At Google for India submit, the Mountain View giant talked at length about how the Go initiative has been specifically crafted for India where Google expects to add its next billion users. We have heard numerous reports of Domestic brands working on Android Go phones, but Alcatel 1X is now the first phone to be running Google’s Android Go software.
The second could be Nokia 1 that is expected to go official in next few hours.
What is Android Go? Can it make entry-grade phones better?
Google’s Android Go platform is meant to deliver a sustainable Android experience to affordable phones – phones with as low as 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Google obviously has done a lot of hard work to optimize Oreo for the lowermost end of the spectrum. The OS code had to be rewritten and Google has also launched parallel Go Apps (Assistant Go, File Go, Google Go, Gmail Go, etc.) for most of its services.
The Android Go isn’t a magic bullet, though. There is only so much you can expect out of a phone with the bare minimum storage and RAM. The Android Go apps and optimizations could, however, help phones with a little more than the bare minimum. Say, on phones with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage.
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Alcatel 1X features
The Alcatel 1X doesn’t exactly impress with its hardware. The phone is powered by 1.28GHz MediaTek MT6739 quad-core processor paired with 1GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. A 2GB RAM and 16GB storage option is also available.
The rear camera includes a 13MP or 8MP sensor depending on the region the phone is being sold. Nonetheless, you will get full HD video recording, EIS, and 5MP selfie camera.
For what it is worth, the phone has an 18:9 panel, 5.3-inches in size. The display resolution is just 480 x 960 (VGA+). Other features include a Fingerprint sensor, 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, MicroSD card slot, NFC, USB OTG, and 2460mAh battery.
Alcatel 1X Price and Availability
Alcatel 1X will be available for 100 Euros (Single SIM) and 110 Euros (Dual SIM) in Europe starting April 1, 2018.
Alcatel 1X Features and specifications
| Model | Alcatel 1X |
| Display | 5.3-Inch, 18:9 (480 x 960) VGA+ |
| Processor | 1.28GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6739 |
| RAM | 1GB/2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, expandable up to 256GB |
| Software | Android 8 Oreo (Go Edition) |
| Rear Camera | 13MP/8MP, LED Flash |
| Selfie Camera | 5MP |
| Battery | 2460mAh battery |
| Others | 4G VoLTE support, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, OTG, GPS, Fingerprint sensor |
| Price | Single SIM – 100 Euros (Roughly Rs. 8,000)
Dual SIM – 110 Euros (Roughly Rs. 8,750) |
Qualcomm and MediaTek Announced Support For Google Android Go Devices
