Alcatel U5 is an offering for budget buyers who desire a mobile phone that provides 4G connectivity. It features a 5-inch display, a quad-core processor, and Android Marshmallow software. The U5 offers a VGA screen, but if you want an updated model with a much sharper HD screen, a better camera, and Android 7.0, go for the Alcatel U5 HD.
Where to Buy Alcatel U5 & U5 HD
Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers | Jumia Ghana – See Offers
Alcatel U5 Key Specs & Features
- 5-inch IPS Display, 480 x 854 pixels (196ppi)
- Quad-core Mediatek MT6737M CPU with 1GB RAM
- Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
- 8GB built-in Storage, up to 32GB memory card
- 5MP Rear Camera and 2MP Front Camera
- 4G LTE Data (up to 150Mbps download)
- 2050 mAh Li-ion Battery
Alcatel U5 HD Key Specs & Features
- 5-inch IPS Display, 720 x 1280 pixels (294ppi)
- Quad-core Mediatek MT6737M CPU with 1GB RAM
- Android 7.0 (Nougat)
- 8GB built-in Storage, up to 128GB memory card
- 13MP Rear Camera and 8MP Front Camera
- 4G LTE Data (up to 150Mbps download)
- 2200 mAh Li-ion Battery
Build and Screen
While it is in no way an ugly smartphone, you can rather easily guess this is a budget proposition with a body that features plastic. The Alcatel U5 is also on the thick side at 9.95 millimetres. There is no information on the weight, but this shouldn’t be too heavy considering the construction material.
A 5-inch display may be said to be impressive for what they say is a budget device. But the resolution isn’t exactly better than what you can get elsewhere at 854 x 480 pixels. However, if you want a sharper display, the Alcatel U5 HD offers 720 x 1280 pixels on the same 5-inch display, which should be more crisp.
Camera and Storage
Moving to the camera department, the Alcatel U5 is unlikely to blow you away with shot quality, although it shouldn’t fare too badly. It rocks a 5MP sensor on the rear and a 2MP sensor on the front. The primary camera lacks autofocus. But both units features LED flash to improve lighting when capturing images in dark settings.
The Alcatel U5 HD has a better camera with a 13 megapixels camera with autofocus, HDR, and Panorama on back. You also get a much better 8 megapixels camera for taking selfies.
You get 8 GB of inbuilt storage – rather low when you consider the system would occupy a significant portion. But there is room for adding another 32 GB with a microSD card (128GB for the Alcatel U5 HD), though.
Performance and OS
Budget-class performance is what you can logically expect from the U5. This is because it carries a MediaTek MT6737M chipset. The quad-core processor carries out its tasks at a maximum speed of 1.1 GHz. And with only 1 GB of RAM in the mix, you cannot really expect a lot in multitasking. The Alcatel U5 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, while the Alcatel U5 HD.
Other Specs and Features
The main USP of the Alcatel U5 is the 4G LTE (Cat. 4) support that it offers. This means you can enjoy theoretical download speeds of up to 150 Mbps. The maker says this the cheapest 5-incher that offers you this capability.
Necessary juice for the U5 comes from a 2,050 mAh battery, which, years ago, would have sounded great. However, the Alcatel U5 HD sports a slightly bigger 2200 mAh battery. Connectivity features include microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct.
Pricing and availability
Alcatel U5 and U5 HD is not officially available in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. When available, you will be able to buy the Android phone at leading online stores in the countries. Price of the Alcatel U5 HD starts at around $133. Alcatel U5 and U5 HD Price in Nigeria is expected to start at around 30,500 and 47,500 Naira respectively.
Its price in Ghana is expected at around GH₵ 420. Alcatel U5 Price in Kenya is expected at around 9,999 KSh.
Alcatel U5 Specs
Here are a few specs of the Alcatel U5 and U5 HD:
General Features
- Platform: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or Android 7.0 (Nougat)
- Processor: Quad-core Processor: 1.1 GHz Cortex-A53 (Mediatek MT6737M)
- GPU: Mali-T720MP2
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Colours: Black, White
- Dimension: 140.7 x 71.8 x 10 mm
- Weight: 148 g
- SIM Type: Micro-SIM
- SIM Count: Single SIM or Dual SIM, Dual stand-by
Display
- Display: 5.0 inches, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 480 x 854 pixels (196 ppi) or 720 x 1280 pixels (294 ppi)
- Screen Protection: –
Camera
- Rear Camera: 5 MP Camera, 720p HD Video@30fps or 13MP Camera, 1080p HD Video
- Rear Camera Features: Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama, LED flash (U5 HD adds autofocus)
- Front Camera: 2 MP Camera or 8MP camera
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 8 GB
- Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 32 GB or 128GB
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: –
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: –
- 3G CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes, LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800)
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: Yes, 42.2/5.76 Mbps
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps
- WLAN: Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes, Bleutooth v4.2, A2DP, LE
- NFC: No
- Infrared Blaster: No
- USB Port: Yes, microUSB 2.0
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: Yes, MP3/AAC+/WAV/Flac player
- Video Player: Yes, MP4/H.264 player
- FM Radio: Yes
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: Yes
Navigation
- Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: No
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: No
- SpO2: No
- Pedometer: No
- Heart Rate Monitor: No
- Gyroscope: No
- Fingerprint Scanner: No
- Iris Scanner: No
- Face Unlock: No
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: –
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: –
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Built-in Mobile Payment: No
- Water Resistant: No
- Dust Resistant: No
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: Yes
- Document Editor: –
Battery
- Battery: 2050 mAh or 2200 mAh Li-Ion Battery (Non Removable)
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: –
