A closer glimpse at the ZTE Avid 4G (pictures)

Priced at $149, the ZTE Avid 4G includes LTE speeds on MetroPCS' prepaid network, and Android 4.0 ICS. Unfortunately, its laggy processor speeds and spotty call quality hold it back.

The rear-facing 5-megapixel camera has panoramic shooting and the ability to take pictures while recording video. In addition, the front of the device houses a VGA camera.

The handset measures 4.88 inches tall and 2.58 inches wide, and it has a trim, 0.47-inch profile. At 5.25 ounces, however, it is a bit on the heavy side.

The 4-inch TFT display has a 480x800-pixel resolution. Aside from the screen's slightly blue tint, it also can be unresponsive, like when playing Temple Run.

Powering the device is a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 1,730mAh battery, which roughly translates to four hours of reported talktime.

The phone also comes preloaded with Rhapsody's music subscription service. For an extra $5 a month, on top of a $60-a-month unlimited talk, text, data, and e-mail plan, you can search and download thousands of albums and artists on major U.S. record labels.