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ZTE's camera-heavy mini flagship makes rare leap to the US
Chinese phone makers are smacking Samsung and others around right now, but it's still hard to find high-end, non-carrier-branded devices stateside. That said, ZTE -- which has quietly become the world's number five smartphone brand -- has just launched its Nubia 5S mini LTE in the US unlocked for $280. You may be more tempted by a Nexus 5 if specs are your thing, as the Nubia 5s mini is "merely" equipped with a quad-core Snapdragon 400, 2GB RAM, 16GB expandable memory and a 4.7-inch, 720p screen. But ZTE's wooing a younger crowd by touting the ample 5-megapixel front/13-megapixel rear cameras with f/2.2 iris and manual controls, along with the photo effects, LTE (for GSM carriers) and pocketable size. It also vows to repair any damage you inflict for any reason up to 18 months after purchase for $80 -- a boon to any of us who've broken a screen. It's now up on pre-order at Amazon, with shipping set to start on August 27th.
ZTE's Nubia 5s and 5s mini show off premium, yet playful design (hands-on)
Aside from the Grand S II, ZTE also took the opportunity at CES to show off a couple of other handsets that have so far only made an appearance in China. Both the Nubia 5s and the 5s mini are essentially follow-ups to the Nubia 5 we saw a few months ago, with slightly different designs and specs. The 5s has a very similar look to the 5, with a 5-inch 1080p display and a slim chassis that marries a plastic back with aluminum sides. Measuring 137 x 68.8 x 7.6mm and weighing in at 126 grams, the 5s has a surprisingly premium feel thanks to the cool, sharp edges on the front and curves on the back. Unlike the 5, the 5s has a dedicated camera button. Another nice upgrade is that the 5s comes packed with a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 SoC, which is certainly an improvement over the S4 Pro on the 5. We didn't notice any discernible lag while navigating the phone and it feels quite zippy overall, though admittedly we only tried it out for a few minutes. Other specs include a 5-megapixel front camera, a 13-megapixel rear one with optical image stabilization, a 2,300mAh battery, 4K video capture, 2GB of RAM, DLNA, Bluetooth and NFC support. As far as software goes, the Nubia 5s runs a custom ZTE version of Android 4.2. We're especially intrigued by the camera software, which allows you to fine-tune the exposure, focus and even white balance by dragging certain shape icons across the screen. And of course, there are built-in camera filters a la Instagram as well.
ZTE comes to CES with voice-savvy Grand S II smartphone, fitness-ready BlueWatch
ZTE clearly wants to make its presence felt at CES this year; it's coming to the show with no less than seven devices. The Grand S II headlines the pack as the company's first smartphone with "high-precision" voice commands, which let you both unlock the phone and trigger the camera. The company is shy on other details, although we'd expect the Grand S II to have the best (grandest?) performance of ZTE's range. The company is also launching the 5-inch Nubia 5S and 4.7-inch Nubia 5S mini; just what they offer beyond the Nubia 5 isn't clear, but the larger 5S will have the horsepower to capture 4K video through its 13-megapixel f/2.0 camera. Frugal Americans will want to check out the Sonata 4G, a 4-inch budget phone launching on Aio Wireless with a 1.4GHz Snapdragon 400 chip, 1GB of RAM and a 5-megapixel shooter. An unnamed "iconic" 5.7-inch handset is also coming with a dual-core chip and wireless charging. A trio of accessories will debut at the same time. The company's promised smartwatch will launch as the BlueWatch, with support for both remote phone control and a built-in pedometer. ZTE is also promising a 4G-equipped hotspot and an AT&T Wireless Home Base that connects landline phones to the carrier's cellular network. Ship dates and prices aren't available for any of the CES introductions at this stage, but you can be sure that we'll get more details on the show floor.
