When I first heard that I was receiving the ZTE Grand X, I was a mixture of both excitement and nerves. Excited because hey, who doesn't want to play around with a brand new phone? Nervous, because how would I manage without my trusty iPhone and all its convenient apps to aid me through the day? I'm ashamed to admit that I'm an android virgin and have always been slightly suspicious of it as a rival to Apple. Yes, I've messed around with the odd HTC or Samsung phone when it was within my grasp, but I was reluctant to truly give up my Apple allegiance.
Well, when the ZTE Grand X dropped itself onto my desk, I was impressed. The packaging is sleek, reminiscent of the iPhone boxes that make you feel like you're unwrapping an especially spectacular christmas present. Well done to ZTE for luring me in and lowering my guard with such familiar clothing. The phone beneath the lid is instantly impressive: sleek, slim, soft; I'm not going to lie, the phone felt good in my hand.
Before I get too carried away and start a full-blown love affair based on flimsy physical lust, I have to address the phone itself and see if it holds up to exterior appearances. It possesses a large screen, reminiscent of the Samsung S III and considerably larger than that of the iPhone creating an enjoyable user experience. It's true what they say, bigger is better. The size of the screen made the apps a pleasure to use and the seamless joining of touch screen and fingers made me realise how often I'd been stabbing uselessly at tiny buttons on my old, smaller screened phone.
Not everything is perfect, and the Grand X does have its faults, but at the end of the day all these are minor when compared to the vast cost benefit, just £190 compared to Apple and Samsung's latest offerings which hover around the £500 mark. At a push, the vibrate on the keyboard is annoying and unnecessary, and, as with all non-apple phones, the availability of apps is not as vast as in the iTunes App store, but all my essentials were there. Frustratingly, you can't use the camera on Instagram without an SD card but again, small price to pay (pun intended) when you're saving near enough £300.
The ZTE Grand X isn't doing anything groundbreaking, Samsung's influences are plain to see in the phone's function, and Apple in the packaging and presentation, but for the mid-range phone that it is, who cares? You get a 5 megapixel camera and the luxury feel without the hefty price tag, allowing you to upgrade in a year's time and spend the money you saved on another great mid-range phone.
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