Vodafone’s most powerful own-brand phone is great value at £125
Own-brand devices appear to be all the rage at the moment, or at least for two of the UK’s major carriers, they are. EE’s recently launched new smartphones, a tablet and a 4G action cam, while Vodafone too is yielding a steady stream of bespoke handsets and slates. And now, just as EE’s dipped its toe into the mid-range with its Harrier smartphone, Vodafone wades into the same waters with the Smart Ultra 6, its “most powerful” own-brander to date. Available from today, the mouthful of a phone is fronted by a 5.5-inch, 1080p display, with a 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 humming away inside. For landscapes and selfies you’ve got 13- and 5-megapixel cameras, and in other key specs you’re looking at 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, a 3,000mAh battery and Android 5.0 Lollipop running the show. Not too shabby, considering the £125 pay-as-you-go price.
Vodafone’s really stepped up its game since releasing its first own-brand 4G phones. Last year’s Smart 4 Power, for example, was chunky and overpriced, whereas both the new Smart Ultra 6 and smaller Smart Prime 6 are more refined and attractively inexpensive. Now, the Ultra 6 isn’t the prettiest handset I’ve ever come across, but it’s not without its merits. The uniform, grey plastic that dominates the back and sides of the handset doesn’t come off as cheap, and in fact looks well suited to the device. The placement of the main camera lens and companion flash give the rear panel an iPhone 6 vibe, to the Ultra 6’s benefit, and the mirrored Vodafone logo fits nicely with the colour scheme. It’s also better executed than the mirrored logos EE’s coincidentally used on its latest phones. The blue glow emitted by the Android soft keys is also a nice visual touch, and is the calling card of Chinese manufacturer ZTE, which built the Ultra 6 for Vodafone using its own Blade S6 Plus handset as a reference point.
There’s more to be said about the design of the Smart Ultra 6 than its visual attributes. It’s a well-constructed, sturdy device, with a level of build quality that defies its bargain price. With microSD and nano-SIM trays tucked away on either side of the handset, there’s no need for a removable back panel, which means there’s one less seam to croak and warp under pressure. At 154 x 77 x 8.35mm, the Ultra 6 is a little big for my liking, and I find it slightly clumsy to use one-handed. It’s not uncomfortable to wield in general, thanks to its relatively slim profile, and those wanting 5.5 inches of screen real estate won’t feel like there’s an excess of phone ballooning around the large display.
The Smart Ultra 6 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, and while there’s a handful of Vodafone bloatware apps pre-installed, you’re getting more or less the stock experience. The only real differences from pure Android are the odd rogue app, like the camera, which usurps Google’s version. The device’s 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 kicks out as much power as you realistically need. A few laps in Asphalt 8: Airborne and Real Racing 3 with no noticeable performance issues is testament to that, and in general usage, navigating the menus and jumping in and out of apps is just as fluid as on any Lollipop phone I’ve poked at.
Needless to say, the Smart Ultra 6 makes a good first impression, and at its price point, I can’t think of another handset that offers the same kind of value for money. EE’s Harrier, for example, is matched or bested by the Ultra 6 in every column on the spec sheet. And yet, the Harrier is £200 on pay-as-you-go, while the Ultra 6 is only £125. Vodafone will also give you a Smart Ultra 6 for free on contracts starting from £17. For comparison, the Harrier is free on contracts from £19 per month, and that plan includes double the amount of 4G data and minutes as Vodafone’s £17 per month tariff. So, there’s not much in it if you’re taking the contract route, but it’s hard to ignore the £75 discrepancy in pay-as-you-go pricing, especially when the Ultra 6 is better on paper in every area. With the Kestrel, EE showed Vodafone how affordable, own-brand phones should be done. This year, though, it’s EE that has some catching up to do.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Vodafone
ZTE and AVG teaming up to provide AVG AntiVirus Pro on all new ZTE phones
Smartphone manufacturer ZTE and antivirus company AVG have announced a new partnership that will ship AVG’s AntiVirus Pro software on all new ZTE phones going forward. The antivirus app will offer its full feature set for 60 days, after which users can pay for an annual subscription or continue using the free version of the software.
Antivirus on Android phones is a tricky topic, especially since there’s not much overwhelming evidence that anyone actually needs it. Google does a pretty good job of keeping malicious apps out of the Play Store, so your only risk would be from downloading apps from an outside source. I can’t imagine that happens too often for most people.
Do you use any antivirus apps on your smartphone, or have you ever had any issues with malware on any of your Android devices? Let us know in the comments, and if you’re interested in reading ZTE and AVG’s press release, you can find that below.
via: Android Central
AMSTERDAM – June 9, 2015 – AVG® TechnologiesN.V. (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ for more than 200 million monthly active users, announced today a new global partnership with leading telecommunications equipment, networks and mobile devices company, ZTE, to become a provider of mobile security across its range of devices. From May 2015, ZTE smartphones and tablets come pre-installed with AVG’s flagship AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android™ app, giving ZTE customers the peace of mind that they have protection on their mobile devices.
“For many of us, our smartphones have become the primary device that we spend most time with, but ensuring mobile security can sometimes be an afterthought,” said Ms. Wang Xuemei, Business Manager at ZTE. “Our customers will be able to rely on our partnership with AVG to help take the worry out of connecting to their favorite websites, apps and using online services through their ZTE smartphones and tablets. We are committed to mobile security and strive to provide the best mobile experience possible to all of our users.”
Under the terms of the partnership, ZTE customers will receive a free, 60-day trial of the AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android™ app. After the trial, they can either choose to keep the enhanced features by purchasing the annual subscription or retain AVG AntiVirus FREE for Android™, which still ensures their smartphone or tablet will have core protection.
“There’s huge momentum in the adoption of mobile services in key emerging markets. The flipside of this growth is that it attracts attention – for example, we recently identified a new vulnerability in a popular app that could easily be exploited by hackers to become malicious,” said David Ferguson, Senior Vice President, Revenue & Business Operations, AVG Technologies. “As we focus on helping to secure people, devices, and data across the globe, this partnership will ensure that new and existing mobile users have peace of mind by being protected from the outset, whether simply enjoying their favorite games or using useful online tools for banking or shopping.”
June 9, 2015
Come comment on this article: ZTE and AVG teaming up to provide AVG AntiVirus Pro on all new ZTE phones
ZTE Star 3 may be first smartphone to boast 4K display
Have you glared at your Quad HD screen a thought, man, I could use more pixels. Well, ZTE has, that is if this new rumor turns out to be true.
According to Chinese site MyDrivers.com, ZTE is stuffing a 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution in the 5.5″ screen of their upcoming Star 3 flagship smartphone. This equates to an eye-busting 806 ppi! The source also reveals that phone’s screen will use a TFT panel, with a new crystal structure that adds strength and reduces power consumption.
The Star 3 has leaked before from techgadgetsz.com, giving us a peek at its design. We’re looking at a chassis that is curved on the top, bottom, and back and a border-less display:
Interestingly, on the back there’s a dual-camera set up. Whether the second sensor is for depth sensing or 3D, like HTC has tried before, we don’t know about any other specs yet.
Does it excite you to see 4K resolution panels coming our way or is this overkill? I’m not convinced the extra battery life to push those pixel is worth the gain. Maybe using the phone in a VR headset could justify it.
The post ZTE Star 3 may be first smartphone to boast 4K display appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ZTE to be first phone maker to win the 4K race with Star 3?
The ZTE Star 2.
While there are a number of rumors suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 may be among the first smartphones to break the QHD barrier, a new rumor out of China suggests that ZTE might be the very first player to embraced a higher-than-QHD resolution for the upcoming Star 3.
As the rumor goes, the ZTE Star 3 will be equipped with a 5.5-inch UHD display with an impressively high resolution of 2160 x 3840 and a PPI of 806. While Sharp already has a 5.5-inch display that matches this size and resolution, it won’t be ready for mass production until 2016 and so the rumor mill claims that China-based BOE will be the maker behind the high-res screen. It needs to be said that this rumor could very easily prove to be nothing more than unfounded gossip.
The big question here is if UHD (or 4K) offers a noticeable difference when compared to QHD, or even 1080p for that matter.
All that said, for just about every major jump in resolution we’ve seen at least one Chinese company among the first to offer a bleeding edge display. For example, the jump to 1080p saw the Oppo Find 5 as one of the very first contenders, even if the HTC Butterfly (aka Droid DNA) actually was the first to make it to market. With QHD, Vivo and Oppo (with the Find 7) were among the very first, followed closely by LG with the G3.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
The big question here is if UHD (or 4K) offers a noticeable difference when compared to QHD, or even 1080p for that matter. After all, many have criticized QHD for offering a negligible difference when compared to 1080p, while causing a very noticeable difference in terms of battery drain and processor strain. With UHD, the same negatives will apply but with possibly even less to gain, with only the sharpest eye likely to note the difference.
Of course, tech will continue to march forward and even if the gain isn’t that noticeable, we are sure the display will look absolutely stunning, provided the rumor is accurate. It is also worth mentioning that ZTE will reportedly use a TFT panel with a special crystal structure that is designed to reduce power consumption while improving the display’s durability, which could help somewhat resolve the battery strain issues that come with a higher resolution display.
What do you think, are you excited to see the first UHD/4K smartphones, or do you feel QHD (or even 1080p) is more than good enough?
(function () ());
ZTE could be making a 4K smartphone, but what about 4K content?
Rumored to be the Star 3, it looks like ZTE is working on a new smartphone that could sport a 4k device, as part of its effort to become the world’s third largest smartphone vendor.
Chinese online publication MyDrivers reports that ZTE will put a 4K display on its rumored Star 3 smartphone. The TFT panel it’s rumored to have on-board is also said to employ a special crystal structure, which will reduce power consumption whilst improving the durability of the display.
Devices with 2K panels have become popular with recent flagships, but we still have yet to see content that fully takes advantage of these gorgeous and advanced solutions. Netflix doesn’t even stream 1080p, except for on Nexus devices. If we have yet to fully take advantage of 2K technology by providing 2K content, are we ready for a flood of 4K devices?
4K is an awesome technology and, as you know, it looks gorgeous. It’ll be a great feature to just have on the ZTE Star 3. I’m not against it by any means, but what good is it if there’s barely any content to show off or enjoy the new technology with?
You buy it, show it off to your friends, but wait, you can’t show them the full capabilities because 4K content is still in its infancy. YouTube recently added 4K support, but there’s only a few videos that are shot in it–videos you probably wouldn’t even want to watch regularly. There’s also the whole part that most people don’t even have the hardware to watch that content because it can be so expensive.
Until 4K technology comes down in pricing and there’s a bevy of content available, devices like these aren’t practical–they’re just paper weights.
source: MyDrivers
via: GizmoChina
Come comment on this article: ZTE could be making a 4K smartphone, but what about 4K content?
ZTE Nubia Z9 to hit the U.S. later this year
Remember the Nubia Z9? It’s ZTE’s bezel-less phone that created quite a stir a few months back. Now the Nubia Z9 is set to hit the United States in the the third quarter.
The ZTE Nubia Z9 – which by the way is mentioned only as a ‘Nubia’ phone in the press release and not a ZTE device – will come in three variants. The cheapest of the lot, the Classic version, will cost you $564 and it will come with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB ROM while the Elite model with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB on board storage will set you back by $645. Its Exclusive model will cost around $725 and will feature a fingerprint sensor in addition to all the other common specification.
Speaking of specs, the Nubia Z9 features a 5.2-inch Full HD (1080p) display, Snapdragon 810 processor, a pair of 16-megapixel primary and 8-megapixel secondary snappers with Sony sensors. Running Android 5.1 Lollipop out-of-the-box, the handset packs a 2,900 mAh battery.
Its selling point is clearly going to be its bezel-less design that supports a number of grip and gesture based controls.
“Users can quickly launch the camera feature by simply turning the phone sideways and placing four fingertips on the edge of the screen or take a one-handed selfie by squeezing the handset without touching any buttons,” the press release read.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: ZTE Nubia Z9 to hit the U.S. later this year
ZTE’s flagship Nubia Z9 is coming to the U.S. later this year
ZTE has just announced that it’s bringing the flagship Nubia Z9, which was first announced back in May, to the United States sometime in Q3 of this year. The phone will be available in three models, ranging from $564 to $725. The ‘Exclusive Edition’ (most expensive) will come with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a fingerprint scanner, the ‘Classic Edition’ (least expensive) will have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and the ‘Elite Edition’ features just about the same specs as the Exclusive Edition, aside from the omission of the fingerprint scanner.
When the ZTE Nubia Z9 was first announced, it not only caught headlines for its high-end specifications, but also for its interesting implementation of a fingerprint sensor which is found on the side of the device. As you can tell from the photo above, the smartphone also features extremely thin side bezels, measuring just .8mm thin. Because of the thin borders, this allows ZTE to add in a few nifty hand gestures. ZTE explains:
By adopting nubia’s Frame interactive Technology (FiT), the nubia Z9 allows users to control their phones by using grip and gesture based controls, such as touching the edge of the screen. For instance, users can quickly launch the camera feature by simply turning the phone sideways and placing four fingertips on the edge of the screen or take a one-handed selfie by squeezing the handset without touching any buttons. With FiT technology, users will reduce the average smartphone process to 2.7 steps as compared to traditional smartphones. In addition, the nubia Z9’s new ergonomic design makes it easier to hold the phone and less likely to drop it.
ZTE’s fierce competition in the U.S.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
The phone’s other specs include a 5.2-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 810 processor, a 2900mAh battery and a 16MP rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization. The phone also ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop. ZTE says all three models will be available in Black and Gold color options in Q3 through select retailers and at nubia.cn.
It will certainly be interesting to see just how well the Nubia Z9 does in the U.S., mainly because of its high price tag. Of course, the phone does offer some pretty great specifications, but the phone’s expensive price will also pit it up against major players in the U.S. like Samsung, HTC and LG. With that said, would you be more inclined to purchase a device like this, or would you rather go with a more mainstream product like the Galaxy S6 or G4?
5.2-inch ZTE Nubia Z9 Borderless Smartphone announced for US market
ZTE just let the wraps off the Nubia Z9, a very neat 5.2″ device with absolutely no borders on the sides. And they have not just done this for aesthetics, there is a bunch of functionality built-in to make use of the ability to make inputs on the screen from the edge of the phone. Very clever ZTE. It looks like the Samsung S6 Edge may have been 1up’d here.
ZTE is dubbing this functionality as Frame interactive Technology (FiT). They have implemented a multitude of gestures and shortcuts, claiming “With FiT technology, users will reduce the average smartphone process to 2.7 steps as compared to traditional smartphones.”
Here’s some of things you can do with FiT:
- Unlock the phone with your grip.
- Scroll through the screen by swiping on the edge.
- Launch the camera by turning the phone sideways.
- Take a selfie by squeezing the phone.
- Gripping the phone twice has recognition to tell which hand (left or right) is holding it and shrink the screen appropriately for one-handed use.
ZTE is playing in the US market with this one, stating that the Nubia Z9 will be available in Q3 of 2015 (black and gold colors).
Base specs for the Nubia Z9 are a modest 5.2″ 1080P display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, 16 MP (OIS) rear and 8 MP front cameras, 2900 mAh battery, and Android 5.0. Interestingly, there are going to be three tiers to this phone, at different prices. The Classic base model will have 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage at $564, the Elite model will have 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage at $645, and the Exclusive model will be an Elite with an added fingerprint sensor at $725.
This is certainly an impressive (and dare I say, innovative) offering by an unfamiliar brand in the US.
The post 5.2-inch ZTE Nubia Z9 Borderless Smartphone announced for US market appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ZTE Blade S6 users will soon be able to unlock their phone with their “eyeprint”
One of the cooler features of the ZTE Grand S3 is the ability to unlock the device simply by looking at it. Now this Eyeprint ID feature is coming to the Blade S6, via an OTA scheduled for this summer.
Launched in February, the Blade S6 is a capable mid-ranger featuring a 5-inch HD display, a Snapdragon 615 processor, a 2,400-mAh battery, and a 13MP rear camera. Our Lanh liked that the Blade S6 snaps great images, is fast, and runs Lollipop, though the uninspiring design and somehow cheap build quality held the device back.
Though ZTE can’t do a lot about the hardware, the Chinese company can add new software features and improve existing ones. Case in point, the addition of Eyeprint ID, a novel technology that makes it possible to unlock your device just by looking at it. Developed by EyeVerify, a maker of biometric security solutions, Eyeprint ID uses a phone’s front camera to scan the user’s eye, identifying blood vessels patterns that are unique to each individual. EyeVerify promises an accuracy of 99.99%, unlock times of under a second, and proper security. This is a different solution from iris scanning, which a number of Android OEMs are currently experimenting with.
For a look at Eyeprint ID in action, check out our hands-on with the ZTE Grand S3 from MWC 2015, starting around the 2:05 mark.
setTimeout(function()
brightcove.createExperiences();
,
3000);
As you can see in the video, the feature is a bit slow, but according to ZTE, recognition speeds should improve as you use the device. For users who demand the highest level of security, Eyeprint ID could be a better choice than password-, PIN-, or pattern-based locking.
Eyeprint ID will hit the Blade S6 over the air sometime this summer. ZTE also announced that the Blade S6 is now widely available in UK, Germany, and Spain, and coming coon in Scandinavia. In Asia, the device now sells in Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, while India and Thailand will follow in the next two months.
Cricket adds ZTE Overture 2 with an all-in cost of $50
The AT&T prepaid brand dials up a very affordable Lollipop experience
Cricket Wireless today began offering a new entry-level smartphone, the ZTE Overture 2. Priced at only $50, the handset offers a dirt cheap barrier into Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Specifications for the device are admittedly not going to set the world on fire but it’s hard to argue when you’re getting a no-contract handset at this price.
Details include a 4.5-inch display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM, and 8GB internal storage. There is a microSD expansion card slot however it is limited to 32GB maximum capacity.
In terms of cameras, the ZTE Overture 2 offers a 5-megapixel rear shooter with a VGA quality front-facing selfie cam. Nothing to get excited over, sure, but it’s silly to ask for more at this price.
For a limited time Cricket customers can actually end up with a free ZTE Overture 2. Purchase the phone before July 9 and you can receive a mail-in rebate good for $50.
The post Cricket adds ZTE Overture 2 with an all-in cost of $50 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 