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"According to our sources, ZTE aims to be a full-spectrum player by launching smartphones for as low as Rs 6,000, going all the way up to Rs 35,000"
Ever since Chinese brand ZTE got embroiled in a trade ban in the US, the company seems to have taken a cautious approach in other markets as well. Perhaps that's why it hasn't launched any smartphone in the Indian market for over a year (the last device was the Blade A2 Plus). However, as the company has now reached a settlement in the United States, it has been planning an aggressive comeback in the country. As per sources who are aware of the development, "ZTE will be launching a number of smartphones that are priced competitively." They also stated that "the brand will introduce as many as four handsets in the next two months." Speaking on the condition of anonymity, they revealed that these four smartphones will be budget-centric Blade A7 Vita, Blade V9 Vita and Blade B9 along with the flagship Axon 9 Pro.
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The ZTE Blade A7 Vita is the most affordable offering in the quartet and ships with a 5.45-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1,440 pixels. Under the hood, the device draws power from Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 425 chipset clocked at 1.4GHz. While the international variant has 3GB RAM and 32GB storage onboard, the handset that will be sold in India will come with 2GB RAM and 16GB built-in memory. For imaging, the phone offers a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP selfie shooter. Running Android 8.1 Oreo, the smartphone gets a 3,200mAh battery. Unlike most other offerings in the segment, the Blade A7 Vita features a fingerprint scanner on the back along with the face unlock capability.
The Blade V9 also ships with a 5.45-inch IPS panel which bears HD+ resolution (the international version offers a full HD+ screen). The device comes fuelled by the Snapdragon 435 SoC, with eight cores running at 1.4GHz. Similar to the Blade A7, The V9 Vita offers 2GB RAM and 16GB built-in storage. In the camera department, the smartphone flaunts a pair of snappers with a 13MP shooter accompanied by a 2MP depth sensor at the rear. For selfies, the device sports a 5-megapixel camera. The smartphone sips juice from a 3,200mAh cell and boots a custom skin running atop Android 8.1 Oreo.
ZTE's Blade V9 (in pictures) was announced alongside the V9 Vita at this year's MWC in Barcelona. The phone offers a 5.7-inch display which sports full HD+ resolution with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Inside it ticks the Snapdragon 450 octa-core chip, which is paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. Depending upon the RAM variant, the phone offers 32GB or 64GB of in-built storage. On the back of the handset, you'll find a dual-camera module, comprising a 16-megapixel f/1.8 shooter accompanied by a 5MP depth-sensing unit. Selfies are taken care of by an 8MP unit. Similar to the other two devices, the Blade V9 is equipped with a 3,200mAh battery and runs Android 8.1-based MiFavor 6.0 UI.
The Axon 9 Pro (first impressions) is among the latest offerings from ZTE as it was unveiled at IFA in Berlin. The flagship sports a 6.21-inch notch-induced AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,248 pixels. The handset boasts the Snapdragon 845 chip, which works in tandem with 6GB of RAM. Imaging duties are handled by dual cameras made up of 12-megapixel and 20-megapixel sensors, while a high-res 20MP aims to satiate selfie lovers. The IP68-protected smartphone comes with a glass-sandwich construction. A 4,000mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 4.0 rounds up the spec sheet.
As per the source, the Blade A7 Vita, Blade V9 Vita and Blade V9 will be launched in India before the end of November. As far as the pricing is concerned, the A7 Vita will be priced in the sub-Rs 6k segment. The Blade V9 Vita will carry a sticker price of less than Rs 8,000. The Blade V9 will be a mid-range offering, with both the 3GB and 4GB models priced under Rs 15,000.
The ZTE Axon 9 Pro on the other hand, will be released in the month of December carrying a price tag between Rs 30,000 and 35,000.