WARM: ZTE ZMax Pro 6" MetroPCS (unlockable) $160, possibly $100

NoxTek

NoxTek

The Geek Redneck
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
9,300
I thought this was a mighty warm deal to pass along:

https://www.metropcs.com/shop/phones/details/ZTE-ZMAX-PRO/610214647405

ZTE Zmax Pro $159.99 ($99.99 with activation and rebate) from MetroPCS

We bought this for my cousin and I just finished setting it up tonight and I am super impressed.

  • Octa-core Snapdragon 617 at 1.5ghz with Adreno 405 graphics
  • 6" Full HD (1080x1920) IPS screen w/ Gorilla Glass 3
  • 2GB RAM
  • 32GB flash storage with a microSD slot for up to 256GB additional storage
  • 4G LTE bands 2,4,12 (worth noting that AT&T's LTE uses band 2,4,5, and 17 which is a subset of band 12 so in some band 5 and 17 areas your AT&T service could drop to HSPA+, not a big deal)
  • Fingerprint reader
  • USB Type-C (only 2.0 though)
  • QUICK CHARGE 3.0 SUPPORT! Yes, although it's not documented and the unit only comes with a standard charger, this phone actually supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 :eek:. So if you buy or already own a QC compatible charger the phone will take full advantage of it. This means from a dead battery you can get a 60+% charge in 30 minutes time when plugged into a QC3 compatible charger or power bank. SUH-WEET.
For $160 it's a killer deal anyway, but if you want to stay on MetroPCS (for at least a month anyway) you can get a rebate for a $60 debit/gift card making it just $100 final cost.

I normally could care less for ZTE phones, I always considered them a disposable brand with low quality disposable phones - but this guy has gone a long way to changing my mind. It seems to be built fairly well with a front that's nearly all screen yet still has dedicated capacitive buttons which gives you more of that nice 6" screen to look at. The build of Android Marshmallow is super lean and vanilla, with only a few MetroPCS-centric apps installed in the app drawer. The fingerprint sensor on the back works really well - surprising for such an inexpensive phone.

Honestly about my only complaint is that the built-in speaker could be a little louder.

This IS carrier locked to MetroPCS, unlocking details in the following post.
 
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UNLOCKING DETAILS:

This phone is instantly unlockable via a number of online 'unlocking services' that cost anywhere from $15 to $30. Basically you give them your phone's IMEI number, model number, and carrier and they will get it toggled in the MetroPCS databases for unlockability. You then simply run the built-in carrier unlock app on the phone and BAM, your phone is permanently carrier unlocked.

Your other choice is to activate the phone on MetroPCS and use it for 90 days of service whereupon it will automatically become eligible for unlocking via the same built-in carrier unlock app mentioned above.

We bought the phone from Walmart three days ago, I submitted the IMEI to an Ebay unlocking service for $12.99, and within 6 or 7 hours it was unlockable. I was then able to pop in his Straight Talk SIM, add the appropriate APN settings for data and SMS/MMS, and he was in business using his phone on his pre-existing Straight Talk account. Easy as pie.

Of course not activating it on MetroPCS means that he's not eligible for the $60 gift card rebate, but he wasn't interested in being on MetroPCS (T-Mobile) for any length of time due to coverage issues.
 
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Not bad, I actually use Metro PCS so I am definitely considering this.
 
Let me put it another way - after a couple of days hands on time with the Zmax Pro I am seriously considering downgrading to it from my Moto X Pure.

A few months ago the mic on my beloved Huawei Ascend Mate 2 went out and I 'upgraded' to a Moto X Pure. Better phone right? Meh...

Thing is, the Moto X Pure has a 5.7" screen where the HAM2 had a 6.1" screen - the size difference was and is noticeable and even after two months using the Moto X I still miss the bigger screen. Sure the Moto X has a QHD screen but resolution on a small screen doesn't really mean dick. The ZTE Zmax Pro has a 6" screen at 1080x1920 which is a decent resolution and looks/feels just as big as my old Huawei, in fact the screen seems slightly LARGER because the phone uses capacitive hardware buttons - meaning the on-screen buttons Google has been pushing for the last few years aren't in the way. Fucking stellar.
 
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