How ZTE Bucks the Expensive Smartphone Trend
Theories around why smartphones are so expensive run the gamut. From the change to no-contract (and no subsidies) carrier plans, a chip monopoly, and rising cost of parts to demand or lack thereof, prices have hit an all-time high. Despite market trends, ZTE has always provided more for less.
Exploring the Price Uptick and Bucking the Trend
Inflation is a price rise indicator. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ online calculator, $649 in 2010 would be worth $750 in 2019, which is close to the cost of many of the smartphones on the market today.
Sticker shock has also been cited as why smartphones seem more expensive than they previously were, when the price was built into a two-year contract. Now that most consumers are paying upfront, the astronomical cost of these devices is more noticeable.
Whichever reason is the root cause for the mounting cost of smartphones, the reality is, smartphones are so expensive because they can be. There’s no living without them personally or professionally.
While some people will always want to pay luxury prices for a bell here and a whistle there ZTE brings flagship-esque specs even to mid-range devices. Take the Blade Max 2s. For less than a quarter of the price of some other new devices, this next-gen smartphone has a 6-inch screen, Dolby Sound DS1, large battery, fingerprint scanner and 13MP rear camera to capture the perfect shot.
Our devices are available unlocked and engineered to work with most carriers. Without contracts built into the price, the cost of ZTE phones has remained near the same since 2015.
The Blade Max View, the Blade Max 2s’s sister device, is similarly priced as the devices ZTE debuted at CES 2016, but includes enhanced features like an advanced 16 MP + 2 MP dual-lens rear camera and an 8 MP front-facing camera, helping you capture photos and videos like a pro, and take the perfect selfie.
The Irony of Higher Expense and Lower Demand
Estimates say that 5 billion people own mobile phones. And now, people are keeping them longer than ever. In some cases, the devices are in fine working order. In others, the obligation of two-year contacts has been freeing. For many, however, it’s just too expensive to purchase a new device with incremental changes.
Manufacturers essentially have two — rather ironic — choices: sell more phones or sell more expensive phones. Recent launches show that most have chosen to compensate for slowing volume by pushing up prices.
Bucking the trend, ZTE is dedicated to delivering superior smartphone features at an extraordinary value. The Blade Max View and Blade Max 2s are just two examples of ZTE’s commitment to delivering affordable smartphones with top features.
The recent launch of the ZTE Visible R2 enables consumers to experience the reliability of Verizon’s network with a ZTE smartphone priced at just $99.
With the smart shopper in mind, ZTE delivers top-range features and functionality without compromising on affordable prices. We’ll explore this idea further in subsequent posts.