Back to the future with ZTE's stubby Sonata 4G (pictures)

When AT&T prepaid arm Aio Wireless asks for a 4-inch HSPA+ phone, you hop to it. And hence came the ZTE Sonata 4G.

With its more basic specs, the Sonata is definitely a smartphone for first-timers, from the Android 4.1 operating system to the 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The 1.2GHz dual-core processor isn't the fastest available by far, but it fits in with the rest of the device.

The Sonata isn't the ultimate in phone design or construction quality. Note the dull silver side stripe and clunky feel in the palm.

If you can pry off the tight back cover and dig beneath the battery, you'll find a microSD card slot to expand the otherwise feeble 4GB of storage.

The plastic power button and headset jack sit up top. For even more details, check out my hands-on impressions, and who this phone is for.