ZTE Star 1
by Sia Zhen Ning
With the amount of Chinese smartphones swarming into the market, it had only been a matter of time until one of them turns out to be a dud. For me, that wait is over as the ZTE Star 1 is one of the more unimpressive phones I’ve tried in a while. But before I share about my mixed experiences, there are a few things that I do like about the smartphone.
Glossy Shell
Personally, I really like the overall look of the ZTE Star 1. The smartphone is incredibly smooth to the touch, thanks to the material used on the back cover of the phone. Its design is pretty sleek as the device’s top and bottom half rounds off as the chassis curves backwards. A nice touch indeed, instead of being the traditional rectangular brick.
Straight-Up
As for longevity, the Star 1 is on the average side. It doesn’t eat up the battery like some other smartphones do, but it isn’t exactly long lasting either. Continuing the slew of average averageness is the camera. It is perfectly functional, but otherwise, there is nothing about it that stands out.
Mixed Performance
But the truly disappointing part comes in the performance part of the Star 1. The smartphone is prone to sudden slowdowns for no reason. I’ve tried closing all the apps before using it and I’ve even fully reset the phone, but it keeps happening for no apparent reason. When it comes to benchmarking, the Star 1 performs just as well as the competition so I suspect it might be because this review unit is a testbed system or a pre-launch platform that hasn’t been fully optimised.
Just Looks
The battery and camera is passable, while the performance is mediocre. I’d say one of the best things I have seen on the ZTE Star 1 is the overall design and styling. Now if only the system operates just as well.
Price: RM 1,088
Dimension: 139 x 69 x 6.6 mm
Weight: 130g
Processor: Qualcomm MSM8928 Snapdragon 400
Memory: 2GB RAM
Graphics: Adreno 305
Storage: 16GB + microSD up to 64GB
OS: Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
Camera: 8MP Rear Facing, 5MP Front Facing
Battery: Li-Po 2300mAh battery
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n dual band, Bluetooth v4.0
Value: 6/10
Features: 8/10
Performance: 7/10
Design: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Verdict: Mixed bag that will swing either way.
Total Score: 7.6
