The ZTE Anthem 4G's old-school Android phone (pictures)
Here's a look at the $199 ZTE Anthem 4G for Metro PCS. It promises the Android experience plus 4G LTE without the need to sign a binding service contract.
Brian Bennett
A basic Android device, but without strings
Don't expect a lot of bells and whistles on the ZTE Anthem 4G. The phone runs on a slow 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU and an older OS (Android 2.3 Gingerbread), and has just 512MB of RAM.
Stripes on the wild side
On the back of the ZTE Anthem 4G are its 5MP camera and LED flash. The surface is coated in a soft-touch finish with wildly curving stripes.
Built to be thick
The ZTE Anthem 4G certainly won't win any awards for being thin. On the phone's left side, though, is a Micro-HDMI port for outputting video.
Headphone up top
The only feature on the ZTE Anthem 4G's top edge is its 3.5mm headphone jack.
Gingerbread keys
For punching out texts and e-mails, the ZTE Anthem 4G provides the stock Android Gingerbread virtual keyboard.
Swype to type
Also included on the ZTE Anthem 4G is the one-handed text-entry method from Swype. Use it to draw lines through letters to form sentences.
A stale OS
Android fans looking for the latest and greatest that Google has to offer won't find it in the ZTE Anthem 4G. The phone runs the 2-year-old Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Camera for no-frills shooting
The camera app for the ZTE Anthem 4G's 5MP camera is very bare-bones. Slick features such as panorama, HDR, or burst mode are absent.
This Rhapsody is for you
One of the pre-installed third-party apps found on the ZTE Anthem 4G is the Rhapsody music service.
Hidden panda
Is that a panda I spy? Why, yes, it is. The ZTE Anthem 4G comes with the full "Kung Fu Panda 2" movie stashed on a microSD Card and hidden in its slot. The phone also has a removable battery.
A bluish view
Sadly, the ZTE Anthem 4G's 4.3-inch LCD (800x480-pixel resolution) screen is small and not very sharp, and paints images in a bluish hue.
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