Good news for lovers of budget Android handsets: the ZTE Skate is now on sale in the UK. It was previously available under the guise of the Orange Monte Carlo, but late last night ZTE announced it's now available on UK shores under the company's name.
So that means you can get your hands on one of the best budget smartphones of the year regardless which network you're on, without having to unlock it. Bravo, ZTE.
The Skate is one of the best budget Android handsets around, scoring three-and-a-half stars in our review last week. It boasts a large 4.3-inch screen (which unfortunately saps the battery), and Android 2.3 Gingerbread software, which is pretty great considering it costs just £150 on pay as you go, or between £10 and £15 a month on contract. Retailer KingofGadgets.co.uk says it has stock now, but Clove.co.uk is saying it won't have it until Tuesday, so you may have to wait.
Clove.co.uk lists it as £220, while KingofGadgets.co.uk has it as £216, both SIM-free.
The Skate launched in Brazil on 12 September, then Spain on 16 September. It'll also be launching this year in France, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and the United States.
Supposedly inspired by a skateboard design, the handset is just 11.35mm thin, which is a couple of milimetres thicker than the iPhone 4. Not bad considering it's a fraction of the price.
The launch of the Skate shows ZTE is keen on establishing more of a presence in the UK. Currently the fifth largest phone maker in the world, it's part of a new wave of Chinese companies keen to follow in the footsteps of HTC and come out of the shadows to become household names. (HTC started producing Windows smartphones before it branded its products with the company name.)
Will you be pulling tricks on a ZTE Skate? Zip on over to our Facebook page and let us know.
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Comments 6
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Ryan J Pattinson 24 September, 2011 13:41
its all well ing good selling it in there name but orange has a different spec one that the skate and orange wont let you unlock it i was going to buy the phone but im a t-mobile customer which i dont understand why orange wont let you when there the same company now -.- still much happier with my galaxy ace
Dean Shepherd 24 September, 2011 19:04
@ Ryan.
The ZTE Skate and Monte Carlo are different only in name and software branding.
The Skate doesnt have ANY of the Orange bloatware software onboard so will run slightly smoother in operation...and it doesnt have an Orange badge on it....thats the ONLY difference...there is nothing different in the spec sheet, they are both 4.3 inch screened, 800mhz etc....everythings the same. Just googled it right now to see if there WAS a difference.
oh and pricing of course...MAJOR difference there lol
Ryan J Pattinson 24 September, 2011 21:42
@dean
the zte skate has 1ghz processor
Taras Mogetich 25 September, 2011 07:49
can you delete some of that that orange "bloatware"???? (definitely not Orange Gestures)
Dean Shepherd 25 September, 2011 13:54
@Ryan
Well from what I can find it doesn't ship with an actual 1ghz chip but its going to have a firmware upgrade which overclocks the chip...so most likely STILL not different to the Monte Carlo ad this has already been done.
1999kim 28 February, 2012 10:13
I've got Orange Monte Carlo. My 4yr old locked screen with pattern. Taken me weeks to find unlock code: I'd like to share it:
YOU WILL LOSE ALL INFORMATION AND SETTINGS IN THE PHONE
Tap - emergency call
Type in *983*987#
Select - erase everything.
~~~ Hey Presto ! ~~~~ Phone re-boots. It does take a little time.
YOU WILL LOSE ALL SETTINGS AND INFORMATION STORED IN THE PHONE.