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03 Nov 2011
A basic Android Gingerbread device with a large screen and reasonable specifications, the Skate is designed for buyers on a budget but is not really suited to heavy duty use
Pros:
Big screen, unmodified Android Gingerbread, reasonable price
Cons:
Susceptible to lag, poor battery life, bland design
Price: Free from £20 per month on Orange or £215 SIM-free
Manufacturer: ZTE
Messaging and internet
Text input is generally very similar to the Google Nexus S, which uses the stock Android keyboard. The bigger screen on the Skate makes it a little easier to type, but the lack of secondary functions is annoying.
The 4.3in display makes the Skate really good when it comes to displaying web content. You can view full pages on screen, and the speed of browsing is reasonably quick, but it's noticeably slower than high-end devices. It takes a full 15 seconds to partially load the V3 home page, compared to the forthcoming Nokia Lumia 800, which loads all the main content in around five seconds.
On a positive note, Android supports all Adobe Flash content so the Skate can play videos from all web sites. This allows the Skate to get one over on high-profile devices such as iPhones and BlackBerrys as they lack support.
Battery life
Despite ZTE's good work in getting the Skate to market with decent specifications and an affordable price, the battery lets the handset down.
We expected better from the 1400mAh Li-on battery, but were disappointed when we managed to get around 13 hours with moderate use. This dropped considerably when we used the device to browse the internet, check emails and make calls, and the Skate struggled to make it through the day.
The Skate is a reasonable choice for those on a tight budget who won't mind having the basic features of Android. The lack of any business applications and the imminent launch of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will severely impair the phone's longevity, as it is highly unlikely to be able to support the upgraded platform.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
4.3in display (480x800)
800MHz processor
512MB RAM
135MB internal storage
Micro-SD card support up to 32GB
5-megapixel camera with LED Flash
1400mAh battery
125.9x67.8x10.4mm
120g
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Do you agree?
Skate excellent value
The Skate responds with adequate speed although not quite as fast as its much more expensive competitors. With regard to brightness, I suspect that the reviewer has it in its standard auto setting. This is OK for 90% of the time and is designed to maximise battery life. If you switch to manual, its brightness is a match for any smartphone on the market. It's not quite as good as the AMOLED screen on its little brother, the Blade (San Francisco) but its resolution is excellent. This is reflected in photos of text taken with the 5Mp camera. At £150 from Orange plus £20 to unlock it from Orange, it is far better value than phones 2-3 times its price, many of which have only 2.2 Android. Its only real limitation is it can't do posh games because it can't handle flash. But why would anyone want to play these on a phone anyway?
Posted by: Wally Walters 16 Nov 2011
poor review
i have had the zte skate since its launch in uk i use it quite a lot in the daytime and at home i use the commy .my son has the iphone 4 and he has it constantly on charge at home and work.and my daughters partner has the galaxy 2 and he is the same.i have had no problems with hanging for the price i think its a bargin.also it won't run flash due to the cpu only 800mhz qualcom not 1g snapdragon.
Posted by: ron johnson 07 Nov 2011