Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 tablets hands-on: 4G on a budget

We're here at MWC 2015 and we just got our hands on Alcatel's latest Android tablets. These are the 7- and 8-inch Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 slates which are all built with affordability in mind. 

Now, you're probably thinking that since they're made to be affordable, the newest Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 tablets also of the entry-level class. And you'd be right if you do. They're built of plain ol' plastic and sport a non-glossy, textured finish for a nice grip. While they won't win any beauty awards, the Pixi 3 tablets come in many colors and can be paired with a matching colorful case. 

Upon turning on the Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 (7), we were greeted by a 600 by 1024-pixel TFT display. It is usable, but the sight isn't pretty due to the panel's low resolution, poor viewing angles, and high reflectivity. Using this screen under a strong light is probably going to be impossible. Under the hood you get a dual- or quad-core processor, depending on the Pixi 3 (7) model that you pick. However, we're not concerned about the processor as much as we are about the low amount of RAM and storage space. With only 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage, the 3G and Wi-Fi-only Pixi 3 (7) models are likely to be sluggish with demanding tasks. On the bright side of things, the 4G LTE model has 1GB of RAM, which is more acceptable. 

As for the 8-inch variant, the Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 (8), its screen has a resolution of 800 by 1280 pixels. While based on low-grade TFT technology, the screen is of acceptable quality for an ultra low-cost tablet. The dual-core, 1.3GHz MediaTek SoC of the tablet is paired with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of storage. It is cool that Alcatel has also thrown in an IR blaster for controlling most TVs and set-top boxes. What's not present, however, is 4G LTE. All you have is 3G connectivity with this guy.

To add more value to the deal, Alcatel has added Wi-Fi Display and USB OTG support to all OneTouch Pixi 3 slates. In addition, the cellular-enabled models offer phone functionality and GPS, which is neat.

All in all, the Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 tablets have little to stand out with other than their promised low cost and optional 3G/4G cellular connectivity. Their low-end hardware could possibly translate to performance issues and an overall underwhelming experience. Still, those in need of an ultra low-cost, cellular-capable tablet or a basic Wi-Fi-only Android slate for their kid to play with might be interested.