ZTE Gigaom

You unlock this smartphone with your eyes

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Some of the new phones launching at Mobile World Congress are sporting fingerprint scanners, but a new device from ZTE uses a very different…

by Kif Leswing Mar 2, 2015 - 12:28 PM PST

Meet the ZTE Blade S6, a $249 Android that looks like an iPhone

China smartphone wars

Perhaps ZTE is hoping to replicate Apple’s iPhone sales success. Could you blame it when Apple just announced a record quarter with…

by Kevin C. Tofel Jan 28, 2015 - 12:37 PM PST

ZTE makes a 5.7-inch smartphone for T-Mobile that’s a good value for its size

T-Mobile has a new attractive large phone option for its bargain-seeking customers. The ZTE Z Max is a 5.7-inch smartphone — one of the first to be sold in the United States under the ZTE name — that will retail for $252 unlocked.

by Kif Leswing Sep 16, 2014 - 6:18 PM PST

ZTE tries to crack the US market with a $279 mid-range phone

China’s massive population is an attractive target for smartphone makers but that doesn’t mean the U.S. should be ignored. ZTE’s latest effort is an unlocked $279 Android phone with beefy cameras and support for LTE networks.

by Kevin C. Tofel Aug 20, 2014 - 7:19 AM PST

ZTE’s newest mid-range phone is running the stock Google Now interface

A sub-$200 device from ZTE comes with the Google Now Launcher pre-installed, although ZTE says it’s not abandoning its homegrown Android skin.

by Kif Leswing Jul 24, 2014 - 7:24 AM PST

Mobile hotspot + pico projector = Sprint’s new LivePro

Sprint’s newest hotspot might be its most ambitious: combining a pico projector, Android device and wireless hotspot, it certainly has more features than a run-of-the-mill hotspot.

by Kif Leswing Jul 9, 2014 - 8:33 AM PST

A $100 smartphone running Firefox OS pops up on Ebay

The ZTE Open C, a $100 smartphone running Mozilla’s Firefox OS, is being sold on Ebay with a price tag of $100.

by Kif Leswing May 9, 2014 - 6:51 AM PST

ZTE unveils 6-inch Grand Memo II LTE and new Firefox-based smartphones

ZTE’s latest smartphones are a study in contrast, from a 6-inch Android-powered “phablet” to a 3.5-inch phone that runs on Firefox OS.

by Alex Colon Feb 24, 2014 - 7:29 AM PST

ZTE thinks you’ll want to build a smartphone from modular blocks

Similar to Motorola’s Project Ara, ZTE has a concept phone at CES that you essentially build yourself. Different hardware modules can be swapped in or out for a custom device that can improve over time.

by Kevin C. Tofel Jan 9, 2014 - 12:59 PM PST

ZTE plans a smart watch that only works with its own phones. That’s not smart.

Amid falling smartphone sales as rivals are seeing gains, ZTE is planning to launch its own smartwatch in early 2014. Unfortunately, the watch will only work with ZTE phones. Why aren’t wearables more platform-centric?

by Kevin C. Tofel Nov 25, 2013 - 7:50 AM PST

ZTE, Intel’s BFF, puts a new Atom chip in the Geek smartphone

Intel and ZTE announced a strategic collaboration last month and already have a new product. The ZTE Geek smartphone uses Intel’s latest Atom chip promising more speeds and better battery life. With a foothold in China, Intel isn’t out of the mobile game yet.

by Kevin C. Tofel Apr 10, 2013 - 7:33 AM PST

With a new Atom chip, Intel’s smartphone BFF is ZTE

Intel announced a slightly upgraded Atom chip at Mobile World Congress and ZTE has already decided to use it. That’s good news for Intel for a number of reasons.

by Kevin C. Tofel Mar 5, 2013 - 7:56 AM PST

ZTE and HTC may be planning Galaxy Note competitors

ZTE and HTC are both reportedly planning large smartphones that double as small tablets, with at least one of the two expected to include a stylus with the device. The idea is to compete against Samsung’s Galaxy Note, a 5.3-inch Android smartphone with digital pen.

by Kevin C. Tofel Apr 26, 2012 - 8:39 AM PST

Elop promises ‘urgency’ as Nokia takes a $1.8bn beating

Stephen Elop’s mission to turn Nokia around will face some more tough questions after the company posted a $1.8 billion loss for the first quarter of 2012. With mobile phone sales falling off a cliff, is there any way for the company to pull things back?

by Bobbie Johnson Apr 19, 2012 - 3:34 AM PST

The ZTE Fury: A cheap smartphone with a powerful punch

Sprint just launched a new ZTE Android smartphone that offers a lot more power than its mere $20 price tag would suggest. The ZTE Fury has the same processor embedded in devices that were considered top of the line only a year ago.

by Kevin Fitchard Mar 9, 2012 - 11:50 AM PST

Android this week: New phones, plus Windows on Android

Mobile World Congress took place this week, and aside from a few Microsoft-related announcements, the show was all about Android. We saw new phones from all but Samsung, with many slated for Android 4.0. OnLive Desktop launched for Android, bringing Windows to tablets and smartphones.

by Kevin C. Tofel Mar 3, 2012 - 6:02 AM PST

Sprint sells the ZTE Optik, its first sub-$100 tablet

Sprint will carry the Optik, a 7-inch 3G-enabled tablet built by ZTE, a China-based company. The Android 3.2 tablet has capable components and runs Android 3.2. The best feature may be the price: just $99 with a two-year Sprint contract or $349.99 without a commitment.

by Kevin C. Tofel Feb 2, 2012 - 8:24 AM PST

More smartphones now sold in China than in U.S.

Smartphone adoption may be high in the U.S. but overall smartphone sales are highest in China, with Nokia and Samsung leading the pack. Combine subsidies and numerous Android devices with an expected billion mobile connections and I’d say you’ve got the recipe for another smartphone revolution.

by Kevin C. Tofel Nov 23, 2011 - 12:01 AM PST

Enemies at the gates: Apple’s biggest threats are Samsung and ZTE

It was pretty clear that Samsung would eventually overtake Apple in terms of smartphone sales, and this past quarter, that happened. But Apple also slipped in the overall phone sales category, beat by a rival that could be more of a long-term threat: China’s ZTE.

by Darrell Etherington Oct 28, 2011 - 6:22 AM PST

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