ZUK is so far the latest company to join other China manufacturers in the smartphone industry. With a handset about to launch, it will be interesting to note how ZUK shakes up the industry and how major China-based players, such as Xiaomi and OnePlus, are received by consumers who are now more divided than ever in their choice of devices.
Established not long ago, Lenovo-owned ZUK is gearing up to launch its first handset, which seems to be getting a lot of attention from the day it was initially heard of. Dubbed Z1, the device already has its first review, which was originally written in Chinese.
The upcoming ZUK Z1 will feature a 5.5-inch 1080p display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. It will come equipped with 3 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Snapdragon 801 quad-core SoC, a 4100 mAh battery, 13 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera, slots for two SIM cards, Type-C USB 3.0 and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop preinstalled. It will also be able to run the latest version of Cyanogen OS 12.
Based on these purported specs, the Z1 gives an impression that it could be a OnePlus 2 killer. It can also be considered as belonging to the "killer specs, cheaper price" genre of handsets, which have always been dominated by the handsets from Xiaomi and OnePlus.
Design-wise, the Z1 boasts a metal frame with a glossy plastic build on its back cover. It measures 8.9 millimeters (0.35 inch) thick, which is enough to accommodate a bigger battery. The latter is also said to come with a fast 2.5A charger.
ZUK will also launch flip cases that are akin to LG's flip-based handsets. These will be adorned with a round window where users can view a virtual clock.
The handset's 13 MP rear camera is built with Sony IMX214 sensor with optical image stabilization. Apart from USB Type C, it also features 4G LTE for wireless connection.
Interestingly, the phone will come with a fingerprint scanner which, when not in use, will act primarily as the home button. The speaker's location is said to be found right at the bottom of the handset.
Price-wise, the Z1 may be a tough one to beat. According to the company, the phone will have a retail price of $285. This price, which is more than $100 cheaper than the 64 GB version of OnePlus 2, may just be the deciding factor for those who are still keen on getting a powerful phone yet have lost interest in waiting to get an invite.
