The budget smartphone market is different for every region across the world, as this segment is fine-tuned to the region on the basis of the local laws and regulations, local consumer needs and wants, and the actual cost of releasing and selling products. So while markets like India have no dearth of options at the entry-level, consumers in markets like the USA do have to make a calculated choice. ZTE is now adding a viable option at the entry-level for users in the USA, as it launches the ZTE Blade A3 Prime on Visible and Yahoo Mobile.

ZTE Blade A3 Prime: Specifications

Specification

ZTE Blade A3 Prime

Dimensions and Weight

  • 147 x 71 x 9 mm
  • 140g/4.94oz

Display

  • 5.45" HD IPS LCD;
  • 18:9 aspect ratio
  • 1440 x 720
  • 295ppi

SoC

MediaTek Helio A22 -- MTK6761 Quad-Core SoC, clocked at 2GHz

RAM and Storage

  • 2GB + 32GB;
  • Expandable through microSD card slot

Battery & Charging

2,660 mAh battery

Rear Camera

8MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm pixels

Front Camera

5MP, f/2.4, 1.12µm pixels

Other Features

  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Bluetooth 4.2 LE
  • USB Type-C
  • Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac - 2.4GHz/5GHz
  • Rear fingerprint scanner
  • Bands:
    • LTE: B13/4/2/5/12
    • LTE: CAT4
    • GSM: Quad
    • UMTS: B1/2/5/8

Android Version

Android 10

The ZTE Blade A3 Prime is strictly an entry-level device. Everything about this device is modest, which is okay for a device on this end of the spectrum as the low price balances out the shortcomings. ZTE has given the device a basic look, and it actually manages to stand out from the sea of hole-punches, pop-ups, and notches by adopting a comfortable bezel on the top and bottom.

The phone is as humble inside as it is outside. What did stand out was the texture on the back, the rear-facing speaker, and the curious addition of dual-LED flash on the back of the device. The phone has a single rear camera, but two LED flash modules, for some reason.

Thankfully though, the phone retains the 3.5mm headphone jack and even opts for a USB Type-C port for charging. It even comes with Android 10 out of the box.

Pricing and Availability

The ZTE Blade A3 Prime will launch with Visible and Yahoo Mobile. It will join the Blade 10 Prime and Blade A7 Prime lineup. The Blade A3 Prime will be available for MSRP $99 with both carriers, and free on Visible with their SWAP program.

Both Yahoo Mobile and Visible are wireless carriers operated by Yahoo, which was purchased by Verizon back in 2016. Spinoff carriers like Yahoo Mobile and Visible let Verizon diversify its business and test out new ways of selling wireless services.