Approximately one month after MediaTek's official launch of the new MT6577 platform, the first devices based on that same chipset started to emerge...
The usual replicas of the hottest smartphones available on the market will always continue to appear, but also big Chinese companies are betting hard on MediaTek platforms. Lenovo is a great example of that, with some successful models such as A60 (MT6573), A750 (MT6575) and the most recently released A789 (MT6577).
Another known Chinese manufacturer choosing MediaTek platforms to power its devices is ZTE. By 2011, ZTE was the world's fifth-largest telecommunications equipment maker measured by its revenues and the world's fourth-largest mobile phone manufacturer measured by unit sales. This review will cover details about the newly released ZTE V970, a dual SIM smartphone based on MT6577 chipset.
The usual replicas of the hottest smartphones available on the market will always continue to appear, but also big Chinese companies are betting hard on MediaTek platforms. Lenovo is a great example of that, with some successful models such as A60 (MT6573), A750 (MT6575) and the most recently released A789 (MT6577).
Another known Chinese manufacturer choosing MediaTek platforms to power its devices is ZTE. By 2011, ZTE was the world's fifth-largest telecommunications equipment maker measured by its revenues and the world's fourth-largest mobile phone manufacturer measured by unit sales. This review will cover details about the newly released ZTE V970, a dual SIM smartphone based on MT6577 chipset.
Specifications
Chipset
Name: MediaTek MT6577 CPU: Dual-core 1 GHz ARM Cortex�-A9 GPU: PowerVR� SGX 531 Instruction set: ARMv7 Software environment
Embedded:OS: Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Body
Dimensions
(width x height x depth):127.4 x 65 x 9.9 millimetres Weigth: 140 grams (battery included) Color: Black Battery
Capacity: 1600 mAh Memory
RAM:capacity: 1 GB ROM-capacity: 4 GB Expansion slot: microSD memory card, supporting up to 64 GB Network support
Primary phone: GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS900, UMTS2100 Secondary phone: GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900 Data links: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA Display
Type: IPS-LCD capacitive touchscreen Size: 4.3 inches, qHD resolution (540 x 960 pixels) Camera
Main (rear): 5 megapixels with autofocus and single LED flash Secondary (front): None Interfaces
Bluetooth (802.15): Bluetooth 3.0 + Enhanced Data Rate Wireless LAN / Wi-Fi (802.11): IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n USB: USB 2.0 Client, Hi-Speed (480 Mbit/s)
USB Series Micro-B (Micro-USB) connectorSatellite navigation
Built-in GPS module: MT6620 chipset GPS antenna: Internal Complementary GPS services: MediaTek EPO (Extended Prediction Orbit) Additional features
Sensors: Gravity, Proximity and Light sensors Analog Radio: FM radio (87.5-108 MHz) with RDS radio receiver Others: Dedicated LED for notification of missed calls / new messages
The overall design of V970 is relatively sleek, resembling the Nexus S in its preference for slimness and rounded corners. The outer bezel around the display is made of metallic plastic while the back cover is made of a textured rubbery which provides good, solid grip and a nice feel when holding the phone.
There are four Android touch-keys on the bezel � Menu, Home, Back and Search. The buttons are illuminated by a backlight when the screen is turned on.
On the top left corner, it is placed the usual power charging LED (red colored). But in addition to that, there is also a green LED that becomes permanently lit when the battery is fully charged and also blinks as form of notification of eventual missed calls / new messages received.
The volume rocker is placed on the top left edge while the microUSB port is located further bellow.
There are four Android touch-keys on the bezel � Menu, Home, Back and Search. The buttons are illuminated by a backlight when the screen is turned on.
On the top left corner, it is placed the usual power charging LED (red colored). But in addition to that, there is also a green LED that becomes permanently lit when the battery is fully charged and also blinks as form of notification of eventual missed calls / new messages received.
The volume rocker is placed on the top left edge while the microUSB port is located further bellow.
The 3,5 mm headset jack and power button are located on the top edge.
On the back side, there's a 5 megapixels autofocus camera placed left to a single LED flash.
Placed in the lower-left corner, there is a small notch that allows you to peel off the rear cover, providing access to the SIM card slots, battery and microSD card slot.
The fact that you can access this memory expansion slot without removing the battery isn't just a matter of convenience - V970 lets you hot swap microSD memory. That means you can remove and replace memory without turning the handset off, much like you would on a computer.
Display quality
The phone features a IPS-LCD. Its 540 x 960 resolution and 4.3 inches diagonal are in line with the HTC One S, and while the 256ppi density means it doesn't approach retina display levels, it's still extremely sharp.
Functionality
This phone comes pre-installed with Android 4.0.4. It makes no sense to detail the features all over again taking into consideration that the framework from MediaTek hasn't changed much from the previous Android 4.0.3 builds. So, I'll leave here just a few screenshots and deeper details can be found under ZOPO ZP300 functionality review as the same applies to V970.
The phone supports quad-band GSM as well as UMTS 900 MHz and 2100 MHz as confirmed under hidden MTK Engineer Mode.
The stock ROM from ZTE doesn't provide access to Google services, but that situation can be easily overcome by installing the latest version of Google apps.
Final thoughts
I'm very impressed with V970 and must say that it is actually one of the best dual SIM smartphones I have ever had, leaving behind the memories of my "good old" G11i Pro.
This phone can be bought from etotalk.com. ZTE V970 is now available for 205.99 USD.
Highs:
- High quality product from one of the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturers
- Very good performance
Lows:
- Lack of front camera
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