ZTE has a goal in mind: to become the fifth top manufacturer in the world in the next few years. It’s a lofty goal, but it requires dedication and commitment. The US is an important market for companies looking to do battle against America’s favorite fruit company (Apple) and America’s favorite Korean company (Samsung), so ZTE can’t hope to advance if it does not make inroads in the States.
The Chinese OEM known for releasing its Android Wear-powered, most-inexpensive ZTE Quartz smartwatch recently has released phones on carriers such as Cricket Wireless (Blade X Max), US Cellular (Blade Max 3), and even T-Mobile and its MVNO, MetroPCS (ZTE ZMAX Pro), but ZTE wants to go further than just these carriers. The manufacturer has announced a new smartphone launched with Sprint called the ZTE Max XL.
The ZTE Max XL features a 6-inch, IPS LCD screen with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 and a Full HD screen resolution (1920 x 1080p), with a screen size and resolution that match the 6-inch ZMAX Pro. A 1.4Ghz, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 SoC along with 2GB of RAM is powering the handset, with 16GB of storage and a microSD card slot for an additional 128GB (max) of expandable storage.
A 5MP front and 13MP back camera combo provides some sufficient photography, with a 3,990mAh battery that should get you through a good two days of battery life. Android 7.1.1 Nougat will come pre-installed, and ZTE will likely provide a beta testing program for the Max XL as it has done for the ZTE ZMAX Pro.
The ZTE Max XL, on paper at least, matches many of the specs of the T-Mobile ZMAX Pro, with the exceptions being the storage (32GB for the ZMAX Pro vs. 16GB for the Max XL) and battery life (Max XL’s 3,990mAh vs. the ZMAX Pro’s 3,400mAh battery).
The ZTE Max XL costs $192 and is available for purchase at select Sprint retail stores and online at Sprint.com.
Source: ZTE
