Need a new affordable phone? Check out complete Alcatel 1L Pro review with key specs and more close up review on the AI enhanced camera.
The Alcatel 1L Pro smartphone was released in September 2021. This phone offers more than its predecessor, the Alcatel 1L. Its Octa-core CPU is superior to the Quad-core CPU utilized in the previous model.
This phone comes explicitly with a 13MP camera with AI enhancements and a 2MP fixed-focus sensor. This feature also provides “professional-looking” blur, AI Scene identification with 12 choices for saturation, color, and other features.
The smartphone is perfect for those who are looking for a reliable and affordable phone in your pocket. But does it suit your needs in terms of your preference? We will list down all Alcatel 1L Pro (2021) review that will make your decision easier to purchase this phone or not.
Page Contents:
Key Specs
| Weight | 190g |
| Dimensions | 156.4 x 74.8 x 9.7mm |
| OS | Android 11 (Go Edition) |
| Screen size | 6.1-inch |
| Resolution | 1560 x 720 |
| CPU | 1.6GHz Octa-core, Unisoc SC9863A (28nm) |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Battery | 3,000mAh, Removable |
| Rear camera | 13MP + 2MP |
| Front camera | 5MP |
Design
Alcatel 1L Pro comes with two choices of color, Power Grey or Twilight Blue gradient back design. All of the fronts of the phone remain black. The color appears to be an excellent match for TCL’s minimalist design goals. In conjunction with a reasonable phone size, a user will also have a comfortable grasp on the phone.
The screen size is 78.1% screen-to-body which means that the phone’s borders are pretty apparent but pleasant considering the price and with the nudge as the camera peaks at the top of the screen. The absence of a button on the front side of the gadget gave a much more streamlined appearance, similar to that of most sophisticated smartphone devices these days. This phone is absent a gorilla glass and needs to be added for additional protection.
It is finished with wavy shapes that give a dazzling effect on the phone’s backside, giving it a sophisticated feel while also adding a more delicate touch to the phone’s design. This smartphone’s back is finished with a fingerprint biometric, and two cameras on the top left corner with artificial intelligence to complete the overall aesthetic of the device.
The phone’s sides are rounded and are primarily standard buttons. The volume button and power button are located on the right side of the phone. The most noteworthy feature of this phone is that it is equipped with a Google Assistant button on the left side, which allows for improved voice control.
Display
Alcatel 1L Pro features a massive 6.1-inch HD+ display panel at a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 78.1% screen-to-body ratio. That gives users more than enough space to easily navigate the screen, browse, watch a video, or even dive deep into the game of their choice. This high display size puts this Alcatel at the top of its category.
The 1560 x 720 pixel HD+ display resolution is a good companion for a high megapixel of the back camera. The high-resolution display gives the photo all the details and zooms in on the photos and videos taken and watching some Netflix other streaming media. Given the low cost of this device, this display resolution is among the best in its class.
Not forgetting the Eye-comfort Mode takes care of your eyes. But as the color balance that could be set in the phone set itself does not provide enough difference to offset the color aid of the overall screen. The brightness of the screen itself has a good enough range to cover many lighting scenarios.
Camera
Alcatel 1L Pro’s 5MP front camera is incredible for basic photography and social media content. It is located at the top of the phone, halfway between the screen, giving the overall design a modern feel. The front camera itself has a significant focus, a broad landscape despite can’t do panorama photography, and has a lighting balance even in a backlight environment.
This Alcatel 1L Pro review will highlight the device back camera with 13MP and 2MP for depth. The AI photography will give a lot of detail to the photos, both indoor and outdoor. With the maximum zoom of 4X with still a good amount of detail retained on the outcome.
The AI also automatically detects depth and blurs the background for a dramatic result. This phone is also completed with Pro mode, which allows you to change to ISO, white balance, and contrast.
Video mode provides us with full HD, which is a fantastic addition usually not given in this class of phones. It does not equip with a stabilizer, but it does have a slow-motion and a timelapse option which is an incredible feat that could open up your video shoot options. Video mode from the front camera holds itself quite well with the automatic adjustment to the lighting.
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Storage
32GB of internal storage is packed into the Alcatel 1L Pro, along with a pre-installed application that you can opt to deactivate but not completely erase to free up some space. The additional compatibility micro SD card of this phone can hold up to 128GB. Given the phone’s camera, it is necessary to increase the size of its storage.
Performance
Alcatel 1L Pro is completed with Android Go 11 directly from the factory, making it very up to date at its release. Some features need to be highlighted, such as The freedom to program some gestures to let the phone do certain tasks such as powering on, etc. With Android Go, there are some prominent features such as the ‘No distraction mode’, which locks out users from a few applications for a focus session while working or studying.
For this device, it’s best to stick to lightweight applications, such as social media. With only 2GB RAM, capacity will suffice for day-to-day usage. Even with the Octa-core CPU equipped in this device, the lack of RAM to support its performance is a miss for this phone. A brand new condition, the startup of every app tends to be slower if compared to a more performance focus build depending on the on-process app themselves.
While looking at the specification for this phone, it is clear that it is not a high-performance gaming phone, but don’t count this device just yet. Playing an offline smaller game works just smoothly. Even online multiplayer games with simpler graphics, effects and textures will run smoothly at up to 35 frames per second with 100 percent reliability.
On a heavier game, the performance is more restrictive with low to medium graphics at best from the settings at peak. The game will run at 30 frames per second and its lowest at 12 frames per second, 90%-100% stability. This phone isn’t designed for gaming, but there is still the capacity to relieve yourself of boredom with this device.
Alcatel 1L Pro is completed with some sensors used in daily activity, such as an accelerometer that measures the acceleration forces caused by gravity or motion. A light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen depending on the surrounding light of the environment. And a biometric fingerprint scanner at the back of the phone to ensure data protection on your mobile.
Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, there are no groundbreaking features. Alcatel 1L Pro includes all essentials, including a 4G connection directly from your sim card and a Wi-Fi 5 connection. Bluetooth, FM radio, on-the-go USB, GPS, and local sharing or casting with other Android devices are all pre-installed. However, this smartphone includes NFC, which allows you to connect to other smart devices.
Battery
The 3,000mAh battery capacity of Alcatel 1L Pro could serve up to 14 hours and 10 hours in more intense usage. This range of capacity is considered a lower tier on the smartphone market. But to make up for the smaller capacity, TCL has installed an ultra-saving mode that will limit your application but save the battery drastically for much longer use.
Sadly this phone is still equipped with a regular micro USB despite being released at the end of 2021. Even in the budget range of this device, they should upgrade them to a Type-C charging cable. And this is also a sign that there isn’t a fast charging option for this phone. And considering the smaller capacity of the battery, it will charge up to full fast enough for daily usage.
Is the Alcatel 1L Pro a good phone?
Alcatel 1L Pro is a fairly economical smartphone with an exceptional camera and well-rounded system performance. There are some prominent features, but there are also some flaws. The pitfall is small battery capacity and lack of high-performance capacity. Still, this phone shines on the base aspect of usages such as camera and polished design considering the low budget cost of this phone range.
With the price of $127, this phone is delivering what they are promising. This phone is ideal for individuals looking for a lightweight, casual smartphone that will suffice for scrolling through social media and posting photographs and videos. Its sophisticated design is a good match even with the higher price range and will serve well in doing the regular day-to-day task that you need. The basic conclusion of the Alcatel 1L Pro review is listed down below.
Alcatel 1L Pro Pros
- AI guided camera
- Very economical
- Sleek design
Alcatel 1L Pro Cons
- Micro USB
- Not for gaming/high-performance task
- Small battery capacity
