ZTE Introduces 5 New Phones in Nigeria; Will They Make A Splash?

In late June 2024, just a few weeks ago, ZTE Mobile Nigeria introduced five new smartphones into the market, and one of them has my attention.

If you were to ask the average Nigerian if they had heard of ZTE phones or ZTE Nubia phones, the results would be a home run. Most have never heard of the brand. They’d likely ask, “Which phone brand is that?”

ZTE phones have never been popular in Nigeria, though they have been around for decades. Many of the budget phones that subscribers of Starcomms and other now-defunct CDMA providers of the late 90s and early 2000s used were ZTE phones. As a matter of fact, I still have one from Starcomms here at home.

But apart from those old school phones, ZTE had never made a big splash in Nigeria, and it looks like they are hoping to do so this time. Why else would they be launching five models at the same time?

Of the five ZTE phones launched in Lagos, three belong to the Blade series, while two belong to the Nubia series. The Blade series are entry-level devices, while the Nubia series is a mid-range class of devices offering more decent performance and features.

Two of the Blade phones, ZTE Blade A35 and Blade A55 are basic smartphones with 6.75″ displays. The major difference between the two is that the former has 64GB internal storage and the latter has 128GB. They cost ₦97,530 and ₦109,163, respectively.

These ZTE Blade models are good options for you if you are on a budget and can’t afford to spend more on a phone. If you can afford to spend about ₦50,000 more, you can grand one of the other three models, and those ones are where some excitement exist. Let’s look at them.

ZTE Blade V60 Design

As the name suggests, ZTE Blade V60 Design plays to those who are all about style and fashion. Its key selling point is the sky-mirror glass back cover and plastic frame, which give it a beautiful look. If you drop your phone a lot, beware, or get a case and cover up the beauty. Which defeats the purpose; right? Oh well, your call.

Anyway, the Blade V60 Design has a 6.6-inch display that houses an 8MP selfie camera in a waterdrop notch at the top. The main camera at the back comprises a 50MP lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 4MP macro lens. It runs Android 13, uses a Unisoc T606 chipset, and comes in four memory variants – 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage memory, 4GB + 256GB, 6GB + 256GB, and 8GB + 256GB.

The price is listed as ₦156,600, and I am guessing that is for the lowest memory option (8GB RAM + 128GB storage). The other options will definitely cost more.

ZTE nubia Neo 2 5G for gamers

Now, we come to the Nubia models, and they are the most exciting of the bunch. nubia Neo 2 5G is a gaming-centric smartphone with a Bionic Mecha design, NeoTurbo performance engine, as well as sports dual shoulder triggers to enhance the gaming experience. It is powered by a Unisoc T820 chipset and is equipped with 8GB RAM, making it the most powerful of the five phones launched last month. No surprise, seeing as it is targeted at gamers.

Inside this model is ZTE’s GameSpace 2.0. There is only one memory configuration – 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The available colour options are Sunfire Yellow, Frost Silver, and Storm Gray. How much does it cost? Just ₦255,900.

ZTE nubia Focus Pro 5G, the budget camera phone

The model that has me intrigued is the ZTE nubia Focus Pro 5G. It features a Unisoc T760 chipset, making it just a little less capable than the Neo 2 5G, but packs a 108MP rear camera that shoots up to 4k video. There is OIS and PDAF in the mix, as well. It sounds impressive for a budget camera phone, and it has the hot looks to back it up too.

I really will love to see how that camera performs: is it the usual hype from a brand looking to sell more phones or does it really shoot captivating photos? The Nubia Focus Pro 5G has a recommended retail price of ₦266,643. Yes, that is more than what the Neo 2 5G costs, and which is why I suspect that camera has something to it. You see, good cameras cost money. The fact that it costs more than its gaming sibling suggests that ZTE just might have out some work into developing that camera.

What is ZTE’s Software Update Policy for their smartphones?

Don’t hold your breath for any Android updates for these phones. Why? ZTE has no clear Android update policy, so do not expect any updates if you buy any one of these smartphones. That does not mean an update may not come; just don’t swear by it.

That’s all I have for you about ZTE’s new interest in the Nigerian smartphone market. Will they carve out a nice slice of the cake for themselves? Xiaomi has done that in just a few years, and former well established brands like Nokia and Huawei have slid off the table, so there is an opportunity. HMD (arguably still the same as Nokia) wants some of that cake. Philips Mobile wants some, too. You can get all the juicy details in our roundup of phones that hit the market in Nigeria in July 2024.

I wonder which other smartphone brand is already eyeing Nigeria or even making moves as I type this. 2024 is shaping up as an exciting year as more brands arrive in the market. That is good news for you, I am sure, and definitely good news for me. Let the games go on.

Author: Mister Mobility

Master storyteller and founder of Mobility Nigeria, Mister Mobility, has used and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001.