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ZTE Grand X appears in T-Mobile USA garb at the FCC
If you were wondering whether or not the ZTE Grand X would cross the oceans to launch in the US, there's a good chance the mystery is over. An unusually detailed FCC filing has uncovered a V970T variant that's destined for T-Mobile USA, complete with the carrier branding, Wi-Fi calling and AWS-based 3G data to match. Other details of the Android 4.0 phone are lacking despite the presence of a manual, although the V970 edition we've seen elsewhere runs on a dual-core, 1GHz MediaTek MT6577 chip alongside the more familiar 4.3-inch screen and 5-megapixel rear camera. T-Mobile's release plan is about all that's left to ponder; knowing the entry-level components, though, any possible launch should come with a low price tag.
ZTE Grand X reaches UK shops a tad early through Phones4U
Virgin Mobile had originally promised the UK version of the ZTE Grand X for early August. The carrier just can't contain its enthusiasm: it's letting retail partner Phones4U sell the budget smartphone as of today. While you're busy skipping the start of the Olympics, the store will give you a Grand X for free if you're willing to spend at least £20.50 ($32) per month on a tariff instead of opting for the £190 ($299) pay-as-you-go hardware price. As we saw in China, the appeal of the Grand X is in those numbers -- it's more the temptation of stock Android 4.0 in a low-priced (if capable) suit than the hardware. Phones4U does hope to sweeten the pot through a contest. We hope you like the musical styles of Professor Green, as the British retailer is giving early Grand X adopters a chance to win both a custom Professor Green case as well as tickets to a private concert.
Huawei's Ascend P1 makes its way to the UK, Canada
Huawei's Ascend P1 is making its way to the UK (and Canada) just in time for the country's belated summer. The 7.7mm (with a hump) dual-core handset packs a 4.3-inch qHD display and the same CPU as the Galaxy Nexus -- so while it won't catch the One X napping, it's no slouch either. It looks like the company had an eye on gazumping budget rival ZTE, which unveiled its Grand X yesterday, undercutting it by a solitary pound. It's arriving on Wind from today, free with a $49 contract and Vodafone in August, free on plans costing £26 or more a month.
Mobile Miscellany: week of June 18th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we learned of the first market outside of China for ZTE's new Grand X smartphone, and received news that both the Sony Xperia U and Xperia P will arrive in Australia. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of June 18th, 2012.
ZTE Grand X (U970 and N970) and Grand X LTE (T82) hands-on
You may recall that ZTE unveiled its Snapdragon MSM8960-powered Grand X LTE handset (pictured right) just a few days ago, but as it turns out, the original Mimosa X design is still very much alive under that new Grand X moniker, and we were able to play with both Android 4.0 devices at Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai. In fact, there were three models in total, as the Grand X comes in two flavors in China: the U970 for China Mobile comes with 1.2GHz Tegra 2 (yes, Tegra 2), TD-SCDMA radio, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage and a five-megapixel camera; while the identical-looking N970 for China Telecom packs a 1.5GHz MSM8660A, CDMA2000 radio, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, microSD expansion and an eight-megapixel camera. With all the phones attached to various cords we weren't able to get a good sense of their ergonomics, but they were all surprisingly light. In terms of build quality ZTE didn't disappoint, either (at least the casing is certainly a big step up from the Skate), and their 4.3-inch qHD LCDs looked good as well. Oh, and the vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich build flashed onto these devices ran smoothly during our brief hands-on, so hopefully they'll stay that way in the hands of buyers. Help yourself to our photos below. %Gallery-158837% %Gallery-158836%
