ZTE has recently gained a lot of popularity for
offering some of the best budget handsets on the market right now. And while
last year' Axon 7 flagship did a lot to strengthen that image, ZTE has been
consistently putting out a lot of other, lower-profile devices. And this is
exactly what we're witnessing today: the launch of the company's latest ultra
cheap device, known as the ZTE Blade Z Max.
Just like its predecessor, last year's ZTE Zmax Pro,
the Blade Z Max will be offered as a timed exclusive to MetroPCS, and will come
at a pretty competitive price point — US$ 129.
As far as ZTE devices go, the Blade Z Max is
certainly a looker, thanks in large part to the combination of an aluminum
frame and a grippy, textured back. And it's huge, too — with its 6-inch screen
the device is certainly worthy of the "Max" moniker, while its Full
HD resolution is a welcome change when compared with other devices at a similar
price point.
Just like
the Zmax Pro, the Blade X Max offers a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. What's
new here actually sits right above it: this is the latest device to jump on the
dual camera bandwagon, sporting a weird combo of a primary 16 MP sensor, and a
secondary 2 MP one, though the latter will be used primarily for the obligatory
portrait mode. The front camera is also upgraded, and now produces images with
an 8 MP resolution.
Inside you'll find some pretty modest specs: a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset with 2 gigs of RAM and 32 GB of storage
(expandable via SD card). There is, however, one particularly impressive aspect
to the device: the large 4,080 mAh battery, which should provide more than
enough juice for even the heaviest of users. The phone also supports Qualcomm's
Quick Charge 2.0 standard.
And last but not least, ZTE once again doesn't
disappoint in the software department, thanks to the inclusion of the latest
(though not for long) Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The ZTE Blade Z Max can be
pre-ordered exclusively through MetroPCS starting today and
will cost US$ 129. Its actual release date, however, is in two weeks — Monday,
August 28 — when it will become available online, as well as in select MetroPCS
stores.
