Smartbooks and ultrabooks now count as the standard for portable computing. Tablets still cannot take their places completely. The rise of smartbooks is even more apparent as leading players like Apple continue to step up their laptop offerings. This time, inspired by the same leading line of notebooks, Alcatel will be releasing its own version of the MacBook. What can people expect?

TCL, the umbrella company of Alcatel brand, will be venturing into the computing market. According to recent reports, the company has big plans for the brand. At the Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona, the company introduced its smartbook to Engadget.

According to sources, the 11-inch MacBook Air-inspired does not have a functioning "brain." Rather, it depends on a smartphone's hardware to provide a full-blown laptop experience. The impressive part is that Apple managed to do it without all the wires. For example, the screen can be connected through a wireless connection. Likewise, the multi-touch glass trackpad and the keyboard can work with a Bluetooth connection.

As for the screen, it does not feature a touch screen function. However, users should be fine with it as it is functional to address the basic needs. Some sources praised Alcatel for the appearance of the laptop. There are no overwhelming details on the screen. More importantly, users looking to do some serious work will appreciate the keyboard better than the touch screen.

The smartbook features a pairing process using MediaTek's Hotknot technology. This takes away the need for NFC chips. The downside, the process is only possible with other devices running on MediaTek chips. This means people cannot use their Snapdragon-powered devices. Trying to pair such devices may require manual installation and settings.

Another possible downside analysts see is compatibility. Alcatel plans on developing a compatibility setup with the phone (octa-core variants) it will sell. Experts believe this is not a good move overall. Alcatel may want to boost its mobile sales but it will not help patronization of the smartbook. In most cases, the product may even be isolated.

People will have to wait for Alcatel's official announcement on when the device will hit stores. For the video of the smartbook, click here.