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ZTE Vital
ZTE Vital
ZTE Vital
ZTE Vital
...


5.1/10
Informr score
The ZTE Vital currently has an Informr score of 5.1 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 6 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Bright, crisp display with wide viewing angles
  • Decent battery life
  • Relatively smooth and snappy performance

What's bad

  • Poor call quality
  • Sluggish data connection
  • Screen attracts and retains fingerprint smudges

Like other ZTE phones, the Vital is targeted towards budget-minded consumers. Despite the budget price tag, the device impressed reviewers with its overall performance and quality. At 5.59 inches tall and 2.8 inches wide, the handset doesn't easily fit into standard jean pockets. Fortunately, critics found that it was comfortable and easy to use one-handed due to the soft-touch back cover and gently sloped edges.

Unlike standard budget phones, ZTE opted for a 5 inch IPS display with a 720 pixel resolution. Although it pales in comparison to more high-end phones like the iPhone 5, the ZTE display still manages a decent 293ppi. The quality surprised testers as it provided them with wide viewing angles, vivid graphics and good bright light legibility. Engadget does note, however, that while the whites are fairly bright, the blacks are lighter than AMOLED displays. Like most smartphones, the screen offers capacitive touch, which CNET says is, "adequately sensitive and responsive…" Unfortunately, the screen was found to retain fingerprint smudges, which eventually impacted touch performance as they built up.

Behind the screen lies a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. While not the fastest smartphone available the Qaudrant benchmark test placed the ZTE Vital above both the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Express. Real-life tests back up these results as experts describe the phone as "snappy" and had no issues with lag when opening or using apps. In order to keep running, ZTE equipped the device with a 2,500mAh battery. Digital Trends tests clock the battery life at 9 hours with heavy usage though they also say, "conservative usage owners might be able to squeeze a longer day out of it."

To appeal to the phonographers, the ZTE Vital offers a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and a slew of editing options. For the most part, reviewers had no complaints about the overall image sharpness or color accuracy in regular lighting. In bright light, however, PC Mag noticed that light colors got washed out and the camera had difficulty capturing both dark and bright areas.

While the "smart" aspect of the ZTE Vital works well, many reviewers were disappointed with the phone aspect. Reviewers experienced poor signal, tinny voice quality and numerous dropped calls. When connecting to the LTE network, even in areas with good reception, critics were met with sluggish connectivity speeds.

Despite a few issues, most experts had favorable reviews of the ZTE Vital though Phone Arena goes on to say, "Despite being aging, previous flagships…remain more compelling offerings at the same price point."


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
1.5 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.5 GHz
5"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5"
13+ MP
Camera
Camera
13+ MP
2500 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Digital Trends
Digital Trends

The Sprint Vital fits comfortably in with other mid-range Android phones in the $50 – $100 price range. It combines some elements and features found on flagship phones with internal hardware that was high end last year and is now affordable. Call quality and battery life aren’t great, es...

- K. T. Bradford, Digital Trends
Engadget
Engadget

So where does this leave our assessment of the Vital? Overall, it's a pleasant device to use, though it has very few qualities that make it memorable. There's not much about the handset we truly loathe, but mainstream consumers are becoming much more picky about what they carry. On one hand, this pa...

- Brad Molen, Engadget
PhoneArena
PhoneArena

ZTE continues to make solid handsets for the budget minded, but their problem is that they just can’t stack up with the big boys. The display, system performance and build quality are all good, but not great, and the Vital takes a serious hit in the phone performance categories.

- Brian K., PhoneArena
Phone Scoop
Phone Scoop

The ZTE Vital is a bit of a puzzler for me. Though ZTE did a good job with the hardware and design, there are some fundamental functionality issues that concern me. For one, the poor behavior on Sprint's network, the crummy call quality, and the slow data performance. These are all things that moder...

- Eric M. Zeman, Phone Scoop
BGR
BGR

A $99 off-brand handset is not supposed to feature a gorgeous 5-inch break-resistant display with HD resolution. It’s also not supposed to include a terrific 13-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 + LE, fantastic battery life and stock Jelly Bean. Sprint’s Vital is defini...

- Zach Epstein, BGR


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the ZTE Vital user manual here.


ZTE backs up the Vital with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Vital has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact ZTE support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find ZTE's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
5"

The ZTE Vital's screen size is 5 inches with x pixels resolution.

Processor
1.5 GHz

There is a Qualcomm MSM8960 Dual core 1.5 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on proprietary operating system firmware.

Camera
13+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 13+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 1+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
8 GB

Internal memory is 8 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC (up to 64 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
2500mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 2500 mAh battery.

ZTE Vital Specs

Overview
Release Date June 14, 2013
Regions Available USA
Operating System No

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm MSM8960 Dual core 1.5 GHz
Internal Storage 8 GB
RAM 1 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation No
SAR Head: 1.501 W/kg
Body: 1.315 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual, Standard Battery
Cellular
Networks
1xRTT, EV-DO, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling No
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) No
SIM card size
Yes
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Yes
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, DUN, OPP/FTP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC (up to 64 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
13+ Megapixels
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Face detection, Geotagging, ISO, Multi-shot, Panorama, Red-eye reduction, Self-timer, Blink detection, Exposure, Anti-banding
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
1+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution x pixels
Pixel Density 294 pixels
Size 5 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 2500 mAh
Removable Battery Yes
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Unknown
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Unknown
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Unknown
Standby Time Unknown
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Black
Dimensions [H x W x D] 14.2 x 7.1 x 1.0 cm (5.6 x 2.8 x 0.4 in)
Weight 154 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key Yes
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Trackball
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Messaging: SMS, MMS, Google Talk
Multi-Use Smart Phone / PDA: Yes
Graphics: Yes
Themes: Yes
Backlit Illumination: Yes
Zoom / Magnification: Yes
Screen Orientation Lock: Yes
Predictive Text Entry: Yes
Voicemail Key: Yes
Voice Commands: Yes
Keypad/Screen Lock: Yes
Multiple Numbers Per Contact: Email address, Other fields
Contact Groups: Yes
Voice Activated Dialing: Yes
Photo Caller ID: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Email Client: Yes
Email Protocols: POP3, IMAP, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
PC Synchronization: Yes
ECML / Digital Wallet: Yes
Audio Formats: MP3, eAAC+, AAC+, AAC, WAV
Video Playback Formats: 3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
Streaming Video: Yes
Custom Ringtones: Yes
Vibration Alert: Yes
Downloadable Ringtones: Yes
Ringer ID: Yes
Speakerphone: Yes
Haptic Feedback: Yes
Data Tethering: Yes
Mobile Hotspot: Yes
Games: Downloadable
Apps: Downloadable, Pre-installed
Included Software / Apps: -
Calendar, World Clock, Alarm, Stop Watch, Timer, Calculator, Weather, Maps, Voice Memos / Recorder

Other Names (AKA): Sprint Vital, ZTE N9810, Virgin Mobile Supreme
Related Links Quick Start Guide (PDF)
Manual (PDF)
ZTE Vital Reviews
Where to buy ZTE Vital
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