ZTE and their Blade range has been a bit of a mixed bag, the original Blade took the world by storm. It offered great specs for a great price.
The Blade II wasn’t quite as impressive as it was quite a bit behind the competition at that time. Now ZTE have come out with the new version the Blade III and it is available pretty soon on Virgin Mobile.
Spec wise the Blade III is pretty basic, but it would certainly make for a nice first smartphone, a backup phone or a phone to hack to pieces.
ZTE Blade III spec
- 4 inch WVGA (800×480) 65K TFT capacitive touch screen
- Weight: 130 gram
- Size: 120.5 x 63.5 x 10.85mm
- 1GHz Qualcomm MSM 7227 A processor
- Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
- Memory: ROM 4 GB, ca 2.5G accessible to the user, RAM 512 MB
- Supports Micro SD memory card up to 32 GB
- 5.0 MP AF camera with 4 x digital zoom
- Mobile standards: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) /HSPA/HSPA+/UMTS/GSM/GPRS/EDGE
- Audio standards: MP3, AAC, AAC+, midi, AMR-NB
- Video standards: MPEG4, H.263, H.264
- Wireless communications standards: Bluetooth™ 2.1, A2DP1.2, GPS, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n <b/li>
- Battery capacity: Li-ion1600 mAh
- FM radio
Virgin Mobile will be offering this on a choice of contracts and PAYG from £79.99. We should be getting one soon and it will be interesting to see if the Blade III can replicate the original Blade in its popularity.
Here are a few renders of the device:
Here is the press release.
ZTE Blade III arrives in the UK to follow up on the Success of its Predecessors
Featuring a 4-inch screen, 5MP camera, expandable memory and Android 4.0, the Blade III brings big value to the big screen experience
6 February 2013, London, UK – ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment, network solutions, and mobile devices, has launched the ZTE Blade III 4-inch smartphone in the UK.
Promising an even sharper multimedia and gaming experience than its predecessors, the Blade III can be purchased in store or online from Virgin Media from today for £79.99 PAYG* or from £13 a month**.
The latest addition to the successful Blade family, the ZTE Blade III features a larger screen, memory capacity of 2.5GB which can be further expanded with a 32 GB memory card and Android 4.0, providing a smooth user experience at a modest price point.
“We paid close attention to user feedback when designing the Blade III. It is the first smartphone in its price range with a 4-inch touch screen and Android 4.0 and is very well suited for the UK market. We believe that the ZTE Blade III will bring a quality mobile experience to a larger UK audience,” said Kalam Meah, Account Director, ZTE UK.
The expanded storage memory of the Blade III offers extra space for music, apps, pictures and games while the 4-inch WVGA touch screen and upgraded operating system provide a sharp multimedia experience. The 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, and support for video and audio standards including MPEG4 and AAC+ makes it easier and more fun to watch movies, use social networks and listen to music. This, combined with the sleek body and modern design of the phone prove that ZTE is delivering on its promise of better performance for money.
Jamie Heywood, director of mobile at Virgin Media said, “With expandable storage and the most affordable 4 inch screen on the market, the ZTE Blade III offers customers plenty of smartphone bang for their buck. The Blade III is a great addition to our range and when combined with Virgin Media’s ‘Premiere’ tariff which offers unlimited data and calls from just £21 per month, it’s proof that you can go big with your smartphone without breaking the bank.”
ZTE previously partnered with Virgin Media to launch the ZTE Tania Windows Phone and two Android phones: the Grand X and the best selling ZTE Kis (in black and white). The ZTE Blade III has also been launched in key European countries including Germany, Spain, the Nordics and Eastern Europe amongst others. The Blade lll will also be launched in other European countries soon.