The Firefox OS-powered ZTE Open was officially made available to U.S. consumers last month, complete with a no contract price tag of just $80. Despite its entry-level specs, the device sold out quickly. Now a ZTE executive has shed some light on just how well the Open has done since its debut and provided some insight into his company's future Firefox OS plans.
In an interview with a group of journalists, ZTE EVP He Shiyou revealed that the Open has sold around 100,000 units to date. "On the whole, the sales have been pretty good, especially on eBay and with third-party retailers," He explained. The exec went on to say that ZTE is happy with the demand that the Open has seen so far, which has exceeded its supply, and that the hope is that the Open will eventually achieve sales of 200,000 units.
Looking ahead, He said that ZTE's next Firefox OS phone will launch in the first half of 2014 with a lower-end price tag. The device is expected to feature some improved specs, though, including a dual-core processor and larger screen.
ZTE is also planning to bring some new Android-powered hardware to the U.S. in the near future, He said, with both the Grand S and Nubia Z5 slated to begin hitting retailers in October. The Grand S is expected to be priced between $400 and $500 without a subsidy, while the Nubia Z5 will likely come in at around $450.
ZTE isn't one of the most well-known mobile manufacturers in the U.S., but the company is responsible for a variety of devices that typically end up getting rebranded with a carrier's name. Recent analyst reports have shown that ZTE is the fifth-largest smartphone maker in the world, though, and it's actually cranked out some respectable pieces of kit. That includes the aforementioned Grand S and Nubia, and it's good to see that ZTE is planning to make some of its higher-end hardware available to U.S. consumers. Stay tuned and I'll give you a shout once more details on ZTE's U.S. release plans as they become available.
Via TechHive
