Alcatel has been pretty silent for a while but now returns with the Alcatel OneTouch Flash Plus, a feature-packed device costing less than RM600. The 5.5-inch device ticks all the check boxes, armed with everything you need in a smartphone without burning a whole in your pocket. I recently got hold of a review unit, so here’s a quick unboxing and first impressions post.
First, let’s revisit the technical specs. The FlashPlus comes powered by the venerable 1.5GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core processor mated to 2GB RAM. It’s the same talented chip that runs in the Lenovo A7000. In a nutshell, it isn’t at all shabby in the power department.
It gets a 5.5-inch HD IPS OGS display (1280×720) and 16GB of storage, expandable via microSD.
It’s a dual-SIM, dual-LTE device taking microSIM-sized cards. There’s of course Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS and USB OTG. You’ll be chuffed to know that there’s a massive 3,500mAh battery in-built.
Alcatel positions the Flash Plus as a camera-centric device, and has utilised the 13MP f/2.2 Sony IMX214 sensor for the rear. The front gets a big 8MP unit.
On the design front, the Flash Plus isn’t anything remarkable but it’s simple and uncomplicated. What I do like are the hinged covers on the SIM and microSD slots so you don’t need a SIM ejector tool. Simply press on the little bump on the cover and it will swing open. Pretty neat.
Apart from that, it’s light (147g) and feels good in the hands, with its curved sides.
The Flash Plus runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Alcatel’s own custom UI on top. It isn’t bad looking, and is quite snappy. Following the trend of many custom Android UIs nowadays, there’s no app tray though.
See the unboxing photos below:
Catch the unboxing video:
Pricing and availability
The Alcatel OneTouch Flash Plus retails for RM549 and is available in Matte Slate. Lazada offers the unit for RM50 off using the voucher code “FLASHPLUS.”.
Initial impressions
Underneath its plastic build, the Flash Plus is a performer. Sure it’s got an average display and uninspiring looks but it delivers on most fronts including fantastic battery life and snappy performance. Given good light the cameras work quite well, since powered by the dependable Sony IMX sensor. For the price point, it’s nice that it’ll give you 16GB of storage, a huge plus (pun intended) indeed.
All that for RM550? Something to think about.
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