Among modern smartphones, choosing a really good and inexpensive one is very difficult. Especially when you consider that many of them repeat each other either in appearance or in the internal component. ZTE Blade AF 3, reviews of which will be described below, compares favorably with its competitors, despite the fact that the manufacturer is still not very well known in Russia.
A few words about the company
Not so long ago, in the commercials on one federal entertainment channel, ZTE became the sponsor of the show. And there are several reasons for this. Firstly, the company is manufacturing budget smartphones with very high performance indicators. That is, it is really a worthy competitor in the modern market to such companies as Lenovo or Philips. Of course, the company can not yet compete with such a giant as Samsung, but it is possible that in the future it will surpass the top flagship models. Secondly, ZTE is a hybrid product manufactured by a Russian-Chinese company. Yes, the company is both Chinese and Russian at the same time. This is what marked its growing popularity in Russia.
Who will use a smartphone?
The ZTE Blade AF 3 phone , reviews of which are quite positive, is intended mainly for schoolchildren or people who need a reliable, but not the most productive smartphone. Many parents choose this model as the first gadget for their child. And the point is not only that the smartphone looks very presentable and stylish, but also that its price is very affordable.
Price category
She is really budgetary. ZTE Blade AF 3 mobile phone (reviews in details below) can be purchased for just 3000-4000 rubles. And it is really a low price! Moreover, the "filling" of the smartphone is not the worst. And for my money, in general, it’s very, very not bad. Many people buy a gadget only because its cost, with the declared characteristics, remains perhaps one of the lowest. And the quality of work is significantly different from the ones in the price category of Alcatel or Explay.
CPU
Yes, perhaps he is not the most powerful and productive. Nevertheless, the quad-core Cortex-A7 on the Spreadtrum SC7731 chipset is fully working out its funds. Even though especially heavy games run at minimal settings, they still work. And even more simple and less demanding in terms of parameters toys fly with a bang. That is why parents choose for their children, albeit an inexpensive, but quite decent device. With such a processor, you can not only use standard applications, but also download games, useful programs and save all the necessary files to your ZTE Blade AF 3 phone. Reviews about its operation and the truth are mostly positive thanks largely to the processor.
Cameras: external and frontal
Of course, the ZTE Blade AF 3 smartphone is not intended for shooting at all. Reviews about the quality of shooting are not the most encouraging. Firstly, the matrix used by the manufacturer for an external camera is not the best, even among budget ones. However, pictures taken in good lighting are reasonably acceptable. The camera received a resolution of 5 megapixels, which, of course, today is not enough. By the way, photo effects can slightly correct the situation, since they really help improve image quality. Secondly, what confuses many owners is the very mediocre and weak front camera. The claimed 2 megapixels are not felt here, the photos are very weak and ugly. There is a dignity in both cameras, which the owners note, is the color rendition. ZTE Blade AF 3, whose photo reviews are not the most encouraging, realistically conveys colors without distorting them. And for a budget smartphone this is a very worthy result.
Screen diagonal
By today's standards, 4 inches seems already inadequate. But for a child or girl, this is enough. And the ZTE Blade AF 3 mobile phone conveniently lies in the hand. Reviews of the screen are the most common - the diagonal is acceptable, although the matrix is TFT, but of very decent quality, the colors are bright and juicy, but do not “tear your eyes out”, not acid. Therefore, many people like the smartphone - it looks stylish and expensive, while remaining really good in its properties.
operating system
Of course, updates on Android do not come as often as on iOs, for example, but they do come. And each new version is many times better than the previous one, noticeably better. ZTE Blade AF 3, the reviews of the owners of which for the most part are still positive, got into the load the operating system of version 4.4 KitKat. Not the freshest today (the 5th will be newer), but still productive. If desired, the operating system can be updated, the hardware will be pulled, as well as the internal and RAM memory. Firmware versions are often published on the official website. In addition, an update application is built into the smartphone. However, as many owners note, the program does not carry any payload - the latest versions are either "invisible" to the application, or are not installed. Here in this ZTE Blade AF 3, reviews about which are generally positive, still not too good. Later versions of the smartphones of this company became “smarter”, updates to them get up without any problems, without requiring a flashing of the device.
RAM and internal memory
ZTE Blade AF 3 (t221), reviews of which say that the smartphone is really worth the money, works quite well even with a relatively small amount of memory. Although, if desired, it can be increased. So, the smartphone got 512 MB of RAM, which is enough for the most popular applications. And the internal is only 4 GB, which is also enough to store the most necessary information. Naturally, a micro-SD memory card can increase this space. It supports up to 32 GB, which is enough for storing photos and applications. As the owners note, there are no problems with transferring applications to the memory card, but the cache has to be cleaned often enough so as not to overload the RAM with unnecessary data.
Battery
And this, perhaps, is the weakest link at ZTE Blade AF 3. Characteristics, reviews and customer opinions are exactly what they say. For a modern smartphone, a 1400 mAh battery is clearly not enough. Especially when you consider that applications and a bright screen require a sufficient amount of battery power. With increased use of the phone (Internet surfing, games, music, applications and talking), the battery lasts only 5-6 hours. Therefore, to purchase an additional battery to replace or a source for recharging (powerbank) will be out of place. This is noted by most of the owners of the ZTE Blade AF 3 phone. Black (reviews on the color scheme and appearance will be lower) matte plastic gives the smartphone a presentable look, and a bright powerbank can be a great accessory. Moreover, there are many mobile recharges for every taste and color.
Smartphone Appearance
It is quite common for the ZTE Blade series. Matte black plastic, which does not leave fingerprints, durable glass on the screen. By the way, it requires a protective film, which is not included. The thing is that ugly prints remain on the screen, even if you use your smartphone with clean hands. And this is also noted by many owners. The external camera protrudes slightly above the body, so without a protective case there is a risk of scratching the eye on a table or cloth. External film for the housing is not provided. That is why it is strongly recommended to purchase either a cover or a back additional panel. For example, with a fashionable and stylish pattern. If desired, the back panel can be changed to any bright color, as enterprising Chinese manufacturers have created many accessories for this model of smartphone.
Is it worth taking?
Definitely worth his money. Many buyers recommend a model for purchase, since 3000 rubles is a relatively small fee for a smartphone with two SIM cards and a good "stuffing". But you should not have too high hopes, the phone is really good, but it is still budgetary in many respects.