Alcatel joins Nokia and launches two flip phones with Google Assistant

We're seeing a growing trend towards the revival of the feature phone in 2019, with TCL and HMD Global leading the charge. The Alcatel Go Flip 3 and the Alcatel Smartflip both run KaiOS 2.5 and will become the first feature flip phones in the U.S. to offer Google services. Both phones feature 4G LTE connectivity for HD voice calls, emails
and surfing the web and pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor, expandable memory, and a long-lasting battery.

Google Assistant is on board via a dedicated button, like we're starting to see on some entry-level smartphones. It can be used for tasks like making calls, dictating texts, searching for directions and launching apps like YouTube and Google Maps.

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Both the Alcatel Go Flip 3 and Smartflip have a 2.8-inch primary display as well as a 1.44-inch preview display on the outside of the clamshell design. TCL says that you can get up to seven hours of continuous 4G LTE talk time from a single charge of the 1350 mAh battery, and up to 18 days standby time on 4G and 22 days on 3G. The charging port is MicroUSB. There's also 4GB of internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. The new flip phones also feature a rear 2-megapixel camera and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

In terms of hardware, the two phones are exactly the same, but they're built for different networks. The Alcatel Smartflip on AT&T is compatible with FirstNet, AT&T’s network for public safety. The Alcatel Go Flip 3 is for T-Mobile and Metro and will offer Mobile Hotspot, enabling you to share your 4G LTE data connection with up to eight other devices, such as your tablet or laptop.

The Alcatel Go Flip 3 will be available at Metro by T-Mobile later this month and T-Mobile in October, and the Alcatel Smartflip will be available at AT&T and Cricket Wireless on September 27. There's no word on price yet, but we'll keep you posted.

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The cover picture of the article shows the Nokia 2720 Flip.