Alcatel's new phones deliver respectable hardware at a low price

By Kyle Wiggers Published October 21, 2016

Some people don’t need the fanciest smartphone money can buy, or the very latest doodad, gizmo, or whirligig on the ever-ephemeral smartphone market. Some people are perfectly content with the mundane middle range: they couldn’t care less about dual cameras, or high-resolution displays, or powerful processors and an abundance of memory. They just want something affordably uncompromising, and that’s what Alcatel is delivering in the form of four new smartphones bound for Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers later this year: the Pixi 4 (5), the Pixi 4 (6), the Pop 4 Plus, and the Pop 4S.

The Pop 4S is the most powerful of Alcatel’s quartet. It sports a 5.5-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) display, an octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and two cameras with respectable specifications: a 13-megapixel rear-facing sensor and a 5-megapixel front shooter. Those aren’t its only accouterments: it has a fingerprint reader, a wireless LTE radio with support for GSM networks besides, plus 64GB of storage expandable via microSD slot and a 2,960mAh battery.

Recommended Videos

The Pop 4 Plus is a slight step down in some regards, but not by much. It has a 5.5-inch 720p (1,280 x 720 pixels) screen and a quad-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM, along with a fairly standard array of components: 32GB of internal storage, a MicroSD Card slot, and dual SIM slots. It’s outfitted with a pair of cameras in the form of an 8-megapixel rear facing sensor and 5-megapixel front shooter, and powering it it all is a 2,500mAh battery.

The Pixi 4 (6) is a little less capable than its beefier, ever-so-slightly pricier siblings. The 6-inch handset sports a 720p (1,280 x 720 pixels) display, and under the hood a quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor paired with 2GB of RAM. The cameras are a slight step down from those on the Pop 4 Plus and Pop 4S, too — the rear’s an 8-megapixel model and the front’s a 5-megapixel equivalent — as is the battery (2,580mAh). And the Pixi omits a fingerprint sensor.

The Pixi 4 (4), the smaller of the two Pixis, is the decided bottom rung of Alcatel’s collection. It features a 5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) display powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with a microSD Card slot, and a 2,000mAh battery. It’s appropriately the cheapest.

None of Alcatel’s new phones, however, are expensive. They all retail unlocked for below $180, and better yet, ship with the company’s two-year standard warranty. True, the Pixis, the Pop 4S, and the Pop 4S may not be the most competitive entries the budget market has to offer — that honor goes to ZTE’s ZMax Pro — but if you’re in need of something without frills and don’t want to have to worry twice about losing or destroying it, you could do worse.

Former Staff Writer

Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…

Topics

Phones

I picked four wireless chargers so you can stop making your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch fight over one dorm outlet

The best back-to-school wireless chargers for dorm desks, study spaces, and travel

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

A dorm-room desk can disappear surprisingly quickly beneath a laptop charger, phone cable, Apple Watch puck, and the growing collection of adapters required to power them all. Add textbooks and other academic materials, and finding enough room to study becomes the first assignment of the semester.

A wireless charging stand can consolidate several of those cables into one station. It also gives your phone a dedicated place to sit, which helps when you are checking the time or watching a lecture. Every charger here still needs one connection to the wall. So finding a peripheral that works with all of your gadgets isn't just convenient, it's smart. I picked four models ranging from an inexpensive two-device stand to a fast 25W wireless charger capable of powering an entire Apple setup.

Phones

Your backpack needs one of these power banks before classes start

I picked 4 power banks that can survive your longest day on campus

Anker Nano 3-in-1 10,000mAh portable power bank for iPhone.

Finding an empty outlet on campus can require more patience than registering for a popular class. Common spaces like libraries or lecture halls rarely have sockets in the right places. So a good power bank gives you far more freedom. It gives you the option to choose the quiet corner of the library, work outside between classes, or even finish an assignment without worrying about your laptop's battery.

The right model depends on what you carry, since a phone needs far less power than a MacBook or gaming laptop. I picked four Anker power banks that cover everything from everyday phone charging to running several demanding devices at once.

Phones

The Minimal Phone 2 looks dramatically better than the original, and I’m genuinely here for it

Plastic is out, metal is in, and Minimal Phone 2's renders suggest the digital detox phone concept finally has the hardware to match its ambition.

Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

I've been following the Minimal Phone since its initial crowdfunding days. The first iteration had the right idea trapped inside the wrong body, I’d say. Plastic build, no 5G, an underwhelming camera, and e-paper ghosting that frustrated early adopters; all these issues kept the phone from reaching a wider audience.

Now, founder Armen Youssefian has posted what appears to be a 360-degree render of the Minimal Phone 2 on X, and from what I can see, the team has done its homework.