Alcatel's Vision VR headset doesn't need a phone

BERLIN — Virtual reality headsets these days fall in roughly two categories. There are those tethered to a computer, aimed mostly at gamers, like the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive, and mobile ones that combine with a smartphone, like Samsung's Gear VR or Google's Cardboard. 

China's Alcatel did something different last year when it launched the Alcatel Idol 4S phone, whose packaging doubled as a simple VR headset. Now, the company has taken it a step further by announcing a standalone VR headset — one that does not need a phone or a computer to work.