As expected, there have been a number of new devices of the smartphone and tablet variety announced so far at Mobile World Congress, and right now we're only on the first official day of the event. ZTE has added a couple of its own new handsets to the MWC mix today, one running Android and one with Windows Phone. The one you see above is known as the ZTE Era and, as you might've guessed by looking at its face, its got Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board. Other features of the Era include a 4.3-inch 960x540 touchscreen, 1.3GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 8GB storage and 1GB RAM in a body that measures 7.8mm thick. The back of the Era features an 8-megapixel camera.
On the Windows Phone side of things, ZTE also introduced the Orbit, which you can see below. Details on the Orbit are sparse, but ZTE does say that the handset has 4GB of internal memory and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash on its backside.
ZTE has said that the Orbit is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2012 while the Era will launch in Europe and China in the second half of the year. There's no word yet on U.S. availability for either handset just yet, but we'll keep an eye out for more launch information as we get closer to each device's particular launch window. Would any of you check out either the Orbit or Era if they hit a carrier's shelves here in the U.S.?
ZTE heralds new smartphone Era with high spec, 7.8mm thin quad-core device
2012-02-27
ZTE Era smartphone launched at Mobile World Congress 2012
27 February 2012, Shenzhen – ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, has announced the ZTE Era, one of the thinnest quad-core devices on the market today.
Based on the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core mobile processor and equipped with a NVIDIA Icera 450 HSPA+ modem, the ZTE Era packs high definition multimedia capabilities into a package that is just 7.8mm thick. The Era has a 4.3 inch QHD screen giving high quality 960 x 540 pixel images, 8GB of memory expandable with a MicroSD card, HD voice and Dolby sound. Running the latest Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) platform the ZTE Era is the most powerful Android smartphone from ZTE, providing powerful new ways of communicating and sharing, with easy multitasking, rich notifications and deep interactivity. The ZTE Era delivers a great combination of amazing battery life and outstanding performance with Tegra 3’s unique 4-PLUS-1™ quad-core architecture with a fifth battery saver core.
The ZTE Era is the flagship device launch from ZTE at Mobile World Congress and is part of a series of eight new devices unveiled at the event, all delivering significant advances in power, high definition multimedia capabilities and design. Based on technology innovations including quad-core chipsets, LTE and the latest Android and Windows Phone platforms, the new devices form a core component of ZTE’s ambition to become a top three handset provider by 2015.
“The numbers speak for themselves. With 50 percent growth in handset shipments and 400 percent growth in smartphone shipments, we are confident that we are entering a new era in the mobile terminal market. The ZTE Era captures the excitement we feel about the future and brings it to life in a fantastic new device,” said Mr. He Shiyou, Executive Vice President and Head of the Terminals Division at ZTE.
According to industry analyst Gartner, ZTE was ranked the world's No.4 in terms of handset shipments in Q4 2011 and ZTE smartphone sales are growing faster than any other vendor except Apple.
“In 2012, ZTE products will be building up from the low-middle end of the market into the middle-high end, with the ZTE Era being the best example of that development,” Mr. He Shiyou said. “We will continue our long-standing cooperation with operators around the world, but we will also continue to build our distributor channels (both ODM and OEM), and we will be focusing our marketing in particular on the high-end markets of Europe, America, Japan and China.”
The ZTE Era will be launched in Europe and China in the second half of 2012.
The Era, together with the comprehensive portfolio of ZTE terminals, is on display at MWC 2012 in Barcelona on the ZTE booth in Hall 8, stand B145.
ZTE Expands Windows Phone Portfolio
ZTE Orbit joins Windows Phone smartphone offerings
Mobile World Congress 2012
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, has expanded on its commitment to the Windows Phone platform and introduced the new ZTE Orbit smartphone.
“Our partnership with Microsoft is a key component of our strategy to grow our share of the smartphone market. ZTE is proud to be at the forefront of device manufacturers who are using the Windows Phone platform.”
The ZTE Orbit joins the ZTE Tania smartphone in the company’s portfolio of Windows Phone-based devices. The ZTE Tania is commercially available in the UK and Sweden and other countries around the world.
“Microsoft is excited to continue partnering with ZTE to bring new Windows Phones to market. We look forward to the availability of ZTE Orbit in major markets around the world in the second quarter of 2012,” said Mark Linton, Senior Director of the OEM Division, Microsoft.
“The Windows Phone platform is as powerful as it is intuitive, enabling us to create and deliver exciting new devices that meet real consumer demand,” said Mr. He Shiyou, Executive Vice President and Head of the Terminal Division of ZTE. “Our partnership with Microsoft is a key component of our strategy to grow our share of the smartphone market. ZTE is proud to be at the forefront of device manufacturers who are using the Windows Phone platform.”
The ZTE Orbit is based on the latest version of Windows Phone and comes with 4GB of memory, HD Voice, and a 5Mpx autofocus camera with LED flash. The ZTE Orbit will be available in the second quarter of this year.
At the same time, ZTE announced the MF668A data card which takes advantage of Microsoft’s Mobile Broadband Class Driver in Windows 8. ZTE’s MF668A data card is being demonstrated at Mobile World Congress for the first time. The data card, which supports RAW IP and high-speed transmission, is based on the new MBIM v1.0 specification, recently approved by the USB-IF, and natively supported in Windows 8 without additional software.
Launched on 18 January, the ZTE Tania is a chic Windows Phone device, with a chassis measuring just 10.7mm in depth, 4GB internal storage and a 4.3 inch touch screen. The 1GHz processor and ultra-sharp cinematic WVGA 800 x 480px screen make responding to emails, editing documents and browsing the internet fast and intuitive. The first Windows Phone-powered smartphone launched by ZTE, the ZTE Tania is expected to be available in stores in the UK in early April at tariff points in the £10-20 range.
The full portfolio of ZTE Windows Phone devices is being demonstrated at Mobile World Congress at the ZTE booth (Hall 8, Stand B145).
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