Hands-on with the Alcatel U5, A3, and A5 LED

We are here at MWC 2017, and Alcatel just unveiled their latest smartphone offerings. Unlike previous years, where the company had a star in the “premium mid-range” Idol series, this time around, Alcatel is focusing on bolstering their low-end and mid-range, and most importantly, ultra affordable, smartphone portfolio. We go hands on and give you a quick look at the Alcatel U5, A3, and A5 LED!

Alcatel U5

Starting with the Alcatel U5, the device features decidedly low-end specifications, including a 5-inch display with a 480 x 854, a quad-core MediaTek MT6737M processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of on-board storage, microSD card support, and a 2,050 mAh battery. The U5, and the other devices on this list, will be running Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, which isn’t great to see, regardless of how affordable these phones may be.

While the camera specs aren’t that impressive either, with a 5 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front-facing shooter, you do get take advantage of a LED flash with the front-facing camera as well. There are also a few interesting  camera features built-in to cover your selfie needs, like Face Mask, Face Show, Selfie Album, and more.

While the pricing information of the Alcatel U5 is still unknown, Alcatel is billing the device to be the most affordable in its category, and it will certainly have to be, considering the below average specs of the device. That said, if the price is right, the Alcatel U5 could prove to be a fantastic starter phone or for those on the lookout for a budget-friendly option.

Alcatel A3

Up next is the Alcatel A3, which features specifications that can also be classified as low-end, but are a step up from what will be its more affordable sibling, the U5. The A3 comes with a 5-inch display with a 720 x 1280 resolution, the same MediaTek processor as the U5 but with a faster clock speed, 1.5 GB of RAM, 16 GB of built-in storage, microSD card support, and a 2,460 mAh battery. An additional layer of security is also available courtesy of a fingerprint scanner on the back.

The camera setup includes a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front-facing shooter. While the cameras are an upgrade when compared to the U5, the A3 does lose the front-facing flash. However, you still get to enjoy a slew of selfie-centric camera features, like Face Beauty, and more, including those mentioned above.

The Alcatel A3 is going to be a touch pricier than the U5, but likely not by much, and might be a better alternative to the latter, with a little more power, more storage, better cameras, and a larger battery.

Alcatel A5 LED

Finally, we have the Alcatel A5 LED, with specifications that include a 5-inch display with a HD resolution, an octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, microSD card support, and a 2,800 mAh battery. On the camera side of things, the A5 LED comes with an 8 MP rear unit and a 5 MP front-facing camera. A front-facing flash returns here, and like the other two smartphones, there are quite a few camera features available.

Once again, the specs aren’t the most impressive, but what makes the A5 LED stand out is what gives it its name. You get a LED back cover with the phone that lights up based on the customizable settings that you choose. For example, you can have different colors and patterns set for incoming calls and messages from specific contacts, types of notifications, and more. You can also have the LED lights “groove” to any music that you may be playing.

So, there you have it for this quick look at the Alcatel U5, A3, and A5 LED! All of these devices are meant to compete in the affordable segment and do feature specifications to match that. The price points of all these smartphones is going to be a key factor with regards to their success, even if the special features of the A5 LED are quite fun and interesting.

Stay tuned with Android Authority as we continue to bring you more great coverage from MWC 2017!