ZTE is the first Chinese smartphone manufacturer to roll out a handset powered by Android 4.2

Ask someone to name the top four smartphone manufacturers globally, and they might guess Samsung, Apple, Nokia and HTC. Yes, that would sound right except that number four is, believe it or not, Chinese manufacturer ZTE. Recently, the company was linked to a possible espionage claim leveled against it by The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. ZTE is now also famous for something else as it has become the first Chinese smartphone manufacturer to roll out a handset powered by Android 4.2, which was introduced by Google at the end of last month.

The handset that is loaded with Android 4.2 is the ZTE N880E. The device was originally released in May, and in July it became the first ZTE model to run Android 4.1. Now, with the installation of Android 4.2 on the handset, the mid-range model is the first phone available from a Chinese manufacturer to be powered by the latest Android OS build. The ZTE N880E has sold over 1 million units since launch and even though it is now powered by Android 4.2, it is not among the OEM's top-shelf models.

The ZTE N880E offers a 4 inch, WVGA display with a 1GHz Qualcomm 7627A processor and 512MB of RAM on board. 4GB of native storage can be expanded to 36GB using the microSD slot. A 3.2MB camera is on back and a 1650mAh battery keeps the lights on. Considering the popularity of the model, ZTE felt it would be easier to get a Jelly Bean phone to market by relaunching the ZTE N880E with Android 4.1.1 during the summer. Thanks to the installation of Android 4.2, the ZTE N880E is equipped with a number of new features such as a Swype-type virtual QWERTY option, Quick Settings and an improved Google Now, to name a few.


source: ZTE via UnwiredView