ZTE aims high with the Grand S II (pictures)

LAS VEGAS -- In addition to several other smartphones, ZTE has unveiled its marquee handset, the Grand S II. It's equipped with a Snapdragon 800 processor, a razor-sharp screen, and Android 4.3.

Sporting a bigger screen than its predecessor, the device has a 5.5-inch full-HD, 1080p display. During my brief time with it, images looked crystal clear, and when I watched a short HD video, footage was sharp and bright.

The LTE handset ships with Android 4.3, with ZTE's custom user interface overlaid on top. One unique software security option lets users unlock their handset with their voices, using a phrase of their choice.

The phone is relatively thin, but when I held it in my hand, it felt wide and a bit unwieldy due to its expansive screen. Keep in mind, however, that I do have a relatively small grip, so those with larger paws may find the phone more comfortable to handle.

Along with the Nubia 5S, the Grand S II is one of ZTE's first phones to have a quad-core, Snapdragon 800 processor. It has the same 2.3GHz CPU featured in the popular Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

On the front is a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and on the back is a 13-megapixel shooter. The battery door also features a faux brushed-metal battery door. While the design isn't a detriment to its overall aesthetic, I was a bigger fan of the original Grand S' stark monochrome look.

Other specs include a 3,000mAh battery, 16GB of built-in storage (which is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card slot), and 2GB of RAM. Unfortunately, ZTE has yet to release any information about the pricing and availability of the Grand S II.