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Verdict
Budget phones are becoming a really mixed bag. It used to be the case that a low price meant slow hardware and compromised features.
But now that there are some genuinely great budget phones on the market, it’s smart to tread more carefully and make sure you're getting one of them.
Sadly, the Alcatel 3X is more of the old-style budget phone – the hardware is good for the price, but the interface is poor and outdated, and everything else gets a resounding ‘meh’.
Who's this for?
Android users on a budget who particularly want a phone with an 18:9 aspect ratio, fingerprint scanner and face unlock.
Should you buy it?
It’s hard to recommend the Alcatel 3X when there are better phones in its price bracket, including the Moto G6 Play and the Honor 9 Lite. It does offer good battery life, but so does the G6 Play, and that has an extra 1,000mAh to play with.
On all other points, the 3X varies from ‘fine’ to ‘not great’, with no real high points to make it stand out.
There are lots of strong alternatives to the Alcatel 3X, such as the following three phones:
Sony Xperia XA1
This inexpensive, classy-looking handset has had a few price drops since launch, and is now in the same range as the Alcatel 3X. It offers a 720p screen and very impressive camera hardware for the price, but does lack a fingerprint scanner.
Read our full Sony Xperia XA1 review
Moto G6 Play
Moto phones are always the ones to beat when it comes to the budget end of the market, and the G6 Play is no exception. Providing a massive 4,000mAh battery and vanilla Android Oreo, it offers a few edges over the 3X for a similar price.
Read our full Moto G6 Play review
Honor 9 Lite
Another champion of the budget arena, Honor has created an appealing package in the 9 Lite. With an 18:9 screen, quad camera setup, Android Oreo and a stylish design, the phone is a strong contender in this price bracket.
Read our full Honor 9 Lite review
First reviewed: September 2018
