17 February 2011, Düsseldorf/Shenzhen – ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today announced that it is commencing the launch of its own brand in Germany with the smartphone “ZTE Skate”. At the ceremonial ZTE Skate launch event at the 8 Seasons in Munich, General Manager of ZTE Germany John Lee presented the handset to the public. He highlighted to the journalists ZTE´s objective for the future to enforce its position as an own brand. ZTE plans to further enhance its overall market strategy in the area of smartphones.

“ZTE Skate” is the first in a series of smartphones that are to be launched under ZTE’s own brand name in Germany this year. Having already achieved global sales of about 2 million units, the device is one of the flagship products of ZTE that helped the company gain a good start for the introduction of its own label in Spain, UK, France and other regions.

“In terms of shipped units, reports from market research firms ABI Research, IDC, and Strategy Analytics show that ZTE is the fifth largest handset manufacturer in the world. Therefore the time is right to bring our devices to the market with our own logo,” said John Lee during the Skate presentation in Munich. “We are delighted to launch the ZTE Skate jointly with Telefónica Germany, following the already successful launch of the same device in Spain in association with Telefónica S.A.”

With its design inspired by the skateboard, the slim line Skate weighs just 148g and features a 4.3 inch touch screen with 480 x 800 resolution. It comes preloaded with the most important apps aimed to enrich and simplify the user´s everyday life – such as applications for social networks (Facebook, Twitter) and music applications. ZTE Skate runs the Android Operating System version 2.3.5 – also known as Gingerbread.

As well as the touch screen keys on the display, the smartphone has three physical menu buttons to improve handling. The internal 512MB storage, together with the 800 MHz fast processor, builds the core of the Skate and ensures judder-free operation and applications. The storage capacity of the Skate can be extended with a microSD card up to 32GB. In addition, the 1400 mAh battery provides professional performance with its long-lasting duration for moderate usage.

Completing the feature list is a built-in 5 megapixel camera that ensures sufficient illumination, even in poor lighting conditions, thanks to an LED flash.

Pricing and availability:

The ZTE Skate is immediately available through the O2 My Handy payment scheme, with a first installment of 1€ and 24 monthly installments of 10€, making a total price of 241€. Combined with the O2 Blue XS tariff of only 9,99€ per month, the Skate offers an ideal choice for smartphone beginners. Details of the device and tariff rates are available at www.o2.de, through the O2 hotline or in O2 shops.