- Analysis by KJ David
Not to be confused with the Idol 3C (a then-high-end model that came out way back in 2015), the 2018 Alcatel 3C entered the market in January of 2018, just in time for CES. It is pitched as one of the cheapest smartphones rocking an expansive 18:9 display aspect ratio 
, however, its 6-inch IPS FullView screen is tarnished by a meager HD+ (1440 x 720) resolution 
, whereas most 18:9 models in our list of the best phablets boast FHD+ (2160 x 1080) and even QHD+ (2880 x 1440) facades.
Adding to its inauspicious screen definition are a couple of drawbacks on the processing front, in the form of a quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek MT8321 processor , which we find quite awkward, knowing that eight-core Android phones were already widely available as of this technical pros-and-cons review (Check out some popular octa-core smartphones here). Moreover, it uses a Mali-400 graphics processor -- the same graphics chip used by a lot of lower-specked smartphones, including some with tiny 4-inch displays.
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All that said, the Alcatel 3C's specs also include a a few selling points, one of the biggest being its 3000mAh battery capacity , which sounds robust-enough, considering its low-end processing components and not-so-demanding display. It also features a rear-mounted circular fingerprint scanner that you can use to launch its inbuilt Private Mode security suite , fire up a favorite app, or snap a quick selfie. Speaking of selfies, it touts a 5-megapixel front-facing camera interpolated (enhanced using software) to 8 megapixels accompanied by its own front-firing LED flash . At the back, it comes with an 8-megapixel main camera that is also interpolated to mimic the performance of an actual 13-megapixel lens, although it still sounds rather mild by 2018 measures. Also joining its pros and cons is Social Mode, an inbuilt app that lets you share photos directly on social media right after taking them.
For storage, the 3C comes with no more than 16GB of inbuilt memory , which some multimedia junkies might find a bit too low, considering that a lot of phablets start off with 32GB of native storage. At the very least, it comes with support for top-up memory, although Alcatel did not indicate up to how much as we were studying its pros and cons.
Topping off the Alcatel 3C is some radial detailing on its back side, aiming to give it a slight edge versus most other budget-tier phablets. Looking back, the Alcatel 3C is a wide-screen phablet with something to boast on the design and multimedia fronts, but if you're expecting some heavy multimedia and top-notch imaging, don't hold your breath.
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