AT&T’s prepaid, no-contract GoPhone offerings just got two new smartphone options for AT&T customers with the launch of the Motorola Moto E and the ZTE Maven handsets.
The phones retail for $99.99 for the Moto E and $59.99 for the ZTE Maven while allowing customers to have no-contract phone plans that run on AT&T’s 4G LTE network.
The second-generation Moto E (pictured) has a 4.5-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) display with 960-by-540 resolution and a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 surface, a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 1GB of RAM; it runs on the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop mobile operating system. It also includes 8GB of built-in on-board storage, which is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD slot; a 5MP rear camera; and a VGA front camera. Plus, the device includes a 2,390mAh battery that provides up to about 14 hours of talk time and up to about 400 hours of standby time.
The Moto E 4G LTE is 5.12 inches long, 2.64 wide and 0.47 inches thick, while weighing about 5.1 ounces. The smartphone also features Bluetooth, a curved design to make it easier to hold and FM radio reception when used with a headset.
The latest Moto E includes many upgrades from the original first-generation Moto E that debuted in May 2014. The first-generation Moto E included a smaller 4.3-inch display screen, a less powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 dual-core processor, only 4GB of built-in on-board storage and a less powerful 1,980mAh battery.
The ZTE Maven includes a 4.5-inch touch-screen display; a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor; 1GB of memory; a 5-megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera with flash; a VGA front-facing camera; and 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to 32GB with a microSD card.
The Maven runs on the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and includes a 2,100mAh lithium ion removable battery for up to 10 hours of talk time. The phone, which is 5.31 inches long, 2.60 inches wide and 0.39 inches thick, weighs 4.7 ounces. The Maven is a 4G LTE-capable phone and also includes Bluetooth connectivity.
In addition, ZTE released its ZTE Sonata 2 smartphone for sale by Cricket Wireless, which is a no-contract, prepaid brand that’s a division of AT&T. The Sonata 2 is a 4G phone that sells for $29.99 at Cricket Wireless online or in select Cricket Wireless retail stores nationwide with new line activation or with an eligible upgrade, according to the company.
The Sonata 2 builds on the original Sonata phone and includes a 1.2GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor, 32GB of expandable storage via a microSD card, a 5MP rear-facing camera with LED flash and 4x zoom, a 2MP front-facing camera and a selfie shortcut button for easier selfies. The Sonata 2 also has longer battery life than the original Sonata, giving users all-day battery life.
“We are dedicated to understanding what U.S. consumers want and we build devices made entirely with them in mind,” Lixin Cheng, CEO and chairman of ZTE USA, said in a statement. “These affordable smartphones provide a premium experience and, matched with excellent wireless carriers such as AT&T and Cricket Wireless, are the end result of that dedication.”