Skip to main content

Hands on: ZTE Grand S2

On paper the ZTE Grand S 2 should be fighting with the big players in the smartphone world. Instead the advancements made in certain areas are let down by poor build quality and cheap-feeling materials.

Shows like CES are often battlegrounds for competitors, where each tries to outdo the other in everything from the glitz of its press event or show booth, to the strength and innovation of the products it launches. This year, there’s an interesting fight going on between ZTE and Huawei, as both announced new high-end flagship phones. In Huawei’s corner it’s the Ascend Mate 2 4G, while ZTE has the Grand S2. In the past the two Chinese firms have been too close to call, but this time there is a clear winner.

The ZTE Grand S2 has a specification which puts it up against phones like the Galaxy Note 3 and the Xperia Z1. A 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor provides plenty of power, and the phone really does zip along. Android 4.3 is installed, and the chip’s serious power helps mask any slowdown created by ZTE’s MiFavor user interface. Even with the animations and flashy transitions turned on, the Grand S2 didn’t frustrate like some previous ZTE phones.

An almost-there smartphone that once picked up, doesn’t inspire you to hold it for very long

A big 5.5-inch screen dominates the front panel and looks fantastic, really crisp and bright. The resolution is 1080p, there’s a 13-megapixel camera on the back, a 2-megapixel cam above the screen, and a sensibly large 3000mAh battery inside. Based on its spec, the Grand S2 should eclipse the Ascend Mate 2, and even take on other pleasant show surprises such as the Lenovo Vibe Z.

Sadly though, the Grand S2 is let down by less than inspiring build quality. It’s serious enough to be distracting, even when playing with potentially fun applications such as the phone’s voice control. The problem lies with the rear panel, which flexes and bends in all the wrong places. You can feel it’s not right when holding the phone in your palm, and even the edges don’t appear to sit flush with the body.

We tried each phone on display, plus a phone provided by ZTE which wasn’t out on the show floor, and all were the same. It’s not something limited to a single color either, as they were all different. It’s a real disappointment, as from the front the Grand S2 is quite attractive, particularly its curvy corners. Turn it over and it’s like a different phone. It looks cheap, and worse, it feels cheap. After putting in all that effort to bump the spec and improve MiFavor, it’s a shame the physical package hasn’t had the same level of attention.

Ultimately then, the Grand S2 is more of the same from ZTE, an almost-there smartphone that once picked up, doesn’t inspire you to hold it for very long. It’s bad news too, as Huawei has made considerable strides in quality and desirability with the Ascend Mate 2, which impresses despite being a phone we’d normally find too large and ungainly. One nil to Huawei at CES 2014.

Not that this may be a problem for the U.S. and Europe, as ZTE still can’t provide any information on whether the Grand S2 will be sold outside of China and other parts of Asia. For once, regrettably, we’re not all that bothered.

Highs

  • Large, crisp and bright 1080p screen
  • Fast Snapdragon 800 processor
  • Improved MiFavor Android user interface

Lows

  • Less than impressive build quality
  • Unpleasant plastic rear cover

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Android phones are stealing (and beating) the iPhone 14’s best feature at CES 2023
Iridium Satellite constellation

Qualcomm has announced Snapdragon Satellite at CES 2023, which will be the world’s first satellite-based solution for two-way messaging on premium smartphones and more. Unlike the iPhone 14’s satellite connectivity, which is only for emergency use, Snapdragon Satellite will work for two-way text messaging and some supported messaging apps, as well as emergency use cases.

Snapdragon Satellite is an agreement between Qualcomm and Iridium, and it will be in next-generation premium Android smartphones using the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. Garmin will also support Snapdragon Satellite for emergency messaging.

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus cases and covers
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus in hand.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 range is Samsung's latest flagship offering, and it's the Galaxy S22 Plus that's the middle option between the standard S22 and the premium S22 Ultra. As is now becoming customary with Samsung, it's a beautiful device with a luscious 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen.

Of course, as lovely as it looks, it's not invulnerable to damage, even with the inclusion of Gorilla Glass Victus Plus. And if you've invested in a flagship phone, you likely don't want to see your precious investment shattered, so here's a roundup of the best Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus cases available to buy right now.

Read more
This is the Pixel 2’s secret eye-scanning feature that never was
Google Pixel 2 XL - Best Android phones

Google's Pixel 2 was one of the best phones the company made, but it had the potential to be even cooler. The Internal Archive this weekend shared a prototype of an early Pixel 2 model that was equipped with iris-scanning technology. Google did not ultimately ship the Pixel 2 with an iris scanner, opting instead for its Pixel Imprint rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

According to the Archive, the Pixel prototype here was a single-purpose one. It was dedicated nearly entirely to testing iris recognition. The front camera is gone, replaced by an infrared unit, and the rear camera lacks LEDs as well. Even the software loaded on the phone is an entirely basic version of Android with nothing but the bare necessities.

Read more