$179 Alcatel A3 XL is the cheapest phablet around

Alcatel's budget phablet - the A3 XL - is the latest phone to be added to Vodafone's prepaid range. While you're now able to get plenty of phones for under $200, the A3 XL is one of the only affordable "big" phones around. Touting a 6-inch display and a $179 price tag, gives you a lot of screen for your dollar.

Key specifications include a 6-inch 720p display, 1.1GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, an 8MP rear-facing camera, Android 7.0, 16GB of expandable storage, 2GB of RAM, a fingerprint reader, and a 3,000mAh battery.

Since the Alcatel A3 XL is a prepaid phone, its locked to Vodafone's network. If you want to unlock it, you'll pay $50 if you'd had the phone for less than six months, and $25 after that point. In addition to not working on other Australian networks, a locked smartphone won't work overseas.

The news follows Vodafone's prepaid shakeup, where it swapped many of its recharges from a 28-day expiry to a 35-day expiry. The change means you'll only need to recharge 10 or 11 times per year, compared to 13 times with a 28-day expiry. This can translate into a saving of around 20%. Vodafone's prepaid plans are as follows:

Vodafone

Vodafone $50 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack 40GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: $50 SIM for $17 + Includes 80GB bonus data for first 3 recharges + $5 off with every Automatic Recharge $17.00 Starter Pack 28 Day Expiry Link not supplied

$17.00 Starter Pack 28 Day Expiry

Link not supplied

Sorted by price

See More Plans ~ Last Updated 2/10/2026

Powered By

How WhistleOut Works

We recently put the Alcatel A3 XL up against the iPhone 7 in a camera showdown. Watch the results below.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

Read full bio