ZTE Blade 3 review

Mid-range features at an entry level price

ZTE Blade 3
Is this the bargain of the year?

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The ZTE Blade 3 isn't the sort of phone you'd purchase for consuming a lot of media on, but that doesn't mean it can't do it.

ZTE Blade 3 review

The 4GB of internal storage, of which only 2.5GB is actually available for use, isn't exactly brilliant but the addition of a microSD card slot under the plastic rear cover means you can quickly and easily expand that by up to 32GB.

As well as sticking content onto the miscoSD card you can also hook the Blade 3 up to your computer with the bundled USB cable and use the tried and tested drag and drop method to transfer.

Music

The music player is a pretty bog standard affair, displaying your music my artist, album, title, playlist or favourites.

You can create and edit playlists on the fly, while the player screen gives you the basic controls including play/pause, skip, shuffle, repeat and scrub.

ZTE Blade 3 review

Surprisingly the Blade 3 does come with a graphic equaliser allowing you to tweak the audio output of the handset so you can get the perfect tone for your tunes.

It's a simple and easy to use app which doesn't include any overly fussy features or grounding breaking technology, but for catching a few tracks on the go it does a decent job.

The ZTE Blade 3 can play various music formats including MP3, WAV and eAAC+ meaning your current library should work on this smartphone.

Sound quality is pretty middle of the road, the ZTE Blade 3 won't knock your socks off, nor will it completely disappoint but for any audiophiles out there you may what to look at other alternatives.

Video

Video was never going to the Blade 3's strong point and the low resolution, 4-inch display provides an adequate viewing experience, although we wouldn't want to watch a full blown movie on it.

There is a dedicated video player app, which is something of a rarity on Android handsets and this makes it easier to browse through your videos instead of having to go to the gallery and dig them out among the deluge of photos.

ZTE Blade 3 review

We found the screen wasn't overly bright on the Blade 3 and the image lacked the sharpness and clarity we've seen on other displays.

For short videos and YouTube clips the ZTE Bade 3 does a decent enough job, and its small lightweight frame means it's easy to hold - but it didn't like all of our video formats so you'll need to make sure what you have will play.

Photos

The Gallery app on the ZTE Blade 3 is your one stop shop for all your photographic needs, with snaps arranged into various albums depending on where they originated, be it from the camera, Facebook, WhatsApp, downloads or the microSD card.

You can also create additional folders it you fancy organising your images in a different way.

ZTE Blade 3 review

There's a very simple picture editor built into the gallery which lets you crop and rotate an image as well as added various Intsragram-style effects.

It's hardly a full blown piece of editing software, but it's simple to use and will be enough for most people.

John McCann
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

Latest in ZTE Phones
The Nubia Flip 5G on display at MWC 2024
Nubia's affordable Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 rival gets an imminent global launch date
Nubia Flip 5G
Watch out, Samsung! This new Galaxy Z Flip 5 rival is the first truly affordable foldable
Photo of the Nubia Red Magic 7s Pro gaming phone
Nubia Red Magic 7s Pro review
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
ZTE Axon 40 Ultra
Image of the Nubia Red Magic 7 smartphone
Nubia Red Magic 7 review
ZTE Blade V40 series
ZTE's new cheap V40 phones are confusing and impressive at the same time
Latest in Reviews
Zyxel FWA510 main image
I tried the Zyxel FWA510 - read what I thought of this WiFi router
Sophos AP6 420E main image
I tested the Sophos AP6 420E - see how this access point debut from Sophos works out
Viltrox 135mm F1.8 Lab lens for Nikon Z-mount, in the hand, attached to a Nikon Z6 II
I tried the stunning Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB lens for Nikon and it’s my new favorite portrait lens, except for one drawback
Hello from the XPPen Magic Note Pad
The XPPen Magic Note Pad is the drawing tablet-maker's first digital writing tablet and after just two weeks, I can't do without it
Scan 3XS GWP TR Ada main image
I tested the Scan 3XS GWP TR Ada - see what I thought of this incredibly powerful workstation
Poly Studio X52 with TC10 main image
I tested the Poly Studio X52 with TC10 - see what I thought of this conferencing solution