ZTE touts mobile at CES

Cheng Lixin, CEO and Chairman of ZTE USA, talks to a packed auditorium on Jan 5 announcing his company's expansion and development plan in the US. Boasting 20 million US users for its smartphones, ZTE USA is the second largest industry player of its kind in the US market. Photo by Chang Jun/China Daily

ZTE said Monday it's all about the consumer mobile experience at the prelude to the Consumer Electronics Show.

The Chinese telecom giant unveiled its latest products – the second generation of Grand X Max+ and portable smart projector Spro 2 at the CES press event. The three-day show is scheduled to kick off Tuesday.

ZTE, based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, said the products reflect its focus on creating new consumer experiences for connecting to the mobile Internet.

"As more consumers are using connected devices in their lives, the bigger demand is on device makers and carriers to create seamless if not more personalized experiences," said Cheng Lixin, chairman and CEO of ZTE USA.

"We are making significant improvements in user experiences through our consumer experience unit, and consumer interests will be at the heart of everything we imagine, build and deliver in 2015," Cheng said.

The Grand X Max+ is a 4G LTE (CAT4) Android smartphone packed with high-end components. The phone will be available at Cricket for $199.99.

"The ZTE Grand X Max+ is the latest example of how we listen to our consumers and apply our expertise to bring them premium experiences at affordable prices," said Cheng.

The company also launched its first portable Android projector SPro 2 with auto focus and auto keystone in its latest all-in-one pico projector, mobile hotpot and media streaming devices.

Cheng said that unlike other smart projectors, its touch-screen interface utilizes Android and provides full access to the Google Play store.

Cheng also spoke of ZTE's efforts in the US market with industry insiders and media professionals.

ZTE USA, headquartered in Richardson, Texas, provides devices to every major US-based carrier, Cheng said.

The company is the fourth-largest supplier of mobile devices overall and second-largest supplier of prepaid devices with more than 20 million active users in the US market, he said.

ZTE is the official smartphone of the National Basketball Association's Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and New York Knicks.

Cheng was scheduled to join the CES panel Wireless Technology to Watch and discuss with other industry pioneers which wireless technologies will have the best chance for success and how they will impact wireless communications, consumer behavior and the mobile industry.