Alcatel kicks off MWC with new budget phones, nifty kids smartwatch

After pushing a slew of cheap phones out the door at CES, TCL-owned Alcatel is rolling out more affordable products at MWC 2021. Leading the line are two new budget additions to its Alcatel 1 series and a new smartwatch for kids.

Alcatel Movetime Family Watch 2

Although it’s for kids, the Movetime Family Watch 2 may be Alcatel’s most intriguing product at MWC 2021. More a basic wearable smartphone for kids than a smartwatch, the Movetime packs a large 1.54-inch display covered in 2D glass with an IP65-rated body. It can also make video and voice call smarts over LTE using a nano-SIM and a 2MP camera just above its display.

More: The best fitness trackers for kids

Additionally, the Movetime sports 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and an 850mAh battery, reportedly good for two days with LTE enabled. Built-in GPS enables a geofencing alert safety feature for parents, while a one-touch SOS button is also built-in.

You also get basic fitness metrics, including total steps and distance covered. While the device lacks a heart rate monitor and more advanced sleep-tracking features, keeping tabs on kids’ security seems to be its chief selling point.

The Alcatel Movetime Family Watch 2 will be available in Europe beginning mid-August 2021, priced at €149 (~$178).

Alcatel 1L Pro

Heading the smartphone lineup is the Alcatel 1L Pro. Packing a 6.1-inch IPS HD+ display in a plastic body, it’s the larger of the two phones on offer. It’s powered by the octa-core Unisoc SC9863A SoC combined with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. A 3,000mAh battery with 5W charging also features. A 2MP depth sensor joins the 13MP primary camera at the rear. Up front, a 5MP selfie camera sits in a notch.

Notably, the Alcatel 1L Pro employs Android 11 Go Edition, which should run efficiently on the hardware provided. However, the lite version of Google’s OS does come with its fair set of limitations.

The Alcatel 1L Pro will be available in Power Grey or Twilight Blue and will ship across Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa beginning September 2021. Pricing in Mexico will start at 2,699 Mexican pesos (~$133) but expect the device to maintain this price point in other regions.

Alcatel 1

Finally, if the 1L Pro is a little too large, and the Movetime won’t fit your writs, the Alcatel 1 is the alternative. The device also uses Android 11 Go Edition and features a 5-inch display, the MediaTek MT6739 SoC, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of expandable storage. A 2,000mAh battery provides power. Around the rear, there’s a single 5MP camera while a 2MP shooter handles selfies.

The Alcatel 1 isn’t an exciting prospect on paper, but it’s not intended to be. Alcatel notes the device is built with “a smart, easy, user experience in mind.”  It should serve as an adequate gateway for feature phone users to the smartphone world.

Offered in Volcano Black and AI Aqua colorways, the Alcatel 1 will be available in Europe and Latin America from August 2021, starting at €59 (~$70).