TCL-owned Alcatel is known for, mostly, its budget gadgets that try to blend good performance and specs with affordable pricing. But it has not been able to make a strong impact in the gadgets market in India, especially the smartphone segment which is dominated by the likes of Xiaomi, Huawei’s Honor, Oppo and more. But in the tablets market, Alcatel has a nice portfolio to show off and its tablets are popular among students and consumers who are cost-conscious. Targeting this growing pool of buyers, TCL Communication recently launched the Alcatel 3T 10 range of tablets in India.

The Alcatel 3T 10 comes with interesting specs. It has an iPad-like 10-inch HD screen, sleek design and it runs on Android Pie. The latest range comes with three variants: Standalone, Audio Station and Bluetooth Keyboard. As you can guess, the stand-alone version has the tablet without accessories, while the audio station adds a cylindrical speaker to the mainframe and the third variant, as expected, comes with a Bluetooth keyboard.

The 3T 10 is an upgrade of the popular A3 10 series, which reportedly propelled TCL Communications to hit the No. 2 spot in India in the 10-inch tab segment in 2018. Clearly, with the 3T 10, Alcatel aims to improve the user experience, especially in browsing, streaming, social media surfing, etc. You can make calls with the sim-enabled tablet, which comes with pre-installed Google Assistant.

The Alcatel 3T 10 looks premium despite having a fragile front frame. It weighs 440 grams and sports a Premium Black colour. The glass display panel is easily breakable and users must exercise caution while handling it. But the device is not slippery thanks to a strong back with enough grip. The edges are curvy and add to the overall elegance of the device.

One of the most striking factors with the Alcatel 3T 10 is the HD display. The touch response is a tad slow and the device’s multitasking capabilities are not so great because it hangs a lot if you use it for more than two or three tasks at a time. The device’s 1.28GHz quad-core processor, MediaTek MT8765B, and 2GB RAM are not sufficient for heavy-duty multi-tasking and the 16GB storage, though not a compromise given the price, is also not very impressive.

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That said, the display makes up for all the other blemishes. The Google Assistant is a nice plus to the device. You can use it to make hands-free calls, perform smart home chores (adjust smart lights, control AC and more). Given the price of ₹9,999 (just for the tablet), the Alcatel 3T 10’s battery performance is quite satisfactory if you’re not using it for long hours of multitasking. For sure, the 4080mAh battery is good enough for a tablet of this size but, unexpectedly, we faced some issues at the outset — battery was draining out fast — but a switch back to low-battery mode helped solve the issues.

Sound and connectivity

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The 3T10 comes with an external dock speakers with double bass enhancement. The speaker unit with 2000 mAh battery good sound up to 4-5 hours. This works along with the dual inbuilt speakers. The audio is quite good given the price. You can mount the Alcatel 3T 10 pretty easily. The pins and hooks are so nicely and neatly laid out that you won’t be confused while pairing the dock with the tablet. The device can connect to Bluetooth devices at a 5-6 meter range even though Alcatel claims a 10-metre radius.

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The Alcatel 3T 10 has a face-recognition faculty. You can open the tablet with a Face Key, which uses a 30-degree detection radius and 106 key points to offer you immediate access. The device has a 3.5mm auxiliary port, micro USB and micro SD card reader. Boasting a seven-hour station life, you can enjoy quality cordless audio for hours. The two-in-one Bluetooth keyboard has chic looks but it’s not very user-friendly. Again, considering the price, one can’t ask for more and the lightweight keyboard comes handy when you are travelling. The tablet’s 2MP camera department (front and back) is a work in progress, just like in the A3 10 series. But they won’t disappoint you on bright environments but dim lights are a nightmare.

Price: Starting ₹9,999

Pros: Good display, good battery life, value-for-money performance, sturdy back panel, nice user interface

Cons: Fragile screen, slows down during multitasking, not meant for gaming

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