Alcatel's 2020 Lineup Has Much Larger Batteries
Jan 6, 2020, 3:00 PM by Rich Brome
Alcatel 1V (2020)
Alcatel today announced four new affordable phones in its 1- and 3-series. While they are mostly similar to least year's models, all have significantly larger batteries. Most have 4,000 mAh batteries. Only the very lowest-end Android Go model has a 3,000 mAh battery, (up from 2,200 mAh in last year's version).
- 3L: Three rear cameras, including a 48-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera; 8 megapixel front camera; 6.22-inch HD display with small notch; 4,000 mAh battery; MediaTek MT6762 processor; 4 GB RAM; 64 GB storage, memory card slot; fingerprint reader; Android 10; dedicated Google Assistant button. An "Aurora" laser-etched finish on the back displays a wavy shimmering effect. Priced starting at $155.
- 3: Three rear cameras, including a 13-megapixel main camera, 5-megapixel depth camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera; 5 megapixel front camera; 3 GB RAM; 32 GB storage. All other specs and features are the same as the 3L, including the screen, processor, and Aurora finish on the back. In some regions it will be sold as the Alcatel "1S" instead of "3". Priced starting at $110.
- 1V: The same specs and features as the 3, but without the macro camera or Aurora finish, and 2 GB of RAM instead of 3. A textured back resists finger smudging. Priced starting at $88.
- 1B: This new entry-level model runs Android 10 Go Edition. Key features include a 5.5-inch HD display with 2:1 ratio, dedicated Google Assistant button, 8 megapixel main camera, 5 megapixel front camera, memory card slot, and 3,000 mAh battery. Priced at just $66.
source: Alcatel
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I focused on the 1V because it seems like the most interesting value of the bunch, and relatively likely to come to the US in some form. I also like the design.
For well under $100, you get a 6.22-inch HD screen with a modern aspect ratio and small notch, plus a 4,000 mAh battery and a fingerprint reader. That's a darn good deal. You also get the convenience of a standard headphone jack and the expandability of a memory card slot. I wish it had USB-C, but unfortunately that's still asking a lot in a truly entry-level phone.
I can't stress enough how nice it is to see an HD display at this price point. That extra resolution makes using the phone so much more pleasant. And a 4,000 mAh battery?! That's better than many current top-end phones, and those phones are loaded with battery-draining features. On a phone like this, a battery that big should deliver seriously impressive battery life.
It's interesting to see more affordable phones like this sporting larger displays. I think we're finally past the days of cheap = small. We now have something approaching a consensus on the size a phone should be, regardless of price. That's a good thing.
The front of the phone looks very nice, thanks to the modern display.
The look and feel of the back match the price point, and yet I like what Alcatel has done with it. The matte finish is practical in that it hides fingerprint smudges, and they've added a "feather" pattern of thin glossy stripes that catch the light and give it some personality.
About the author, Rich Brome:Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
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