ZTE Grand X Max+ is a 6-inch phablet exclusive to Cricket US

ZTE and Cricket Wireless have launched the successor to the Grand X Max phablet called the Grand X Max+ at CES 2015.

Design

Similar to its predecessor, the device sports a spacious 6-inch touchscreen with a 1,280x720-pixel resolution. This time, however, it now has an HD display, and it does well for viewing texts, videos, and images. The design remains relatively unchanged though, and when I handled it, I was fond of the back glass panel, which lent a subtle element of luxury to the smartphone, though it trapped fingerprints a bit easier.

The new smartphone from ZTE will be available exclusively from Cricket Wireless online and offline stores starting January 9 at $199 (Rs. 12,600 approximately) off-contract.

The single-SIM ZTE Grand X Max+ runs Android 4.4 KitKat and features a large 6-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display offering a pixel density of 245ppi. Much like its predecessor, the Grand X Max+ is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor. Unlike the ZTE Grand X Max, the new smartphone features 2GB of RAM. The 16GB of inbuilt storage on the smartphone is expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB).

The company has upgraded the camera on the new ZTE Grand X Max+, as it sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash while there is a 5-megapixel front camera also onboard.

Connectivity options on the ZTE Grand X Max+ include 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS/ A-GPS. A 3200mAh battery backs the Grand X Max+ and it is 7.87mm thick.

The smartphone also features Dolby Audio technology and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 1.0 for fast charging.

Commenting on the launch, Lixin Cheng, chairman and CEO of ZTE USA said, "The ZTE Grand X Max+ is the latest example of how we listen to our consumers and apply our expertise to bring them premium experiences at affordable prices. This device is a great start to 2015 for both ZTE and Cricket, two of the leading brands in prepaid."

Additionally, the company revealed that it plans to release more affordable phones supporting 4G LTE connectivity.

Jennifer Van Buskirk, President of Cricket Wireless said of the announcement, "We're starting off the year with a massive 6-inch HD smartphone that delivers value without compromise to our customers. In addition to no-annual contract plans starting at $35 per month after $5 credit for using Auto Pay including taxes and fees, Cricket Wireless will continue to roll out a growing number of 4G LTE smartphones in 2015 because we know that's what our customers want."