AT&T, ZTE work together for an in-car WiFi hotspot

On September 11, AT&T will begin selling an in-car WiFi hotspot online and at its retail stores throughout the country.

The carrier partnered with ZTE to create a device that connects to a vehicles on-board diagnostics (ODB) port. The ZTE Mobley offers a wireless connection to AT&T’s 4G LTE network for up to five devices simultaneously.

Worried that your vehicle won’t support this device? AT&T and ZTE say that it should work in most vehicles made in 1996 and after.

AT&T customers can sign a two-year contract to get the ZTE Mobley at no cost or they can pay $100 just once to bring the device into their cars. It can be added to AT&T’s Mobile Share Value plan for $10 per month or a DataConnect ranging for $20/1GB or $30/3GB per month.

AT&T’s FIRST VEHICLE WI-FI HOTSPOT, THE ZTE MOBLEY, AVAILABLE SEPT. 11

Passengers Can Connect Up to Five Devices to the AT&T 4G LTE Network

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 8, 2015 – AT&T⃰⃰ and ZTE USA are now offering the ZTE Mobley^™, AT&T’s first plug-in vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot, starting Sept. 11, in AT&T stores and online at www.att.com/mobley.  The ZTE Mobley allows up to five devices to connect to the internet and use the hotspot data plan to surf the Web, play games and watch videos all on the nation’s most reliable LTE network.

Installation and setup is a breeze. Simply plug in the ZTE Mobley into your vehicle’s OBD II (on-board diagnostics) port. It works with most vehicles 1996 and newer. Once plugged in, there is no need for charging cables for the device. Your vehicle automatically powers the ZTE Mobley to create a Wi-Fi connection in a matter of seconds.  

Key features:

• Fast Network Speeds: A Qualcomm MDM9215 processor, along with AT&T’s 4G LTE network, gives fast speed and performance.
• Convenient: No need to turn the ZTE Mobley on and off. Wi-Fi is on when the car is on.
• Customization: Networks can be customized through AT&T’s Wi-Fi manager home page.

“The ZTE Mobley is our first Wi-Fi plug-in for the car. It’s great for everyone – families, entertainment enthusiasts and professionals,” said Chris Penrose, senior vice president, Internet of Things (IoT), AT&T Mobility. “It allows multiple Wi-Fi-capable devices to connect to AT&T’s 4G LTE network, making it perfect for anyone on-the-go.”

The device is available for $0 with a two-year agreement or $100 with no annual commitment. The device can be added to the Mobile Share Value plan for an additional access charge of $10 a month or connected with DataConnect plan with monthly charges of $20 for 1GB or $30 for 3GB.

“We worked with AT&T to define, build and deliver a product that was both useful and affordable,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO and chairman of ZTE USA. “Collaborating with like-minded organizations in the U.S. has brought innovative Wi-Fi products to market that fuels our success and industry evolution.”

Follow the conversation on Twitter: #SuperMobility, #ATTVegas

⃰ AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. 

About ZTE
ZTE USA (www.zteusa.com), headquartered in Richardson, Texas, is a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, a global provider of mobile devices, telecommunication systems, and enterprise solutions. Operating since 1998, ZTE USA is dedicated to making cost-efficient, quality communication technology accessible to all. ZTE is ranked by independent industry analysts as the fourth-largest supplier of mobile devices in the U.S. overall, and second-largest supplier of prepaid devices.

Visit ZTE USA at http://www.zteusa.com on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ZTEUSA, Twitter https://twitter.com/ZTE_USA, and on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/ZTEUSAInc.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. In the U.S., our wireless network offers the nation’s strongest LTE signal and the most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best global wireless coverage*. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and secure cloud solutions.

Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at www.youtube.com/att.

© 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Reliability and signal strength claims based on nationwide carriers’ 4G LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on avg. 4G LTE signal strength. 4G LTE not available everywhere.

*Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.

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AT&T launches first auto Wi-Fi plugin with ZTE Mobley

AT&T on Monday announced announced the ZTE Mobley, a mobile 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for automobiles which connects via the OBD-II port. Designed to work with most cars from the last decade (1996+) on, it allows for up to five devices to connect at once.

Essentially, the ZTE Mobley acts as a portable hotspot in the same manner your phone would. AT&T will sell the Mobley outright for $100; however it will also be free if customers agree to a two-year service agreement.

“We worked with AT&T to define, build and deliver a product that was both useful and affordable. Collaborating with like-minded organizations in the U.S.“

The unit can be added to a new or existing Mobile Share Value plan for $10 per month, using data from the pooled account. Alternatively, there are Data Connect plans for $20 per month (1GB data) or $30 per month (3GB data).

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ZTE plans to bring Hillcrest Labs tech to some of its existing lineups

Today we received word that ZTE will be incorporating Hillcrest’s motion control to its Axon and Star smartphone lineups. This technology will give the company’s smartphones capabilities that only so many phones have. Hillcrest’s advanced sensor processing, Freespace motion controls and sensor hub will bring loads of new contextual awareness features to ZTE’s future handsets.

ZTE is so excited about bringing users new software tricks and believes the possibilities of the upcoming technology are endless. ZTE says the technology won’t just give users new motion tricks but also better power consumption and a whole new user experience.

ZTE aims to bring useful valued features not just gimmicks with the new sensors. The upcoming handset’s will have always-on contextual awareness, gesture recognition, activity tracking and new motion controls. These sensors will allow ZTE to create features where users don’t even need to touch the screen to get information. A simple gesture or movement of device will soon be able to activate the handset or even open an application.

It will be interesting to see what ZTE does with the technology going forward. Hopefully costs remain low.

Source: Prenewswire

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ZTE moves up to fourth largest smartphone brand in the U.S.

Selling good smartphones at an affordable price point is becoming more and more common among Chinese manufactures. Many in which are making a name for themselves. By selling a smartphone at a lower price point and still managing to compete with high-end rival brands, why not buy it?

Over the past quarter, ZTE has managed to slip into fourth place of the U.S. market-share containing 8% of all shipments. This is up 4.2% from the first quarter of 2014. Even though the company doesn’t profit much off the handsets it sells, it’s clearly a strategy that is worth keeping. There is still a large sum of people out there who carry a phone to make calls and receive texts who don’t care if they have the latest and greatest Samsung Galaxy smartphone. This is where ZTE has been able to achieve success. The truth is, if people want to buy an expensive high-end smartphone they want to stand out in the crowd and most of the time ZTE isn’t the company that comes to mind first.

By keeping a strategy of only marketing low to mid range handsets, ZTE has clearly found a spot for itself. Let’s see if the company can keep the momentum rolling next quarter.

Source: Bloomberg

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ZTE Axon Elite announced at IFA: Hands-on

IFA is in full swing here in Berlin.  ZTE’s busy year has lead to a hot showcase.  The U.S. recently saw the launch of the “flagship” Axon Pro, but ZTE was not planning to forget the rest of the world.  And it’s doing so with some extra flare.

 
 

 

The newly launched, international variant is dubbed the Axon Elite.  From the front, it may look like the exact same phone as the Pro, but turn it around and a couple extra features slap you in the face.

First, we now have a rear fingerprint scanner, following suit of another familiar Chinese Android smartphone OEM.

In addition, ZTE thought that the global market would appreciate a more luxurious appearance to those top and bottom plastic panels (exceptions to an otherwise all-metal chassis).  It’s not apparent on the Pro that these panels are plastic (which house antennas), ZTE does well to hide the fact.  On the Elite, we have a faux leather, accompanied by faux stitching.

You may be asking if there are any difference in specs between the two models.  There are a couple interesting ones.  The display resolution received a reduction, to FHD from QHD on the Pro.  There is no clear reason for it, as both models have the same computational power, from the Snapdragon 810 chipset.

Another big difference is in the OS.  The Elite runs Android 5.0.2.  This drawback is due to a heavier custom UI than the Pro has, which is on Android 5.1.1.  As Motorola has implied with the “Pure” variant of the new Moto X, ZTE appears to also bank on U.S. appreciating a more-stock experience with their Android phones.

However, ZTE’s software allows for some neat phone unlocking tricks.  In addition to a quick fingerprint reader response, you also have the option to unlock the phone via voice or eye recognition.  Yes, the front facing camera can save your unique eye pattern.

All other features of the Axon are present, including the 5.5″ IPS LCD screen, duo cameras (13MP + 2MP) for bokeh depth control, dual Hi-Fi chips for superior audio quality, 3,000mAh battery capacity, and the flashy, triangular grill accents.  However, the Elite adds a dual-SIM tray, and cleverly makes one of the slots microSD compatible for expandable storage (something the Pro lacked).

ZTE Axon Elite hands-on

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View Gallery 10 Photos

The Axon Elite will first go on sale on Sept. 24th, in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K., for 419.99 Euros.  Afterwards, the device will rollout globally to Turkey, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Russia, and the Philippines.

What do you think of ZTE’s minor design tweaks to the Axon design?

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