ZTE phones aren’t seen very often in the U.S. but the Chinese manufacturer has announced that they’ll bring the latest high-end devices to the U.S. market. These devices are the Nubia 5 and the Grand S, both are to be sold unlocked which is a bit of news by itself since ZTE has always been tied to carriers.
Along with these news, ZTE announced a first-party insurance program for both devices which is not like other protection plans you might have seen, specially because the extended plan will be a one-time payment of $79.99 instead of a monthly fee like the rest.
What’s the extended plan? it basically covers anything outside your regular manufacturer’s warranty meaning that if you drop your phone in a glass of water or just drop it to the ground, you can get a replacement unit for no more than $79.99. The warranty is valid for 18 months after the purchase of the device which should be more than enough in case you’re counting on re-selling it to buy a new device after that period of time.
This is not a replacement for the regular warranty so if your device has a manufacturing issue, you’ll still get the free warranty service like usual.
The Nubia 5 goes for $450 and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean on a 5 inch 1080p display with 16GB of internal storage, a 2300 mAh battery and a 13MP rear camera, all powered by a Snapdragon S4 Pro clocked at 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM. Not bad at all for that price.
The Grand S is basically the same phone with a different design and a smaller battery (1,780 vs 2,300 of the nubia 5) and a thinner frame at just 6.9mm thick. This one goes slightly below the Nubia 5 at $400.
Both models are compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile but neither of them have LTE. For more details on the extended warranty, here’s the full PR text.
ZTE USA Announces Industry-Leading Protection Plan for Newly-Released Grand S and nubia 5 Smartphones
Now Shipping in the U.S., the nubia 5 and Grand S Offer Feature-Rich and Worry-Free Phone Experiences
DALLAS, October 16, 2013 – ZTE USA, the fastest-growing smartphone provider in the United States, today announces a best-in-class extended protection plan for their newly-released Grand S and nubia 5 smartphones in the U.S. Without needing to pay any up-front or monthly recurring charges, Grand S and nubia 5 owners can now access the protection program for a deductible of $79.99, or less, if an out-of-warranty condition arises in the 18-month period from date of purchase.
The new extended protection plan provides an added layer of safeguard from the standard 12-month limited warranties, while eliminating the need for consumers to pay up-front or monthly fees typically required of smartphone insurance. The Grand S and nubia 5 smartphones, both unlocked devices, are now shipping to customers who pre-ordered them earlier this month via Amazon.com. They are available to purchase and ship today via Amazon as well as other online retailers.
“ZTE is proud to lead our industry in offering a step up in worry-free phone experiences,” said Lixin Cheng, Chairman and CEO, ZTE USA. “In addition to equipping consumers with an affordable premium phone experience, we are now also able to offer the ultimate in peace of mind and purchasing confidence with the extended protection plan ZTE is offering with the purchase of a nubia 5 or Grand S.”
When a consumer encounters an out-of-warranty condition to their device – such as broken LCD or liquid damage – the consumer can make a claim to the program by paying no more than a $79.99 deductible per occurrence at time of claim depending on the issue. The plan allows for both multiple claims, and is in addition to the existing ZTE Consumer Limited Warranty, which covers manufacturer defects through 12 months from the date of purchase.
The award-winning Grand S is a beautifully-crafted smartphone, and is ZTE’s slimmest smartphone available in the United States. The nubia 5 is a high-end smartphone packing advanced photography capabilities, entertainment and performance into an approachable industrial profile. Both the nubia 5 and Grand S were announced in early October.
For more information, visit www.zteusa.com.
About ZTE USA
ZTE USA (http://www.zteusa.com/), a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, is a leading global provider of mobile handsets, telecommunications equipment and network solutions. Operating since 1998, ZTE USA is dedicated to making cost-efficient, quality communications technology accessible to all. The company provides a magnitude of devices to every major US-based carrier generating over $16 billion dollars’ worth of business for U.S.-based companies and devotes more than 10 percent of its revenue to R&D. ZTE USA is headquartered in Richardson, TX and operates 11 Sales Offices, 5 R&D centers and 1 Distribution Center ZTE is ranked as the country’s fourth-largest supplier of mobile devices overall, and third-largest supplier of prepaid devices, by independent analysts.
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