ZTE Tania review

ZTE's low-cost Windows Phone packs a 4.3-inch touchscreen and 5MP camera

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ZTE Tania
Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, on a big screen, for small budgets

TechRadar Verdict

A budget handset that has obvious compromises for the cash... but still worth a look.

Pros

  • +

    Good battery life

  • +

    Large screen

  • +

    Low price

  • +

    Great Office software

Cons

  • -

    Poor screen quality

  • -

    Disappointing camera

  • -

    4GB internal storage

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Windows Phone isn't exactly ubiquitous at the moment, and it isn't really setting smartphone owners on fire.

Nokia's current financial woes show this, even though it's now joined at the hip to Microsoft and its flagship Lumia 900 is in the wild.

But Microsoft isn't abandoning its smartphone operating system. In fact, a new version is in the offing this year. And ZTE has muscled in with the ZTE Tania, a budget Windows Phone handset that might, just might, help bring the operating system to the masses.

With the ZTE Tania costing £210 on Pay As You Go, or £10-£20 a month on contract, the smartphone undercuts the £450 Nokia Lumia 900 hugely. The question has to be: what do you gain and lose by dropping so much cash from the price?

ZTE Tania review

Well, you don't lose out on a sizable mobile phone. The ZTE Tania has a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 pixel screen. This isn't as sharp and vibrant as the AMOLED found on the Nokia Lumia 900 but it is the same size and has the same pixel count.

ZTE Tania review

There's no front camera, but you do get a 5MP main camera and that Windows Phone stalwart 'Unlock to camera' shortcut button is on the right-hand edge. ZTE has also put the main on/off switch on the right-hand side, where it is easy for smaller hands to reach.

ZTE Tania review

There's a volume rocker on the left edge, headset slot on the top, and the USB port is rather awkwardly located towards the middle of the right edge.

ZTE Tania review

One place ZTE has cut corners is with the build. Next to the Nokia Lumia 900 or Lumia 800 it really does look low grade. The phone is solid enough - we couldn't bend or bow it in our hands - but it just looks budget rather than premium.

ZTE Tania review

The plastic chassis doesn't help here, and there were telltale signs of wear and tear on the camera surround of our review sample.

ZTE Tania review

ZTE has pulled a few punches on the internals too, with just 4GB of internal storage (and you can't add microSD cards to Windows Phone handsets), 512MB of RAM supporting the 1GHz Qualcomm processor, and a 1400mAh battery.

ZTE Tania review

Then again, the ZTE Tania is a Windows Phone 7.5 Mango handset for £210, don't forget.

ZTE Tania review

Sandra Vogel