Review: Alcatel A50

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

At a time where smartphone prices are at an all-time high, it is refreshing to see an affordable smartphone which also brings modularity and innovation to the market. Alcatel's A50 may seem a little plain at first sight, but this smartphone has multiple personalities which can be changed easily thanks to SNAPBAK cover accessories.

The Alcatel A50 is unapologetically an entry level phone. But, you wouldn't know this from the build and the materials that Alcatel has employed and which make quite an impression. There's solid plastic and a metal backplate which make it feel more premium than some of the LG-made Nexus devices from a few years ago.

Specs-wise, Alcatel's given the A50 a reasonably bright 5.2-inch display, Android 7.0, an all-da 2,800mAh battery, USB type-C connector and a 8 megapixel rear camera with a dual-tone flash and a 2 megapixel selfie camera. A 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (expandable to 128 GB via microSD) round up the feature set.

For users who like minimal design, stylish materials and Android devices that punch above their weight class, the Alcatel A50 does fit in very nicely in this segment. On its own, the Alcatel A50 is truly a notable budget smartphone that can get in the mix with the likes of the Moto E4 or some of the comparable Huawei, LG and ZTE devices. 

Combined with any of the three SNAPBAK cover accessories, which simply replace the metallic backplate, users can transform the Alcatel A50 to suit their needs.

Powered by Android 7.0 Nougat, the A50 includes the complete Alcatel SNAPBAK accessory system, including the LightUp, Sound and Power SNAPBAK covers; redefining experience driven value for smartphone users.  The Power SNAPBAK doubles battery life for long days and nights. It adds a bit of thickness but is surprisingly lightweight.

The LightUp SNAPBAK is an interesting accessory, which has various rows of coloured LED lights that can respond to music or sound or simulate fire, rain, snow or other effects. The Sound SNAPBAK is a portable speaker with two booming 2.5 watt stereo sound speakers, plus a built-in kickstand, which is great for streaming music.

Alcatel has the right thing in mind with the Alcatel A50. Not only is this a solid all around device that will satisfy most users looking for a no frills yet multifunctional smartphone.

The Alcatel A50 with SNAPBAK covers will be available online and in TELUS stores across Canada starting at $0 CAD on a two-year term or $240 CAD outright, and from Koodo Mobile for $240 CAD outright or $0 CAD on a Tab Small plan. 

Rating: 4 out of 5