Skip to main content

You can buy 22 Alcatel Trus for the price of one iPhone 6S and still have money left over

Coming off of its recent launches of the Idol 4 and 4S, Alcatel returns to its ultra-affordable ways with the MetroPCS-bound Tru.

On the outside, the Tru features a 5-inch, 854 x 480p resolution display, with a 2-megapixel camera above it and a 5MP unit with LED flash around back. Below the display sits a home capacitive button, though we assume it is flanked by another capacitive button on either side. Meanwhile, the back cover is 100 percent plastic, but its use of faux leather should make it feel nice in the hands.

Recommended Videos

Under the hood, a 1.1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 chipset and 1GB RAM power the Tru, with the anemic 8GB of native storage bolstered by up to an additional 32GB through the MicroSD card slot. The 2,000mAh battery that keeps the lights on may not seem like much, but thanks to the meager specifications of the Tru, odds are you will not be hunting for a charger by the end of the day.

Unfortunately, the Tru runs the aging Android Lollipop out of the box, with an update to either Marshmallow or the upcoming Nougat highly unlikely.

You might not want to look at the Tru if timely software updates are your thing. Rather, you turn to the Tru for a phone that will give you the basics and nothing more, though the inclusion of 4G LTE support at its price point is a nice add-on.

Speaking of which, the Tru only costs $29 after mail-in rebate, making the phone one of the most affordable MetroPCS has to offer. For that price, you can buy 22 units for the price of a 16GB iPhone 6S and still have some money left over for a snack or two. If you just want to buy one, however, the Tru is now available online.

Williams Pelegrin
Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: the upgrade we’ve been waiting for?
Thre Flip 7 models next to each other

I never really thought that I'd want to go down the route of owning a flip phone, ever since I swore off my Nokia in the early 2000s (you know, the one with the weird felt covering and tiny notification window).

Fast forward two decades, and I'm considering rejoining the race, thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. Coming in at $1,100, it's not cheap, but it's definitely something different compared to the world of black rectangles, and it it feels like Samsung’s Flip family has finally come of age.

Read more
I used the Galaxy Z Fold 7, here’s why I’m completely smitten
The back of the Galaxy Z Fold 7

We’ve waited several years for Samsung to join the party, but it’s finally here: Samsung has followed rivals like Oppo, OnePlus, and Honor in building a thinner, lighter, and sleeker Galaxy Z Fold 7. It’s an impressive feat of engineering and a major upgrade over previous years.

It’s easy to consider the Fold 7 nothing more than an update to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but in many ways, it feels like a huge step forward, not just for Samsung but for all folding phones. I spent a few hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in an exclusive preview, and here’s why I absolutely love what Samsung has done this year.

Read more
I tried the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series – they’re sleek, but with a lot to prove
Watch 8 on a wrist

Trying out the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic is a tough gig - not in terms of it being a hardship to try out two high-end models, but that it's impossible to assess them with only 30 minutes’ use.

I can easily talk about the improved design and the fit of the straps etc, but the real changes are within the health ecosystem, and they'll need sustained testing to really understand if they're any good.

Read more