Tablet’s may well have limited use for many of us but for kids they can be a great learning tool. Alcatel have had a history of making some decent devices at an extremely affordable price, and the new tablet announced today is no different.
The Telstra Essential 8” Tab powered by Alcatel is one of the first tablets to be running Android Oreo (Go edition). This means that it should receive many timely updates in the coming months and years. The 8 inch display is an IPS display with a 1280 x 800 resolution and is powered by a MediaTek MT8765B quadcore processor. The processor is aided by just 1GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which can be expanded using a microSD card up to 128GB.
Tablets often have decent battery life and this one promises just that with the 4080 mAh battery offering up to 25 hours of 3G life and up to 400 hours of standby time. There is a 5MP rear camera which doesn’t seem like much but many small kids will love having fun with that. There is also a 2MP front facing camera which is also used for face unlock.
The Android Go software offers not just timely updates but also Google Lens to help kids learn on objects they see and a Family Mode. Family Mode is a dedicated mode for kids with pre-loaded games, cartoons and books and includes parental controls to set usage time.
The Telstra Essential 8” Tab powered by Alcatel is available from Telstra for just $129 outright and offers a very affordable way for parents looking for a device for their kids.
Although it does seem underpowered for us do you think this would be enough for your kids? Interested?
How long will this tablet stay updated for with regards to security? (do they specify a period of time?)
Will it have adoptable storage support?
There is a Levono 8 inch running “Go” from office works and JB $100)…how does this stack up? Need one for the child
Is this that tablet that there was discussion that it was coming to Australia a few months ago when it was launched?
When I saw the plans they are offering I thought that they were not great value but I just did a quick look at a few other options and surprisingly they are a lot more competitive than I was thinking. I, however, would sooner for something like this if it is aimed at children maybe only a $10/m for 1-2 gig.
Les@Telstra, I think it supports 4G.
https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/prepaid-mobiles/telstra-essential-tablet
I have had terrible experiences with bloat on Telstra devices and Alcatel in particular. Aldi wins here.
Oh no! I hadn’t considered that Telstra + Alcatel might have put bloatware on it. Why do they do that? Don’t they know it turns customers away?
The only bloatware we’ve usually seen on Telstra devices has been the 24×7 app, which as a Telstra customer comes in handy.
I do believe the link below from the Telstra website is the same tablet. According to the specs it comes with 4G cellular, including 4GX. Also Android 8.1 Go Edition
https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/prepaid-mobiles/telstra-essential-tablet#pre-paid-max
Appears to be the Alcatel 3t 8, no?
This seems like a safer bet for updates compared to the ALDI tablet (including ROMs). Only $30 extra and it has 3G (any 4G support?) though it does have smaller screen.
I was thinking exactly the same thing. Android Go is able to run efficiently in a device with minimal specifications. Most of the time you’d probably run it at home on WiFi. It’s amazing it has any cellular connectivity at that price, so 3G is a bonus. This is much better than what Aldi offers.
According to Telstra’s website, it is 4G “4G Enabled Tablet with Voice calling”