Product Listing

Newcomer ZTE Blade VEC 4G challenges budget 4G smartphones

By Sidney Wong - 13 Aug 2014
Launch SRP: S$299

Overview, Design & Features

The smartphone market's race to the bottom intensified with the entry of ZTE. Leading the charge is the S$299 Blade VEC 4G.

Overview

Just like Huawei, ZTE is a Chinese telecommunications equipment and systems company. While its main business is supplying networking gear such as routers and switchers to global telcos, ZTE is also trying to expand its consumer-device business (smartphones) to fuel growth.

Following the footsteps of Xiaomi's global expansion, ZTE recently expanded its presence in South East Asia with the launch of three smartphone models, the Nubia Z5S Mini, Blade L2 and KIS 3. Earlier today, the company just announced the launch of the Blade VEC 4G, Blade L2 and KIS 3 in Singapore.

Of the three models, the Blade VEC 4G stands out the most as it is the flagship device and comes with a sweet price tag of S$299. At this price point, the Blade VEC 4G is competing with the recent phone models such as the ASUS ZenFone 5, HTC Desire 610, Motorola Moto G with 4G and Xiaomi Mi 3.

It's obvious that ZTE is engaging a price war with Xiaomi and the other phone vendors in Singapore. So what does ZTE and the Blade VEC 4G bring to the table that its competitors do not? Can it really take market share away from Samsung as it boldly claimed? Well, let's find out in this review. Before you read on, here's a quick overview of the three ZTE smartphones launching here: 

ZTE Blade VEC 4G vs Blade L2 vs KIS 3
  ZTE Blade VEC 4G ZTE Blade L2 ZTE KIS 3
  ZTE Blade VEC 4G ZTE Blade L2 ZTE KIS 3
Launch SRP
  • From S$299
  • From S$169
  • From S$99
Operating system
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
Processor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core 1.2GHz
  • MediaTek MT6582m quad-core 1.3GHz
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 dual-core 1.2GHz
Built-in Memory
  • 1GB RAM
  • 1GB RAM
  • 512MB RAM
Display
  • 5-inch / IPS / 1,280 x 720 pixels
  • 5-inch / 854 x 480 pixels / TN
  • 4-inch / 800 x 480 pixels / TFT
Camera
  • Rear: 8-megapixel
  • Front: 1-megapixel
  • Rear: 5-megapixel autofocus
  • Front: 0.3-megapixel
  • Rear: 2-megapixel fixed focus
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR, GPS, FM Radio
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR, GPS, FM Radio
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS with AGPS, FM Radio
Storage Type
  • 16GB internal storage
  • 4GB internal storage
  • 4GB internal storage
  • microSD expansion up to 32GB
Battery
  • 2,300mAh
  • 2,000mAh
  • 1,400mAh
Dimensions
  • 142.3 x 70.4 x 7.8mm
  • 142.5 x 72.2 x 8.95mm
  • 126 x 64.7 x 10.7mm
Weight
  • 131.8g
  • 166g
  • 126g
 

 

Design & Handling

The Blade VEC 4G looks like a hybrid between the Huawei's smartphones and Motorola Razr Maxx with its design choices. Its curved top and bottom seems to be inspired from the deliberate design element of Huawei's phones such as the Ascend G6 4G, P6, and P7. While it may seem like ZTE is mimicking its competitor, it does make the Blade VEC stand out from the rest of the phones which sport the typical flattened top and bottom.

Its rear is made of glass fiber with a patterned stripe design, which looks very similar to the kevlar fiber coated back of the Motorola Razr Maxx. ZTE claims that this not only makes the Blade VEC 4G look fashionable, it also "effectively avoids scratches". The glass fiber finish may not boast the same level of scratch resistance as the renowned Corning Gorilla Glass, but it seemed to be doing its job quite well as we did not notice any scratches on its rear after a week of usage. It also masks fingerprints and smudges quite well. 

"Fashionable" may not be the right word to describe the rear of the ZTE Blade VEC 4G, but you get the idea of what the company is trying to achieve.

The back is non-removable, which means that its battery cannot be removed as well. Its micro-SIM card slot is located at the left side of the device. Having said that, the Blade VEC 4G does not support dual-SIM unlike the Blade L2 and KIS 3.

The build quality is somewhat decent; like most other phone manufacturers, ZTE chose to use plastic in the construction of the chassis. While it's nowhere as solid as the ASUS ZenFone 5 and Xiaomi Mi 3, there was almost no flex in the phone's body. The Blade VEC 4G is also surprisingly light at 131.8g when compared to the ZenFone 5 and Mi 3, both of which weigh in at 145g.

Overall, the lightweight and compact form factor makes the Blade VEC 4G easy to use in one hand. ZTE also got it right by placing the power button and volume controls on the right side of the device, making it easy for us to reach out for them. There are still phone makers out there who fail to understand this simple usability logic when designing their phones. One example is the HTC Desire 610 where the power button is located on the top side. When a phone is sporting a 5-inch screen or thereabout, you can't quite continue the same design aspects from smaller sized devices.

The right side view of the phones. <br>Top to bottom: HTC Desire 610, ZTE Blade VEC 4G, ASUS ZenFone 5 and Xiaomi Mi 3.

There are, however, some design choices undertaken by ZTE that differed from the established norm. The 3.5mm audio output jack and the micro-USB 2.0 port switch locations; the audio jack is at the bottom right side while the micro-USB port is on the top left side. As most phone models sport the opposite configuration, users of the Blade VEC 4G may take some time to adapt to the different layout, but it's certainly something that's adaptable.

The ZTE Blade VEC 4G is the odd one out with its micro-USB port at the top. <br> Top to bottom: HTC Desire 610, ZTE Blade VEC 4G, ASUS ZenFone 5 and Xiaomi Mi 3.

The 3.5mm audio output jack on the ZTE Blade VEC 4G is located at the bottom of the device. <br> Top to bottom: HTC Desire 610, ZTE Blade VEC 4G, ASUS ZenFone 5 and Xiaomi Mi 3.

If you haven't noticed by now, the Blade VEC 4G lacks a memory card slot. As such, you have to make do with the available storage space on the device. Even though the Blade VEC 4G comes with 16GB internal storage, only 12.86GB of user storage space is available. 

 

 

5-inch HD Display

The Blade VEC 4G comes with a 5-inch HD (1,280 x 720 pixels) IPS display. This is in-line with the ZenFone 5 and Motorola Moto G with 4G, but a step down from the Mi 3 which has a Full-HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) display. Nonetheless, the resolution on the display is plenty dense enough at 294ppi. As expected of IPS panel, viewing angles are great on the Blade VEC 4G and screen brightness can be a little over the top if pushed to its maximum. 

 

One of the Few Non-Nexus Phones to Ship With Google Now Launcher

Last month, ZTE announced that the Blade VEC 4G is one of the first few smartphones among non-Nexus and non-Google Play Experience (GPE) devices to ship with preloaded Google Now Launcher (GNL). Starting with the Blade VEC 4G, ZTE will preload GNL on all its smartphones running on Android 4.4 and above.

Our review unit did not come preloaded with GNL. We've checked with ZTE on this and they clarified that they are in the midst of testing GNL on the local networks. The retail units from end-August will be preloaded with GNL. So what's the hype over using GNL on its smartphones?

A star feature of GNL is the "Ok, Google" voice command, where you can search the Internet, play music, set alarms/reminders and send text messages. It was an exclusive feature of the Nexus 5 for many months before Google made it available for the other Nexus and GPE phones in February. Other benefits of GNL touted by ZTE include a visually appealing interface, and a fast and snappy user experience.

You can use Google Now Launcher to send a text message ... to play music, movies or set alarms ... ask questions and schedule meetings for your Google calendar with just your voice!

While we applauded ZTE's close partnership with Google to implement this across its smartphone portfolio, it is no longer a major marketing or selling point for ZTE. Google has made GNL available for all Android 4.1+ devices more than a week ago. Besides GNL, users can choose two other launchers on the Blade VEC 4G which are its own launcher and a Family Mode.

 Out of the box, you have three launchers to choose from on the ZTE Blade VEC 4G.

 

ZTE's Launcher

Like many other Android vendors, ZTE has a customized launcher for the Blade VEC 4G. While ASUS, HTC and Samsung came up with unique names for their customized interfaces, ZTE simply called it "Launcher". On the surface, Launcher looks no different from stock Android. However, it differs in some aspects:

Lock Screen

You have to long press on the lock screen to unlock the ZTE Blade VEC 4G. A swipe to the left at the bottom brings up three shortcuts to phone, email and phone book.

Most, if not all mobile operating systems - Apple iOS, BlackBerry 10 OS, Google Android and Windows Phone - require you to swipe across the lock screen to unlock. ZTE decided to take a different approach by making it mandatory to long press on the screen. It may be a deliberate attempt by ZTE to differentiate its phones from the pack, but we viewed it as unintuitive.

By going against the common practice, ZTE is making it a tad harder for the user to adapt to its style. It took us quite a while to adapt to ZTE's implementation and when we eventually got used to it, we find ourselves long-pressing on other Android smartphones which irritated us further. Changing to GNL does not address this issue.
 

Home Screen

The home screen looks like any other with the Google search bar permanently located at the top. A pinch gesture will give you an overview of the home screen panes on the ZTE Blade VEC 4G. You can add up to a maximum of 9 panes. Press and hold on the home screen only allows you to change the wallpaper of the home page and lock screen.

Despite running on Android 4.4 KitKat, the Launcher does not allow you to add widgets by long-pressing on the home screen. Doing so only brings up the settings to change the wallpaper for the home screen and lock screen. You have to access the App List to swipe to the Widgets section, touch and hold to pick up the widget and drag it to the home screen. 
 

Virtual Key - Ability to hide the navigation buttons

As there is no hardware navigation buttons on the Blade VEC 4G, you have to rely on the software keys to navigate the interface. The on-screen buttons can interfere with game play and reading, hence ZTE includes an option to automatically hide them after five seconds. To access them again, simply swipe up from the bottom. This feature is also used by Huawei for some of its smartphones such as the Ascend Mate.

You can auto-hide the on-screen keys via Settings > Virtual Key and toggle OFF. With the on-screen keys hidden, you can view more content on the screen. A swipe up from the bottom of the screen will bring back the on-screen keys for five seconds.


Family Mode

This is how the Family Mode looks like on the ZTE Blade VEC 4G. You change the interface of the Family Mode with any of the three choices. You also can adjust the font size to suit your needs.

To make the Blade VEC 4G easier to use for the elderly, ZTE has a Family Mode where the interface will sport bigger fonts, larger app sizes, and offers easier access to important functions such as the call log and sending text messages.

It also has an Emergency feature, which when enabled, it will appear as a shortcut option on the lock screen. In the event of an emergency, the user only needs to long press on the SOS option for it to automatically make a call and/or send a text message to a preset number after 10 seconds.

The SOS shortcut is on the left. Simply press and hold to activate the Emergency feature You can enable the Emergency feature and preset one contact number for the phone to automatically contact (call and text) when it is activated.

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7.5
  • Design 8
  • Features 7
  • User-Friendliness 7.5
  • Performance 8
  • Value 8
The Good
Thin and light
Decent overall performance
4G connectivity
Affordable 5-inch HD phone
The Bad
No memory card slot
No unique software features
ZTE's launchers are sluggish
Imaging quality could be improved
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