ZTE is one of the oldest Chinese mobile and telecommunications technology brands. At the same time, it is an old rival of Huawei because, like it, it does not only produce end devices (phones, tablets, modems), but also equipment for operators’ mobile networks. The company has been active on the Czech market for over 15 years, but has been inactive for a long time in the field of smartphones for end customers. That should change now.
The company is currently active in marketing mainly on the European e-shop, where it is currently offering spring discounts. This year, however, it should also start to be sold in local Czech retail
You may have a modem or router from ZTE at home for connecting to fixed or mobile Internet, but the last time the company offered smartphones in local distribution was about 10 years ago – you may remember the then popular cheap models of the ZTE Blade series. By the way, the manufacturer still holds it today, right next to the Axon flagship family.
Complete or truncated offer?
At the moment, it has not yet been completely decided which mobile products ZTE will launch on the Czech market. If the strategy were similar to that of other Chinese brands that (re)entered the Czech market in recent years – i.e. Vivo, Realme and Oppo – it would probably start with the cheaper Blade models. For example, in neighboring Poland, where ZTE has a relatively strong position, the product range is almost complete, including the current flagship model ZTE Axon 40 Ultra.
The highest representative of the flagship series – the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra model
We were able to test it at the MWC fair in Barcelona. It was on display at the stand in the so-called limited edition, which was characterized by an extremely shiny back. The phone’s equipment belongs to the top, ZTE’s specialty for several years now is the “invisible” selfie camera, located under the display layer of the display. We were also impressed by the triple rear camera, which uses a 64 Mpx sensor on all lenses, and even an identical photo chip from Sony in two of the three.
We tested the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra flagship model at the MWC fair:
It should be added that those interested in ZTE smartphones from the Czech Republic could still get their hands on the phones. Not through local distribution to Czech electronics stores, but through official European e-shop, which works on the same principle as, for example, the sister store Nubia. Sold for Euros, the phones are delivered to all EU countries and come with a standard two-year warranty.
Since the end of February, the Facebook page of ZTE Czech Republic and Slovakia has been active, with a link to the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra flagship smartphone in the header
The disadvantage of this otherwise cost-effective retail option for the manufacturer is that no one has cared much about local marketing so far and ZTE phones are not well known, although they can be compared with brands like Oppo, Vivo or Xiaomi. This should change during the first half of this year, when ZTE smartphones are expected to return to Czech (and Slovak) stores.
