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Alcatel's low-price Pixi 4 phones go from XS to XL (hands-on)

The new handsets run the range from a tiny, entry-level 3.5-inch phone to a 6-inch Android 6.0 whopper.

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Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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Jessica Dolcourt
2 min read

Alcatel's Pixi family of six Android phones gives us one of the smallest-screen new phones we've seen and one of the largest.

Although this Pixi line has never been anything other than entry-level to midrange, this year's lineup dots the spectrum from a tiny 3.5-inch screen all the way up to a gargantuan 6-incher.

Shop for Alcatel Pixi 4 (6.0)

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The phones will sell in various markets in the coming months -- don't expect to see them all in the same country. Likewise, prices will vary by phone and currency, but if there's one thing Alcatel's Pixi line is known for, it's lower-than-average pricing.

Alcatel's six new Pixi 4 phones (pictures)

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The Lilliputian 3.5-inch Pixi 4 model houses the most basic specs of the Pixi six-pack, including an older version of Android (5.1), limited dual-core processor and very simple rear and front-facing cameras (specs below).

Pixi 4 phone sizes:

  • Pixi 4 (3.5)
  • Pixi 4 (4)
  • Pixi 4 (4.5)
  • Pixi 4 (5)
  • Pixi 4 (5.5)
  • Pixi 4 (6)

On the upper end of the range, the 6-inch version is a more modern, midrange device with a faster processor and 8-megapixel rear camera. The 4-inch, 4.5-inch, 5 and 5.5-inch Pixi 4 handsets falling in between. Compared with last year's Pixi 3 series, the Pixi 4 phones are flatter with straighter sides, though the runt of the litter does feel more like the bubbly Pixi 3 than it does the 6-inch Pixi 4.

The smartphones that matter at CES 2016 (pictures)

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Hardware-wise, Alcatel's Pixi line purposely runs toward the back of the pack where Alcatel can keep prices low for the type of crowd the Pixi brand tries to attract: a younger, cost-conscious set.