The Virgin Mobile ZTE AWE comes with a 1.2 ghz processor and the screen is really nice. I did switch from the Kyocera Rise to this because of a flaw that would just make the screws come off and break apart. I have had over a week to play around with the ZTE phone and I am quite impressed with the service. I thought it would be good to at least talk about some of the obstacles you will need to overcome to switching and that way you could be ready when the time comes!
Pro and Con Time!
It got way more features then the Kyocera Rise and that is a definite plus in my book. The Android system 4.1 and it is really snappy. The system is easy to use and clean cut. I really didn’t have any major problems with the phone. Comes with a Front Facing Camera, another plus because now I can use Skype to talk to my friends and family and have video chats with them. There seems to be several different Facetime apps for the Phone to make it easy for you and who ever you wanted to face to face. I personally like to use Skype for all my video chats. The front Facing camera isn’t high resolutionbut is a 1.2 mega pixel camera. So you won’t get the best quality but at least you get to see them. Battery life is no issue with the phone even though I can still use my Ravpower Dynamo On the Go if I need that extra boost of battery life.
With it only be under 100$ phone from Virgin Mobile, you will want to take care of it as much and Walmart doesn’t seem to have the right cell phone covers that you will need to encase the phone in to prevent any damage. I will say Amazon US has some great ZTE AWE Phone Cases that aren’t that expensive. I happen to buy a universal Phone Belt Holster for the phone to keep it save and to keep from having any major damage. The Screen is something else you would want to protect with some kind of universal screen protector. I have heard people say that since this is really knew those types of accessories will not be coming out for a few more months so you will have to make due with what you can get.
Wifi Hotspot
With the ZTE AWE you can have a Wifi teether to your devices. It seems to be locked, and I will find a way around this because I am already paying for the unlimited data and should not be required to pay an additional 15$ from Virgin Mobile. If I figure out how to do it, you will be the first to know. For right now the Bluetooth teethering seems to work just fine and gives you some tethering options. Which works on both Kyocera Rise and This phone and probably every Virgin Mobile Android Phone. Can’t be sure but it is a good bet!
Space
The Phone only comes with a 4 GB capacity and some of that is used for the Android System. The good news is you can add up to 32 GB Micro SD to the phone and increase the phone storage to 36 GB. I had no problem using the old Micro SD card from the old phone and plopping it in the new phone. Worked like a charm and give me no problems.
Screen
The Screen is a LED IPS touch screen and it is vivid when you need it to be. I found the phone didn’t do well with the Auto Dimming feature when you were outside or inside but that is to be expected with price of the phone. I found turning off that feature from time to time to increase my battery life and keeping it on Dim worked just fine for me. Although this is a personal preference, some might not be able to see the screen as clearly so it is up to you! Watching Netflix and other shows on the device isn’t a pain and can be quite nice for the change. Even with the Soft Data Cap to worry about, you can still enjoy some great shows on the phone.
Battery Life
They Claim to have a 11.2 hours on the website but I found that to be doubtful to say the least. I gotten 8 hours out of the phone on standby and about 5 to 6 hours using it regularly. Since this is a new phone, the batteries will not be on the market for a few more months but at least there are battery extenders to help keep your phone running when you need to. I am hoping they will start selling the high end batteries for this type of phone to extend it past 12 hours of use.
