The $5 Smartphone - Is It Any Good?

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  • Опубликовано: 6 май 2021
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    Today we're gonna explore a smartphone that only costs $5. Well... at least for right now. Tracfone offers this TCL A1 Android phone for $5 if you purchase a minimum $15 service plan. Is it any good?
    As of late 2023, the phone doesn't seem to be available from TracFone anymore.
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Комментарии • 3 тыс.

  • @ProfMannion
    @ProfMannion 3 года назад +6755

    It's okay, but for $5 I expect more Solitaire.

  • @MordecaiTheAwesomeBluejay
    @MordecaiTheAwesomeBluejay 3 года назад +2752

    Solitaire in 1995: Double click it and start playing
    Solitaire in 2021: GIVE US YOUR DATA. LOCATION. AND PHONE NUMBER

    • @tvvoty
      @tvvoty 3 года назад +202

      And also your debit card credentials

    • @californium-2526
      @californium-2526 3 года назад +98

      @@tvvoty And your spleen.

    • @rcmero
      @rcmero 3 года назад +50

      Microsoft from 2017: Pfff... Amateurs.

    • @XaneMyers
      @XaneMyers 3 года назад +42

      And you must randomly be an adult to play…Solitaire now! 😄

    • @Volodimar
      @Volodimar 3 года назад +44

      YOUR CLOTHES AND MOTORCYCLE

  • @junoperberry
    @junoperberry Год назад +616

    I love how this $5 phone comes with more extras than $1000+ phones do

    • @jovinorlandez5663
      @jovinorlandez5663 Год назад +30

      iphone: uhhhhhhhhhh, not me

    • @sparky6757
      @sparky6757 Год назад +55

      Are you referring to the bloatware that no sane person would actually want, or

    • @NR20244
      @NR20244 Год назад +48

      @@sparky6757 I think they mean accessories (chargers, etc…)

    • @irfanyxp3489
      @irfanyxp3489 Год назад +13

      ​​@@NR20244 yeah now Samsung ditch charger in their non flagship too like a54 🤦‍♂️
      I miss when my father bought an a10 with earphone in the box...

    • @Lord_Mika
      @Lord_Mika Год назад +11

      Iphone users: "b..but MY CAMERA!!"

  • @Zerbey
    @Zerbey 2 года назад +403

    I had an AT&T branded Alcatel that I paid about $15 for as an emergency phone, it was also network locked to AT&T but I was using it with a Cricket SIM and it activated just fine (since AT&T own Cricket). Ended up giving it to my kid and he used it for a year. Ran Android 5.1.1 and could run a few basic Apps like RUclips, perfectly fine for a kid's phone.

    • @life0num2
      @life0num2 Год назад

      you're a monster

    • @qwertykeyboard5901
      @qwertykeyboard5901 Год назад +18

      Hell, im typing this comment from an alcatel a571vl (also android 5.1.1).

    • @birddude3123
      @birddude3123 Год назад +8

      @@qwertykeyboard5901ain’t no way boy

    • @qwertykeyboard5901
      @qwertykeyboard5901 Год назад +13

      @@birddude3123 Yes way boy. Its slow, but works.

    • @Catnapreal7
      @Catnapreal7 Год назад +1

      I used a moto x on Android 4.4 was ok but no app support

  • @rahulchandra152
    @rahulchandra152 3 года назад +5861

    Imagine your a 6th grader and your parents just got you this phone. You thank them and tell all of your friends you got a phone. Then you see this is in your recommended.....

    • @lightlie_
      @lightlie_ 3 года назад +65

      Lol

    • @g7santaclaus511
      @g7santaclaus511 3 года назад +761

      its better than nothing.

    • @Pocket2441
      @Pocket2441 3 года назад +156

      I have the Alcatel version of this phone

    • @jeraldjoyce2995
      @jeraldjoyce2995 3 года назад +252

      @@Pocket2441 Same here. Used it freshman year as my first phone. Absolutely absued the thing.

    • @azeemtics6613
      @azeemtics6613 3 года назад +20

      That most hurt

  • @Doxxy0
    @Doxxy0 3 года назад +3197

    I always love it when the weaker a phone is, the more bloatware they preinstall

    • @ilyasg2108
      @ilyasg2108 2 года назад +228

      incorrect, bloatware depends on the carrier. my brand new s21 plus 5g installed about 30 apps on Verizon that I had to disable, not including carrier apps.

    • @placyd
      @placyd 2 года назад +28

      11:54

    • @goldegreen
      @goldegreen 2 года назад +167

      @@ilyasg2108 this is why you buy unlocked whenever possible lol

    • @ilyasg2108
      @ilyasg2108 2 года назад +17

      @@goldegreen true, I just wanted the sale price lol

    • @ilyasg2108
      @ilyasg2108 2 года назад +2

      @@xxTexas_outlaw71xxttv if it’s rooted then obviously

  • @dakotajohnston6809
    @dakotajohnston6809 2 года назад +85

    I remember buying this model of phone like 2 years ago, there is a way of stopping the bloatware auto app install by force stopping a bunch of functions in the settings (I can't remember which ones you have to force stop though) once you do that and delete the bloatware It wasn't all that bad if you didn't care about taking photos.

    • @jexanderarvelo3277
      @jexanderarvelo3277 9 месяцев назад +8

      My dumbass will just force stop every single thing and hope that I don’t break it

    • @acronym.4328
      @acronym.4328 4 месяца назад +2

      Universal Android Debloater can clear this thing up quite a lot, I think.

  • @Techtype_
    @Techtype_ 3 года назад +369

    *solitaire wants to know your location, play itself in the background and send messages every 10 seconds reminding you to play solitaire*

    • @reimarpb
      @reimarpb 2 года назад +6

      I have a feeling those notifications also would be ads

  • @brandon_kig5785
    @brandon_kig5785 3 года назад +1050

    Sooner or later, smartphones are gonna hit dollar stores.
    Edit: A lot of people are telling me they already do. While I appreciate the replies, at the time, I was thinking of stores like Dollar Tree and 99 Cents Store, and the phones costing only $1.

    • @djspookyty
      @djspookyty 3 года назад +40

      @wraithwarrior Same here. But they're like $15+

    • @brandon_kig5785
      @brandon_kig5785 3 года назад +83

      @wraithwarrior I forgot that Dollar General sells phones. I was thinking of stores more like Dollar Tree for example.

    • @Zircon
      @Zircon 3 года назад +12

      They already have

    • @jlewwis1995
      @jlewwis1995 3 года назад +38

      They already have, they're pretty shit ones of course but they're there

    • @LSniumUwU
      @LSniumUwU 3 года назад +118

      I get free phones from peoples backpacks at starbucks.

  • @RadwanGamerTV
    @RadwanGamerTV 10 месяцев назад +6

    "Mom can I get an android phone?"
    "You have a phone at home."
    The phone:

  • @lucash1955
    @lucash1955 2 года назад +21

    i love how a 5 dollar phone has a more complete box than a 1k dollar phone

  • @ashkyper
    @ashkyper 3 года назад +346

    “solitaire would like to access your social security number and credit card information”

    • @greatcanadianmoose3965
      @greatcanadianmoose3965 3 года назад +33

      Most people: "Seems reasonable"

    • @nukiradio
      @nukiradio 3 года назад +19

      Your mother's maiden credit card and the last four digits of your dog

    • @thatoneuser5066
      @thatoneuser5066 3 года назад +18

      You can get a deck of cards for less than the price of this phone and it doesn't ask for any of your info.

    • @whale4565
      @whale4565 3 года назад +6

      @@nukiradio where would I find the last four digits of my dog?

    • @Realtimeless
      @Realtimeless 3 года назад +5

      pup software

  • @deadchannellol7777
    @deadchannellol7777 3 года назад +456

    The Weather app: *"Tap to configure"*
    Wow, I've never expected that a cellphone can change the whole weather of the world just by a one click, with only 5 dollars! Damn the technology has improved too much...

  • @jb888888888
    @jb888888888 Год назад +31

    The solitaire auto-install thing might be Tracfone. A while back I was at a local grocery store and used their free wifi on a Tracfone-branded A51; suddenly there were two or three or four games on my desktop I'm 1000% sure I didn't install. I thought I might have been hacked via the store's wifi. I'm also pretty sure that they didn't show up when I had updated the OS.

    • @kalyxo_tb
      @kalyxo_tb 9 месяцев назад +2

      Correct, I had Tracfone for many years and it seems over the last 5 years or so they started doing this. Started with just Facebook and Messenger but now it's various strange games, TikTok, etc. At least they can be uninstalled, which was not the case earlier with FB and Messenger.

  • @memesalvv3226
    @memesalvv3226 Год назад +5

    You just unlocked a memory that was deep in my childhood this phone was my second phone I ever had thanks for the memories

  • @Carbine64
    @Carbine64 3 года назад +554

    He opens the box at 3:32.
    He turns on the phone at 7:28.
    He watches RUclips at 11:50.

    • @lightsthegod
      @lightsthegod 2 года назад +107

      Thanks He was Doing Very Uselees Crap and Did I not Care about,
      Again THANKS

    • @windowsdefender7685
      @windowsdefender7685 2 года назад +90

      thanks mate. dude was talking in FFXIV quest dialogue

    • @richbob9155
      @richbob9155 2 года назад +30

      He admits the phone is actually several hundred dollars and not 5 at 1:10.

    • @xtreamfish6869
      @xtreamfish6869 2 года назад

      Thanks

    • @midloran
      @midloran 2 года назад +2

      Here's a hug for you

  • @nategg481
    @nategg481 3 года назад +944

    This just goes to show how far things have come and how cheap the possibilities are.
    if by some miracle this came out in 2011 or so, it would've been an absolute beast of a phone.

    • @sokool3994
      @sokool3994 2 года назад +131

      Even in 2013, this would've been considered a midrange phone.

    • @nahrafe
      @nahrafe 2 года назад +62

      @@sokool3994 i had a Lenovo a6000+ back then in 2015. At the time 2 GB of RAM in android is just very powerful. At 2013 i think the usual ram would be not more than 1 GB.

    • @danif620
      @danif620 2 года назад +22

      Thats the point. It did not came is 2011 lol. And is using old outdated technology. Ofcourse a flagship phone with latest features right now would probably be worth $20 in the next decade lol.

    • @ivebeenmemed
      @ivebeenmemed 2 года назад +7

      iPhone 4S was out in 2011, that would've destroyed this phone

    • @sokool3994
      @sokool3994 2 года назад +39

      @@ivebeenmemed Eh, not sure about that one.

  • @Tonlah
    @Tonlah Год назад +25

    I use this as my extra phone for offline music and basic emulation. Through testing, it can handle anything from the NES to the DS, but struggles with N64 / full 3D graphics. VLC Player helps with low volume issue for media. I used a 32GB SD Card for media storage, and left the internal space for software updates. Not bad at all for $5 - $10 anyhow

    • @JudeTheYoutubePoopersubscribe
      @JudeTheYoutubePoopersubscribe Год назад +3

      Literally costs less than a big mac lol

    • @adriancoanda9227
      @adriancoanda9227 Год назад +3

      Cmon it worked you may say but 2 gb ram ah never had such low ram but you can download from play store swap no root and create swap memory on the internal nand, it helps with multitasking and background apps well going from an s22 ultra where the main core is 2x faster that the entire cpu , and with 16gb ram real ram not the storage, the storage is 1 tb nvme , y installed kali nethunter on top of android 13 y don't know what y would do with sunc devices probably stop using it besides phone calls and even if it's locked the unlock on android 8 is easy

  • @morganlittle8404
    @morganlittle8404 2 года назад +8

    Back in 2019 I worked as a Temp at Ingram Micro Mobility where we put this device in the clam shell packs. The battery was shipped already installed... They turned on while packing, like alot of them.

  • @TheScepticalThinker
    @TheScepticalThinker 11 месяцев назад +8

    That was kinda fascinating to watch.
    Today, we have smartphones that are more capable than the very 1st PC.
    Their most expensive plan in today's standard is actually criminal, tbh.

  • @Thornskade
    @Thornskade 3 года назад +488

    Even at $20 this is still a lot cheaper than a Raspberry Pi. Kinda insane.

    • @8koi245
      @8koi245 Год назад +9

      lmao true

    • @lucerodj11
      @lucerodj11 10 месяцев назад +4

      but raspberry pi is still more powerful.. it is a computer. This is a smartphone..

    • @Thornskade
      @Thornskade 10 месяцев назад +31

      @@lucerodj11 Smartphones are computers.

    • @randomchannel9331
      @randomchannel9331 10 месяцев назад +5

      @@Thornskade the pi still is faster nonetheless

    • @paulsitt
      @paulsitt 10 месяцев назад +6

      If only phones have accessible & programmable GPIO pins with all the peripherals, then nobody would buy a pi anymore.

  • @CEO100able
    @CEO100able 3 года назад +1162

    That is the cheapest cell phone deal I've ever seen!

    • @justforgames3550
      @justforgames3550 3 года назад +54

      There was a 125 ruppess phone in india but the production cuz it was a scam

    • @marysridhar_nvc4975
      @marysridhar_nvc4975 3 года назад +9

      @@justforgames3550 yes

    • @marysridhar_nvc4975
      @marysridhar_nvc4975 3 года назад +18

      @@justforgames3550 but it's a fuckin bad phone

    • @nimaprox1270
      @nimaprox1270 3 года назад +5

      with pre-installed sh*tty games that this phone can‘t handle it

    • @hqna
      @hqna 3 года назад +7

      There was an Italian company called "Altroconsumo" actually made a 2€ phone and gave it for free to anyone who had a subscription to their "journal'

  • @12puppeez1
    @12puppeez1 2 года назад +28

    Little bit of info.. tracfone has always been known, at least to me, to only allow their sims in phone. Back in 2008 or so when I got my first tracfone (first phone ever) you couldn't even switch Sims between TracFones they would only allow a number transfer. I just remember always having to either just get a new number everytime I lost or broke a phone or settle for an hour long phone call with TracFone to get the number swapped. Hope this clears up some things even a little

    • @CatsRobloxOther2nd
      @CatsRobloxOther2nd Год назад +1

      I have tracfone even on a unlocked phone, lol thanks zte blade

    • @parrotube_bg3557
      @parrotube_bg3557 Год назад

      2000$ u phone

    • @parodylover999
      @parodylover999 6 месяцев назад

      they started unlocking for 2014 models, and in 11/21 they shorted the eligibilty to 2 months instead of a year

  • @brysonhahn8736
    @brysonhahn8736 Год назад +11

    i had this phone as my daily driver for 8months due to financial issues. it served as a good device in my time of need. some oddities i noticed. while the phone is good if you just want to send text messages and reply to emails. it could not seem to handle having both applications open simultaneously, i needed to close applications manually after using them to avoid freezing. also, while charging, the phone gets worryingly hot. i was scared to leave it on my bed in case of a house fire erupting . on a positive, the phone does take pleasant photos, that just don't show well on the poor quality screen, definitely not on the level of a 2022 flagship or dslr for that matter, but its perfectly fine for a photo that's just going to be posted to social media, as long as the lighting is adequate, as the low light captures are quite poor unfortunately.

  • @nb5029
    @nb5029 3 года назад +282

    You use to be able to just buy the phones a few years back. But people were using them for projects and buying them in bulk and never activating so they changed it.

    • @FatCatCooper
      @FatCatCooper 3 года назад +12

      You still can

    • @spacexplorer_
      @spacexplorer_ 3 года назад +31

      _Plainrock124 flashbacks_

    • @ggggg7340
      @ggggg7340 3 года назад +8

      Really? They were like 10 or so, I do not recall $5 phone ever being a thing without plan.

    • @dzvxo
      @dzvxo 3 года назад +12

      @@ggggg7340 Straight Talk sold the ZTE Paragon for $5 with no plan purchase required as recently as 2018. Granted, the phone had no LTE so they were probably just trying to get them out the door as fast as possible before VoLTE would be required (I assume). They offered it reconditioned with a 1 year warranty and $10 shipping reduced to free. I picked one up for the fun of it, and it's a fun little phone to mess around with.

    • @gogreen1675
      @gogreen1675 2 года назад

      @@FatCatCooper how

  • @ManleyEvangelista
    @ManleyEvangelista 3 года назад +217

    I remember seeing this for $10 at a Rite Aid (during my US Trip two years ago). Knowing that I couldn't buy something like this in my country for that price. I decided to buy up all of their stocks. Then went to another store and did the same. Ended up with 8.
    I gave them all to my nieces and little cousins back at home. Even for a Wifi only thing, it's still a bargain for $10. And if they break it, then it's not a huge loss.

    • @mainaccount6122
      @mainaccount6122 Год назад +5

      from where did you buy these?

    • @amanwhoiscleancutdiscreetv9565
      @amanwhoiscleancutdiscreetv9565 Год назад +10

      U r very nice person

    • @djbabybenz
      @djbabybenz Год назад +4

      you are so funny I need you in my life

    • @MuhammedShafiS
      @MuhammedShafiS 10 месяцев назад +1

      ​@@amanwhoiscleancutdiscreetv9565yes😊

    • @NJR969
      @NJR969 10 месяцев назад +3

      Respect u for giving it to them, genius and kind sir. 🎉👏🏼

  • @TaccRaccoon
    @TaccRaccoon Год назад +2

    I remember my tracfone, it was dark days.
    It came with 4gb of storage, deleted bloatware and then downloaded what I needed and then had to delete that to update stuff

    • @TaccRaccoon
      @TaccRaccoon Год назад

      And no I couldn’t get more storage with the microsd card slot, just for pictures which helped a little

  • @noob-ishnoob749
    @noob-ishnoob749 2 года назад +7

    Never have I thought that a brand like TCL would make such affordable phones. This is still good though, for a secondary phone.

  • @HungarianMapping
    @HungarianMapping 3 года назад +128

    The most watched vintage tech Channel for me

  • @leonidas14775
    @leonidas14775 3 года назад +95

    This thing could be good with a custom rom. Even phones with 1GB ram can run smoothly if the software is well optimized for it.

    • @antigov3944
      @antigov3944 Год назад +17

      It’s a year later now. I’m sure the android general development thread on xda is filled with development for this lol

    • @parodylover999
      @parodylover999 6 месяцев назад

      LOL good luck flashing any tracfone device

    • @arostwocents
      @arostwocents 6 месяцев назад

      The specs are pretty awesome actually

  • @adriancoanda9227
    @adriancoanda9227 Год назад +5

    You can disable animation timer or reduce it to 0.1 in developer tools

  • @MidniqhtGaming
    @MidniqhtGaming Год назад +5

    My uncle has a couple of the phones from TCL. They're pretty decent and they run faster than my a11, but my a11 is older, while his phones are a bit newer. From what I've seen, they work great for streaming, and some gaming.

  • @thatonewhitedude731
    @thatonewhitedude731 3 года назад +85

    A whole $5 tech setup would be awesome. Everything in the room is 5 dollar or less. Pc, monitor, mouse, keyboard, phone and anything else. Where everything is $5 or less

  • @aidanjackson1791
    @aidanjackson1791 3 года назад +21

    The four horseman of $5 things on MJD:
    $5 Dell Dimension
    $5 Win98 PC
    $5 Packard Bell
    $5 Smartphone

  • @Flopster101
    @Flopster101 2 года назад +3

    I have that same charger which came from god knows where. It also has the US plug which happens to be one of the two only uncommon plug types in Argentina, so I had to bend the pins with pliers for it to fit the typical australian plug we use here.

  • @vengirgirem
    @vengirgirem 10 месяцев назад +3

    The shocking thing is that this phone is still faster than my grandma's phone which she doesn't want to change at all

  • @ProtoMario
    @ProtoMario 3 года назад +739

    Tcl makes amazingly good TVs for the value.

    • @blackmambo2526
      @blackmambo2526 3 года назад +22

      Hi verified person

    • @Isopromptyl
      @Isopromptyl 3 года назад +5

      I recognize Tcl from their plugin.

    • @andrive
      @andrive 3 года назад +6

      C'mon tryna get likes again?

    • @IAm-zo1bo
      @IAm-zo1bo 3 года назад +16

      shut up verified person

    • @TheVinchenzo130
      @TheVinchenzo130 3 года назад +4

      PROTO!!!!! Yes they even make Roku tvs and picture is actually really nice

  • @sourgrapekate1003
    @sourgrapekate1003 3 года назад +135

    I think if I want to drive myself crazy, instead of paying $20 for this, I’ll just go to Aldi on a Saturday when there’s one register open.

    • @oceanforth21
      @oceanforth21 3 года назад +5

      Too real

    • @MichaelMJD
      @MichaelMJD  3 года назад +70

      I think I was very reasonable in the video. I even pointed out some genuine uses for the phone. I would rather buy this than the $20 flip phone. It’s quite irritating to read comments accusing me of doing nothing but trash talking the phone when that just isn’t true. I pointed out genuine issues that a user would experience. Do you actually believe I was expecting flagship level performance from a phone that costs $5? Would you rather me do the opposite and give the phone a ton of praise and say nothing negative about it? Because trust me, if I did, I’d see tons of comments accusing me of being a “sell out” (even though this isn’t an ad, and I get nothing if you end up buying the phone). In fact, I’ve already seen a couple of those comments on this video. Yeah that’s right, the same video you watched and thought I was being too negative, somebody else watched and thought I was being too positive. I don’t think I was being either.

    • @Shrek_Has_Covid19
      @Shrek_Has_Covid19 3 года назад +1

      steal phone=$free

    • @IAm-zo1bo
      @IAm-zo1bo 3 года назад +1

      I have a good phone and i could survive with this easily and i'm 16

    • @mikeyyt737
      @mikeyyt737 3 года назад +7

      @@MichaelMJD bro just ignore what people say , you probably spent a few minutes typing that up, trust me you will feel better if you do what I’m saying, when someone says something that bothers you, just keep scrolling dawg, feel me?

  • @NDPugman
    @NDPugman 2 года назад +1

    This was actually my first smartphone you brought back some memories

  • @themyth3686
    @themyth3686 Год назад +2

    1)Crazy how a 5$ phone has Facebook pre-installed. I hate it.
    2)The fact it got an update is awesome
    3) RUclips working is impressive. Making this a raspberry pi os phone would DEFINETELY help.
    4) Speaker is alright
    5) It literally works for 5$. If you're in a bind I guess it's a good thing to buy

  • @saharshnair1258
    @saharshnair1258 3 года назад +30

    I remember 6 years ago when I got a free tablet from t mobile. I got it for free for this back to school thing, and it only has 1gb ram. I can't complain because it was free. The thing is I'm using this to write this comment you are reading right now

  • @rptube16
    @rptube16 3 года назад +52

    I don't think there's any reason to watch 1080p video on a non hd display. But the bloatware makes my gut hurt! 😆

    • @juangutierrez5400
      @juangutierrez5400 3 года назад +1

      I know how it feels.

    • @pasci_lei
      @pasci_lei 3 года назад +4

      I just watched this video on my iPhone 7 with like a 750p screen in 1080p flawless. That thing has like 2 GB of RAM.

    • @computernerdinside
      @computernerdinside 3 года назад +7

      @@pasci_lei iPhones however tend to be a bit better at software optimization.

    • @StevenVillman
      @StevenVillman 3 года назад +1

      @RPtube
      Yeah... especially on a small screen (like all smartphones have there)!

    • @computernerdinside
      @computernerdinside 3 года назад

      @@basedSkeleton That and because since their hardware selection is smaller, there's a lot shorter of a list. Hence why long term support for updates tends to last longer on iPhone, because fewer phones to optimize for vs the wide variety of androids. Variety is nice, but the cost is optimization.

  • @agent-33
    @agent-33 2 года назад +3

    12:12 I miss this quality settings. :(
    So sad RUclips app is dumbing down, removing simplicity.

  • @Ijustexistokaynoquestionpls
    @Ijustexistokaynoquestionpls 9 месяцев назад +2

    I’m staring to think this phone is downloading every app in existence until App Store doesn’t exist anymore

  • @Mico605
    @Mico605 3 года назад +175

    I think with a custom clean rom it would run much faster

    • @wideasriel
      @wideasriel 2 года назад +9

      So true, same happened to me for Amazon Fire 7 2017

    • @m4t7eo
      @m4t7eo 2 года назад +7

      Who is gonna develop it for that tho?

    • @Alias_Anybody
      @Alias_Anybody 2 года назад +3

      With that Mediatek processor there's basically zero chance even if someone tried.

    • @VDavid003
      @VDavid003 2 года назад +6

      @@Alias_Anybody Actually most mediatek phones are so generic, they can almost run any other phone's os with barely any modifications, and since this comes with Android 8, you can just slap a GSI on it

    • @fastlane005
      @fastlane005 2 года назад

      @@Alias_Anybody some mediatek phones have development

  • @sebastiandalton3981
    @sebastiandalton3981 3 года назад +22

    That phone has better specs than my $60 Android tablet from 2016. 1Gb more ram, better display, camera, OS, storage, expandable memory. The tablet is the RCA Voyager 7.

    • @juangutierrez5400
      @juangutierrez5400 3 года назад +1

      I have that too, expect mine dies very quick.

    • @adriancoanda9227
      @adriancoanda9227 Год назад

      Ah where do you people find such low spec devices and why bother buying not even wi-fi is update damm that means y should compete with pc hardware oh 1820 - 2800 MHz 8 / 84 nm, 5G NR Sub-6GHz, 5G NR mmWave, LTE Cat. 24/22, LPDDR5-RAM, Dual-Core NPU, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, The iGPU is the first that uses an architecture by AMD (RDNA 2, like the Radeon 660M in the Ryzen 6000 chips). Current information from Geekbench ML points to 3 CUs (=192 shaders). And that multiplied by 2 cause mine has dual gpu set-up

    • @aquaponieee
      @aquaponieee Год назад

      Thing is, in the past such low specs were completely normal and the OS was made with it in mind, and also your tablet probably doesn't have as much Chinese spyware running in the background all the time installing new apps randomly

    • @yazezy
      @yazezy 8 месяцев назад

      MY PC IS THE SAME as your android i have 1gb ram

  • @ONLY7EN
    @ONLY7EN 7 месяцев назад +1

    This was my first phone! It was a government phone and I used it to play cod mobile and Minecraft in third grade... Wow did not expect this much nostalgia from a tech video. 😊

    • @ONLY7EN
      @ONLY7EN 7 месяцев назад +1

      This was new when I got it too. I remember running out of texts when my grandma was messaging me lol.

  • @maisaanmohamed1267
    @maisaanmohamed1267 2 года назад

    I don't know why you're frustration seem so hilarious 😂 I love it I gave a thumbs up great Vedio 😂👍

  • @picklr3893
    @picklr3893 3 года назад +60

    I love when you review these budget gadgets

  • @saharshnair1258
    @saharshnair1258 3 года назад +18

    Solitaire in 2004: click button to start playing
    Solitaire now: OK we gonna know where u live and we can bother u by sending notifications

  • @SanTenChan
    @SanTenChan 10 месяцев назад +3

    Great review for a great phone 📱

  • @SubtotalAnt8185
    @SubtotalAnt8185 2 года назад

    I have a slow RCA voyager pro and it was slow until I went into battery optimization and disabled battery optimization for the "system" app. It's fast now.

  • @captainchris2
    @captainchris2 3 года назад +36

    The bloat ware apps and games are installed by tracfone and not TCL (if you buy a Tracfone device from another brand, you will get the same apps)

    • @n.d1282
      @n.d1282 3 года назад +2

      I remember alcatel had alot of bloatware on specific carriers i think
      I remember that the S3 or S4 T com version had alot of damn bloat

  • @acupuncturekid
    @acupuncturekid 3 года назад +17

    Both of my kids who are in elementary school have this phone. It's perfect to start them out and not get into too much data trouble at school. It's mainly used to call the parents or relatives when going out or on the school bus

    • @ananttiwari1337
      @ananttiwari1337 3 года назад +7

      That's a nice use for the phone

    • @newolku
      @newolku 3 года назад +2

      I would get something else for them that wasn't bloated and was more locked down as kids tend to install garbage from the play store.

    • @acupuncturekid
      @acupuncturekid 3 года назад +5

      @@newolku this video didn't show the 1 hour spent deleting and uninstalling apps. And turning off so many features. It literally has phone, texting, GPS, and a parental app.

    • @Terminal_Apotos
      @Terminal_Apotos Год назад +4

      As long as it Downloads Subway Surfer and RUclips an Elementary schooler won’t complain Lol

    • @domar6274
      @domar6274 5 месяцев назад

      ​@@Terminal_ApotosTimes have changed now ,they need more than that.

  • @ari_1755
    @ari_1755 Год назад

    I have this and i use this for "system modding purposes" (rooting) like changing the navbar, unlocking the bootloader, experimenting

  • @TheCuriousCherrierFCV
    @TheCuriousCherrierFCV 6 дней назад

    I had a very similar phone. A TCL A3X. It is usually sold at $50 but I got it for free with SafeLink's ACP plan. It had 3gb of ram, 32gb of storage, no removable back, and also had an SD card slot. It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. It lasted all of the time I needed till I got a new phone. TCL doesn't make the best, but for people on a very strict budget the A3X works just fine.

  • @21units
    @21units 2 года назад +176

    It's pretty decent for $5 tbh. I'd buy this for my young nephew or niece just to watch youtube in or play with. Or it would be a quick replacement for when your phone breaks or something

    • @aquaponieee
      @aquaponieee Год назад +13

      Please do not, ever. Watch RUclips? Play with? Please. It'll give them childhood trauma faster than it can even load the keyboard. Trust me, I owned a similar device back in the day and it is just not worth it, for 5$ you're better off getting a flip phone than this.

    • @HASHii-mf8vo
      @HASHii-mf8vo Год назад +5

      @@aquaponieee true. I bought an iphone 6 preowned that i got for 35$ for my little brother cause he likes to watch youtube toy reviews etc. The iphone itself is in pretty good shape and enough for my little bro.

    • @jackwilson5542
      @jackwilson5542 5 месяцев назад

      You need to purchase a sh*tty $15 24 month plan with it though. (0.5GB of data) If it was $5 unlocked then we could talk.

  • @pewdiefanno19
    @pewdiefanno19 3 года назад +17

    10:35 , those apps are preloaded/ downloaded automatically when you connect to internet, as the apps manufacturer has paid the Smart phone companies to do that, so that, there would be profit for the app manufacturer as well as profit for the Cell Phone company

  • @Maxwellthecat1213
    @Maxwellthecat1213 4 месяца назад +3

    When ur parents get u ur first phone*

  • @AlienTechGuru
    @AlienTechGuru 7 дней назад

    The beep noise when you click something brings me back to 2020 when I used to have an Alcatel phone. The phone is still in my apartment somewherebut I cant find it

  • @rileyowens9033
    @rileyowens9033 3 года назад +31

    I just love how you speak and present stuff. Clear, as unbiased as possible, refreshing, and funny af. Platonically love you, Michael!!!

  • @PainweedingPills
    @PainweedingPills 3 года назад +57

    If my phone would start downloading random apps i don't want, i'm factory resetting it to oblivion. I'll backup my files first though. Don't want to lose everything, you know?

    • @TheClockUpOnTheWall
      @TheClockUpOnTheWall 3 года назад +1

      You should be backing up your files on any device already, including your phone regardless of what it does or doesn't install.

    • @chiffoncreme3247
      @chiffoncreme3247 3 года назад +1

      Pretty sure that's coming from an app that's preinstalled on the phone

    • @brutus3631
      @brutus3631 3 года назад +6

      Better to just install a custom ROM, bc the software on the phone downloads it by default

  • @rhysjonesoffical
    @rhysjonesoffical 10 месяцев назад +1

    A great use for this phone would be to turn it into a security camera with an app like alfred camera

  • @Spamton.G.Spamton..
    @Spamton.G.Spamton.. 2 месяца назад

    Literally my first phone from 5th grade... that thing sucked. But it was my first phone, and being a 5th grader, I had no problems with it. Still works to this day! I upgraded to an LG Pheonix 5, then a Galaxy A13 though.

  • @utzufideli9769
    @utzufideli9769 3 года назад +240

    I bought one, installed the ubuntu touch lite rom and its actually quite usable. It even runs minecraft java 1.12.2 with 18 fps.
    Edit: Will use it to host a minecraft server at home using portmap and ubuntu server for arm.

  • @mr.bonzibuddy69420
    @mr.bonzibuddy69420 2 года назад +4

    Google: Can I Download Candy Crush?
    Me: No, Not Right Now.
    Google: How About I Do It Anyway?

  • @taj681
    @taj681 2 года назад

    You do not have to sign in to get app updates, you can find the app updates in the 3 dot menu on the top right part of the screen

  • @leyria
    @leyria 7 месяцев назад

    I had a cell phone like this, I used it between 2017 and 2019. Although I didn't buy it through this store, but in a store here in my country. I remember I picked it up because it was very cheap and I was low on money.
    It's full of bloatware, I spent months trying to get as much out of it as possible... The videos only play well with 360p or 480p, it doesn't play FLAC music, the space is really small, I always had problems updating WhatsApp or the platstore.
    In the end I kept it for as long as I could, but the battery didn't last at all, 24 hours at most, even when idle. I looked for a replacement battery but couldn't find one. I tried some generic batteries but they didn't last at all.
    When I bought it, the marketing was about changing the back cover of the device, I still have mine here in the box. It had 4 colors I think, and it came with them all.

  • @annettemaldonado3373
    @annettemaldonado3373 3 года назад +17

    That moment when Solitare asks for your location

  • @techstudiojbl
    @techstudiojbl 3 года назад +18

    20 Years ago, this would be the best thing ever invented

    • @whyme3772
      @whyme3772 2 года назад +2

      Even in the late 2000s this would be considered a “good” phone

    • @WAncouvOR
      @WAncouvOR 2 года назад

      @@whyme3772 in 2013 they could sell this for like $300.

    • @magik97
      @magik97 2 года назад +1

      20? That's ridiculous, lol. Less than 10 yrs

  • @justanenderman9668
    @justanenderman9668 Год назад

    9:02 funny how older versions of RUclips and just RUclips in general do that: the first time it says error, then the second time it says update. Like ???

  • @SamsonSilvo
    @SamsonSilvo 9 месяцев назад +1

    8:15
    It wouldn't be a Michael MJD video if something didn't go wrong. LOL

  • @RockMadeHome
    @RockMadeHome 3 года назад +46

    This is a really good channel, greetings from Chile, Michael!

    • @UltimatusVirsus
      @UltimatusVirsus 3 года назад +7

      I tried to buy the phone but it turns out that they don't ship to Chile XD

    • @RockMadeHome
      @RockMadeHome 3 года назад +6

      ​@@UltimatusVirsus hahaha yeah, sadly Chile is like the last corner of the world :( (literally xD)

    • @StevenVillman
      @StevenVillman 3 года назад +2

      @@UltimatusVirsus Hmm, I wonder if they will ship to Canada (my country)...? 🤔

    • @TheGrandGamerOfficial
      @TheGrandGamerOfficial 3 года назад

      I bet you a million dollars they sell it to china

  • @damqn4etobg
    @damqn4etobg 3 года назад +7

    By far the best vintage channel I have ever watched!

  • @laurilaur1595
    @laurilaur1595 Год назад +4

    7:30 if u wanna see the phone

  • @altnap
    @altnap Год назад +3

    6:05 I thought my video was frozen

  • @zdanee
    @zdanee 3 года назад +21

    Yeah, I hope you've used a burner account to log in there, otherwise the next video might possibly be just a 8 hours long Solitaire livestream on 4G data while the phone is in your pocket :)

    • @reboxtherapy
      @reboxtherapy 7 месяцев назад

      You could watch videos on something like this, however I don't mind paying $10 more for a basic 1G phone with real numeric pad buttons.

  • @windowsxp3790
    @windowsxp3790 3 года назад +75

    This is the fastest I’ve ever clicked

    • @PythonScratcher
      @PythonScratcher 3 года назад +2

      This is the fastest comment I’ve clicked on

    • @roembol
      @roembol 3 года назад +4

      @Windows 98 arent you technically his granddad (with Windows ME)?

    • @Alex_Bert_
      @Alex_Bert_ 3 года назад +4

      @@roembol Shhhhh no one talks about Windows ME.

    • @winindowsdows
      @winindowsdows 3 года назад +1

      @DamnMerasmus yeah

    • @winindowsdows
      @winindowsdows 3 года назад

      Hello father

  • @lorenz9314
    @lorenz9314 2 года назад

    The Location permission may be needed for bluetooth, it's mandated by the Android permissions model.

  • @somecuntxxx
    @somecuntxxx 2 месяца назад

    I had an Alcatel my flip 1 and 2, I thought the first phone was okay but the second one blew my mind with the Google services. Nice simplicity, not way too much function but for a phone I really really liked it. I wouldn't put it above me to buy another KaiOS flip phone!

  • @youdontknowme7032
    @youdontknowme7032 3 года назад +79

    wait, so he watches a video in 1080p on a 480p display and wonders why it's lagging?

    • @loganparker4184
      @loganparker4184 2 года назад +10

      The devices resolution wouldn't make a difference. It's because the hardware is too weak.

    • @youdontknowme7032
      @youdontknowme7032 2 года назад +4

      When I plug my 4k monitor into my PC and watch a 4k vid on RUclips it's fine, but when I plug my 1080p monitor into the same plug and watch the same video at 4k it lags.

    • @richbob9155
      @richbob9155 2 года назад +11

      @@youdontknowme7032 It shouldn't and it has nothing to do with resolution. It will lag because your 1080p monitor is crap. I can watch 4k videos on my shitty old tablet with no lag and that cost me 70 bucks about 5 years ago. Your monitor is likely just broken.

    • @pauladrianordovas7447
      @pauladrianordovas7447 2 года назад

      @@richbob9155 i don't see any relations

    • @ask343
      @ask343 2 года назад

      He's just testing the performance

  • @WhitekidCvsual
    @WhitekidCvsual 3 года назад +77

    Nobody:
    The weather: *TAP TO CONFIGURE*
    This confirms that Michael really is god, he can easily configure the weather... shit-

    • @giancarlo418
      @giancarlo418 3 года назад +2

      Lmao

    • @Vexxel256
      @Vexxel256 3 года назад +7

      JUST END THE FUCKING SENTENCE INSTEAD OF ENDING IT ON A CLIFFHANGER

    • @andricode
      @andricode 3 года назад

      @@Vexxel256 shitholy

    • @imaperson9582
      @imaperson9582 3 года назад

      @@Vexxel256 why would they need to do that-

    • @Vexxel256
      @Vexxel256 3 года назад

      @@imaperson9582 BECAUSE I NEED AN ENDING TO THIS COMMENT IM DESPERATE

  • @AlexandruLipan
    @AlexandruLipan 10 месяцев назад

    The definition of a smartphone is basically:
    A device able to connect to cellular network and able to:
    • have the capability of connecting to the web
    • add apps or applets able to extend the software functionalities
    • receive updates based on the user preferences
    Kai OS feature phones are, for all intent and purpose, smartphones, but is probably a gimmick to avoid certain software taxes.

  • @jaymullins102
    @jaymullins102 Год назад

    I have the same phone I got it a couple years ago for like $7.50 at rite aid and forgot about till my iphone broke it's not really fast but it gets the job done it's a great backup phone and the hotspot works really well if you just want something to use as portable wifi this is perfect it can even power my laptop just fine

  • @DeepfriedChips
    @DeepfriedChips 3 года назад +3

    Wow been planning this video for a long time, appreciate it

  • @HideoV
    @HideoV 3 года назад +6

    I use one of these when I have to stay in the US for a few months. My phone is not compatible with 4G in the US, so I get a pack for my cheapo track phone phone and use it as WiFi access point for my actual phone

  • @qwertykeyboard5901
    @qwertykeyboard5901 Год назад

    I have a broken Stratus C5 “Elite”, which has extremely similar specs.
    Everything and anything even remotely related to google play services got nuked.
    It’s not bad. It does like to choke on “Vector Pinball” which... isn’t good.
    Thats the general them. It occasionally slows down (especially if something is running in the background). Stuff like web browsing is snappy though!

  • @ConsciousRobot
    @ConsciousRobot 2 года назад

    That screen brings me back to my first smartphone, Droid

  • @Plague_Architect
    @Plague_Architect 2 года назад +44

    Honestly I was surprised at how smooth the transitions and refresh rate looked on this. I was expecting super slow everything but it's actually quite surprising

    • @KanishQQuotes
      @KanishQQuotes 10 месяцев назад +1

      Android Go I guess

    • @arostwocents
      @arostwocents 6 месяцев назад

      Specs are great for how much it costs. This was the quality of a £100 phone very recently

  • @yigitdurmus2407
    @yigitdurmus2407 3 года назад +18

    Definitely one of the most underrated channels! Nice voice btw!

  • @SuburbaniteUrbanite
    @SuburbaniteUrbanite Год назад

    Before I was gifted my iPhone SE 2020 I was using alcatel which is a budget phone provider and tracfone's pay per minute plan, basically just buy a 30, 60, 90 day plan with a set amount of talk, text and data. These phones on their own are trash because of the tiny internal storage... that is now they can be made so cheaply in stores. They really shine when you buy a 32-128gb SD card. Perfectly fine for daily use, used mine for 6 years after my basic smartphone stopped holding a charge.

  • @diasstebanak
    @diasstebanak 3 года назад +3

    Great video, Michael!

  • @alejandroalzatesanchez
    @alejandroalzatesanchez 3 года назад +8

    12:16 even my 6 years old phone can deal with 1080p60 LOL

    • @SMCwasTaken
      @SMCwasTaken 8 месяцев назад +1

      My 4 year old Samsung Galaxy is a Nasa PC compared to that 5 dollar potato

  • @cawproductions3072
    @cawproductions3072 Год назад

    I have a TCL A3X that I sometimes watch your videos on, funny enough.

  • @CHICKENRAN34
    @CHICKENRAN34 2 года назад +2

    I got this phone as one of my christmas gifts for 6th grade, it lasted a good 2 & 1/2 years and I then got a new phone.

    • @me.unpredictable280
      @me.unpredictable280 2 года назад +1

      hats off to you for maintaining it upto 2 1/2 years 👏

  • @adews7204
    @adews7204 3 года назад +20

    You should try emulating classic Windows on it with Limbo or iBochs!
    Great video!

    • @markusTegelane
      @markusTegelane 3 года назад

      that would need some mad patience if something goes wrong, but it could work :)

    • @juangutierrez5400
      @juangutierrez5400 3 года назад

      Limbo won't work on the A1. I've tested it before and it doesn't install the app.

  • @ashkyper
    @ashkyper 3 года назад +12

    “installing android os 1 on the $5 phone”

    • @juangutierrez5400
      @juangutierrez5400 3 года назад

      It might be possible, but I don't think the experience will go well.

  • @TechReviewTom
    @TechReviewTom 2 года назад +2

    These were top tier specs in 2014 lol. It’s crazy to think I spent 300 to 500 dollars on this

  • @soloplaysgames9965
    @soloplaysgames9965 Год назад +1

    This is the kind of phone I used to root and give a linked partition to the SD to get infinite internal storage.

  • @masteryoda3196
    @masteryoda3196 3 года назад +5

    This thing is actually better specced than my first smart phone, pretty insane actually.

    • @i.t.2238
      @i.t.2238 3 года назад

      My first touch screen smart phone showed 380mbs of ram in the system
      Being able to buy a anything at all with 2GB of ram for that money is truly insane to me

    • @nikolavukcevic8066
      @nikolavukcevic8066 Год назад

      😊