ZTE ZMAX

“In its quest for relevancy in the U.S., ZTE is starting at the bottom. That's not necessarily a bad thing—the level of quality for entry-level Android phones has never been higher, and the Zmax helps raise the bar for low-cost, big-screen devices. It's aggressively priced and manages to avoid any egregious missteps in the process. The expansive screen is the obvious draw, but excellent battery life and close-to-stock Android software are worth the low price of entry as well. Its biggest competitor is the unlocked Huawei Ascend Mate2, which costs $50 more, but also features a bigger display and even beefier battery. I'm not a fan of Huawei's Android skin, though, and buying on the unlocked market isn't for everyone. For T-Mobile customers longing for a big screen, the Zmax is a good place to start.”

“ZTE is able to bring a large screen experience to the very affordable segment of the Android space, but does so under a decidedly mid-range scope. When you factor in how affordable it is, the ZTE ZMax stands out from the pack. After all, there are plenty of people out there that want to enjoy a large screen without spending an arm and a leg. And in that case, ZTE has succeeded in making that a reality. There will, of course, be better performance pretty much all around from higher-end models, but that isn’t the point of the ZMax, and thats what makes a welcome, yet decidedly midrange addition to Android.”

“Looking at the overall package, we can say that the ZTE ZMAX is as generic as they get, but for a phablet, we’re content to know that it’s accompanied with an affordable price tag of $252 outright. Certainly, it’s the least features rich phablet we’ve come across, as it mostly provides a stock Android experience. Then again, for those looking for a competitively priced phablet that won’t break the bank, it provides enough quality elements to give consumers a valuable offering they can surely grow to love.”

“ZTE did a decent job with the ZMax. It's a solid device that gets most of the basics right, though there's nothing particularly awesome about it. It’s well made, but relies on ZTE's rather staid design language.The main selling point of any phablet should be the screen. As much as I like the ZMax screens' brightness and color, the resolution is somewhat disappointing, particularly with video content. The signal performance is OK and call quality is average, but battery life is killer.The apps are almost all standard Android, which means users should be familiar with how they work. The camera app has some great features, but the app looks dated and the sensor itself could do better.The ZTE ZMax is a bargain on T-Mobile's network. The price point is the real story here. It costs $250 at full price or just $10 per month with one of T-Mobile's Simple Choice plans. At that price, you're getting a solid performer for the money. It's not the best phone T-Mobile sells, but few offer as well-rounded a feature set for just $10 per month.”