Alcatel 3, we have tested it

Alcatel 3, we have tested it

Your Expert RecommendedAre you looking for a compact mobile, with a good screen and at an affordable price? I have been able to test the Alcatel 3, a device that perfectly meets these requirements and that has left me very good feelings. The Alcatel 3 features a 5.5-inch HD + widescreen display , ergonomic design, quad-core processor, and a 12-megapixel lens. Do you want to know it? This is your analysis.

Screen: 5.5 inches in a widescreen format

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One of the most interesting features of the Alcatel 3 is its screen. It has a 5.5-inch panel with HD + resolution and 18: 9 format. It is difficult to find a panoramic screen of this size on the market , which, thanks to its minimal frames, manages to make a more compact terminal without sacrificing screen size. Also, the quality of the panel is very, very good. It's a sharp screen, with good colors, viewing angles, and excellent brightness under most circumstances. Mind you, we do miss a bit more brightness in direct daylight conditions, and touch sensitivity could improve.

Alcatel has wanted to add different configurations for the screen of this Alcatel 3. It has a night mode that will help us avoid the tired sight that the screens provide . This mode changes the panel hue to a warmer color. In the settings, we can activate it manually or program it to activate or deactivate in a range of certain hours. We can also adjust the color temperature to a colder or warmer hue. By default, the bar is in the middle.

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Finally, we can activate the one-handed mode , although it is not necessary. The option is also found in the system settings, we can choose the default hand so that the screen narrows in one direction or another. As well as the size of the panel. To activate it we only have to press twice on the home button. If we want to deactivate it, touch anywhere in the frame that will be empty.

Without a doubt, one of the most positive aspects of the terminal that we have found . A large panel with good colors in a compact device, with perfect clarity for watching HD content on YouTube or Netflix. Also, with a panoramic format.

Alcatel 3 data sheet

screen5.5-inch IPS, HD + 1,440 x 720 pixels, 18: 9
Main chamber13 megapixels (5P lens, PDAF, dual)
Camera for selfies13 MP f / 2.0 (interpolated at 16 MP) + 5 MP (interpolated at 8MP) f / 2.4 84º angle, flash
Internal memory16 GB
ExtensionmicroSD up to 128GB
Processor and RAM

MT6739 quad-core and 2GB RAM

Battery3,000 milliamps
Operating systemAndroid 8 Oreo
ConnectionsWi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, Wi-Fi direct, Wi-Fi display, Wi-Fi hotspot, FM Radio, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS, NFC, USB 2.0 Type C
SIMnanoSIM
DesignCurved glass at the back to improve ergonomics
Dimensions147.1 x 68.8 x 8.5 millimeters and 145 grams
Featured FeaturesFingerprint reader
Release dateTo confirm
Price150 euros

Design: compact and very comfortable in hand

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The Alcatel 3 is built in polycarbonate. It has a curved rear that offers better grip. In addition, with a glossy finish, which gives a glass effect, although it tends more scratches and fingerprints. In the rear area we find a lens, just below the LED flash and a fingerprint reader. This sensor has a good location and with decent performance, it unlocks quickly and without any delay or failure. The frames are also polycarbonate, in this case with a matte finish. They are quite thin, about 8 millimeters and the location of the buttons is correct, the power button in the right area, also with texture. Volume button just on the top, headphone jack on the top edge, micro USB and speaker on the bottom and SIM card tray on the left.

Without a doubt, the front is the most interesting part of the design. The frames are quite narrow. Above all, the song. In the upper area we find a front camera, sensors, notification LEDs and a long earpiece for calls. At the bottom we find nothing, not even the navigation buttons, which are directly on the screen. By the way, the screen has rounded corners.

In short, the design of the Alcatel 3V perfectly fulfills its function. The materials are not the most premium, but it has good finishes. The small dimensions of the terminal, the low weight and its thickness of only 8.5 millimeters mean that it can be handled perfectly with one hand and that it is suitable for all pockets. We miss USB Type-C, a standard on many devices.

performance

The Alcatel 3 has a MediaTek MT6739 processor . It is quad-core, and it is accompanied by 2 GB of RAM. How does the performance of this device work?

Driving through the interface and in basic applications, such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram or Chrome, we have not had any type of problem, it moves smoothly, without any cuts and with fast animations . The 2 GB of RAM memory is enough to be able to open applications fluently and adjust multitasking well, although in this case and, above all, when moving from one application to another, we have seen some cut.

With games we have found the odd cut or lag . Even in basic games that don't require a lot of performance. Although it is not a device that meets the requirements of the most gamers, the processor and RAM are enough to carry out day-to-day tasks, such as making calls, sending emails, taking photos, social networks or playing basic games . I think that in this case a gigabyte more of RAM memory would not have been bad.

A basic camera

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Unlike its older brothers, the Alcatel 3 has only one main lens. It is 13 megapixels with 16 megapixels interpolated. It also has an LED flash. What are your results?

In good light conditions the results we obtain are good, although not surprising. The images come out sharp, with good colors and good rendering on the objects , although the software finish leaves a little to be desired. Nothing that is not fixed in future updates. In low light we start to lose detail and see those famous spots. Indoors it performs better than expected.

In the front camera we get good results in all situations. A perfect lens for video calls or casual selfies.

The Alcatel 3 camera has different functions. One of the most interesting is the light trail mode, which allows us to take photographs with a different artistic touch , taking advantage of lighting and movement. Although it does not work quite well. In the app we also have the possibility to add a panoramic mode and different filters to our images.

Regarding the camera application , it has a decent design and a very good organization of the modes and controls. All are grouped in a drop-down menu, we can access the different modes, as well as the configuration of the app. In the options we can choose the size of the image, where we want it to be stored, add a grid, shooting sound, etc.

In short, a camera that could be improved, but that takes good pictures. Especially in good light conditions. And with a perfect application.

Software: intuitive interface with good design

We return to one of the best sections of this Alcatel 3, its interface. Android 8.1 Oreo with Joy 1, the latest version of the operating system (very good) with a manufacturer's own interface. The issue that has decided to add to Alcatel is based on a colorful interface, application drawer, custom icons s and design changes. Fortunately, the customization layer closely resembles Pure Android, but with a hint of personality. He manages to carry out the essence of Material Design in all his own applications, with floating buttons, colorful icons, transitions, adjustments ...

Where we see a little more change is in the app drawer. Although it continues with the Google-style design, the manufacturer has decided to add a transparent background and some extras , such as the ability to sort the icons alphabetically, by download date or by the most used applications. The latter is the one that I usually have activated. It also adds a magnifying glass to search for applications and a button to uninstall applications. By the way, the customization layer includes some pre-installed apps, but most of them can be easily uninstalled.

What do we find in the settings? Apart from the typical connection options, battery, and applications, we have a configuration that allows us to manage RAM, storage, autonomy and applications. It has a very simple and intuitive interface. Basically, what this option does is take us to the settings of each section to free up space. So we don't have to be entering each category.

In the advanced functions we find DuraSpeed, an option that allows us to run the apps in the background. We can activate or deactivate it. As well as selecting those applications that we do not want to run. Joy Touch is a kind of cursor on the screen where we find different shortcuts. These can be customized and add buttons, such as the shutdown, multitasking, home button etc. We also find the option to clone applications to have two Facebook accounts, Instagram among others on the same device. Finally, we must mention the gestures. In this case, only the three-finger screenshot function is active. Swiping across the screen with three fingers executes a screenshot.

Without a doubt, a complete and functional layer, with a design touch different from the rest and without losing the essence of Google.

Autonomy and security, more than enough

The Alcatel 3 has a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery. We remember that its panel is 5.5 inches, but with an HD + resolution. In addition, it has a basic processor that does not require much performance and 2 GB of RAM. To this, we add the optimization by Software, achieving quite good autonomy results. With intensive use I have been able to reach the end of the day without any problem. On the other hand, in the system settings we have less battery saving, where it optimizes the interface to achieve a longer duration of autonomy. Basically what it does is disable animations, transitions, background processes, and other parameters that may be draining your battery.

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In terms of security, the truth is that we will also be quite complete. Includes a fingerprint reader on the back. As I have already told you in the design section, it works perfectly. It's fast, comfortable, and we've hardly seen any major glitches. To this reader we add facial recognition. In this case, a basic unlocking method and less secure than the fingerprint reader. Just before configuring it, the system warns us that a person very similar to us, or even a photograph, can unlock the device. Even so, I have configured it and it works very well, recognizing quickly and in different lighting conditions, although in low light it costs a little more work. Even so, if you want security, it is advisable to enter the fingerprint reader as an unlocking method.

Conclusions and price

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The Alcatel 3 is a basic mobile with an excellent screen. Its price of about 140 euros makes it much more attractive. Above all, because it is difficult to find a terminal with a compact design, but with a large panoramic screen. The design is another of its best aspects, comfortable in hand and beautiful, even despite its polycarbonate construction. On the other hand, Alcatel's customization layer is very complete, beautiful and intuitive, although a terminal with such basic performance should not have so many third-party applications pre-installed. Fortunately, we can uninstall them without any problem. Finally, we highlight its 12 megapixel camera. Although it is not one of the best we have tested, it works perfectly for photographs with light to landscapes or other objects.

The best of Alcatel 3

  • Your screen
  • Design
  • Its interface

It could get better

  • Your performance
  • The camera in some situations