ZTE Skate Comprehensive Review Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Introduction to ZTE Skate

The ZTE Skate is a smartphone that was launched in 2011, offering a variety of features that made it a notable device during its time. As technology progressed rapidly in the early 2010s, the ZTE Skate stood out with its combination of functionality and affordability, aimed to satisfy the needs of users looking for a decent smartphone experience without breaking the bank.

Design and Build

The ZTE Skate measures 125.9 x 67.8 x 10.4 mm, featuring a slim and ergonomically designed body that fits comfortably in hand. Weighing only 120 grams, it maintains a lightweight profile, allowing for easy handling and portability. The device is designed with a mini-SIM slot and sports a sleek black finish that gives it a professional look.

Display

Equipped with a 4.3-inch TFT display, the ZTE Skate offers a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, with a density of approximately 217 ppi. While the display specs might seem modest by today’s standards, at the time, it provided a good balance between screen size and resolution, ensuring that users could enjoy clear and vibrant visuals for multimedia consumption and app usage.

Performance and Operating System

Under the hood, the ZTE Skate is powered by an 800MHz processor, coupled with 512MB of RAM. The device runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), which was one of the most popular Android versions at the time. This combination offered a satisfactory performance for basic smartphone tasks such as browsing, social media, and casual gaming. However, intensive applications and multitasking were somewhat limited due to its hardware constraints.

Camera Capabilities

The rear camera of the ZTE Skate is a 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash capability. It is designed to capture decent photos under various lighting conditions. The camera can also record videos, providing users with the basic functionality to capture moments on the go. However, the phone does not include a front-facing selfie camera, which might be considered a drawback for users who prioritize video calls or selfies.

Battery and Power Management

Powered by a removable 1400 mAh Li-Ion battery, the ZTE Skate offers basic battery life to get through a typical day's use. The standby time is approximately 288 hours, while the talk time can reach up to 5 hours. Users appreciated the ability to swap out the battery, which added convenience for those carrying extra battery packs for extended usage.

Storage Options

The ZTE Skate provides 512MB of internal storage, which was quite standard for smartphones of that period. It also includes a microSDHC slot, allowing for expandable storage, enabling users to store more apps, photos, and media files without being constrained by the internal storage capacity.

Connectivity and Communication

The device supports GSM / HSPA technology, with 2G and 3G band capabilities. It facilitates basic mobile connectivity for making calls and accessing mobile data networks. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with hotspot capability, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR, GPS with A-GPS, and a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer.

Sound and Multimedia

For audio, the ZTE Skate includes a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of audio peripherals. The combination of these sound features allowed users to enjoy music, video, and voice calls with reasonable clarity and convenience.

Sensors and Additional Features

The ZTE Skate is equipped with basic sensors such as an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass, which enrich the user experience by enabling functionalities like screen rotation and navigation in supported apps. The device is capable of accessing WAP 2.0/xHTML and HTML web content through its browser, which provided satisfactory web access at the time of its release.

Conclusion

In summary, the ZTE Skate was a competitive entry in the mid-range smartphone market of its era. While it may not hold up to the high standards of modern smart devices, it offered an effective combination of practical features and a sensible price point for its time. As technology marched forward, the ZTE Skate remains a testament to the rapid development of mobile communication devices during the early 2010s.