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Position: Second Phase of the Global Roll-out of ZTE Skate
ZTE Warp Smartphone Hits the U.S.
ZTE joined hands with Sprint to launch ZTE Warp in Times Square, New York, on November 7. ZTE Warp is based on ZTE Skate, the flagship handset in ZTE’s smartphone lineup. Warp is only available from Boost Mobile, one of Sprint’s no-contract brands in the U.S.
The handset bears ZTE and Boost Mobile logos. It is the first time ZTE has held a smartphone launch in the U.S. ZTE EVP, He Shiyou, and Boost Mobile’s VP, Andre Smith, gave a speech. Around 30 media outlets, including Reuters, Xinhua news agency, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, PC Magazine, and IDG were present to cover the event.
“ZTE Warp is part of the global Skate brand, and it is an important product for us as we become more competitive in America,” said He Shiyou. “The U.S. is vital to our success. We are known around the world for quality, affordable devices, and we see a great opportunity to bring our devices to consumers in this region.”
Since 2010, ZTE has been establishing relationships with the top wireless carriers in the U.S and has worked with them to introduce hotspots, feature phones, and smartphones. During the first three quarters of 2011, ZTE’s terminal shipments increased year-on-year by 157% in the U.S.
ZTE Warp Specifications
GPS-enabled
Stereo Bluetooth technology
Easy access to Gmail and Google Talk
Wireless Web enabled
Corning Gorilla glass
Frequency: CDMA1×DoRA BC0/BC1
Camera: 5.0 megapixel camera with LED flash and digital zoom
ZTE Introduces Skate in Malaysia
ZTE launched its new flagship Android smartphone, Skate, at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on November 16.
In keeping with the sporty spirit of Skate, the backdrop at the press conference was a 3D skateboard track extending to the front and a skateboarding youth that seemed to come alive. A Malaysian skateboarder was invited to give a live demonstration. 75 journalists from media outlets including Malaysian national news agency, BERNAMA, and Xinhua News Agency were present at the conference.
Skate aims to build on the success of the ZTE Blade smartphone, which has been the company’s flagship product for the last 12 months. Since its launch, more than six million ZTE Blades have been shipped to 50 countries.
“The success of ZTE Blade and now the international demand for Skate have been instrumental in ZTE becoming the world’s number four handset manufacturer,” said Zheng Ban, president of ZTE in the Asia-Pacific region.
“As of March 2011, mobile penetration in Malaysia was estimated at 117.64% in a population of around 28.4 million. This tells us that it is not uncommon for Malaysians to own more than one mobile phone. More and more people are upgrading to smartphones as technology becomes more sophisticated and cutting-edge features become more affordable. Compared with 2000, when mobile penetration was a mere 21.8%, the number of mobile phone users in Malaysia has grown in leaps and bounds. We believe this trend will continue, and there is a ready market for us to tap into,” he added.
According to the 3Q report by ABI research, IDC, and Strategy Analytics, ZTE has become the fourth-largest handset manufacturer in the world. Skate is currently available in Malaysia at a recommended retail price of RM999.
ZTE Skate Lands in Hungary
On October 27, ZTE held a press conference in Budapest to launch ZTE Skate—a smartphone being sold in collaboration with T-Mobile.
More than 50 Hungarian media outlets were present at the launch, and were able to see and trial ZTE Skate on-site. Kelemen Zsolt, a renowned Android developer, was also invited to participate in the event. He has developed various user interfaces for Blade.
Skate is the second ZTE smartphone being sold in Hungary. Its predecessor, ZTE Blade, has been a huge success in the country. ZTE representatives demonstrated Skate’s performance and sales scope in Hungary to journalists.
Yang Changchun, CEO of ZTE Hungary, gave an opening speech. “With innovative and fashionable design, reliable performance, and affordable price, I hope Skate will be the best choice for all customers,” he said.
ZTE Hungary has performed well in recent years and now has a 10 percent share in the handset market in Hungary. “In 2012, ZTE Hungary will continue to focus on the smartphone business and plans to release 10 new models. It will also broaden its sales channels in Hungary. This year, it has made breakthroughs with local distributors. ZTE Hungary will develop service projects oriented towards enterprises and government,” Yang said.
ZTE Launches Skate with a Fabulous Party
On November 11, ZTE sponsored a party held by 95.2 Athens Radio at W Night Club, Athens, to celebrate the launch of Skate smartphone.
ZTE was the exclusive sponsor, and its branding was visible throughout the club in the form of gifts, banners, and ZTE Skate backdrops. The promotional video for the new Skate smartphone was played on a 20 square meter video matrix throughout the night.
The party attracted more than 2,500 guests, and live performances by Ela Rose and Nikos Ganos, both of who sang their latest hits, were the highlights of the night. MTV Greece and Star TV were both there to cover the event. A Skate handset was given to the singers. Ela Rose said: “I am not an expert but I’m looking forward to learning about ZTE Skate.”
ZTE and Greek operator, Wind Hellas, launched Skate together after previously releasing the high-value smartphones Blade and Carl. More smartphones models are going to be introduced that run on Android and Windows Mango OS.
ZTE Skate’s Marketing Plan with a Spanish Star
Spanish pop singer, David Bisbal, kicked off his Spanish Acustico (Unplugged) tour on November 1 at the Spanish Real Theater in Madrid. ZTE was the sole sponsor of the tour. The ZTE logo and Skate smartphone Skate were displayed prominently at the entrance, on the program list, and at the VIP meeting room.
The most awarded Spanish artist of the last decade, David Bisbal, gave a powerful and seductive performance that he has also taken to the best theaters in Spain, Latin America, and Europe. The theater was packed.
Sponsoring the concert was part of the company’s marketing strategy to launch ZTE Skate, the first ZTE smartphone sold with Telefónica. With this partnership, ZTE again proves its commitment to developing the brand in Spain. ZTE was also the technology partner of the Mutua Madrid Open and Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week, and has sponsored Spain’s BMW Motorrad team in the European and Spanish motorcycle championships.
Li Jun, general director of ZTE’s Telefonica account, said it was a great honor to sponsor an artist of such fame as David Bisbal. “Besides his great talent, David is the artist who best represents the values of our brand: popularity and high technology” he said.
ZTE will continue to sponsor David Bisbal’s tour as it continues in 18 cities until February 2012.
ZTE Builds Brand Recognition in Spain
Spain is a country that loves sport. It claims the fabled soccer team Real Madrid, the clay king, Rafael Nadal, and the famous F1 racing driver, Fernando Alonso.
ZTE sponsored the BMW Motorrad Espana team in the Spanish motorcycle championship in October and again in the European motorcycle championship in November. ZTE had its logo put onto the team’s motorcycles and racing leathers. Spain has a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts, and the race was broadcast live. The ZTE logo appeared frequently as the BMW Motorrad racers took the turn, accelerated, and overtook each other during the race. In the following hours, a slew of media outlets covered ZTE. ZTE’s brand was greatly promoted.
