There’s very little to set all the recently revealed 1080p smartphones apart, what with basically all of them sporting 5-inch displays, quad-core S4 Pro CPUs, 2 gigs of RAM and Android Jelly Bean. It’s true, some feature microSD slots while others don’t, Sony’s Xperia Z comes with protection against water and dust and there are some subtle differences from a battery life standpoint as well.
Ultimately however, the decision to buy one of these Full HD beasts or pass them is probably going to be influenced by one of two things – a brand’s strength and pricing. And while companies like Huawei, Oppo or ZTE can’t stand a chance against Sony or HTC when it comes to brand awareness, they should get the upper hand with the budget friendliness of their devices.
Or so we thought, because the latest report on ZTE’s Grand S seems to shatter hopes of it being “sensibly” priced. The 5-incher has reportedly started selling in China, but not for around $640, as it was rumored. Instead, the Grand S goes for 4,799 Yuan, or around $760 ($764 to be more exact).
Granted, that’s still lower than Xperia Z’s price point in Europe (EUR 650, or $870), but it’s actually more than what we think Sony is going to charge Americans for the 5-inch waterproofer ($600-650).
To make matters worse and that price tag even harder to understand, ZTE has another 5-inch top-tier device available in China – the Nubia Z5. That fellow goes for just 3,400 Yuan ($540), and there’s not much to warrant the 200 bucks price discrepancy.
The Z5 is a tad chunkier than its “cousin”, has a lower CPU clock speed (1.5 vs 1.7 GHz), but that’s about all that’s different there. Moreover, the Nubia even features a heftier 2,300 mAh battery, compared with the meager 1,700 mAh ticker on the Grand S.
Fortunately, we have reason to believe (or at least hope) ZTE’s spearhead will get a price trim ASAP, seeing as only “selected” stores across China are for now selling it. As for the imminent US launch, only time will tell if ZTE will overestimate its brand power or do the wise thing. What do you guys think, does the Grand S stand any chance in the US at $760? How about at $650? $600? Maybe $550?
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