Under the flags of the Blade series, the Chinese manufacturer ZTE produces mainly entry-level and mid-range smartphones. The first category includes simple and unpretentious devices with modest hardware, HD displays, simple cameras with several photomodules and price tags no higher than $150. They cannot boast of powerful hardware and are most often limited to entry-level processors from MediaTek and Unisoc, and the amount of RAM usually does not exceed 4 GB. Despite the status and price tag, they are often equipped with fast charging, an NFC, modern communication modules and a current USB-C port.


The second group consists of mid-range models, which, in our opinion, have the most interesting balance between price, performance and functionality. In terms of equipment, they resemble the popular Redmi Note handsets, which continue to follow the proven formula of “big screen, maximum hardware and price up to $200”. Therefore, each Blade mid-range smartphone offers the most for its money: uncluttered design, high-quality materials, moderately performant hardware, up-to-date communication modules, NFC, a high-quality camera, etc.

In our opinion, in 2022, the main value of Blade smartphones lies in the wealth of choices. Unlike other manufacturers who are not interested in anything other than phablets, ZTE has heard the buyers and in 2021 literally strewn the market with compact smartphones with unprecedented smartphones with 5 and 5.5-inch displays that can be controlled with one hand like in the old days. True, for the most part these are entry-level models a la Blade A31 and Blade L9, for which most stores ask for less than $100.