14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, the no-contract carrier Boost Mobile has just announced the immediate availability of the Boost MAX phablet. Manufactured by Chinese company ZTE, the smartphone is now available for purchase for only $300 (€220) off contract.
Customers will be able to pick this one up via Boost Mobile’s exclusive retail stores, select authorized retailers and online beginning today. Free shipping is included as well for those who prefer to order online.
Boost MAX comes with a large 5.7-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass coating for extra protection.
The smartphone ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, which is a bit old. No word on any possible major upgrades coming from ZTE, so it’s likely that the smartphone will stay on this version until discontinued.
According to the carrier, “the Boost Max is the only phablet, or smartphone, currently available to come with SmartView, a technology that allows the consumer to open and operate any two applications at the same time.”
“In addition, Boost MAX is the first prepaid U.S. smartphone with the latest Dolby Digital Plus audio technology, providing a surround sound mobile experience through the built-in speakers and headphones, enhancing audio clarity and dialogue, and amplifying volume for entertainment on the go,” added Boost Mobile in a press release.
Boost MAX comes equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD memory card.
On the back, the phablet packs a 8-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and video recording, while in the front, there’s a secondary 1-megapixel camera for video calls.
The MAX offers dual-mode 3G/4G LTE connectivity, along with Stereo Bluetooth 4.0 LE (low-energy profile) and various services such as Boost Zone, Mobile ID and Google Mobile Apps.
