LTE powered ZTE Nubia 5S mini launched in the US for $280

Nubia wing of Chinese maker ZTE has expanded its range of offerings in the US with the launch of the ZTE Nubia 5S mini powered with LTE.

The device has been priced at a decent $280 and looks like a decent option for those that are looking for a mid-range LTE phone. Unlike it's Snapdragon 600 powered Chinese cousin, the ZTE nubia 5S LTE for the US comes only with a Snapdragon 400 SoC, clocked 1.4GHz through the four cores. To go with that, there's 2GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board expandable storage.

"Selling the nubia 5S mini LTE unlocked, direct to consumers shows ZTE has faith in its products and is capable of delivering LTE devices and consumer-focused innovation in the U.S. Offering an unlocked Android phone via Amazon addresses consumer demand for alternative devices that deliver more personal value than mainstream brands and don’t tie them to one mobile eco-system," said Lixin Cheng, Chairman/CEO, ZTE USA.

Specifications

• 4.7-inch 1280 x 720p display
• 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB on-board ROM
• 13 mega-pixel rear camera
• 5 mega-pixel front facing camera
• 2000mAh battery
• 4G LTE

The smartphone is already on pre-oder for $280 via e-commerce giant Amazon and will ship 27th August onwards.

With more and more Chinese brands occupying the US space and other markets, do you think it's the end of the single-brand monopoly?