ZTE Open C

“There are very few unlocked smartphones available for under $100 in the U.S. Note that I'm saying unlocked, it's perfectly possible to get a prepaid, but carrier-locked Android or Windows Phone for under $100. For unlocked phones, though, your best options are lower-end devices from BLU or gray-market Samsung or LG devices. That's why we're rating the Open C as high as we are: It's quite a feat for a sub-$100 device.But U.S. consumers aren't quite as price sensitive as the folks in developing markets who are the real target for Firefox devices like the Open C, a $20 difference isn't a big deal here. That makes the $113 unlocked Nokia Lumia 520 and $129 Moto E direct competitors to the Open C, and unfortunately, the Open C doesn't have anything that those two phones don't have more of. If Firefox OS is to find a place here, rather than in countries where every dollar counts, it's going to have to open up an even bigger price gap with the OS leaders. That's going to get even more difficult as sub-$100 Windows and Android phones flood the market next year.”

“Until we start seeing those $25 Firefox phones enter the market, the ZTE Open C's asking price is really rock bottom. The phone's low cost comes at a price, mainly the quality of its components and its subsequent performance. If you're absolutely guided by low price when looking for a starter phone, the Open C will check both requirements off the list.”

“Firefox OS’s aim of bringing smartphones to emerging markets is interesting. But a £70 Firefox OS phone like the ZTE Open C doesn’t make a great deal of sense to most UK buyers when the system is severely compromised, and Android alternatives don’t cost much more.”

“The ZTE Open C is very cheap and as a first smartphone it could certainly do a job. It represents a definite step up from the realm of feature phones.The trouble is you can get a number of smartphones that are a lot better for just a smidgen more cash. The Moto E and the Lumia 520 are superior in terms of specs, performance, and platform and they're not a lot more.You can feel where this is headed. If I was buying a phone for a family member and I had a small budget then I would not buy the ZTE Open C. It's as simple as that.When the next version of Firefox OS rolls out, we should see a much-needed improvement, but there's a long way to go to catch Android now.”