ZTE Grand S and Grand Memo go up for sale in China for pretty decent prices

After snatching the spotlight both at CES in January and MWC in February, ZTE decided to take a breather and got back in the shadows for a little while. But the Chinese were obviously cooking up the Grand S and Grand Memo launches, which have finally taken place earlier today.
Naturally, the duo has gone up for grabs only in China for now, but chances are the two big guys will take Europe by storm as soon as next month. Only we don’t think they’ll cost as much as some retailers on the old continent claimed, given they’re pretty affordable in their homeland.
Right in line with rumors from last week, the Grand S costs 3,399 Yuan, or $542, while the Grand Memo is available for 2,688 Yuan ($428).
Mind you, the Memo is not quite as impressive as it looks, despite rocking a massive 5.7-inch display. The resolution is only 720p, the 1.5 GHz quad-core processor beneath the hood is an already oldie Snapdragon S4 Pro and it appears there’s just 1 gig of RAM too.

ZTE is still going forward with the idea of issuing the Grand Memo in several different editions, one of which will supposedly pack a Snapdragon 800 CPU alongside 2 GB of RAM. We have no idea when that version might hit stores, but the first model to land in Europe will still step things up a notch compared with the Chinese version, sporting a Snapdragon 600 SoC and, hopefully, 2 GB of RAM.
As for the Grand S, that’s a machine just short of perfection, with only one major flaw – a meager, non-removable 1,780 mAh battery. Aside from that, the 5-incher boasts a Full HD screen and packs a 1.7 GHz S4 Pro CPU and 2 GB of RAM inside a 6.9 mm thin body.
The thing has microSD support for expanding the 16 GB of on-board storage, a nice 13 MP camera on the back and a more than decent 2 MP snapper fitted on the front. What more could you want?

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ZTE Grand S and Grand Memo reportedly priced in China at $540 and $430

There’ve been a lot of rumors and semi-official news relating to ZTE Grand S and Grand Memo’s pricing, but this time we have something that rings true for a change. And by rings true, we mean the price points are not as ridiculously high as before.

According to GizChina, the high-end smartphone duo finally has official recommended retail prices for mainland China. The Grand S is the more expensive fellow, going for 3,399 Yuan, while the Grand Memo is reportedly worth 2,688 Yuan.

That translates into around $540 and $428 respectively, based on current conversion rates, which is a lot less than the €629 and €599 the two have been listed for a while now in Germany. It’s also closer to what other Chinese flagships go for in their homeland, including the $499 Oppo Find 5.

But you’ve probably noticed the Grand Memo is cheaper than its little brother, which is a tad unusual. That’s in part due to the fact the Memo only has a 720p display instead of S’s whopping Full HD panel and in part because the first variant released will pack that “old” quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro.

After a huge scandal during MWC, which I’m sure you remember, ZTE revealed the Grand Memo will come in three different flavors – with an S4 Pro chip, a Snapdragon 600 and a Snapdragon 800. Unfortunately, the 600 and the highly anticipated 800 model are due out “later this year”.

As for the Grand S, the spec sheet is the same old, same old. Meaning the 5-inch 1080p display is stunning, the 6.9 mm thin profile is amazing, the 13 MP camera, 2 GB of RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean are all top of the line, but there’s only a measly 1,780 mAh battery inside the thing and most of us just can’t live with that kind of a compromise. Can you?

How about the S4 Pro-powered Grand Memo, does it sound like it has enough bang for the buck?

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ZTE Engage LT is Cricket’s latest Muve Music phone, can be had for $179.99

Instead of coming out with a completely new phone model, it’s not out of the ordinary for carriers – and manufacturers – to re-release the device under a different name after slightly tinkering with the specs. Such is the case with Cricket’s ZTE Engage, a mid-ender that was released back in October of last year for $250, but has been reintroduced as the Engage LT.
As you might have guessed from the name, the ZTE Engage LT is more of a downgrade from its predecessor, but the more attractive pricing should interest those who are looking for a sub-$200 smartphone on prepaid. Cricket is now selling the Engage LT for $179.99 contract-free.
Specs-wise, you’re still looking at a 4-inch WVGA TFT display (800 x 480 resolution), but gone is the 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8655T processor that the original packs. The LT only comes with a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor of unknown type. Another downgrade is in the camera department, as it only has a 3.2MP rear camera, instead of 8MP.
The rest of the unchanged specs include a VGA front cam, 1GB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, a microSD slot (up to 32GB), a 1,900mAh battery, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Let’s not forget that owners of the Engage LT can access Cricket’s Muve Music service, which provides an unlimited download of music.

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