A Preview of the ZTE Skate
ZTE are renowned for creating a high-end Android experience on a budget, as demonstrated perfectly with the Orange San Francisco. The Chinese manufacturer is back with it's latest mobile, the Gingerbread-toting ZTE Skate.
Unlike its Orange-branded sibling, the Skate is a mammoth handset with its 4.3 inch Desire HD-style 480 x 800 display. That's not necessarily a bad thing however, as the smartphone tips the scales at just 120g, meaning it'll be light enough to slip straight in your pocket.
Powering its premium touchscreen is an 800MHz processor, which may not be as the speedy dual-core innards of its Gingerbread competitors, but also doesn't require the same high end price-tag.
Media wise, the ZTE Skate sports a rear-facing 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, also capable of capturing those special moments on video. With Gingerbread onboard there's also support for Adobe Flash, so you can watch Flash movies straight from the handset's browser. That's not all Android has on offer, as the Skate will arrive pre-loaded with a host of Google widgets, social networking integration and access to thousands of apps from the Android Market.
Other specs include HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, integrated GPS and up to 32GB of storage via microSD.
If you're desperate for an Android 2.3 handset but don't have £500 to spare, the ZTE Skate could be one to watch our for.
A full review will be published here once the phone has been released.
ZTE Skate News
ZTE Skate and Libra now shipping in Blighty
The ZTE Skate and ZTE Libra have finally started shipping in Blighty, The Smartphone Centre has confirmed. The Smartphone Centre, the UK’s newest SIM free mobile phone retailer, has announced that it today received stock of the ZTE Skate and the ZTE Libra, which are both available to order from the online phone shop. The Skate [...]
ZTE Skate shipping on September 23
The unbranded version of the Orange Monte Carlo, otherwise known as ZTE Skate, will start shipping in Blighty on September 23. The Skate will be one of the first of the manufacturer’s phones that it’s sold directly to UK customers, having previously made handsets specifically for operators. Although marketed as a “cheap” Android smartphone, the [...]
Orange Monte Carlo dropping this week for £150
The sequel to Orange‘s best-selling San Francisco – the Orange Monte Carlo – will be landing this week  for £149. Conor Maples, PR Manager at Orange confirmed the news, letting slip that it’d be available on pay as you go for £149. It’ll also be available on pay monthly deals, where you’ll be able to [...]
ZTE Skate dropping in September for £250
The ZTE Skate will be dropping in September for £249.99, UK retailer Clove has revealed. The SIM free phone-seller has kicked off its pre-orders for the ‘budget’ Android smartphone, which will cost around £100 less than its big name rivals. However, that’s not as cheap as we were originally expecting, as it was rumoured to [...]
ZTE Skate coming to Orange as the ‘Monte Carlo’
The long-awaited sequel to the San Francisco has landed, which is being dubbed the Orange Monte Carlo. The so-called Monte Carlo is a re-branded version of the ZTE Skate, and it’s now cropped up on the network’s Coming Soon page. Originally announced at Mobile World Congress – the newly-named Orange Monte Carlo arrives running Android [...]
ZTE Skate to fetch £180 SIM free
ZTE has revealed that its budget Gingerbread smartphone – the ZTE Skate – will fetch less that â¬200 when released this summer. That’s according to GPS and Co, who heard from Emmanuel Rousseau, director for Mobile at ZTE France, that it’d fetch “less than 200 ⬠without subscription”. That translates to about £180.00, which is an absolute [...]
ZTE Skate Specifications
Weight
120 grams
Display
Full capacitive touch screen
Type: TFT LCD
Size: 4.3 inches
Resolution: 480 x 800
Input
Keyboard: On-screen
Operating System
Android 2.3
Storage
External: microSD up to 32GB
Miscellaneous
CPU: 800MHz
A-GPS with maps
Internet
Data Protocols
3G, HSDPA
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
Connectivity
Audio: 3.5mm stereo jack
Data: Standard microUSB
Band
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 2.1
A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
Camera
5.0 megapixel camera
Auto Focus and LED Flash
Video Recording
Multimedia
Audio supported formats
Playback: MP3, H.264, H.263
Recording: Supported
Video supported formats
Playback: MP3, WAV, eAAC+
Recording: Supported
Social
Social Networking Features
Twitter and Facebook Widgets
Email Access