TCL said it would announce new Alcatel-branded phones at CES 2019 and it just did. The Alcatel 1x (2019) and the Alcatel 1c (2019) are its latest unveilings and they are pretty much entry level phones.
Alcatel 1x (2019)
This is a successor to last year’s model. The new model comes with a number of upgrades with respect to design and even some important specs but if you are expecting a significant improvement in performance, then you will be disappointed as it comes with the same MT6739 processor as last year’s model. However, the SoC is now clocked higher at 1.5GHz. You still get 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage (128GB Max).
The Alcatel 1x (2019) now has a bigger and sharper 5.5-inch HD+screen with an 83% screen-to-body ratio. The display is covered by Asahi’s Dragontrail Glass (2.5D). It still has a 13MP rear camera but it is now joined by a 2MP secondary sensor for capturing depth of field details for portrait images.
The 8MP front-facing camera on last year’s model has been swapped for a 5MP sensor which has support for Face Key (Face Unlock) and screen flash. There will be a variant with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and another without. The phone will also have support for NFC, hybrid dual SIM (nano only), Bluetooth 4.2, and FM radio.
The 1x (2019) still ships with Android 8.1 oreo like its predecessor but it comes with a larger 3,000mAh battery. It will be available in Pebble Blue and Pebble Black in a finish that is scratch and slip-resistant and also hides fingerprint smudges.
TCL will launch the phone in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America later this quarter and it will sell for €120.
Alcatel 1c (2019)
The Alcatel 1c (2019) is an Android Go phone with a 5.3-inch 960 x 540 18:9 screen. It is also covered with a 2.5D Dragontrail glass and it has a micro-texturing finish on the back that is slip-resistant and provides a comfortable grip.
The 1c is powered by the Spreadtrum SC7731E, a quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz. There is 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage (32GB max.). The rear camera is a 5MP f/2.4 fixed focus sensor interpolated to 8MP while the front-facing camera is a 2MP sensor interpolated to 5MP. There are a bunch of camera modes including a social mode that makes sharing to social media easy.
There is support for dual SIM (nano only), Bluetooth 4.2, and 2.4GHz WiFi. It packs a 2,000mAh battery with no support for fast charging. It also doesn’t support LTE. The Alcatel 1c (2019) has an FM radio, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an LED flash. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) and will be available in Volcano Black and Enamel Blue.
READ MORE: TCL launches the Alcatel 3T 8-inch tablet running Android Oreo
The Alcatel 1C (2019) has a price tag of €70 and will launch in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
For more CES coverage, check out this link.
