ZTE is launching two super-affordable handsets in the USA

ZTE may be waiting a while before launching its near-bezel-less Nubia Z9 flagship in the States, but the company is certainly making use of its time currently, by attempting to capture the attention of affordable phone shoppers. Just a month ago, we saw the LTE-capable, Lollipop-loaded Overture 2 come out for Cricket Wireless, with a price tag of just $50. Now, ZTE is launching two more affordable smartphones on AT&T and Cricket – the Maven and Sonata 2.

The ZTE Maven will be available in AT&T stores, or the att.com website. It will cost $59.99 off-contract. Loaded with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC, it's a 64-bit handset with LTE connectivity. Its 4.5” display glows with a 480 x 854 resolution, which makes for a pixel density of around 215 PPI. On the memory side, it's modest – 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage, which is expandable via microSD up to 32 GB. The main camera has a 5 MP sensor, while the front-facer sports only a 0.3 MP resolution. A non-removable 2,100 mAh juicebox keeps the lights on and the Android OS that's on the device out of the box is 5.1 Lollipop.

The ZTE Sonata 2 will have a $29.99 price-tag in Cricket stores or cricketwireless.com, provided it's bought with a phone line activation / upgrade. It sports a 4” screen with a 480 x 800 resolution (229 PPI). With only a Snapdragon 200 humming under its hood, the Sonata 2 remains firmly planted in 32-bit land, and even comes loaded with Android 4.4 KitKat. It has 1 GB of RAM and just 4 GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 32 GB. At least in the camera department, the Sonata 2 seems to be doing a bit better than the Maven – the main camera still has a 5 MP resolution, but the selfie snapper has been bumped up to 2 MP. As far as battery goes, the Sonata 2 sports a modest 1,650 mAh juicer.

So there you have it, folks. These two handsets are obviously entry-level devices, a good choice for smartphone first-timers, more casual consumers, or just ones that need a spare device to use as substitutes in the upcoming holiday activities.