What's good
- Sturdy and solid design
- Decent battery life
- Smooth performance
What's bad
- Poor screen responsiveness
- Poor viewing angles on screen
- Mediocre camera
Smartphones are no longer a luxury item anymore and ZTE proves that with the Grand X. As a mid-range device, the Grand X didn't blow reviewers away with its spectacular design. They describe very functional and solid looking, albeit chunky at 110 grams. It sports the standard curved edges and rounded corners of many other smartphones and, as to be, sports an all plastic chassis. While it is fairly slim at 0.37 inches, it is overall quite large measuring in at 5.7 x 2.87 inches.
The large size is to compensate for the 5-inch, 540p display. The resolution of the screen might be better than other smartphones in its class, but experts still found it lacking mainly in the brightness and color vibrancy department. Tech Radar notes, "…there's a slightly washed-out feel evident in pictures and videos…" Other critics also noticed the viewing angles were very narrow and they quickly experienced washed-out colors when they tilted the screen. Besides this, many also experienced issues with touch responsiveness noting it occasionally took several taps or swipes for an action to register.
At the handset's core are the 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. No reviewer would label the phone as a speed star, but they were able to execute basic tasks smoothly though not necessarily instantaneously. They add that gaming, even with more graphics intensive apps, was also fairly smooth with hardly any lags and no crashes. Unfortunately, it only comes with 4G of internal storage so there isn't much room to download too many apps. Due to the lower resolution screen and less powerful processor, reviewers were able to eke out around 11 hours of life during moderate usage from the Grand X's 2,300mAh battery.
The kindest thing reviewers could say about the 5MP rear camera is "passable." They describe the camera overall as slow with it taking a few seconds to start up and several more seconds to actually take a picture. While slow, experts still were able to take sharp and clear images in decent lighting, though they add that colors were fairly muted. The app itself is fairly barebones with just a couple scene modes, face detection, x4 digital zoom and panorama mode. There is none of the familiar advanced effects or HDR modes that many competitors are adding, so it isn't the best option for the enthusiastic phoneagrapher.
Reviewers are split over the ZTE Grand Max. Trusted Review states, "…pound-per-pound you get more for your money…" On the other hand CNET notes, "Although the ZTE Grand X is inexpensive…[there are] many other Android phones that perform faster and better at the same price or less."
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Lynn La, CnetAlthough the ZTE Grand X is inexpensive for a prepaid device, Cricket has many other Android phones that perform faster and better at the same price or less. The most inexpensive option is the $60 LG Optimus L70. Like the Grand X, the handset isn't LTE enabled, and it has a smaller, 4.5-inch display...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the ZTE Grand X user manual here.
ZTE backs up the Grand X with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Grand X has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact ZTE support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find ZTE's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Ask the Community
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- ZTE Grand X Quick Start Guide (PDF)
- ZTE Grand X Manual (PDF)
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