Leaked: ZTE U935 5-inch 1080, quad-core at $240

ZTE are preparing a log of new Android phones for the domestic Chinese market, the latest of which appears to be a 5-inch 1080 phone with Mediatek MT6589 CPU named the ZTE U935.

The ZTE U935 looks completely different from the current crop of ZTE phones. It’s not as attractive as the Grand S, and it’s not as nutty as the Grand Memo, but at a rumoured 1500 Yuan ($240) it packs some terrific kit.

First of all this is ZTE’s first 5-inch 1080 phone using the low-cost Mediatek MT6589 processor. The chip is clocked at 1.2Ghz and get’s 1GB RAM to play with. Other hardware includes an 8 mega-pixel rear camera, 8GB of built-in memory and a 2500 mAh battery.

ZTE will also be offering the ZTE U956 which packs the same overall design but with just 4GB of built-in memory and a 5-inch 720HD display.

ZTE and Huawei showcase latest handsets

The ZTE Memo running the company's new 

Android user interface

In a bid to expand business and crack the Western market, ZTE and Huawei are here in Barcelona and have brought with them some fancy new kit. We couldn’t resist the lure of silicon chips in the afternoon, so we went to see what they could bring to a reasonably crowded Smartphone market.

First off,  ZTE’s ‘phablet’ device, the Grand Memo. Resembling the Samsung Galaxy Note in size and name, it’s 5.7 inches and is using the Qualcomm 600 processor (not the 800 they accidentally claimed in the release!) with a 13-megapixel camera, 2GB of ram and 16GB of onboard storage. Predictably running a Jellybean variant of Android, it’s skinned by a specific user interface from ZTE called Mifavor (or ‘My Favourite’ in the UK) laid on top. Whether this will be a useful addition or just an unnecessary bloated addition remains to be seen, here’s hoping it’s the former. ZTE are actually the 4th largest handset manufacturer in the world and are looking to bolster this by a release in their home country of China later this year, followed by a European launch soon after. The future looks bright for the outfit on this evidence.

Not to be outdone, Huawei have brought us the Ascend P2 – slated for release in Q2 this year at a reasonable 400 Euros, its main feature is its LTE chipset. This is touted as the fastest we’ve ever seen in a Smartphone and is capable of up to 150Mbps, should your network be capable of this – and if it is, I’d recommend investing in an unlimited data plan - those speeds could rack up some VERY nasty data charges!

The Huawei Ascend P2 in all its glory

The internals of the 4.7”phone should pose no surprise to anyone up to date with our coverage – quad core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal memory, 2420mAH battery. They did state the screen should use 20% less power due to its efficiency technology, although I did note the screen appeared quite reflective, partly due perhaps to the venues lighting. We’ll have to test the display in some real world conditions once it’s released – stay tuned in a few months where hopefully we’ll have a full review for you.

ZTE's entry level handset running the new Firefox operating system

Back over to ZTE for the final phone for this update, ZTE have launched an entry level phone running Mozilla’s Firefox Operating System. Similar to Android having its roots in open source code (hence being called the ZTE Open), the phone’s spec pales in comparison to the above models, for obvious reasons. Launching in countries like Colombia, Mexico, Poland and Brazil, the price will have to be very competitive and hasn’t yet been confirmed. Beneath the 3.5-inch screen you’ll find a 1.5 GHz processor (yes, single core – so 2011!), 256MB of RAM and with only 512MB of internal storage, a MicroSD card would be a sensible accessory purchase. The phone probably won’t set alight any enthusiasts, however for emerging markets, people looking to get into application coding, or perhaps as a backup Smartphone, this could be a big seller.

Mobile Review : ZTE Grand Memo

ZTE has just introduced the Grand Memo flagship smartphone at MWC in Barcelona. The Grand Memo has top-shelf specs, including a 5.7-inch 720×1280 TFT display, a quad-core Qualcomm 800 processor, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a front-facing camera for video chat.

ZTE is marketing this as its phablet experience, as competitors like Huawei, Samsung, and most recently Asus bet big on extra-large screens. Considering how much data and texting outweigh our voice call smartphone usage, it seems to be paying off.

On paper, the Grand Memo also stands to compete under the hood, with 16GB onboard 2GB of RAM, a 3200 mAh battery and LTE, all packed into an 8.5mm thick package.

On the software side, Android 4.1 is running the show, with ZTE’s own flavor of OEM skin, Mifavor UI, laid on top. The UI is “specifically designed for smartphones,” according to the release, so that’s a plus. However, many Android users would agree that skins in general, whether it’s Sense or MotoBlur or Touchwiz, are cumbersome and annoying.

ZTE is offering its Z Cloud service with the Grand Memo, which supports DLNA and MHL for added connectivity.

Here’s what He Shiyou, ZTE EVP and Head of the Mobile Devices Division, had to say in a press release:

We have really tried to make this device fun for use at home, and practical for use in the office. By combining both of these factors, we have created a well-rounded large-screen handset that is suitable for any situation. It’s perfect for videos, gaming and music, and also for sending e-mails, checking news and making calls on the go. For those with a busy lifestyle, the ZTE Grand Memo will be indispensable.

ZTE pledged just over a year ago to infiltrate the U.S. market with high-end smartphones, as well as its home country of China.

The company has launched a number of fine phones, but it will take more time to put a dent in Android competitors like Motorola, HTC and, worst of all, Samsung, as well as fend off Apple’s iPhone here in the U.S. Globally, ZTE is the 4th-largest handset manufacturer,  according to IDC.

The Grand Memo is “expected to launch the second quarter” of this year, though pricing and country-by-country availability have not been specified.

Chinese smartphone makers Huawei, ZTE target top tier

(Reuters) - China's Huawei, little known to consumers just a couple of years ago, is now leading the pack of smartphone makers chasing Apple(AAPL.O) and Samsung, with ZTE, another Chinese company, snapping at its heels.

Huawei, which sold 32 million smartphones in 2012, up 60 percent on 2011, unveiled its new flagship Ascend P2 smartphone in Barcelona, boasting a connection speed of 150 MB per second, the fastest on the market.

The company was third in smartphone sales in the final quarter of 2012, according to research firm IDC, with ZTE in fifth place and Sony sandwiched in between. Samsung and Apple, however, were far in front with half the market between them.

Wan Biao, chief executive of Huawei Device Co, said the Ascend P2's faster download speeds would make a difference to customers using 4G networks in countries such as Japan.

The device also includes power-saving technology, developed using expertise from its networks business, which Biao said helped it stand out against other high-end phones running Google's (GOOG.O) Android software.

"Our target is for Huawei to provide the best smartphones in the world, better than the iPhone, better than Samsung," he said in an interview on Monday. "Our target is top three in market share."

Huawei, which became established by selling unbranded phones to operators, said the Ascend P2 would be available from the second quarter priced at 399 euros, hundred of euros less than flagship devices from its rivals.

Biao said that the company was still establishing itself as a brand in the minds of consumers, so its phones did not attract high subsidies from network operators.

"Operators give a high subsidy to Samsung and Apple," he said. "We have a very high quality product but the price we set is not as high as these two smartphones; we have to develop differentiated products."

Analyst Carolina Milanesi at Gartner said the Ascend P2 was a notable step forward for the Chinese company, showing a focus on the most important aspects for consumers, such as speed, an impressive screen and longer battery life.

ZTE, which also developed its technology by making devices for others, is equally ambitious. On Monday, it said it expected to increase smartphone revenue by 30 percent this year.

"We at ZTE consider ourselves as not tier one yet, we see ourselves as tier two, comparable to HTC, Sony and Motorola," He Shiyou, head of mobile services division, said in an interviewer via a translator. "We have to be as aggressive as possible."

He said ZTE would reduce its product range to achieve larger sales of fewer models, and focus on the strongest markets for smartphones - the United States, China, Europe and Australia.

It previously took ZTE six months to catch up with the Samsung's software and hardware specifications, he said, but now it only took a quarter. "We need to close that gap," he said.

"By 2015, we are hoping to achieve the top three by market share, but in terms of branding image and also pricing segmentation, we want to reach the top five," he said.

ZTE unveiled a 5.7 inch Grand Memo handset in Barcelona, firmly in the "phablet" screen dimensions that Samsung has popularised in its Note range, and the ZTE Open, a smartphone running on Mozilla's Firefox OS open ecosystem.

Nokia to chase the entry-level market as well at MWC, preparing affordable devices to compete with Huawei and ZTE

Nokia is expected to launch a number of entry-level devices including both Windows Phone-based affordable smartphones and feature phones in just a couple of days at Mobile World Congress, according to Reuters. Nokia has allegedly decided to widen its presence in the low range amidst intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE.

These rumors come after we have already heard other sources agreeing Nokia will launch a new Windows Phone flagship named Nokia EOS, a device packing the amazing PureView phase one technology that we’ve seen in the Nokia 808 PureView.

The upcoming affordable models will diversify Nokia’s porftolio and show that the company is now ready to look at the bigger picture after two tough transitional years the company spent laser-focused on bringing a competitive Windows Phone flagship.

There are no further details about those upcoming entry-level devices, but we expect even more of the successful Asha feature phone series.

Nokia sold a record 4.4 million Lumia smartphones in the last quarter of 2012, a one bright spot in an otherwise very turbulent Windows Phone ride which has put the company in the red this year. Still, Nokia would need to start much more than that in order to get noticed. Samsung in comparison sold around 50 million smartphones in Q4 2012 and Apple sold a whopping 48 million of its high-margin iPhone.