ZTE Blade 11 Prime Android smartphone looks pretty damn nice for the price
Some people are willing to pay more than $1,000 for a smartphone, but I'm not one of them. Look, if you can afford to spend such money on a premium phone, and the purchase makes you happy, then more power to you. However, if you are a regular consumer on a budget, please know you don't have to spend that much cash to score a quality device.
Case in point, today, ZTE launches the all-new Blade 11 Prime smartphone. This beautiful Android 11 phone costs less than $200, making it shockingly affordable. Despite its low price, it actually looks quite nice. No, it isn't top of the line, but it should meet the needs of most consumers.
Turkey to boycott US electronics as Trump implements ZTE and Huawei ban
Donald Trump has signed the Defense Authorization Act into law which imposes a watered-down ban on ZTE and Huawei products by the US government and IT contractors. The ban also covers a number of other Chinese telecoms manufacturers.
There has been much to-ing and fro-ing about whether these sanctions would actually be introduced, but now and for the next two years they will be in place -- something Huawei denounces as "ineffective, misguided, and unconstitutional". But while this latest bill signing sees Trump wielding his power, the president will be unimpressed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan -- the president of Turkey -- saying his country will boycott US electronics.
US lifts ZTE supplier ban, sending shares soaring
Chinese telecoms hardware manufacturer ZTE has had something of a rough ride in the US recently, but having agreed to comply with all of the demands made by authorities, the ban on its US operations has been lifted.
The US had banned American companies from supplying goods to ZTE, effectively crippling its business. Now, having paid $400 million into an escrow account -- on top of its $1 billion fine last month -- the company is operating again, and its Hong Kong-listed shares jumped 12 percent as a result. But the lifting of the ban is far from being the end of this saga for ZTE
Senate opposes Trump and votes to reinstate US ban on ZTE
ZTE has had a tough time of things in the US, having been slapped with a Denial Order that forced it to close its main operations. Despite the sanctions, President Trump expressed a desire to get the company back up and running, implementing a huge fine which ZTE agreed to pay in order to be allowed to operate in the US again.
But in a blow to the Trump administration and its work with Chinese president Xi Jinping, the Senate has voted to amend the National Defense Authorization Act to reinstate sanctions on the company.
ZTE agrees to pay $1 billion fine to stop US Denial Order
ZTE has been persona non grata in the US for some time now, with the Trump administration having slapped a Denial Order on the company preventing it from operating in North America. The president expressed a desire to get the Chinese firm "back into business" and today that is a step closer to happening.
Today the US Department of Commerce has come to an agreement with the company, which will pay a $1 billion fine for violating sanctions. In addition, ZTE will make changes to management, and put a further $400 million in escrow to cover possible future fines.
Trump to hit ZTE with $1.3 billion fine before it can operate in the US again
Having slapped Chinese company ZTE with a denial order which significantly hampered its US operations, President Trump has said that the firm will pay a $1.3 billion fine and change its board and management in order to continue to operate within North America.
ZTE had complained that the denial order was unacceptable, and Trump has more recently indicated a desire to get the company "back into business". Now it seems that the president has come up with a deal that involves the Chinese telecoms firm not only making security guarantees, but also buying components from US companies.
Trump says he wants to get ZTE 'back into business, fast' despite putting a Denial Order in place
Donald Trump has caused confusion after using Twitter to indicate that he would like to get Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE "back into business, fast". This is despite the US Department of Commerce banning exports to the company for seven years, something ZTE says left it unable to continue running its main operations.
Trump now says that he's working with China's President Xi to help get the company back up and running. Unsurprisingly, the disparity between what Trump says in his weekend tweet and what the current US sanctions mean has led to a lot of questions.
US ban forces ZTE to close its main operations
ZTE's fall from grace has been fairly spectacular. Now -- just weeks after been blacklisted by both the US and the UK -- the Chinese telecom manufacturer has announced that it has ceased its "major operating activities".
The company blames the move directly on the US ban on sales to ZTE, but says it is talking to the US government to try to get the ban lifted. Without a supply of US-made components, ZTE is going to find it very difficult to operate for very long.
ZTE says Denial Order put in place by the US Department of Commerce is 'unfair' and 'unacceptable'
Earlier in the week, the US Department of Commerce banned American companies from selling hardware and software to Chinese firm ZTE. The company is understandably unhappy with the US move, and has issued a statement to express its disgust.
The US ban was implemented for -- the US says -- a violation of previous sanctions. ZTE says these allegations are simply not true, and has lashed out at the 'unfair' and 'unacceptable' action.
US and UK blacklist China's ZTE
The US Department of Commerce has implemented a ban on American companies selling components to ZTE. The Chinese telecoms firm is being punished for violating sanctions on Iran and North Korea after pleading guilty last year.
At the same time, the UK's cyber defense watchdog, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), has warned UK telecoms firms that the use of ZTE equipment or services pose a risk to national security. The action taken by the two nations is expected to have severe implications for the company.
Don't buy Huawei devices, say US spy heads
Huawei has been trying to break into the US market for quite some time and it looks like things will not get easier from here on out either. The top intelligence officials in US have warned consumers to avoid the company's products, due to security concerns.
Huawei is joined by ZTE on the "no buy" list, which is backed by the heads of the CIA, FBI, NSA, among others, according to a CNBC report. The officials are said to have "commended" US carriers for resisting to the Chinese companies' push.
ZTE Blade Spark is a really sweet Android smartphone for under $100
While Apple iPhone smartphones are rather expensive, I am willing to pay a premium for one. After all, I like the build quality, and more importantly, I love the iOS operating system. With all of that said, it is getting harder and harder to justify that premium. You see, there are some very impressive Android phones for super-low prices that could make you think twice. Even if you aren't a fan of Google's operating system, it is hard not to be tempted.
Case in point, today ZTE announces a beautiful smartphone running the latest Android 7.1.1 for $99. No, that is not a typo. For under $100 you can score a truly sweet device for AT&T prepaid service. Called "Blade Spark," it has a 5.5-inch display, 3140 mAh battery, a fingerprint reader, and expandable storage via micro SD. OK, sure, the 1.4GHz QualComm Snapdragon 425 processor isn't top of the line, and the 720p screen is a tad disappointing, but it should be good enough for many consumers -- especially at this price.
ZTE leads the way in unwanted call protection
Phone spam from robot calling systems is a major issue in the US and around the world, prompting regulators to look at controlling the problem.
Smartphone maker ZTE is taking a proactive approach and teaming up with caller profile service Hiya to integrate caller identification, spam detection and call blocking into its latest Axon 7 handset.
ZTE ZMAX PRO is a premium Android smartphone with a shockingly low $99 price
Inexpensive Android smartphones are nothing new. Getting premium quality phones at a low price is fairly new, however. While some folks hail these respectable wallet-friendly devices as a win for consumers, others -- such as yours truly -- view it as a race to the bottom which could ultimately harm the Android market overall.
Today, ZTE announces the ZMAX PRO Android smartphone. This device is chock full of premium features, such as an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 2GB of RAM, expandable storage, and a fingerprint reader. The truly amazing aspect, however, is the price -- a shockingly low $99.
ZTE Axon 7 affordable Android smartphone now available for pre-order in the USA
There is a semi-disturbing trend happening in the Android market nowadays -- very affordable smartphones. Before you call me nuts, it's true there is nothing inherently wrong with a consumer saving money, but a race to the bottom can hurt the platform overall. No-name manufacturers are leveraging decent specs and selling phones at insanely low prices, making profits tough for the big-name players. If Android becomes unprofitable, why will anyone bother?
ZTE is a lesser-known company in the USA, but I wouldn't categorize them as being "no-name". Today, it announces that its Axon 7 smartphone is coming to America, and at a rather affordable price. It's a nice balance, actually, as the specs are flagship-level, while the price tag is not overly low as to cannibalize the sales of others. It is a good blueprint of what specs/pricing for Android should be. You can pre-order this beautiful and powerful smartphone starting today.
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