Every year, more and more companies are joining the struggle for the budget segment of smartphones. If earlier it was possible to name with certainty up to ten manufacturers that produced such devices, today itās even hard to imagine what the total number of those brands that create tens of thousands of affordable phones is. This fact is undeniable, and today in the article we will consider just one of the low budget-devices.
We are talking about āAlcatel One Touch Pixi 3ā - a product of the once-famous telephone manufacturer, which clearly moved from a leadership position, losing ground to other giants. Obviously, with the help of such devices, Alcatel intends to occupy different niches, and the most affordable of them is no exception.
Positioning
Immediately I would like to note that the name āAlcatel One Touch Pixi 3ā refers to four phone models. Their full index ends with the prefixes 3.5, 4, 4.5 and 5. The differences between the devices are in the operating system, battery capacity, screen size, processor, dimensions and design. In fact, we get 4 completely different devices, which combines belonging to one segment and production by a single supplier.
The Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 (4 ā³) model can be called the second for cheapness - its cost is 4300 rubles. An even more affordable version, with an index of 3.5, will cost 2690 rubles. Agree, the devices really deserve to be called budget smartphones.
I also want to say that on sale every smartphone (except the one noted above, the very "first" modification) will receive different versions - with and without LTE support. This means that the manufacturer went by mass filling the market, making many options for products available for selection.
"MULTI-AXIS"
I would also like to draw the attention of readers to the factor of the presence of different operating systems on each of the smartphones. As the manufacturers noted (announcing the release of Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3), smartphones will be produced with Android, Firefox OS and Windows Phone. However, immediately after the release of the devices, it became known only about modifications with the Android platform. And now, for example, there is only such a version of smartphones on sale. What is the reason for such a stripped down assortment is hard to say. Probably, the manufacturer decided to send only such models to the Russian market.
Appearance
The design of the smartphones described in this article is actually better than you might initially think. True, the photographs presented do not say this. On them, the Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 phone is depicted as a ābrickā with a plastic case and thick edges around the display. As you know, this does not promise anything elegant, attractive and stylish, whereas in practice the situation is somewhat different. Judging by the reviews, the Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 smartphone is made of matt-pleasant plastic that feels good in the hand and does not fall out during a call. Functional connectors, as well as navigation in general, are placed quite conveniently. But, as users note, the build quality is lame here - the back cover creaks, there is a backlash of the case as a whole.
If we summarize the information regarding the design of all Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 devices, we can conclude that, taking into account the cost, the appearance is quite ordinary and even has its own advantages. The dimensions of the phones are also typical.
Screen
With the displays that are preinstalled on each of the Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 models (the reviews of which we are considering), however, everything is not so rosy. Judging by the technical specifications, the most affordable version has a resolution of 480 by 320 pixels, but on the contrary, the most expensive version has 854 x 480 pixels. At the same time, the screen size of each device is indicated as a prefix to the name. For example, it could be the Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 phone (3.5).
As you know, the image quality on such unpretentious screens leaves much to be desired. There is no need to talk about the high density and clarity of the picture, and taking into account the price of smartphones, hardly anyone will pay special attention to this.
Nothing is known about any protection that would cover the screen and protect its glass from scratches, so we conclude that it does not exist. Otherwise, this would be noted in the parameters.
Platform
With the performance of Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 smartphones (reviews confirm this), everything is also not so clear. Even in the technical description of the models it is indicated that they are offered with different hardware fundamentals, depending on the modification. For example, describing the most powerful, 5-inch, āOne Touch Pixi 3 Alcatelā feature, it notes that MediaTek MTK6570 or MTK6580, as well as Snapdragon 210 are preinstalled, depending on whether LTE support is available or not. The same applies to each of the other modifications of the smartphone.
In particular, the 4.5-inch version of Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 (4027D) is equipped, depending on the choice of the buyer, MTK6572M or MTK6735M.
If traditionally in an individual review we specify the performance and capabilities of the processor, then in today's ācollectiveā characteristic we will have to be content with only general comments that apply in equal parts to each of the phones presented here.
It is not necessary to count on the great ability to play applications and games with dynamic, colorful and realistic graphics in the case of devices such as Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 5017x (and others). These are budget smartphones, the equipment of which is quite suitable for solving basic tasks. At the same time, you need to be prepared for possible problems in the gadget's performance, for delays, freezes and braking of the smartphone. Such problems are not uncommon for devices with small RAM. And it is not very large here and reaches only 512 MB. In this matter, perhaps a device with a 5-inch display, which comes with an LTE module, can be called unique. It was equipped with 1 GB of RAM.
Cameras
Each of the described devices has 2 camera modules. Each of the modifications has individual characteristics: its resolution on a 3.5-inch smartphone reaches 2 megapixels and 0.5 megapixels (main and front cameras, respectively), and on a 5-inch smartphone - 5 and 0.3 megapixels, or even 8 and 1 , 3 megapixels (on the most expensive version, which is offered with an LTE module).
Batteries
On each device, batteries of different capacities are offered, ranging from 1150 mAh (on models with a 3.5-inch display) and ending with 2000 mAh (on LTE versions of the version with a 5-inch screen). The service life of smartphones, respectively, varies depending on this indicator. However, this issue should also take into account the processor power of the phones. Since we are not talking about such productive and functional devices, you should not worry about too fast a charge. Although in the user reviews there are complaints about the low battery capacity.
Multimedia
The ability to play audio, video and other types of entertainment content is perhaps one of the most significant advantages of the gadgets that we are considering. This is especially true for budget versions.
Imagine that for such an insignificant (in our time) amount of money you can buy a real multimedia player that you can carry on hand and use anywhere. Just for the sake of this, buying a device can be justified, although again the quality of the image on the display, as well as the sound reproduced by the device, will not be presented at the highest level.
Communication
Of course, we do not forget about the characteristics of communications pre-installed on each of the smartphones. First of all, it should be noted the support of two SIM cards on all gadgets. This is already a positive quality, which consists in the ability to be connected in two mobile networks.
In addition, the devices are equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modules, which allow talking about an even wider range of capabilities in the field of multimedia. The same goes for the GPS receiver, which allows you to determine the location of the device, and the FM radio. As already noted, features such as 3G or LTE support should be called optional.
Memory
The entertainment capabilities of smartphones are highly dependent on how much data can be placed on them. We are talking, as you understand, about the phoneās memory - about the disk space that can be filled with the user's personal content.
The instruction dedicated to the Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 smartphone indicates that each of the devices (except for the top-end version with 8 GB) has a memory capacity of 4 GB. Moreover, the devices support the connection of a memory card, which can significantly increase the amount available for recording.
Where could I buy?
As previously noted, phones from the One Touch Pixi 3 series are presented on the domestic market of mobile devices in a somewhat truncated assortment. At least we were not able to find all the modifications preloaded with FIrefox or Windows Phone. Although, of course, it would be interesting for users to watch how this or that device works.
If the fact that the company really intended to introduce smartphones in different OS combinations is true, then we can conclude that they are on sale in the markets of other countries. In this case, of course, you need to order them online, using popular Chinese auctions, for example. There, if you search, you can also find whole catalogs of not only smartphones, but also accessories for them - various covers, memory cards, films on the screen and other goods.
Reviews
The opinions of people who have worked with such affordable devices can be easily found. It is impossible to say that most of them are positive. To be more precise, then, most likely, one can argue about a solid "troika" delivered by users to these smartphones.
Many customer recommendations argue their choice of device with its cost, design, and communication capabilities.
If we talk about the most common shortcomings, then you donāt need to go far for them - because of the availability of the gadget, the manufacturer clearly saved on its display and processor. About the camera, navigation modules and the battery is no longer necessary.
Users note that the smartphone very often shows errors in operation, sometimes freezes (even while working with the operating system, without connecting additional applications). Sometimes it happens that the phone is completely turned off for no apparent reason.
Of course, all this applies to the average model, that is, all those that are presented at the very bottom of the hierarchy of smartphones in the Alcatel product line. If we talk about the more expensive representative of Pixi 3, then such problems happen to him less often, and due to this, working with the device seems more comfortable and stable.
conclusions
What can be summarized after the article in which we gave mobile devices such a characteristic? First, you really need to pay attention to the advantages of the smartphones that we have described. It is clear that the main bet in them is not so much on functionality, coordination of work and build quality, but on what price is installed on the Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3.
The development company simply bribes the user with such a cost of the phone, and it's hard to resist. Many people took the device only because of the low price - which can also be understood by analyzing the recommendations of visitors to various forums.
At the same time, you need to understand that by setting the cost of the gadget at such a level, the manufacturer was forced to cut costs in another area, cutting the cost of the quality of those components with which the device is manufactured. As a result, the products are of lower quality, although they still hit the market and are offered to the mass consumer. This is Alcatelās strategy. And many Chinese developers act with the same approach.
If you need a phone that in its potential capabilities can become a smartphone, but the quality of its work in this role will not bother you at all, the budget Pixi 3 is just for you. If you need a functional ādialerā, itās easier to buy a regular phone with physical keys and not spend extra money.