During MWC 2021 TCL is teasing a very affordable smartphone featuring 5G connectivity. After an approach focusing on the premium mid-range segment, the company is ready to bring affordability to its 5G portfolio. While TCL has been pushing its own brand forward, the Alcatel lineup is still around (the same can’t be said for BlackBerry though). Today, the company is unveiling two new entry-level smartphones under Alcatel branding. The Alcatel 1 (2021) and Alcatel 1L Pro are super-budget smartphones coming with Android Go.
Alcatel 1 (2021)
The Alcatel 1 (2021) is a basic smartphone that will cost just €59 when it becomes available in August. Judging by the price, you can’t expect much in terms of specifications. The device comes with a 5-inch screen with just 480 x 960 px of the resolution, judging by the 18:9 aspect ratio, this is what we can call a FWVGA+ resolution. The smartphone measures 137.6 x 65.7 x 9.9 mm and weighs 134 grams with a tiny 2,000mAh battery that charges at less than 5 W over the micro USB port. The battery is super small, but even though, charging it will take around 3 hours. That’s painful these days when we’re used to fast charging.
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Thankfully, the processor isn’t that bad. We have a Quad-Core chip MT6739 that can run modest apps without any problem. The phone features 4G connectivity. Unfortunately, it comes with just 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Users can also expand this amount with the use of a good micro SD card that allows support for up to 32 GB.
There is also a 5 MP camera on the back with a fixed focus f/2.4 lens. The camera can record 720p videos at 30 frames per second. There is also a 2 MP selfie camera (1/5, 1.75 um f/2.8 FF), it is also capable of 720p / 30 frames per second recording. Other features include Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It offers dual-SIM functionality without sacrificing the micro SD card slot.
Alcatel 1L Pro (2021)
The Alcatel 1L Pro (2021) is a better option for those who don’t want t offer performance. The device will come with a faster and unnamed chip. It’s an Octa-Core chip probable based on Cortex-A53 architecture. The device has 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of Internal Storage, plus a microSD card slot.
The handset flaunts a 6.1-inch LCD with an HD+ resolution and 19:5:9 aspect ratio. It brings a 13 MP camera on the rear with a 2 MP depth sensor. The device also has a fingerprint scanner.
The Alcatel 1L Pro will cost around $127 and will reach Latin America, Middle East, and Africa in September.
