Alcatel at MWC 2018

alcatel 1X hands-on

The alcatel 1X tries to stretch its €100 budget (€110 if you want dual SIM) as far as it will go. The company stuck to its promise of an all 18:9 line-up, but the resolution of 480 x 960px of the 1X is a bit low (some competitors try not to drop below 720p).

An 18:9 screen on a €100 phone, the alcatel 1X

Anyway, this phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition), which will work better on the MediaTek MT6739 chipset than the full-fat Android of the 3-series (which have similar 1.3GHz quad-core processors).

The alcatel 1X has a microUSB port and a 3.5mm audio jack

Another cutback was the fingerprint reader - it's available only on some units. And there's no Face Key from the 5MP selfie camera. The good news is that the camera on the back - 13MP or 8MP, depending on where you live - records 1080p video and features EIS, just like the 3-series.

The rear camera differs by region - 13MP or 8MP

For the 1X, alcatel chose a soft-touch Suede finish, which we quite liked.

alcatel 1C

The alcatel 1C was a surprise addition - and its anodized aluminum back cover with a brushed finish was an even bigger surprise. Even the 5 doesn't have a metal back! Anyway, in terms of hardware this is pretty similar to the 1X, however it runs an older Android Nougat. And there will be a 13MP camera in some regions (changed to 8MP in others).

alcatel 1C

The image quality of the 5.3" screen was poor and there was noticeable stutter. Even scrolling the menu wasn't smooth. We're not 100% sure on the chipset, but it is paired with 1GB of RAM and 16GB storage. This hardware badly needs Android Go Edition.

alcatel 1C

The alcatel 1C will cost €90, but note that it lacks LTE.