Why You Can Trust CNET 5.5-inch Grand X 3 is ZTE's first US phone with USB Type-C (hands-on)
Launched here in Las Vegas, ZTE's first US phone with the cool new reversible charging port goes on sale this month.
Joining the likes of the OnePlus 2, Google Nexus 5X and 6P and Letv Le 1 Pro Superphone, the newly announced ZTE Grand X 3 features the increasingly popular USB Type-C connection port.
Unveiled during a CES 2016 press conference, the 5.5-inch Grand X 3 is not the company's first smartphone to have USB Type-C (that title would go to the ZTE Axon Max). It is, however, ZTE's first US handset to feature the port. It will be available some time in January on Cricket Wireless without a contract.
Shop for ZTE Grand X 3
See all pricesIn lieu of the usual Micro-USB port seen in many of today's handsets, USB Type-C is a burgeoning new standard for smartphones, as it promises a faster and more efficient connection. And perhaps most noticeable is the fact that it's reversible, so you always plug it in the right way the first time.
Other hardware specs for the Grand X 3 are:
- 5.5-inch display with 1,280x720-pixel screen resolution (267ppi density)
- 8-megapixel rear camera; 2-megapixel front-facing camera
- 1.3GHz Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor
- 16GB internal storage; 2GB RAM
- microSD card storage for up to 64GB
- 3,080mAh battery with Quick Charge 1.0 technology
- Google Android 5.1.1 Lollipop software
- 4G LTE support for bands 2, 4, 5 and 12
Until now, the feature has been mostly seen on flagship devices. But as a midlevel ZTE phone with a quad-core, Snapdragon 210 processor, the Grand X 3 marks the one of the first times we've seen the port on a budget, non-marquee handset. Though exact pricing information has not been released from Cricket Wireless, ZTE's suggested retail price for this device is $130 without a contract.
Check out all of CNET's CES 2016 coverage here.
