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Alcatel Go Flip 3 Review: Basic Phone with Smart Assistant

Alcatel Go Flip 3 review covers the specs analysis on this reliable basic phone. Discover the possibilities a flip phone can offer to its owner.

Alcatel Go Flip 3 Review

The Alcatel Go Flip 3 was released in September 2019. The manufacturer decided to roll the newest upgrade of their popular Go Flip lines. There are some interesting changes to take a look at in this product.

A flip phone is a wonderful choice for anyone who doesn’t like using a smartphone. Alcatel Go Flip 3 comes with 4G, an operating system, and easy phone navigation. It keeps users stay connected while not distracting them with unnecessary features.

The new Alcatel Go Flip 3 features an external display and a flawless ergonomic design. Inside, KaiOS 2.5 packs more helpful features like Google Assistant.

Read more into our Alcatel Go Flip 3 to find out more tidbits about the phone. Is it a good feature phone to use on a daily basis? Find out the answer below.

Key Specs

Alcatel Go Flip 3 specifications:

  • Weight: 118g
  • Dimensions: 104.9 x 53.1 x 19.1mm
  • OS: KaiOS 2.5
  • Screen size: 2.8-inch
  • Resolution: 320 x 240
  • CPU: 1.1GHz Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 210
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Storage: 4GB
  • Battery: 1,350mAh, Removable
  • Rear camera: 2MP

Design

Alcatel Go Flip 3
Alcatel Go Flip 3

Alcatel Go Flip 3 has an average dimension of 104.9 x 53.1 x 19.1mm. Also very lightweight (118g), it doesn’t look or feel much different from other flip phones. However, we noticed some unique elements that are interesting.

If you are familiar with Go Flip phones, this one is looking more like today’s gadget. The whole body is rounder and more curved, therefore you can hold it with more comfort. The casing employs a more minimal design. You’ll see the company’s icon instead of the old “Alcatel” logo. The phone also comes in matte black color. It looks like it’s coated in suede.

The keypad looks better too. Each key is located further apart from one another. That way, you can type with comfort and not press the wrong key accidentally. However, the key is also more flattened instead of protruding. Some people won’t like it because it takes away that “pressing” sensation.

Despite its small size, the phone looks sturdy to us. Alcatel Go Flip 3 clasps completely and securely. It is not easy to be opened by itself when inside a pocket or a purse. The build quality is good enough for a flip phone.

Read also: Alcatel Go Flip 3 User Manual

Display

Alcatel Go Flip 3 Front Display

Alcatel Go Flip 3 features two displays. The main display is the one you see when opening the phone. It’s a 2.8-inch screen with a resolution of 320 x 240. The second display is a 1.44-inch notification screen you can find on the phone’s exterior.

The display quality is typical of a feature phone. There’s nothing particularly standout coming from the screen specifications. The screen has a good color reproduction. It is bright enough for outdoor use. Icons look distinguishable and texts are easy to read. Just don’t expect perfection down to the smallest pixels.

As for the size, it is a small display. At 2.8-inch, this is the biggest you can get on a feature phone. The size provides enough room to browse through your contact list and sending a message. But it feels too small to do activities involving a lot of texts, like browsing or writing an email.

The external screen displays notifications and other essential information like time and signal strength. Instead of a monochrome display, Alcatel Go Flip 3 goes for a color one. The display quality is similar to the main screen, which uses TFT-TN LCD and acrylic glass type. As a result, you get the same quality as the main display. The difference is, you can’t interact with it, only customization is allowed.

Camera

The camera on Alcatel Go Flip 3 consists of a single camera located on top of the external screen. This camera comes with a resolution of 2MP. We didn’t spot any LED flash accompanying the camera.

On feature phones, it’s best to keep the expectation low when it comes to cameras. It’s there almost like an accessory. Never a stand-out feature by itself, the camera’s purpose is for those rare moments when you need to take a picture. However, you don’t have a better camera around.

It’s more a matter of practicality than producing social media-worthy snaps. The quality of the pictures is low. It also has a fixed focus instead of an autofocus. You will not always be pleased after taking photos due to flaws here and there. Whether it’s the exposure, white balance, or the camera focus, there will be an aspect of the picture that’s far from perfect.

And since the camera acts as both front and rear cameras, it’s a bit tricky to take a selfie. We recommend using a timer so you can get a steady selfie shot.

As we have mentioned earlier, keep your expectations low. After all, nobody buys a basic phone specifically for its photography prowess.

Read also:

Storage

Alcatel Go Flip 3 Camera

When a consumer buys Alcatel Go Flip 3, he will get 4GB internal storage. The actual available space is much lower at 2GB. This is because half of the internal memory is used to store the system files.

Despite being small, this storage capacity is enough to cover essential files. Those files include contact data, call logs and a small number of pictures. A basic phone user typically doesn’t do a lot of downloading as smartphone users do.

But for larger types of files, you will need more than 2GB. Therefore, the phone also provides an external storage option. Alcatel Go Flip 3 comes with a card slot, which is compatible with a 32GB SD card at the maximum.

Performance

Alcatel Go Flip 3 Left Side

Alcatel Go Flip 3 runs on a Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 with a clock rate of 1.1GHz. The phone employs a humble specification of RAM at 512MB. On the software side, this device runs on KaiOS 2.5.

Naturally focusing on low performance for efficiency, flip phones like Alcatel Go Flip 3 keeps only what matters. In this case, this phone uses a CPU that supports Wi-Fi and 4G, all while using the smallest resources possible. Whether it’s the RAM or battery, it keeps memory and energy consumption at the lows.

In return, a flip phone is strictly for basic use only. Users will have to get accustomed to many limitations. After calling, texting, and occasional web-browsing, usually there will be nothing more to do.

Thankfully, this is not exactly how it goes with Alcatel Go Flip 3. Thanks to the KaiOS 2.5, you can do some functionalities smartphones do. For example, watching a YouTube video or create a reminder on Calendar. The overall performance speed is not blazing fast like in a smartphone. But most importantly, the phone can do many smartphone tasks at a slower rate.

KaiOS 2.5 is one of the best choices of OS for basic phones. For one, it gives the phone a smartphone look. On the Home screen, we saw several interesting preinstalled apps. You will spot YouTube and Google Maps here. The operating system also allows you to download more apps through the KaiOS Store app.

On top of that, Alcatel Go Flip 3 emphasizes accessibility for all. This phone is user-friendly for people with sight and hearing limitations. It is hearing-aid compatible, TTY/TTD Enabled, and WEA Enabled. The only thing missing is an SOS key where you can call an emergency number easily.

It is also amazing to find out Google Assistant on Alcatel Go Flip 3. Users can give voice commands just by pressing the OK button for a few seconds. It’s not as fast as in a smartphone with its “OK Google” command. But it definitely adds more usability to a feature phone.

Connectivity

Alcatel Go Flip 3 Right Side

Alcatel Go Flip 3 ensures users stay connected with its 4G LTE compatibility. As the most widely used network type, 4G ensures no jitters during a call and prevents it to get dropped randomly. To further support crystal clear audio output, this phone is also equipped with VoLTE and VoWiFi.

It may be hard to browse the internet using the phone’s small screen. Instead, users can use the phone as a hotspot as they surf the web through other devices. Alcatel Go Flip 3 can handle up to 8 devices at once.

Other than the 4G, there are more network options using WiFi, Bluetooth, and Micro-USB. This phone still supports the good old FM radio. Enjoy your favorite station even when you are offline. In short, Alcatel Go Flip 3 packs the basic features you need to keep updated and connected.

Battery

Alcatel Go Flip 3’s operations depend on a 1,350mAh battery you can remove by opening the back cover. This battery is designed to reach up to 17.8 days standby time on 4G. We think it’s impressive. It’s a performance we can expect from an energy-preserving feature phone. By nature, they don’t need a lot of battery power, to begin with.

For calls, this phone lets you have around 8 hours of conversation before the battery runs out. That applies on 4G. The battery performance while on 3G is slightly better.

Usage time differs between each individual. Generally, users can use the phone for one full day before the next charge. There’s one thing we complain about the battery and it’s the charging time. It takes so long, around 2 hours until the battery is full. There’s also no quick charging feature available.

Is the Alcatel Go Flip 3 a good phone?

A flip phone like Alcatel Go Flip 3 specifically aims for a certain niche of customers. It’s for customers looking for a simple communication device. For this purpose, Alcatel Go Flip 3 ticks all the boxes.

In our Alcatel Go Flip 3 review above, we’ve listed the phone’s compactness and ease-of-use. Furthermore, it doesn’t leave out the latest technology, such as the 4G support, an OS, and Google Assistant.

The manufacturer is currently selling Alcatel Go Flip 3 at $90. This price, in our opinion, is expensive relative to other smartphones. However, the quality of this phone is also above average. If you are tight on budget, consider a cheaper basic phone. Otherwise, this product is worth your money.

Alcatel Go Flip 3 Pros

  • Sturdy design
  • External screen
  • 4G support
  • Good battery life

Alcatel Go Flip 3 Cons

  • Low-quality camera
  • Long charging time
  • No SOS key