David RichardsTCL Communication who own the Alcatel brand of smartphones are among the first to roll out their new range of smartphones at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and among them are some real bargains.
The #3 phone brand in Australia, Alcatel has introduced three new series of phones include models that will sell for sub $100, there is also affordable new 5 series that will sell for sub $300.
For those who are thinking that these models lack new features, think again, because among the new models are phones with dual cameras and 18:9 displays. Alcatel is also introducing a new design language for these phones called “Simganic,”.
The new 5 series which is set to be a top seller in Australia has a 5.7-inch, 1440 x 720 display, an octa-core MediaTek processor, a USB-C port, Android Nougat, and a face recognition feature, but only a single camera.
In the 3 series there are 3 different models. The 3 has a 5.5-inch 1440 x 720 display; the 3X has a 5.7-inch 1440 x 720 display; and the 3V has a 6-inch 2K display. They all have quad-core MediaTek processors and facial recognition features (though in all cases, Alcatel isn’t using anything as fancy — and likely as reliable — as Apple’s Face ID). They also all charge over Micro USB.
The 3X and 3V have dual rear cameras for offering a portrait mode, but the 3 doesn’t. And for some reason, only the 3 and 3V are running Android Oreo — the 3X is on Nougat.
At the budget end of the range is the Alcatel 1X, this first device in the all-new 1 Series.
These models run on Android Go — Google’s stripped-down version of Android optimized for lower-end hardware.
But one model runs full-on Android Oreo.
Some models have dual SIM slots, some have one SIM slot. Oh, and for some reason, select versions of the phone don’t even come with a fingerprint sensor, so you’ll have to rely on Alcatel’s “Face Key” identification feature.
Alcatel is also launching two inexpensive tablets running 8.1 Oreo. The 1T 7 and 1T 10 are both low-end tablets running on quad-core MediaTek processors and 1GB of RAM.
The main difference between the tablets is their displays: the 7 has a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, and the 10 has a 10-inch 1280 x 800 display. They’re supposed to launch in third quarter in Australia via Optus.
