Meet TCL Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet - Is this 2-in-1 device suitable for online learning?

Since the online class began, tablets became a common sight in Filipino households. It became an essential tool for learning and productivity.

Meet TCL Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet

Luckily, a lot of brands recognized the need for an affordable device for this kind of learning system. One of them is Alcatel which is now under the Chinese electronic manufacturer TCL. Just a month ago, it unveiled TCL Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet in the market.

Priced at only PHP 4,990, the Alcatel 1T10 seems to be a terrific option for those who need a huge screen for study and entertainment. This device has a 10-inch IPS display w/ HD, MediaTek MT8167B octa-core processor, PowerVR GE8300 GPU, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and a 4,080mAh battery. Its rear camera is 2MP f/2.4 and the same thing goes with its front camera.

Let's take a look at its actual performance!

Meet TCL Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet

The tablet and its accessories inside the box

The TCL  Alcatel 1T10 tablet is stored inside a big, blue box. The packaging is simple, without many details in front, except the information that it is Google Assistant-ready. 

Peeking inside, you'll see the device itself, along with the warranty card, documentation, charging brick, USB Type-C cable, the flip cover, and the FREE keyboard. Yes, there's a lot of going inside so that's why the box felt heavy. 

Flip cover and Bluetooth keyboard

I just think it would be better if the tablet came with a pre-installed screen protector. But it will do since the cover adds another level of protection. I also like the canvass feel of its cover/mount since it feels classy and a slight premium. It also holds the tablet really well, at a comfortable angle.

The keyboard that comes with the tablet feels thin and lightweight. So that's a great thing if you're looking for portability. It's pretty easy to connect. You just have to press the button on the upper right area and at the same time turn on the Bluetooth of the device.

After that, there will be a prompt message confirming the connection so you'll have to type the number combination to do it. Then you're all set to use it for typing documents. One must tap the keys lightly since they're a bit sensitive. If you have a heavy hand, the tendency is you'll frequently long-press a letter even you don't intend to. 

No-fuss aesthetics 

This smart tablet from Alcatel sports a simple and ergonomic design. It's not too thin so you can handle it properly for viewing. But I must say, it's hefty at 450 grams. It's made of solid and good quality polycarbonate material so I think this will probably last for a long time. 

This Alcatel 1T10 tablet is built with a utilitarian appeal

It's a bit a downside that available in two color options only, Black and Cream Mint. I just thought that it would be nice if they have attractive color options if TCL is gearing this for young users.

The back panel got a slightly textured surface that can hide fingerprints fairly well. As for the dust, not so much. So that's still good if you like things to be low maintenance. It only got the Alcatel logo on the middle area and some manufacturing details. 

Top view

There's nothing you can find on its top, it's practically clean.

Bottom view

At the bottom, there's the USB-type C port and the standard headphone jack.

Left side

The left side contains the power button,  a volume rocker, and microphones.

Right side

Meanwhile, the right side is where the dual speakers are located.

The Alcatel 10-inch IPS screen w/ HD 1280 x 800 resolution at 151 ppi. I noticed that it's not the brightest display in the bunch. It's also not that punch in terms of color and contrast. It would have been much better if TCL equipped this with FHD 1080p resolution. But we cannot complain, considering the price.

10-inch HD display

Another thing that I did not like about this one is the screen brightness. For indoor use, it's pretty much okay but there's too much glaring when I tested it outside. On the other hand, the level of details is acceptable. 

Watching Netflix on this screen

The bezels were also a bit thick for my liking. The good thing is, it's 10 inches long so you can still get a great view of whatever you are watching or reading. 

It has a lot more screen real estate which should make watching video or doing general tasks easier.  

For speakers, it has two speaker grilles that deliver a loud and solid sound. This is great especially if you often use Zoom for meetings or online classes. The vocals are fairly audible although it tends to produce hissing sounds when you maximize the volume. 

When I tested my wired earphones and Bluetooth earphones in this device, they worked fine. Sound recording is also clear and understandable.

Geekbench and PCMark scores

In benchmarks, it was able to reach 74 single-core score and 279 multi-core score in Geekbench. On the other hand, it got 3,149 when we run the PCMark for performance testing. 

For a budget tablet, Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet has capable specs for uncomplicated tasks like browsing the web, reading, and the occasional music and video consumption. Inside, it has a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT8167B octa-core processor, PowerVR GE8300 GPU, 2GB RAM, and 32GB expandable storage. 

It's another plus that the internal memory is expandable since you'll be needing more than 32GB if you're going to use it for homeschooling.

However, I just noticed that it cannot handle multi-tasking and it lags heavily when I tried to open four or five tabs. But running one or two applications is smooth. 

I noticed that this tablet is not designed for heavy games like Call of Duty since it takes too much time to load and there were frequent lags and frame drops. But for casual gamers, perhaps this will suffice.

The PCMark battery benchmark score

The hybrid laptop/tablet ran only for four hours and 30 minutes straight during the PCMark benchmark. Some may find it lacking battery power because of the massive 10-inch display. But for the sub-5K price, this seems reasonable.

It took me more than 3 hours to fully charge this device since it does not have fast charging support.

The Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet has a 2MP back camera and a 2MP front camera. The software is a basic Android camera without any fuss like filter or beautification. As for the quality, there is too much noise in the pictures. 

Simple camera UI

There's also no option to tap for focus. The camera just automatically detects faces but that's it. Resolution and contrast are low. We find the images soft and lacking that punch.

Indoor shot 1

Indoor shot 2

But we have to keep in mind that the 2MP resolution can only do so much. And this tablet is not designed for photography, it is equipped with these cameras for point-and-shoot usage. 

Indoor shot 3

Indoor shot 4

Since the selfie camera is 2MP like the primary camera, it has pretty much the same output. The subject's face is blurry and lacks details. However, it's enough for video conferencing purposes.

Selfie camera sample 1

Selfie camera sample 2

The rest of the features

The TCL Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet connects wireless thru WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0. It has an accelerometer for its sensor. There's no fingerprint scanner or face unlock feature so you will have to set the unlocking pattern for security.

The device already comes with an Android 10 operating system and you can enable dark mode to avoid eye strain. 

Kid's Mode

If you got a toddler or a young kid in the family, he/she will probably enjoy the videos and mini-games in the Kid's Mode of this tablet. The device got parental controls in which you can set the age and gender of the user, and how many minutes he/she is allowed to use it. 

In this way, parents or guardians won't have to worry that kids will access inappropriate content while being unsupervised.

Another feature that I find useful is the ambient or display mode of this tablet. When you're not using it, you can showcase photos, a calendar schedule, and some news tidbits. It's also accessible since you only have to toggle the file-tab like icon to activate it.

TCL Alcatel 1T10 Specs

Display: 10-inch IPS screen w/ HD 1280 x 800 resolution at 151 ppi

CPU: 1.3GHz 28nm MediaTek MT8167B octa-core processor

GPU: PowerVR GE8300

RAM: 2GB

ROM: 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 128GB

Back Camera: 2MP f/2.4

Selfie Camera: 2MP f/2.4

Battery: 4,080mAh

OS: Android 10

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0

Sensors: Accelerometer

Others: Stereo speakers, USB-C, Colors: Black, Cream Mint

Dimensions: 243.2 x 162.2 x 9.55 mm

Weight: 450 g

Price: PHP 4,990

Quick Thoughts

A good companion for learning and productivity

The TCL Alcatel 1T10 Smart Tablet is the answer for those who are looking for a sturdy and functional device for schoolwork, research, and a bit of entertainment. It sports a solid build, a decent processor, other useful features. 

Although it lacks quality in some aspects, they are pretty understandable. I mean, it's rare to find a laptop and a tablet in one for a price below PHP 5K.

Do you guys agree?