Alcatel 1 and Alcatel 3 phones with 18:9 aspect ratio displays are arriving in Australia in August from $89

Alcatel has announced that their Alcatel 1 and Alcatel 3 series phones, announced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, will be arriving in Australia in August with pricing starting at $89.

There will be four phones launching under the Alcatel 1 and Alcatel 3 banner, with three phones – Alcatel 1, Alcatel 1C and Alcatel 1X – in the 1-series joined by the Alcatel 3V. Pricing will start at just $89 for the Alcatel 1C, though it will be running Android Nougat instead of Android Go (Oreo edition) which you’ll find on the Alcatael 1 and Alcatel 1X phones, or Android O (8.0) on the Alcatel 3V.

The big step in terms of hardware with the Alcatel 1 and Alcatel 3 series phones really centres around the display, with Alcatel utilising TCL displays exclusively on their entire range. This move towards using their own displays – TCL owns and distributes the Alcatel brand – is that they have the option to innovate, and innovate they have, now offering 18:9 aspect ratio displays across the range, even with the budget priced Alcatel 1C which will start at just $89.

The rest of the Alcatel 1 and Alcatel 3 series are all priced under $200, with Mediatek processors on board and a minimum of 1GB of RAM onboard and ranging from 8GB to 16GB of onboard storage. Alcatel has also included a dual rear camera on-board the Alcatel 3V with a 12MP camera sensor and secondary 2MP depth sensing mounted one atop the other allowing the phone to produce real-time bokeh, including the ability to change the area of focus on any shot, even after it’s taken.

Sam Skontos, VP and Regional Managing Director of South East Asia and Pacific Alcatel Mobile, said of the new phones

There continues to be a need and strong demand for compelling sub-$200 alternatives, with Aussies craving affordable yet well-made, attractive options. We work closely with our parent company TCL to ensure we leverage its manufacturing capabilities that means we can bring immersive entertainment experiences and attractive devices to our smartphone customers through 18:9 displays, improved battery life and enhanced camera quality, all at an affordable price.

Specs:

Alcatel 1, 1C and 1X

Alcatel 3V

Alcatel says the phones will be arriving in August, though we haven’t seen which retailers will be stocking them yet, with Alcatel promising more information on that front as we approach the launch. The Alcatel 5, also announced at Mobile World Congress is still coming, though not till later in the year, with Alcatel previously saying the phone will be coming ‘mid-late 2018’ for under $300.