The Alcatel A3 was a budget-friendly smartphone launched in February 2017. While it may not be the most powerful device on the market today, the Alcatel A3 offered a decent set of features for its price point at the time. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the Alcatel A3, exploring its specifications, design, performance, and more.
Design and Display
The Alcatel A3 sported a simple yet classic design. It came in two color options: white and gray. The phone was constructed with a plastic body and featured a 5.0-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. While the display won’t win any awards for sharpness by today’s standards, it offered a decent viewing experience for everyday use in 2017.
Hardware and Performance
Under the hood, the Alcatel A3 was powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor clocked at 1.25 GHz. This processor was paired with 1.5GB of RAM. While these specs were on par for budget phones in 2017, by today’s standards, the Alcatel A3 might struggle with multitasking and running demanding applications.
Storage and Expandability
The Alcatel A3 came with 16GB of internal storage. This wasn’t a lot of space, especially considering the operating system and pre-installed apps would eat into a chunk of it. Thankfully, the phone offered expandable storage via a microSD card slot that could support up to 32GB of additional storage.
Cameras
The Alcatel A3 featured a single 13-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash. The camera was capable of taking decent photos in good lighting conditions in 2017. However, low-light performance was likely not great. The front-facing camera for selfies was 5-megapixels.
Battery Life
The Alcatel A3 was equipped with a non-removable 2460mAh battery. This battery size was fairly standard for budget smartphones in 2017. With moderate usage, the Alcatel A3 could provide a full day’s worth of battery life. However, heavy users might need to top up the battery throughout the day.
Software
The Alcatel A3 shipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. This was the second-to-last major version of Android released before Android Nougat came out later in 2017. It’s important to note that the Alcatel A3 likely did not receive any major software updates after its release.
Connectivity
The Alcatel A3 supported basic connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, FM radio, and 3G and 4G LTE connectivity. The phone did not have NFC support for contactless payments.
Who Should Consider the Alcatel A3
In 2024, the Alcatel A3 is a relic of a bygone era. With its outdated specifications and lack of software support, it’s not a phone we would recommend for everyday use. However, if you’re looking for an extremely basic phone for light tasks such as making calls and sending texts, and you can find a used Alcatel A3 for a very low price, it might be a suitable option.
Conclusion
The Alcatel A3 was a decent budget smartphone offering in 2017. However, in 2024, it’s simply too outdated to be a viable option for most users. With limited processing power, low storage capacity, and an outdated operating system, the Alcatel A3 would struggle to keep up with the demands of modern applications.
FAQ
1. Is the Alcatel A3 still available for purchase?
The Alcatel A3 is no longer in production. However, you might be able to find used units online or at second-hand electronics stores.
2. Will the Alcatel A3 receive any more software updates?
It’s very unlikely that the Alcatel A3 will receive any more software updates in 2024. The phone launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and likely did not receive any major updates after its release.
3. Can the Alcatel A3 run modern apps?
The Alcatel A3’s limited processing power and 1.5GB of RAM might
