Alcatel makes new 5, 3 and 1 series phones official, topping out at €229 and focusing on value

It's all about features for the money.

Alcatel gave us an early look at its new range of phones back at CES — comprised of an Alcatel 5 at the high end, plus the Alcatel 3 series and Alcatel 1 series below, all being pitched as providing great value under €250.

Now at MWC 2018, we have some actual pricing and availability details for us to go along with our initial impressions of the group.

The Alcatel 5 is the main device that may get a few people interested in this 2018 lineup, though now in the same ways that made the Alcatel Idol 3 and Idol 4 interesting. Alcatel is going increasingly budget-focused with the 5, setting the price at just €229.

Even at that price you're getting a brushed metal body, 5.7-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display, USB-C and dual front-facing cameras. Also somewhat surprising at this price point is the inclusion of both a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and a new face unlock mode.

Category	Spec
Operating system	Android 7.1 Nougat
Display	5.7-inch IPS, 1440 x 720 (18:9)
Processor	MT6750 octa-core 1.5GHz
Storage	16/32GB (depending on model)
Expandable	MicroSD up to 32GB
RAM	2/3GB (depending on model)
Rear camera	12MP, 1.25-micron, f/2.2, dual-tone flash, HDR
Front camera 1	13MP, 1.4-micron, f/2
Front camera 2	5MP, 120-degree lens
Connectivity	LTE Cat 4, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS
Battery	3000mAh
Charging	USB-C
Security	Fingerprint sensor, Face Key unlock
Dimensions	152.3 x 71.1 x 8.4 mm, 144g

The Alcatel 3 isn't just one phone ... but rather three: there's the Alcatel 3V, 3X and 3, all with slightly different combinations of features and at slightly different prices. These all fall under €200, but are designed to offer a higher-end look with an 18:9 display and key features like fingerprint sensors. The 3V has a 6-inch 2160x1080 screen, the 3X has a 5.7-inch 1440x720 screen and the bottom-end 3 comes with a 5.5-inch 1440x720 screen. (A little confusing, I know.)

Both the 3V and 3X have dual rear cameras, with the secondary lens providing wide-angle shots. All three have extremely basic plastic hardware design, and you'll be stuck with a Micro-USB port for charging. Pricing is all extremely close together on these models, but they're all launching in "select markets" so it wouldn't be surprising to see little overlap between the models. The Alcatel 3V will set you back just €189, with the 3X at €179 and the 3 at €149.

Category	Alcatel 3V	Alcatel 3X	Alcatel 3
Operating system	Android Oreo	Android Nougat	Android Oreo
Display	6-inch, 2160x1080 (18:9)	5.7-inch, 1440x720 (18:9)	5.5-inch, 1440x720 (18:9)
Processor	MT8735A quad-core 1.45GHz	MT6739 quad-core 1.28GHz	MT6739 quad-core 1.28GHz
Storage	16/32GB	16/32GB	16GB
Expandable	MicroSD up to 128GB	MicroSD up to 128GB	MicroSD up to 128GB
RAM	2GB	2/3GB	2GB
Rear camera 1	12MP, 1.25-micron, f/2.2, PDAF, LED flash	13MP, 1.12-micron, f/2	13MP, 1.12-micron, f/2, PDAF, LED flash
Rear camera 2	2MP, 1.25-micron, f/2.4	5MP, 1.12-micron, f/2.2, 120-degree lens	n/a
Front camera	5MP, LED flash	5MP, LED flash	5MP, LED flash
Connectivity	LTE, 802.11n Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC	LTE, 802.11n Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC	LTE, 802.11n Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC
Battery	3000mAh	3000mAh	3000mAh
Charging	Micro-USB	Micro-USB	Micro-USB
Security	Fingerprint sensor Face Key unlock	Fingerprint sensor Face Key unlock	Fingerprint sensor Face Key unlock
Dimensions	162 x 76 x 8.05 mm 155g	153.5 x 71.6 x 8.5mm 144g	147.1 x 68.8 x 8.5mm 145g

While technically the "Alcatel 1 series," there's just one model in the series right now: the Alcatel 1X. This isn't really the type of phone we normally get excited about for ourselves, but is interesting from the perspective that it's the company's first Android Go (or "Go edition") phone running Google's lightweight version of Android Oreo. For just €99, or €109 in a dual-SIM variant, the Alcatel 1X gives you a solid build with a neat soft suede-like back and unexpected features like a fingerprint sensor and a more modern looking 18:9 display.

Alcatel isn't known for having great software or keeping its phones up to date with the latest releases, and having Android Go on board here should help with both of those aspects.

Category	Spec
Operating system	Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition)
Display	5.3-inch, 960x480 (18:9)
Processor	MT6739 quad-core 1.28GHz
Storage	16GB
Expandable	MicroSD up to 32GB
RAM	1/2GB (depending on model)
Rear camera	8MP or 13MP (depending on model) 1.12-micron, 1/4" sensor, f/2.0, auto focus 1080p 30 video
Front camera	5MP, fixed focus, flash, 720p 30 video
Connectivity	LTE Cat 4, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS
Battery	2460mAh
Charging	Micro-USB
Security	Fingerprint sensor, Face Key unlock
Dimensions	147.5 x 70.6 x 9.1 mm, 151g

Alcatel doesn't have specific country availability for each of the models just yet, but my best guess would be that only the Alcatel 5 will make its way to North America — the rest will be slated for more emerging markets where prices this low are all but required. The Alcatel 5 is already hitting some markets at the end of February, while the 3 series is coming in March and the 1 series is waiting until April.