ZTE’s first handset sold through a US carrier since
the beginning of the whole trade sanctions violation scandal is an even humbler
affair, starting at a fitting US$ 99 price at Visible. Dubbed simply the Visible
R2, the modest Android Oreo device is
billed as “designed by ZTE exclusively for Visible customers.” That’s a Verizon-owned,
Verizon-hosted MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), by the way, which only
recently began selling phones after working on a BYOD (bring your own device)
basis for a while.
Interestingly, the selection of devices you can
purchase straight from Visible remains rather limited, including a bunch of
different iPhone models, Samsung’s high-end Galaxy S9 and S9+, and now the
entry-level ZTE-designed Visible R2.
You obviously can’t expect much from a US$ 99 phone in
terms of raw power, camera capabilities, or trendy design elements, but as long
as you keep your expectations low, you might be pleasantly surprised by the
Visible R2.
A few technical details are unfortunately too vague
to analyze, like the unnamed 1.4 GHz quad-core processor and completely
unspecified RAM count, but the 5.45-inch HD+ screen does sport a modern 2:1
aspect ratio, while the 3,100 mAh battery is purportedly capable of keeping the
lights on for “up to 24 hours” of typical usage.
The 13MP rear-facing camera with HDR, panorama,
collage and timelapse flash capabilities and 5MP selfie shooter with screen
flash don’t sound all that bad either.
