The Alcatel 3V Is One Slick Under-$150 Smartphone

The Alcatel 3V Is One Slick Under-$150 Smartphone

If you think that you need to pay big bucks to get a great phone, Alcatel begs to differ. Just under $150 will get you a smartphone that offers a TCL custom-built 2K display, dual rear cameras, biometric security, and more. No contracts, no monthly payment plans, just a really great phone for cheap — that’s the Alcatel 3V!

If you’ve been hankering for a 6″, 2K (2160×1080) screen in an 18:9 form factor, near bezel-less design that also has a dual rear camera, fingerprint sensor, and Face Key biometric security, you don’t need to drop almost a grand. The Alcatel 3V is carrier unlocked for GSM networks (that’s pretty much anything but Sprint or Verizon and their affiliates in the US), and you can get yours next week for just $149.99.

The Alcatel 3V is the first device in the U.S. to utilize Alcatel’s new SIMGANIC design, which was introduced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This new design philosophy, offers a balance of organic and simplicity from a human centric perspective, and reflects a beginning for the evolution of Alcatel’s product portfolio. With SIMGANIC design, the 3V is crafted with beautifully curved lines, sleek 2.5D contoured edge glass, and curved backs, for a comfortable fit.

You’ll be able to watch movies in the format in which they were meant to be seen and on a gorgeous screen, and you’ll be able to take your own photos with the 12-megapixel rear camera coupled with a 2-megapixel camera for depth. The front-facing camera is 5-megapixels, and it has its own LED so your selfies will be well-lit.

The Alcatel 3V Is One Slick Under-$150 Smartphone

You can take, edit, and share your photos with Alcatel’s Social Mode, and with Social Square, you can check out the photos you just took in one half of the screen while the camera remains active. Instant Collage lets you create collections of your favorite photos.

Each section of the collage is taken one-by-one using the camera viewfinder and shifts to the next shape as you progress through the collage. Photo Booth brings back those nostalgic photo moments from the fair or friends’ parties by taking four pictures in a row, one shot per second.

You’ll be able to use your face and/or your fingerprint to unlock your new phone because pin-codes are so 2017.

The Alcatel 3V will be available in the US in Spectrum Black on Amazon next week, and it will be for sale at Best Buy and Walmart soon after.

Has the 3V caught your interest? You can learn more about it here.

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.