ZTE is getting into the smartwatch game, and it’s partnering with T-Mobile on its first effort.
The ZTE Quartz is now official. This Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch is launching exclusively at T-Mobile, with online availability starting April 14. Select T-Mo stores will begin stocking the Quartz one week later on April 21.
ZTE’s Quartz will cost $192. In exchange for your hard-earned dollars, you’ll get a smartwatch with a round 1.4-inch 400×400 AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 3, quad-core Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 500mAh battery. Also included is a built-in speaker and mic for doing things like talking to Google Assistant, as well as an accelerometer, gyroscope, and barometer. Built-in cellular connectivity (EDGE and HSPA) means that you’ll be able to do things like make calls when your smartphone isn’t nearby.
All of those features are wrapped in a case that’s IP67-certified for dust and water resistance. The ZTE Quartz offers support for interchangeable 22mm bands, as well. The Quartz’s dimensions are 46 x 46 x 14.5mm.
Two other details worth noting about the ZTE Quartz are its lack of NFC and a heart rate monitor. That means that you won’t be using the device for Android Pay or for fitness tracking.
The ZTE Quartz looks like it could be a solid smartwatch. The lack of features like NFC and a heart rate monitor is kind of a bummer, but that’s the trade-off that ZTE made to get the Quartz’s price down. If you don’t really care about those features or you’re just looking to get a new smartwatch on the cheap, the Quartz could be worth a look.