LAS VEGAS – Chinese cellphone vendor ZTE went to International CES with a number of firsts for the company, including its first 5.7-inch phablet, first voice-unlocking smartphone, first smart watch and first phones to display two apps simultaneously. The launches also include a smartphone with 4K video capture. The phone is said to be the first phone to capture 4K video at 30 fps.
The smartphone with voice unlocking and dual-screen capability is the flagship Grand S II, a GSM/W-CDMA/ LTE phone whose voice-control technology enables voicerecognition unlocking and camera control.
The phone’s 5.5-inch FullHD screen delivers dualscreen multitasking of any two apps, not just apps designed for dual-screen use. The feature lets users move between incoming calls, music controls, unread messages, event reminders and the like. Other suppliers’ dual- screen phones work only with select apps, ZTE said.
Other features include triple-mic noise reduction for clearer voice calls, and a 3,000 mAh battery offering 200 hours of standby and 300 minutes of talk time. It comes preloaded with a short-range file sharing solution called Live Share. MyDrive uses voice-recognition technology from Nuance to limit distracted driving.
The Grand S II also features Qualcomm Snapdrag on 2.3GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB embedded memory, 13-megapixel 1080p main camera and 2-megapixel 1080p front-facing camera
Two next-generation smartphones in the Nubia family are the Nubia 5S and Nubia 5S Mini, both targeted to photo enthusiasts with DSLR-like features. They feature LTE, WCDMA and GSM wireless technologies. The larger Nubia 5S features a 5-inch 1080p display and 4K Ultra HD video capture at 30 fps. The Nubia 5S Mini features 4.7-inch Sharp IGZO 720p display and comes in an array of colorful finishes.
Both Nubia models have quad-core processors and professional- grade photography hardware and software, with the Nubia 5 featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and the Mini featuring an APQ8064 1.7GHz quad-core processor.
Both have 13-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel front camera, but the Mini does not capture 4K video. The Mini also sports fewer “pro mode” camera features. In the larger Nubia 5, pro-mode features include independent focus, independent exposure, independent white balance, flash, HDR, self-timer, ISO, exposure bias, night mode and others. The larger model has F2.0 aperture, and the mini sports an F2.2 aperture.
In what it is calling its first Iconic phablet, ZTE launched a 5.7-inch smartphone with the ability to display two applications simultaneously on the screen. It comes with quad-core processor, LTE and 3G CDMA EV-DO wireless broadband, 720p Gorilla Glass display, Dolby Digital Sound and optional wireless charging.
