ZTE Black Spark Phone: Company Launches $99 Android SmartphoneThrough AT&T Prepaid

ZTE USA has launched a new mid-range $99.99 smartphone through AT&T that’s available starting today. Called the ZTE Blade Spark, the smartphone features a fingerprint scanner and a 5.5-inch display.

The ZTE Blade Spark has a 720p HD screen resolution for its display and is being marketed as a budget-friendly, yet full-featured smartphone. The Blade Spark is part of ZTE’s Blade line of smartphones, which also includes the Blade X Max and Blade Max XL that were just released a couple of months ago, according to 9To5Google.

The ZTE Blade Spark is being powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. There’s also a microSD card slot for expanding storage, which this device will absolutely need since only 7GB of from its 16GB storage will actually be usable.

READ: AT&T To Launch Next-Generation Video Platform, Will Bring Cloud DVR To DirecTV Now​

The ZTE Blade Spark also comes with a decent 3,140mAh battery, which AT&T claims can deliver up to 17 hours of talk time and 10 hours of standby time. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor which can also register up to five fingerprints. There’s also a convenient feature which allows users to immediately open a specific app depending on which fingerprint they use.

On the back of the Blade Spark is a 13-megapixel camera that’s equipped with phase detection autofocus for photos. Despite only having a 720p display, the 13MP shooter is capable of recording videos in 1080p full HD.

Up front the device is equipped with a 5MP camera. The Blade Spark also has an extra feature for those who enjoy taking selfies. The smartphone also comes with a dedicated “selfie button” on the right edge. Pushing this button will immediately capture a selfie with the front-facing camera even if the phone is locked.

For those who may feel a bit underwhelmed with the internal specs, the ZTE Blade Spark’s software should be enough to convince customers to pick up this affordable phone. The device will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat straight out of the box, according to Android Central. ZTE’s own custom Android skin is also said to be light.

READ: AT&T-Time Warner Merger: Trump's CNN Feud, Lack Of DOJ Boss Holding Up Deal

The near-stock Android experience combined with the Snapdragon processor should equal to solid performance overall. Lastly, the ZTE Blade Spark features a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The ZTE Blade Spark is intended to be for AT&T Prepaid, the carrier’s new branding for its GoPhone plans. Customers will be able to purchase the phone for just $99.99, and will only have to pay for a monthly plan without an annual contract.

“The ZTE Blade Spark is a great addition to the Blade series which continues to demonstrate how the company continues to bring innovation and affordability to our smartphone line up, while bringing a little something that will delightfully surprise customers in what they can get with AT&T PREPAID,” ZTE mobile devices CEO Lixin Cheng said. “This value-packed smartphone delivers the promise that ZTE will lead in bringing high-end features for consumers of all needs.”