Alcatel is genuinely on a roll this MWC, as they’ve just announced not one but five new devices, including an extremely affordable device that runs on Android Go.
The phones in question are the Alcatel 3, 3X, 3V, 5T and the 1X, all of which are generally inexpensive smartphones that still come with a little bit of premium for the cost-conscious buyer.
Alcatel 3, 3X and 3V
The Alcatel 3 sports a metallic finish and honestly looks a lot more premium than its price of 150 euros (about RM 722) and features a 5.5-inch 1440×720 IPS display, 13MP rear snapper, 5MP front shooter, 16GB internal storage and 2GB RAM mated to a quad-core MediaTek MT6739 processor. It also sports a 3,000mAh battery, which isn’t half bad given the price-tag.
Next up is the Alcatel 3X, which is a bit bigger with a 5.7-inch 1400 x 720 IPS display, 13MP and 5MP dual cameras, 3GB RAM mated to a quad-core MediaTek MT6739 processor alongside 32GB internal memory and a 3,000mAh battery. However, it’s interesting to note that despite being higher priced at 180 euros (about RM 867) it doesn’t sport the same shiny, premium look as its sibling, instead just having a patterned plastic cover.
Last but not least in the 3-series is the Alcatel 3V, which is priced just a bit higher than the 3X at 190 euros (about RM915) and it’s the largest of the lot with a 6-inch 2K 2160×1080 display, along with a 12MP/2MP dual-camera system that’s capable of delivering a real-time bokeh effect. As for specs, it has a Quad-Core MediaTek MT8735 alongside 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage and a 3,000mAh battery.
All three units feature 18:9 FullView displays, fingerprint sensors and facial recognition tech with Face Key. The Alcatel 3 and 3X will be hitting the market in March and April, while the Alcatel 3V will be available in select markets starting today.
Alcatel 5T
The Alcatel 5 is basically Alcatel’s “affordable flagship” device this time around, and to be honest it doesn’t look half bad. It has a pretty thin bezel and price-wise the device sets you back 230 euros (about RM 1108). However, as stylish as it looks, with its slightly curved back and slim figure, the device isn’t quite as premium as it appears to be.
For starters, the screen isn’t full HD, being just 1400 x 720, coming in at 5.7-inches, it also has an octa-core MediaTek MT6750 CPU mated to 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. But it does have a 13MP/5MP dual camera setup at the front as well as a 3,000mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner. Said fingerprint scanner does have some nifty features, allowing you to assign a shortcut to up to 5 different recognised fingerprints, so you can just use your favourite finger to log onto Facebook for example.
No word on whether the phone will be available outside of Europe, so we’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed.
Alcatel 1X
The most affordable entry from Alcatel this MWC, the Alcatel 1X isn’t just a budget device, but it runs on Android Go, a lite version of Android 8 Oreo that’s designed to operate on smartphones with 1GB RAM or lesser. Under the hood, the Alcatel 1X sports 16GB internal storage, a quad-core MT6739 processor, 1GB RAM and has a 5.3-inch 18:9 VGA+ display.
Priced at 100 euros (about RM 481) the device is expectedly low end, and despite sporting Android Go, the device is apparently still quite laggy in some instances. But it does feature a handful of trimmed down apps like YouTube Go and Assistant Go that don’t quite have all the features of their full versions but they do get the job done.
The devices comes in a few variants, with a choice between 1GB or 2GB RAM, single or dual-SIM, 8MP or 13MP camera, and even the choice between whether or not you want Google Assistant or a fingerprint sensor. It’s worth noting that the 2GB RAM model does sport Face Key, so if you need an extra touch of security, the option is available.
The Alcatel 1X will launch this April.
