Here and there, I’ve talked about how only a small handful of mega corporations are dominating the smartphone industry. To an extent, that’s true. But there’s a secret horse that’s catching up.
This is where the ZTE invasion comes in. You can find them in AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile stores in a neighborhood near you. It’s just going to take a little more effort. That’s because the ZTE Maven doesn’t sale as high as say, the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 could costs you over $700. A ZTE Maven will only cost you $60! That’s right: It’s a smartphone that cost less than dinner for two at a fancy restaurant. And that’s not even ZTE’s cheapest brand. Some sale for as low as $30. This Chinese backed company is supported by all of the major phone carriers except Verizon (refer to second sentence in this paragraph). And low cost smartphones prove to be a highly successful market. In second quarter 2015, ZTE got approximately 8 percent of the American smartphone pie. That’s double of what ZTE got in first quarter 2014, just last year. It’s now the fourth largest smartphone market in the US behind Apple, Samsung and LG. But even ZTE is trying it’s hand at the expensive smartphone game. Back in July 2015, ZTE released Axon Pro. That will run you $450, but that’s far lower than most high end smartphones.
What ZTE is doing is extremely smart. Yes, they keep telling us the economy is getting better. Yet many Americans are still struggling. ZTE understands this, while rival companies continue to cater to the rich and privileged. This is while ZTE’s momentum is growing. I wonder why Verizon won’t carry them? When someone finds out, please let me know. Keep in mind ZTE is a China based company. When is an American smartphone company going to cater to the economically challenged?