Zte C78 Views

• General Goods

Though Chinese manufacturer ZTE has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, it still has a small presence in the United States. Its phones are available only at regional carrier MetroPCS, and even then you're limited to relatively low-end models. In the last year, we've reviewed the ZTE C79 and the C88 and we now turn our attention to C78. Sporting a candy-bar design in a unique purple hue (purple phones are in, by the way), the C78 offers mid-range features with decent call quality. At $119, it's on ... Expand full review

Though Chinese manufacturer ZTE has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, it still has a small presence in the United States. Its phones are available only at regional carrier MetroPCS, and even then you're limited to relatively low-end models. In the last year, we've reviewed the ZTE C79 and the C88 and we now turn our attention to C78. Sporting a candy-bar design in a unique purple hue (purple phones are in, by the way), the C78 offers mid-range features with decent call quality. At $119, it's on the pricey side, but keep in mind that MetroPCS doesn't require service contracts.

Performance We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) ZTE C78 in San Francisco using MetroPCS service. Call quality was decent overall, with a clear signal and little static and interference. Voices sounded a tad robotic, but it wasn't too bothersome. On the other hand, the volume was too low; we had trouble hearing in noisy situations.

The ZTE C78 is a basic candy-bar cell phone, its purple color being its most noticeable feature. Released just before Christmas 2008, the ZTE C78 is available only through MetroPCS, which requires no contractual commitment. Rather, it's a month-to-month deal, with plans ranging from $30 to $50, plus some extra charges for various services (see www.metropcs.com for details). The consensus of professional and owner reviews is that the ZTE C78 has a good range of features for the price, but that there are noticeable corners cut on quality. Owner reviews particularly cite the lack of a driver to allow a connection with your computer.