The IT Nerd

When I reviewed the ZTE Grand X, I had this to say:

Clearly, ZTE is serious about playing in the budget end of the market and you should take a look of them if you’re in the market for a smartphone at that end of the market. Also, Motorola might want to keep an eye on them as well as ZTE is clearly going after their turf.

Then when I reviewed the ZTE Grand X Plus, I had this to say:

The ZTE Grand X Plus checks off a lot of boxes and as a result it has to be on your list if you’re looking for phone at a low price. It’s also a phone that will force the competition to up their game before ZTE takes their breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Finally, when I reviewed the ZTE Grand X 2, I had this to say:

Given everything that I see here, you have to think that other phone companies may start looking over their shoulders as ZTE is quickly catching up to them and maybe even passing them as the ZTE Grand X 2 is one phone that is going to get a lot of attention from buyers.

You see a trend here. I really think that ZTE makes good phones at a low price. But those phones have been at the entry level of the spectrum. That changes now with the introduction of the ZTE Axon which is exclusively available on the Fido network. Let’s start with the specs:

• Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
• 2.3GHz quad-core processor
• 5.5-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolution with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB internal storage – Non Expandable
• 13MP + 2MP rear camera with 4K HD video capability with dual-LED flash
• 8MP Fixed-Focus front-facing camera with 720p HD video recording
• Hi-Fi audio
• LTE, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
• Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery

These are not low end specs, and that’s the point. The ZTE Axon is aimed directly at the iPhone 6S and the Samsung Galaxy S6. A lofty goal. But does it succeed on that front? Well, the short answer is yes. Here’s the long answer starting with the design.

The phone I got was a black one and it looks very high end and classy. The build quality is excellent as it feels very solid. That’s helped by the fact that the back is not removable and the casing is made of metal. It is a bit thick and it isn’t exactly small or light. But I can live with the size as it is easy to hold. In terms of controls, the top has the headphone jack, the bottom has a micro USB port. On the right is a power button as well as a button that invokes the camera. On the left is the volume controls. The display is big, bright, and beautiful, with accurate color reproduction, and great viewing angles and contrast. I found it usable in most lighting conditions.

Next up is the software. ZTE brings a variation of Google’s stock Material Design aesthetic on top of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. You’re likely saying at this point, “what, no Android 6.0?” Relax, it’s coming according to ZTE. Though they could not say exactly when. I like the feel of the Android UI as it is free of bloat. Because this is a Fido phone, it comes with a ton of Rogers software like Fido Navigator and City Video.

One of the key features of the ZTE Axon is the sound quality. It has two Digital-to-Analog converters (DACs) that upscale all audio to a crisp 24-bits. Sounds complicated, but it works. I listened to the same song (Adele’s “Hello” for the record) with the same set of headsets on an iPhone 6S, a Samsung Galaxy 6, as well as the Axon. The ZTE crushes the other two in terms of sound quality as audio is a lot fuller, with depth especially along the mids and lows. I’m not talking about a minor difference between the three phones. It’s more along the lines of it wasn’t even close. If you’re an audiophile, you will love this phone.

Speed is another area where this phone shines. Opening, closing, and switching between applications are all smooth. Multi-tasking is a non issue. Playing graphically intensive games caused no trouble at all. This department is an easy win for ZTE as it easily competes with the competition from Apple and Samsung. It’s also fast on Fido’s LTE network where I averaged 99.73 Mbps downstream and 26.62 Mbps upstream when I tested it in Downtown Toronto. Slow this phone is not.

The next area where this phone stands out is the camera. The main camera on the rear is a 13 MP shooter with optical image stabilization, but there is also an additional 2 MP camera for capturing depth information. If this scheme sounds familiar, it should. HTC tried this with HTC One M8. It worked well for them and it works well for ZTE. To do something different, I spent a Sunday walking around Toronto taking some pictures. Here’s a variety of shots from the College St. and Spading area. Click to see the images in full size: 

To test the low light capabilities, which ZTE made a big deal about when the phone was introduced, I took a trip down to Line 2 of the Toronto Subway system. Note to the kids at home, don’t try this at home. I got the permission of a Toronto Transit Commission Special Constable to get this shot:

Bottom line, you can check this box off as it this camera works well in low light. In fact, it worked well period for still pictures.

And now the video which was shot in 1080P. Set it to full screen and 1080P:

There is wind noise, and it took a second to focus properly. But once the Axon did focus, the quality is very good.

The camera UI is simple, and navigating through the various elements involves swipes across the viewfinder to switch between modes. Selfie lovers will be happy with the 8 MP front-facing shooter with a wide angle lens, that should provide for some great self portraits, and also allow users to easily fit additional subjects into the frame. Oh, it will snap a selfie if you smile. Cool.

The final item is battery life. It is good enough to provide a full day of use and have enough charge to go into the next day with ease. But if you do need a charge, you can leverage the fast-charging capabilities via Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0 to keep you going.

So, what is ZTE’s flagship phone going to cost you? It’s $0 on a 2 year term  or $400 outright. Here’s the bottom line. The ZTE Axon gives you flagship phone features and capabilities at bargain basement prices. This phone must be on your list if you are in the market for a smartphone. As in you are nuts if you don’t consider it because it is simply that good. ZTE is clearly on it’s way from being a top shelf phone manufacturer that will scare the dickens out of Apple and Samsung.

ZTE really wants to be a player in the entry level smartphone market. To underscore that, they’ve just released their latest player in that space in the form of the Grand X 2 which can be found at Bell and Virgin Mobile. Here’s what it has going for it in the way of specs:

• 5-inch HD (1280×720) Display with Gorilla Glass 3.0
• 8 MP rear camera and 2 MP front camera
• 1080p video capture
• 1.2 GHz quad core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage
• MicroSD slot supporting up to 32GB
• WiFi B/G/N
• LTE
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 2480 mAh battery
• Android 5.1

The phone is easy to hold and has a solid feel to it. The back is textured and it is removable to expose a removable battery as well slots for the SIM card and MicroSD card. A headphone jack is on top, the power button is on the right, volume button on the left and MicroUSB port on the bottom. The screen is bright and clear, though, it does attract fingerprints at a rate that requires you to keep a microfiber cloth handy at all times. The screen can also get washed out in bright sunlight as well.

The Grand X 2 felt decently quick when I used it. Only graphics intensive games seemed to bog it down. But the real story is the speed that it is capable on Bell’s LTE Network. I averaged 65.67 Mbps downstream and 24.29 Mbps upstream. That’s far from slow. One thing to keep to mind is that this phone is capable of doing 150 Mbps on the Bell LTE network, so you might be able to get faster speeds. Another part of the story is the fact that ZTE’s implementation of Android 5.1 is pretty clean and free of bloat. No useless skins or software that you don’t need is on board.

Another key feature is the camera. It’s does 8MP stills and 1080p video. That means to test it, I need to take a trip to Pearson Airport in Toronto. Here’s the stills that I captured. Click on them to see them in full resolution:

One thing that I really liked is the camera was quick to recycle after each shot. That means that if you like taking action shots, you’ll love the camera. Now over to the videos. First, I saw that a plane was coming in to land while I was on the move. So I quickly got the phone out and managed to get this video. Set it to full screen and to 1080p:

Next I got a video of multiple planes taking off:

In both cases, the video and audio quality is pretty good. Users of the ZTE Grand X 2 will have nothing to complain about when it comes to the camera.

Finally, the battery lasted almost a day and a half when I used it as my daily driver which is outstanding. If you need a phone that can last as long as you do, this is it. So, how much do you have to pony up for the ZTE Grand X 2? It’s $0 on a 2 year plan or $150 outright. That’s more than affordable. Given everything that I see here, you have to think that other phone companies may start looking over their shoulders as ZTE is quickly catching up to them and maybe even passing them as the ZTE Grand X 2 is one phone that is going to get a lot of attention from buyers.

ZTE sent me the new Grand X Plus which is their new budget minded phone that they say is “designed in Canada”, and it is an early contender of the 2015 IT Nerd award for the best entry level smartphone. After reviewing this phone, it should make quite a few people at Motorola freak out as it beats the Moto G LTE in a lot of ways. For the most part, ZTE has managed to come up with a phone that packs a lot into it for not a whole lot of money.

Here’s the specs that it has under the hood:

• 5” IPS display with 1280×720 resolution
• 1.2Ghz quad-core processor
• 1GB RAM 2GB of RAM
• 8GB Storage
• 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash
• 2MP front facing camera
• Android 4.4
• LTE, HSPA
• WiFi 802.11N (2.4Ghz only)
• Bluetooth 4.0

Those aren’t low end specs at all. Physically the Grand X Plus feels solid. Though the back cover feels thin and I feel that  if you take it off too many times, it will break. The power button is on the right side. The MicroUSB port is now on the bottom. Volume buttons on are on the right left side and the headphone jack is on top. The screen is bright and easy to read in most lighting conditions. The phone is easy to hold and it won’t slip out of your hand.

You get Android 4.4 KitKat that has ZTE customizations in it. For example, the lock screen has been changed so that you just have to press and hold it to unlock or press and hold the lock screen apps to launch them.You also get two versions of some of the apps. Google’s versions and ZTE’s versions. Thus you get 2 browsers, 2 music players, 2 image viewers for example. The phone feels quick for the most part. You have to push it really hard before it starts to struggle. In terms of speed, I was sent an unlocked version of this phone, so I borrowed a Bell LTE SIM to test this phone and got a stunningly fast average of 50.86 Mbps downstream and 37.68 Mbps upstream on the Bell LTE network. Moving the SIM to other phones that I had on me did not yield the same results in the same location. Thus I have to have to assume that the phone is responsible for the result.

One tip: Get yourself a MicroSD card as with 8GB of storage, you’ll run out of space in a hurry.

The camera is a 8MP shooter that does 1080p video and is quite good. First, here’s the still picture that I took outside Pearson Airport in Toronto. Click to see it at full size:

Given the lighting conditions, this is a very good photo and the quality isn’t lacking in any way. Here’s the video. Set it to 1080p and at full screen:

The video quality is quite good and so is the sound quality. One thing to note is that the Moto G and Moto G LTE both only do 720p. That gives the ZTE Grand X Plus a distinct advantage over those phones.

Battery life is decent. Anyone but power users will get a day out of this phone, but power users will have to top up during the day. With that in mind, the $200 that Fido is asking for this phone, is more than reasonable. The ZTE Grand X Plus checks off a lot of boxes and as a result it has to be on your list if you’re looking for phone at a low price. It’s also a phone that will force the competition to up their game before ZTE takes their breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

UPDATE:  ZTE pointed out to me that the phone is indeed designed in their new R&D center in Ottawa. More details can be found here.