Alcatel's affordable smartphone line to hit South Africa.
TCL Communication announced on Wednesday 28 February 2018 that the Alcatel 1 series, the latest addition to the Alcatel smartphone portfolio, will soon be available in South Africa without revealing an exact date. The 1 series is Alcatel’s most affordable line-up, which aims to provide universal access to technology for everyone around the world, according to the company.
One of the smartphones in this line includes the brand’s first Android Oreo (Go edition) device in the form of the Alcatel 1X. In addition to the optimised version of the Android operating system, the Alcatel 1X features the latest Alcatel smartphone design language and technology. Alcatel believes that the device is one of the most affordable devices from a major global brand to come with an 18:9 screen.
“The 1 series breaks the entry-level stigma of bulky design, low-quality displays, poor performance and disappointing camera experiences,” according to Ernst Wittmann, Regional Manager – Southern and East Africa at TCL.
“The introduction of the Alcatel 1X powered by Android Oreo (Go edition) sets a new benchmark for smartphone affordability and connectivity for customers across the globe,” he added.
The Alcatel 1X will feature a new suite of popular pre-installed Google apps designed for increased speed, less demand on storage, and efficient data use. This includes the new Google Go, Files Go, Google Maps Go, YouTube Go and Gmail Go, as well as performance optimisations to Chrome, Google Play and Gboard.
The 1X will also feature the Google Assistant for Android (Go edition), enabling entry smartphone customers to experience the convenience of the voice-powered Google Assistant. With Android Oreo (Go edition), these applications and features have been optimised to be smaller in size meaning less storage requirements and offering Alcatel 1X customers more storage space out of the box.
The Alcatel 1X will be available locally in a single-sim option and will be priced globally at USD $ 122 and USD $134 respectively. Local prices and colours will be announced closer to the time of launch.
Edited by Dean Workman
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