Chinese company ZTE enjoys healthy success both in China and the United States, and as such a new report isn't much of a surprise: ZTE plans to launch its upcoming Nubia Z11 smartphone in both China and the U.S. at the same time, something spurred in part by the widespread success of ZTE’s Z9 handset, which has sold more than half a billion units across the globe.
Last July, ZTE surprised the mobile world when it unveiled the very high-end Axon smartphone, the first such premium device it launched in the US. But not everyone might have been able to stomach the price tag, especially considering ZTE sells its smartphones unlocked and in full price, without carrier subsidies. Responding to customer request, or so it says, ZTE is launching a slightly toned down ZTE Axon. But for those who can afford it, it is offering an even more expensive Axon Pro with 64 GB of storage.
Are you pining for a particular ZTE phone but don't have the funds? The company feels your pain, and has introduced a new leasing program that will let customers pay for it over time -- make all the payments, and then it's yours forever. The program is being launched in the United States, and appears to be an effort to compete with the monthly payment plans that several carriers have introduced.
ZTE seems to have found a new sweet spot in the mobile industry apart from its older nubia brand. The new AXON line, which began as a pleasant surprise with the ZTE Axon last July, is now welcoming two new additions to its family. ZTE claims that the AXON mini smartphone is the first in the market to have the equivalent of Apple's 3D Touch technology on the iPhone 6s. The AXON Watch, on the other hand, is one of the very few smartwatches running on Tencent OS.
Just because ZTE launched the surprisingly high-end Axon smartphone in the US doesn't mean it's about to go all out on the top tier market. It's still lining up it eggs in lower tiers and still has some treats for those who don't want to be tied to traditional carrier contracts. The Chinese OEM has just announced that it will be bringing its second generation ZTE ZMAX 2 phablet later this week and will be offering it on a prepaid arrangement, but this time with AT&T.
The AT&T ZTE device you're about to see is a Wi-fi hotspot for vehicles, and it's coming to AT&T first and foremost here in the USA. This device works with a Qualcomm MDM9215 processor and AT&T's 4G LTE network to bring internet to users' vehicle while it uses their OBD II port (standard in most vehicles in the USA 1996 and newer) for power. This device will require users to pay for data using a SIM card that's added on to their current AT&T data plan.
The ZTE Axon is definitely a strange beast. Unlike your usual Chinese brand smartphone, it launched first in the US. When it did launch in China, it took on a slightly different form, the Axon Elite which adds three biometric security features to the already high end smartphone. Now, after barely two months, ZTE is taking the IFA 2015 floor to announce that the Axon Elite, not the plain Axon, will also be available in Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific markets in the coming months.
ZTE has a new budget smartphone, the ZTE Warp Elite. The Warp Elite has launched through Boost Mobile, where it is priced at $180 USD. Unlike many budget phones, the ZTE Warp Elite features a large 5.5 inch display and other specs that are — at least in relation to the phone's price tag — fairly notable. This includes a 13 megapixel rear camera and the use of Android Lollipop 5.1, an atypically large battery, and a sleek, non-cheesy design.
T-Mobile has a new Android smartphone on the way, and it hails from Chinese maker ZTE. Listed as coming soon, the ZTE Obsidian is a lower-end handset sporting a 4.5-inch display and Android 5.1 Lollipop, and it’ll bring the best of both worlds: a low price tag, but with decent specs and a newer version of Android than many competing products. The phone won't be turning heads, but at $99 USD it won't be breaking bank accounts, either.
Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2015 is underway in China and ZTE is there rolling out a couple new products. The two new products include the ZTE Blade D6 and the new ZTE SmartHome. The Blade D6 is a new smartphone that packs a 5-inch HD resolution screen in a thin and light body. The smartphone runs Android 5.0 as the operating system.
This week at MWC Shanhai 2015, ZTE revealed the ZTE SmartHome, a device they call their "first ever smart home gateway." This device works with wireless protocol, ZigBee, and 4G LTE connectivity for always-connected functionality. This device is set to be the center of your smart home, with an application for smartphones and tablets to control smart home devices of all sorts. In addition to a ZTE-made app for mobile devices, this device can also be controlled via web browser from Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Google Chrome.
ZTE made an unexpected, if you haven't been monitoring the rumor mill, announcement yesterday. A new Axon smartphone brand that puts mainstream flagships on notice with its high-end specs and sub-premium price. That is, however, just the tip of the Chinese iceberg. Crowd favorite Xiaomi has made its slow crawl to markets outside China. Huawei made an interesting proposition when it announced the P8 lite smartphone and seems to be a crowd favorite for the next Google Nexus smartphone. The dragon is rising and OEMs should take note. But this journey to the West, just like the novel, is fraught with challenges.
