ZTE Director budget smartphone arrives at US Cellular

US Cellular, a regional carrier known for offering the lower rung of smartphones running older varieties of Android than you typically find elsewhere, has just added a budget Ice Cream Sandwich handset to its lineup: the ZTE Director. Perhaps because $0.00 is too conventional, the carrier is offering this smartphone for $0.01 alongside a new two-year contract.

While a (nearly) non-existent price tag is always nice, that two-year contract might not look so attractive in light of the Director's unsubsidized price of just $99. For such a modest price, users will get a low tier ZTE handset that doesn't have eye-catching specs, but that will provide those on a budget with all the basics you'd need in a smartphone.

Inside, users will find a 1.0 GHz single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor alongside 512MB of RAM, as well as 4GB of internal storage space. Because that little storage would prove problematic for just about everyone, there's also a microSD expansion slot for more space. The rear camera is an adequate-but-lower-than-usual 3-megapixels; you'll be able to take pictures, but don't expect much from them.

The battery is a fairly average capacity at 1,500 mAh, which should last awhile when paired with the 3.5-inch WVGA display. There are some preloaded apps, including Amazon Music and Slacker Radio. If you're interested, you can head on over to US Cellular and check out the rest of its specs. Overall, the Director won't be taking names and winning awards, but it will make a nice handset to give to the kids.

[via Android Community]