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They might get a bad rap for cheap phones, but ZTE is bigger than you think – number 6 worldwide, though you might not be too familiar with them since they only have three handsets in North America, and they’re on metroPCS. ZTE is working to crack the tough nut of the U.S. market after seeing plenty of business back home in China and abroad in Europe, but based on some of the phones they were showing off, ZTE has a reasonable shot at some market share.
Out front, ZTE was showing off some concept tech, like a slider with tiltable speakers called Xer, two USB modem watches (Rotta and Agate),and an MID with a removable power button dubbed Pure. Of their, y’know, actual phones, the D300 looked absolutely awesome, with its brushed aluminum face and sharp lines. The D300 just a simple CDMA flip, but apparently it one a design award of some sort. The D92 looked pretty cool, with letter keys in between the standard numpad – it landed on Telus not long ago. Samsung might still be working on Blue Earth, but the ZTE Solar-S312 at least has the charging part of that equation already implemented and ready to go.
On the higher end, they’ve three Windows Mobile devices (like the E810 and U990) that, if priced right, could be a cheap alternative to the upcoming HTC Snap. Talking with ZTE was actually really interesting since they’ve got so much stuff that might actually be finding its way to our shores, but combined with their transition from feature to smart phones, they’ve got an uphill battle.
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
