The First ZTE Phone to Hit the US Market

ZTE USA, Inc., a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of network solutions and telecommunications equipment, announced the availability of its first mobile phone for the North American market, the ZTE C88. The device was approved by FCC back in July 2007, but it only now got the chance to be released.

Offered together with MetroPCS, the US wireless carrier based in Dallas, ZTE C88 comes as a solution for users who want a good looking but affordable mobile phone that can also pack a wide range of useful features.

ZTE C88 is a clamshell device that works on the PCS 1900 and 850 MHz bands and looks quite nice for an entry-level handset. In terms of technical specs, the phone offers a 2 inch display, a large and easy to use keypad and a 1.3 Megapixel camera that can't bring any revelation in terms of photo quality but it will be good to take snapshots when there is no better device around.

Furthermore, the C88 provides Internet browsing via WAP, Bluetooth, email, mobile IM, MMS / picture messaging, storage for up to 500 contacts, 60 MB of built-in memory, ringtones, wallpapers, pre-loaded Sodoku and the possibility to download other games. Apparently, the phone doesn't support microSD cards, so users will have to live with the 60 MB mentioned before. Details about the phone's dimension or battery life-time are not known for the moment.

Since ZTE uses an end-to-end approach, designing and producing its phones in-house, it can offer feature-rich handsets at affordable prices, and ZTE C88 is exactly one of those handsets.

The ZTE C88 flip phone is available in an elegant black version for a retail price of $139 via the MetroPCS website as well as its retail stores and resellers.