Alcatel has unveiled its latest budget handset, the Idol 5S. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 625, and will go up for sale on Amazon starting July 10 for $279. If you don't mind seeing lock screen ads, you can pick up the Prime Exclusive edition right now for just $199, an $80 discount from its retail price. Alcatel is also making the A50 and A30 Plus available on Amazon for $99 and $79 respectively.
The $80 discount is the largest offered for a phone in the Prime Exclusive lineup, which recently added the Nokia 6 and Moto E4.
For $199, there's plenty to like in the Idol 5S, which has a 5.2-inch Full HD display with 2.5D curved glass, Snapdragon 625, 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage, microSD slot, 12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera with a flash module, stereo speakers at the front, and 2620mAh battery. The Idol 5S is initially compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile, but a software update that will roll out over the summer will add support for Sprint and Verizon.
For $199, there's plenty to like in the Idol 5S.
The highlight of the A50 is its customizability, with Alcatel offering snap-on cases called Snapbak that bring added functionality. The LightUp Snapbak case, for instance, adds an LED ring around the frame of the device, lighting up for calls, texts, and other notifications. There's also a speaker accessory called the Sound Snapbak that adds a 2.5W speaker with a built-in kickstand to the back of the A50.
The phone itself features a 5.2-inch 720p display, unnamed quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage, microSD, 13MP camera at the back, 5MP front shooter, and a 2800mAh battery. The standard variant of the A50 retails for $149, with the ad-subsidized model available for $99. Amazon is also offering a bundle with a Snapbak LED case for $129, a $70 discount from its retail price of $199.
The A30 Plus has a similar configuration as the A50, with a few notable changes: it has a 5.5-inch 720p screen, and a slightly larger 3000mAh battery. Both the A50 and A30 Plus are compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile, and a software update will allow the A50 to work on Verizon later this year. The Idol 5S runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, whereas the A50 and A30 Plus come with Android 7.0 Nougat.
What do you guys think of Alcatel's latest phones?
