ZTE Racer Specs Pricing Pros & Cons Unveiled

Introduction to ZTE Racer

The ZTE Racer is a smartphone that was introduced to the market in July 2010. It stands out as a budget-friendly device, making it accessible for a wide array of users. Despite being discontinued now, the ZTE Racer brought forth numerous features suitable for its time, offering a decent smartphone experience without breaking the bank.

Network and Connectivity

The ZTE Racer supports GSM and HSPA technologies, ensuring it was well-equipped for the common network standards at the time. It had capabilities for 2G bands ranging from GSM 900/1800/1900, and 3G bands running on HSDPA 900/2100, which allowed reasonable speed in terms of data usage with up to 7.2/0.384 Mbps.

Design and Body

In terms of design, the ZTE Racer was compact and lightweight, with dimensions measuring 102 x 55 x 14.5 mm and a weight of 100 g. It was built to be portable and user-friendly, featuring a Mini-SIM card slot. The design was modest yet practical, fitting comfortably in one’s hand, which was ideal for users who preferred smaller devices.

Display

The device included a TFT resistive touchscreen with 256K colors, offering a display size of 2.8 inches. The screen resolution stood at 240 x 320 pixels with a 43.3% screen-to-body ratio, and 143 ppi density. This made it sufficient for basic multimedia needs such as viewing images or checking emails.

Platform and Performance

Running on Android 2.1 (Eclair), the ZTE Racer was powered by the Qualcomm MSM7227 Snapdragon S1 chipset and a 600 MHz ARM 11 CPU coupled with an Adreno 200 GPU. This hardware setup allowed it to handle everyday tasks like calling, messaging, and light browsing efficiently. However, limitations could be felt with more demanding applications due to its specifications.

Memory and Storage

The ZTE Racer came equipped with 256MB of RAM and a similar storage capacity internally. Though not expansive, the storage could be extended via a dedicated microSDHC card slot, accommodating users' needs for extra space for applications, media files, and other data.

Camera

The main camera on the ZTE Racer was a single 3.15 MP lens with autofocus and video recording features. While it didn't support selfies due to the absence of a front camera, the rear camera adequately captured basic images and videos, making it viable for simplistic photography needs.

Sound and Multimedia

Sound capabilities included a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones, which were standard inclusions for multimedia playback. This allowed users to easily enjoy their music and podcasts or make hands-free calls.

Communication Features

The ZTE Racer supported Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, providing reasonably versatile communication options. It also came with GPS, A-GPS for navigation needs, a stereo FM radio with RDS functionality, and micro-USB 2.0 for connectivity and charging purposes.

Battery Life

The device was powered by a removable Li-Ion 1100 mAh battery which offered up to 200 hours in standby mode and about 3 hours and 30 minutes of talk time. While these ratings were modest, they were consistent with many devices of the same era.

Conclusion

With its black color finish and a market price around 180 EUR at launch, the ZTE Racer was intended to appeal to entry-level smartphone users. Despite its discontinuation, it remains a part of the intriguing history of smartphone evolution – showcasing early Android operating system capabilities and budget-conscious hardware designs. The ZTE Racer highlighted the brand’s efforts to make mobile technology accessible to a broader audience, offering fundamental tech tools within its accessible framework.