Our ZTE F102 Review

ZTE F102

Looking at the ZTE F102 felt like it’s a blast from the past. The ZTE F102’s design maintains a rigid, classic look and feel with its plain curves and glossy plastic frame. Available in black and silver, the ZTE F102 gives the user an extra touch of personalization as various customizable covers are available. This of course reminded us of Nokia’s earlier mobile phone revolution where such covers were an absolute obsession. At 80 grams, the ZTE F102 is one of the lightest mobile phones currently being sold. Its frame fits snug in your pocket unlike many of the ultra-thin models where they roam loosely when you’re on the move.

Screen

The ZTE F102’s screen is average with its size. Although it does not match up to the high-end iPhone touchscreen quality, it still delivers decent pixel density and resolution. The colours aren’t as bright as we’d like them to be, however; it does bring sharp contrast to different photos. The screen’s visibility is slightly reduced outdoors and only under direct sunlight.

ZTE F102 Flat

User Interface

After examining the ZTE F102’s exterior, it was time for us to evaluate its user interface. As we’ve expected, the user interface is in line with the ZTE F102’s design: classic and minimal. We loved navigating through the menus as they are easy to go through and explore. This user interface simplicity is one of the virtues of handsets with fewer features as they don’t have much to display.

Keypad

The ZTE F102’s keypad enhances its visual appeal. The curved plastic keypad is not we’ve expected from such a fresh mobile phone in the market. With such a design, it competes directly with some of the most expensive handsets in the industry. In terms of usability, the curved keys weren’t such a great idea. We found them to be a tad uncomfortable with constant clicking - especially when we’re typing a message. While the less needed function buttons are embossed under the screen, the call and end call are not as prominent. Overall, we loved the keypad aesthetically but not in terms of user friendliness and functionality.

ZTE F102 Rear

Camera and Multimedia

The ZTE F102’s 2 megapixel camera offers reliable image and video capturing. It captures photos with sharp clarity – but nothing more. The camera is fine for everyday use, but we wouldn’t recommendit to any user obsessed with taking higher quality pictures.

In the multimedia department, the ZTE F102 is equipped with the basics: an FM stereo radio and an MP3 player. The two come in handy for anyone commuting or simply bored. The audio is easy on the ear and free from noise when the volume is turned up. The beauty about the ZTE F102 is its support for different file formats which makes it easier for the user to simply throw in files and listen to music all day long.

Connectivity and Battery Life

We felt the ZTE F102 is pretty much ordinary at the beginning. Our view changed when visited the connectivity section where we were glad to see plenty of options. One of its most attractive connectivity features is the Skype integration whereby the user can make free Skype-to-Skype calls.USB and Bluetooth are an excellent addition to facilitate data transfer and PC syncing.

The ZTE F102’s battery life is good in comparison to other budget mobile phones. We did not think it could compete with other handsets until we ran a complex battery drain text. It took the ZTE F102 a couple of hours to ask for recharging – which is excellent in our book.

What We Liked

We liked the ZTE F102’s budget-friendly price, 3G, Skype-to-Skype calls, and battery life.

What We Disliked

We disliked the ZTE F102’s limited features and odd keypad design.

Our Final Verdict

The ZTE F102 is an affordable mobile phone with great connectivity. Anyone looking for a cheap 3g phone will find it an agreeable choice. We would’ve loved to see more multimedia features but the ZTE F102 is right where it should be with such a price tag.

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	ZTE F102
General
Form Factor	Candybar
Dimensions	106.1 x 47 x 12.7 (mm)
Talk Time	300 mins
Standby Time	150 hours
Weight	80 g
Quad Band	Yes
Photo and Video
Integrated Camera	Yes
Camera	2.00 megapixels
Video Player	Yes
Phone
Internal Memory	128MB
Memory Card Type	MicroSD
Messaging
Instant Messaging (IM)	Yes
Screen
Colour Screen	Yes
Connectivity
3G	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes
WAP	Yes
Music and Radio
MP3 Player	Yes

ZTE F102 Full Specification

General

Photo and Video

Phone

Messaging

Screen

Connectivity

Music and Radio

User Comments

Images of the ZTE F102

ZTE F102

ZTE F102 Flat

ZTE F102 Rear