Alcatel is not a smartphone brand you instantly
associate with the US market, but under TCL's management, which also handles
the Western distribution and production of modern BlackBerry devices, the
company has gradually built a robust carrier presence over the past year or so.
After launching ultra-affordable handsets and
tablets on T-Mobile, AT&T, Metro, and Cricket Wireless, Alcatel is reaching
a milestone of sorts today with the announcement of its first-ever Verizon
product. The Avalon V is already up for grabs at the nation's largest wireless
service provider (both on and offline), fetching a measly US$ 99.99 outright, or
$4.16 a month on a two-year payment plan.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Alcatel Avalon V is not
available through Verizon's prepaid channel, like the dirt-cheap Nokia 2 V, for
instance. That actually makes this the most affordable device you can pair with
Big Red's postpaid plans, undercutting the likes of the Moto E5 Play, LG K20 V,
or Moto G6.
Obviously, the specifications are largely in line
with that US$ 100 price tag, including an unnamed quad-core Qualcomm processor
(probably the Snapdragon 425), a painfully small 2,460 mAh battery that's
nevertheless billed as capable of keeping the lights on for up to 24 hours between
charges, and a 5MP rear-facing camera with LED flash. A bunch of other key
details are bizarrely shrouded in mystery, but based on what we know about the
Avalon V, this looks extremely similar to the US$ 109 Alcatel 1X Evolve available
at Metro by T-Mobile.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the new guy
is a "soft suede" finish that adds a touch of unexpected elegance to
an otherwise mediocre package. The Alcatel Avalon V also sports a tall 2:1
5.34-inch "Full View" display that's not exactly a given in its price
bracket, although the unspecified resolution is not a very encouraging sign.
Something tells us the Verizon-exclusive handset is settling for a modest 960 x
480 pixel count, as well as an outdated Android Oreo software version.