[MWC 2013] ZTE Grand Memo Hands-on: Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 800

ZTE Grand Memo: Powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor

Some of the biggest announcements from the Mobile World Congress actually came from Chinese brands. Take for example the ZTE Grand Memo. This 5.7-inch phablet is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. While we weren’t able to take benchmark tests during the hands-on, the buttery smoothness and blazing speed of the user interface was more than enough to convince us that this is truly a flagship device for ZTE. Specs-sie, this can definitely give the other Android phablets a run for their money. It will all boil down to pricing and marketing.

ZTE Grand Memo Spec Sheet

1.5GHz Quad-core CPU, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 Processor
2GB RAM
16GB Internal Storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
5.7-inch Capacitive Touchscreen, 720p Display Resolution
Dolby Digital Plus Sound Enhancement
13.0-megapixels rear-facing camera with autofocus and LED flash
Card record video 1080p@30fps
1-megapixel front-facing camera
WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi Hotspot, 3G/HSPA+/LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with AGPS
Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
3,200mAh Battery

Read on for our initial impressions!

Big and Slim is IN!

One major trend we’ve noticed at this year’s MWC is that screens are getting bigger while the chasis of the devices are getting thinner. That’s the same with the ZTE Grand Memo. It might have a 5.7-inch screen and an expandable microSD slot but this phablet actually just measures 8.5mm thick! Amazeballs. The slim and slender profile gives is a very elegant, classic, and professional look.

Check out some of the photos we took of the ZTE Grand Memo in different POVs below.

That's a big sensor for a 13MP camera — That’s a big sensor for a 13MP camera

Funky lock screen. Took me a while to figure this one out, lol

While the ZTE Grand Memo scores high on the aesthetics aspect what makes it truly stand out though is what’s under the hood. This phablet runs on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor. That’s an upgrade already from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipsets that we’ve seen from the range of quad-core flagship models from last year. As mentioned earlier though we weren’t able to throughly test the capabilities of the CPU so we’ll probably get to do that when we’re back in the Philippines and ZTE launches it locally.

What is it good for?

ZTE employs the tried-and-tested booth babe approach to events like MWC! Win. Lol.

The case for most phablets is the same. Big screen with roaring engine and beautiful display. Put that together and you have a kick ass multimedia consumption device that you have with you anywhere you go. That’s what you get with the ZTE Grand Memo. Of course different companies and brands add a little more value to differentiate. The Galaxy Note 2 has the S Pen while the Huawei Ascend Mate is just massive (lol). The ZTE Grand Memo, if you ask us, offers potentially a more future-proof track since it has the latest and most powerful processor.