ZTE Blade III Pro Reviews

Like many entry-level phones, ZTE's Blade III does not stick out from the masses. The budget was probably simply too tight to give the device something like "character". However, this also means that the cellphone barely sticks out unfavorably. Its discreet looks will not awe anyone but it won't scare anyone off either. The performance is on a level that can be expected for the 100 to 200 Euros (~$133 to ~$266) price range. Waiting times and stutters have to be accepted but graphic bugs and program crashes are unnecessary. The build is decent, the speech quality is also acceptable and the 5 megapixel camera even shoots quite satisfactory pictures. The image presentation is also subjectively appealing although the screen's bluish cast is a flaw. Large software or accessories bundles cannot be expected either. However, there are very likely some buyers who are looking for just this: A smartphone that is unobtrusive in a meeting or in everyday use and simply just works. This is usually the case with ZTE's Blade III and users who do not play any games with their smartphone and barely draw on other options from the app world will be satisfied. We would recommend Sony's Xperia J for those who do want a bit more. There is even an update to Android 4.1 in prospect and the phone makes an overall slightly more complete impression.

While we find the ZTE Blade 3 and stylish and well-built handset for its budget price, its poor performance means that the Huawei Ascend G330 remains the best budget Android smartphone around and is worth the extra £20.

A cheap as chips and perfectly pleasant to use prepay smartphone

For about £80 we doubt you'll find a more competent phone than the ZTE Blade III. It's solidly built, has enough power for day-to-day phone use and while it won't blow you away with performance, normal users are unlikely to suffer much from the single-core CPU. The design is reasonable, the ZTE Android customisations are stylish enough - although none of them adds a massive amount to the experience of using the phone they also don't spoil it at all. Power users will be frustrated, but people looking for a solid phone that won't break the bank will find the Blade to be a likable and simple handset. And although it's not aimed at "people like us" we can certainly see who it is aimed at, and it's a good choice for those people.