In October 2011, ZTE issued a starter model called the ZTE Memo. This cheap mobile phone is one that a newbie to mobile phones or a casual user might find comfortable. Some even consider it a good choice as a child’s mobile phone.

It’s definitely not a high-end or high-cost device, so users who are looking for the fastest speeds, the most memory and the wider versatility of those top shelf smartphones, please look elsewhere. Your expertise and use demand is not in this handset’s target area.

For those who do fit the market profile, this just might be a suitable feature phone on which to become familiar with beyond-flip phone capabilities and not be scared off by too much techy stuff.

Overview

The wide face of the device makes two-handed operations quite comfortable, yet it’s not too awkward to use with only one hand either.

The sleek silver casing makes the handset catch glances often, and the display screen has pretty fair clarity and visibility at reasonable angles. Tilt too far, however, and not much can be seen.

The display sports as many as four icons across and three down, and our source thinks at least some of the icons on the home screen might be customisable. We aren’t sure, though; not much time was given to play with it before edging to the door.

Specifications

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Dimensions: 114 x 61 x 13 mm / 111 g
Display: 2.4 inches / 320 x 240 pixels at 167 ppi / full QWERTY keyboard
Memory: external expandable via microSD. Capacity info conflicts: up to 16 or 32 GB.
Battery: 1150 mAh.
Camera: 2 MP / 1600 x 1200 pixels / Video: QVGA.
Connectivity: 2G: CDMA 800, 1900 / 3G: CDMA2000 1xEV-DO. /

Features: Single camera with video recording and timer. MP3 / eAAC+ audio player; MP4 / H.263 video player.

Additional comments: No, the missing entries for the operating system and speed aren’t errors: We could find no reliable info on either category. Ditto, battery life. No 3.5 mm jack – no jack at all; Bluetooth?

Overall opinion: As we said, the ZTE Memo is not and never claimed to be an innovative mobile phone. It fills a need for new users, casual users and users on a budget. And each aspect counts.