“These LTE devices are the fore-runners of a wide range of LTE devices ZTE will bring to the market in the coming months, as more and more LTE networks come on stream.”
That’s a quote from He Shiyou, executive VP and head of ZTE’s terminal division, commenting on two new handsets that will be shown off at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event later this month. But this pair of Android 4.0 handsets with LTE aren’t the whole story. Note that Shiyou mentions a “wide range of LTE devices” which likely means plenty of phones and tablets.
Typically, the handsets debuting at MWC are meant first for the non-U.S. market, but as ZTE pushes to become a recognizable brand in the U.S., I wonder if it will share plans for U.S. device launches too. In the sea of smartphones and tablets from Samsung, Motorola, and HTC, it might be a nice little shakeup for our shores. Consider that ZTE often competes very well on price — look at the no-contract ZTE Optik tablet for $ 349 for an example — and the two new Android 4.0 models are no slouches in the spec department.
The ZTE PF200, a GSM/UMTS/LTE phone, includes NFC support a 1.5 GHz chip, 4.3-inch display, and 8 megapixel camera. ZTE’s N910 supports CDMA/EVDO/FDD-LTE with a 1.2 GHz processor, 5 megapixel rear camera and 1080p front sensor. I’m looking forward to seeing how they fare against the current Android players. I’d be concerned if I were in their shoes.
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