GADGET REVIEW / ZTE BLADE A320
ZTE Blade 820 Specifications
5.0 inch display Quad-core CPU – Qualcomm
SnapDragon Supports
4G LTE
13MP rear camera
5MP front camera with front-facing flash
Micro SD Card support
Mono SIM
CALL QUALITY
Most calls made with the ZTE Blade were clear but not loud. Ideally, the maximum volume should be increased as, I imagine, in noisy environments it would be difficult to hear the person on the other end. Outside of that, the phone functions fairly well in the call category.
DISPLAY
The LCD display measures five inches across and sports a 1280x720 pixel resolution. Although the specs say it is HD quality, Youtube videos could only be viewed at a max of 480P. The screen is fairly good, as icons are visible. However, where the display falls short is in viewing videos and pictures, but for the price, the screen is of good quality. In addition, I found that the auto brightness feature is not very intuitive and would frequently switch the brightness sporadically.
BUILD QUALITY AND DESIGN
The design of the ZTE blade is somewhat alluring with a mix between the typical IPhone and an Android design. Unlike most phones that have been reviewed by Tech Times, the ZTE Blade is not slippery in the hand but still manages to feel smooth enough to be considered comfortable. This is a major plus, in addition to its good single-handed usage. The only downside here is durability, as I do not think it can take too many drops or bounces.
CAMERA
The ZTE Blade’s camera quality is average but comes with a wide array of features. When using the camera, I found the interface to be quite similar to that of an IPhone’s. The phone has the capability to do live photos in which a video is taken before the picture is captured and then both files are stored together. In addition, the camera can shoot in sepia, monochromatic, fisheye, comic, mirror, lomo, and HDR modes. I found the HDR mode to look particularly appealing in close-up shots. As is usual in the Android world, the phone has the option of using the volume keys to take pictures.
PERFORMANCE
The phone is not meant for any form of highpowered gaming or other usage. If you do, it will overheat, but if you simply use it to make calls and use social media, then it will function well. As a result, it is clearly the low-powered user who will gravitate towards this phone.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
I was impressed by the navigation key change feature. Essentially, the main three buttons (back, home and list-all apps) can have their functions switched around in settings. Therefore, whichever setup you prefer can be accommodated.
I also enjoyed FLOW’s Start app. It will replace your lockscreen, giving you an array of options. You are able to access multimedia, messaging and your favourite apps from the lockscreen. You are also able to call recent contacts, see the latest news updates in sports, Facebook and internationally all in a swipe.
Phone provided courtesy of FLOW. Thoughts, comments, queries? Email
danielle.mullings@gleanerjm.com