We often forget about ZTE here in the states since the company does most of its operations outside of our home turf. Still, we shouldn’t forget that the company ranks fourth in the world in terms of handset makers, largely due to its focus on budget handsets.
The first half of last year brought about a loss of three percentage points in terms of profit, and ZTE is now ready to come back guns blazing. And where else is better to stage an attack than in two of the most mobile hungry countries on the planet: China and the United States.
ZTE began selling Windows Phone-powered handsets here last year, but the U.S. will garner more of the company’s attention as it expands its roll out into China by the third quarter of this year. ZTE is also focusing on more high-end models rather than budget-friendly feature phones, according to an interview with Reuters.
“The United States and China will be key engines driving our smartphone sales,” said head of handset strategy Lv Qianhao. “If we say ZTE started out as a contractor, like those building mass housing that are value for money, then we want to be a developer of luxury high-end estates.”