Having recently launched during the Mobile World Congress 2018, we learned of seven new smartphones from Alcatel that will be launched this year. We begin by taking a closer look at Alcatel 5.
We understand from MWC 2018, that Alcatel will have three different series for 2018. Starting with Alcatel 1 for the entry-level range, Alcatel 3 for the mid-range and Alcatel 5 for the high-end range. It is said to bring affordability to all three different ranges.
So before we begin, let’s look back at last year’s model to have a base point for comparison.
It is called Pulsemix and have the following specs:
- 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 720 x 1280 pixels or ~282 ppi pixel density
- Asahi Dragontrail Glass protection
- Mediatek MT6738 chipset, Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 processor, Mali-T860MP2 graphics and 2GB RAM
- 8MP primary camera with f/2.0 aperture, autofocus and dual-LED (dual tone) flash
- 2MP secondary camera with LED flash
- 16GB internal storage + microSD expansion slot up to 128GB maximum
- Li-Ion 2800 mAh battery
- Android Nougat 7.0 operating system
- Single-sim and 4G LTE
- August 2017 release date
- USD 149 price tag
Pulsemix was an entry-level smartphone, although the price could have done a whole lot better. At that kind of price range, there are definitely other choices.
Now we hope that Alcatel 5 will bring a breath of fresh air to kick things off into the new year. And here you go with its specs:
- 5.7-inch HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 720 x 1440 pixels, 18:9 ratio or ~282 ppi density
- Face Key unlock
- Fullview display
- Metal body
- Fingerprint sensor
- Mediatek MT6750 chipset, Octa-core (4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.0 GHz Cortex-A53) processor, Mali-T860MP2 graphics and 2GB/3GB RAM
- 12MP primary camera with (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.9", 1.25 µm), autofocus and dual-LED dual-tone flash
- Dual 13MP with (f/2.0 aperture, 1.4 μm) + 5MP secondary camera
- 16GB/32GB internal storage + microSD expansion slot up to 128GB maximum
- Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery
- Android Nougat 7.1 operating system
- Dual-sim and 4G LTE
- February 2018 release date
- ~ USD 370 price tag
One of the notable features of the Alcatel 5 is its large 5.7-inch HD IPS screen with Fullview display. Why can’t it have a Full HD resolution? Instead, it will come with Face Key unlock, that is similar to Apple’s Face ID and Samsung’s Intelligent Scan. Equipped with a brushed metal body, it further enhances its look and feel department.
Under the hood of Alcatel 5 barely makes it to the mid-range level with its decent chipset, slow octa-core processor, decent graphics and either 2GB or 3GB RAM. Still more than enough to run your favorite social media apps and some light gaming.
But the highlight of the show for Alcatel 5 will be on its camera department. Featuring a good 12MP primary camera packed with all the features and functions, it does even better on the selfie camera department. Here’s to the dual 13MP+5MP selfie camera that you can enjoy taking great-looking photos with.
Battery-wise, the 3000 mAh battery should be enough to supply enough juice to the smartphone for it to last a full day of charge.
Last but not least, it is a bit of a challenge for the Alcatel 5 to be still running on Android Nougat 7.1. When everyone seems to be pushing for the latest Android Oreo 8.0, and even some already beta-testing the next Android P 9.0, Alcatel seems to be left far behind on the software side of things.
Conclusion:
Alcatel 5 seems to suffer a similar problem to its last year’s model. With that kind of price that nears a flagship smartphone, it doesn’t feel flagship at all on the performance. Yes, it may have a solid look and feel to it, good dual 13MP+5MP selfie camera and Face Key unlock feature among other things; the fact that it is still running on the dated Android Nougat 7.1 could also spell its doom.
Alcatel 5 had just been released for ~$370 USD price tag and is available in Metallic Black and Metallic Gold colours.
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Eza EzamieCategory: Team WhaTech Profile: Tech junkie by profession and passionate about anything from the digital world, movies, games and reading. He loves writing and hopes you enjoy his writing as much as he does. Eza, is also known as Don in the virtual world, but don’t him me wrong, he's not a mafia type he's really a nice chap and a devout family guy.
