasks easy for folks who might need a little more guidance.

The Alcatel OneTouch Xess is launching in Q1 2016 for $499. This might be a bit pricey for some folks out there, but we’re thinking the added benefit of a built-in kickstand, carrying handle, stylus, and all of the added software features might make the Xess worth the money. Could you see yourself purchasing one of these tablets? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments below!