ZTE Blade A3Y review explains how this cheap phone may be attractive to some. Prominent features include the HD display, dual-flash, and Android 10.
ZTE Blade A3Y smartphone was released in October 2020. This phone is yet another proof that you don’t need a load of money to have a reliable gadget.
ZTE Blade A3Y is an Android smartphone with a cheap price and decent features. It starts with the 2GHz quad-core CPU to get you interested. Then we got 2GB RAM, the new Android 10, and an 8MP camera.
Being a budget, there are some compromises users need to make too. One of the examples is the battery, which is only 2,660mAh. ZTE Blade A3Y also misses fancy features like a dual camera.
For more information, this ZTE Blade A3Y review will walk you through the pros and cons. Enjoy getting to know the phone before making a buy decision.
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Key Specs
ZTE Blade A3Y specifications:
- Weight: 140g
- Dimensions: 147 x 71 x 9.5mm
- OS: Android 10
- Screen size: 5.5-inch
- Resolution: 1440 x 720
- CPU: 2GHz Quad-core, MediaTek Helio A22
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Battery: 2,660mAh, Removable
- Rear camera: 8MP
- Front camera: 5MP
Design
ZTE Blade A3Y has a simple, rectangular design. We don’t spot extravagant details be it the material or the design. Coming at 147 x 71 x 9.5mm for its dimension, this phone is compactly shaped. On top of that, it’s lightweight (140g.)
This phone has a long and narrow body. Understandably, there’s no full-screen design that features ultra-thin edges. It also comes with no notch. The front camera and the speaker are lined up on the top bezels.
The back cover is not plain. Instead, it has diagonal lines purposely to add textures. This design adds grips to the back cover, making it harder to slip from your hands. In the camera area, you can see how the ZTE Blade A3Y has two LED flashes.
The material of the phone comes from plastic. That explains how this phone is so lightweight. Durability is below average, as we don’t see any protective add-ons. This phone isn’t waterproof or shockproof.
All in all, ZTE Blade A3Y is an average-quality phone in terms of design. It’s something we expect due to its cheap price.
Read also: ZTE Blade A3Y User Manual
Display
ZTE Blade A3Y comes with a 5.5-inch screen. Today, it’s considered on the smaller side. However, for a budget phone, this is an okay size. Especially when you also get a good resolution of 1440 x 720. ZTE Blade A3Y is an HD smartphone.
With a resolution of 720p, the display provides a sharp viewing quality. Colors can look more accurate than on a QVGA display. Your eyes are less tired to see an HD screen than a lower quality one. So, that’s another advantage of having a high-definition display.
An HD screen is not the best quality screen on the market, so be prepared for some drawbacks. Especially if you are downgrading from a better phone, this ZTE Blade A3Y display can look lackluster instead. You will realize the lack of vibrancy in color. On top of that, the brightness is not great, especially outdoors.
The verdict for the screen size is also subjective depending on individuals. A 5.5-inch screen is not wide enough to enjoy an immersive movie experience. On the other hand, for casual users, it could be perfect. Not everybody enjoys scrolling through a gigantic 6-inch display.
Camera
For cameras, users enjoy a setup consisting of an 8MP rear lens and a 5MP front-facing lens. As you can see, you can see there’s no dual-camera on the ZTE Blade A3Y. Instead, buyers get two LED flashes. That’s the cheaper solution to help enhance night photos.
Having two LED flash means stronger illumination during a photoshoot. Budget phones typically suffer from photo quality due to limited sensors and low megapixels. The LED flash can help at night, but often, one lamp is not strong enough.
This camera fares better in this situation, thanks to the two lamps. Especially when the object lies further away from the camera, the LED light still can reach it. However, your picture won’t be completely free of noise.
During the day, the camera quality is just average. As per the usual rule, the best picture comes when natural lights are abundant. It means the camera works optimally outdoors, preferably when the sun is shining bright.
There are several obstacles to pay attention to. The lens suffers from overexposure, limited dynamic range, and low shutter speed. It’s a budget camera, after all. Getting a perfect shot can be tricky.
In conclusion, ZTE Blade A3Y’s cameras are more suitable for everyday snaps. It’s not for photography hobbyists. The same rule applies to video quality too, in which this camera can take only up to 720p videos.
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Storage
Coming with 32GB storage, we found ZTE Blade A3Y to be having adequate space to store user files. It doesn’t take a lot of space to store hundreds of photos, as the file size is small.
The problem lies more in app installation. There’s not much space for many big apps, especially streaming apps with offline downloads. At some point, you’ll get that annoying storage full notification.
There’s an option for external storage. The expandable storage slot allows up to 2TB installed. This is a substantial amount to add more space to the phone.
Performance
ZTE Blade A3Y runs on a 2GHz MediaTek Helio A22 chipset. Typically common in a budget model, this CPU offers decent performance. As long as basic tasks are concerned, the CPU paired with 2GB RAM can be a good setup.
When it’s new, the phone launches apps and switches between screens swiftly. It seemingly handles multitasking with ease. Basic operations like social media and web browsing provide no significant lags.
As time goes and more apps are installed, lags start to happen. Especially when you use data-heavy apps like when online shopping, a decrease in performance is noticeable. During this situation, having 2GB RAM proves to be limited.
Patience is the key when using a budget phone like ZTE Blade A3Y. Trying to squeeze out the performance can lead to a crash. That’s why this ZTE Blade A3Y review also concludes how this phone is not for gaming. Any resources-demanding app is not a best friend to this phone. It’s best to stick with lightweight phone operations, including calls, chatting, and occasional visits to your Facebook.
ZTE Blade A3Y features Android 10. Coming with the original user interface, this Android helps keep things light for the CPU and RAM. Some useful apps are pre-installed, such as the Google apps.
On the other hand, there are Yahoo apps such as Yahoo Mail, News, and Weather. These apps can feel redundant, as many of the functions are exactly similar to their Google counterparts. They also use up storage space.
The fingerprint reader is probably the best feature this phone has. It is nice to have a fingerprint reader when you only need to pay cheaply. A fingerprint sensor increases usability and security on ZTE Blade A3Y.
ZTE Blade A3Y also comes with a bunch of other helpful features, There is multi-language support, hearing aid compatibility, and a flashlight. To conclude, this phone is a reliable device for everyday needs, although you need to compromise its performance flaws by keeping phone usage light.
Connectivity
Like most phones today, ZTE Blade A3Y supports 4G LTE. The type of SIM card used here is Nano-SIM. The 4G supports to allow for uninterrupted phone calls with clear sound. For areas with a lack of coverage, the phone also provides 3G and 2G.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are available on ZTE Blade A3Y. The technology used is not the latest. For example, Bluetooth still uses the older version 4.2. However, they are still reliable for everyday use.
ZTE Blade A3Y features the latest USB model, the USB Type-C. For this reason, data transfer and charging are quicker. We appreciate the fact it is included here. A budget phone usually resorts to the older Micro USB.
Battery
The battery setup on ZTE Blade A3Y is simple as well with a capacity of 2,660mAh. On top of that, this phone also employs a removable battery.
The spec sheet explains the on-paper performance, which we found quite impressive. For a small battery, it can withstand 16 hours long conversation at maximum. The standby time is 455 hours.
Real-life performance is lower depending on use. ZTE Blade A3Y is energy-efficient in general. One full charge can last for one day of usage. The last thing to mention, there’s no fast charging available on this phone. Instead, charging time is average.
Is the ZTE Blade A3Y a good phone?
ZTE Blade A3Y is designed for beginner consumers. It offers basic functionalities, and there’s nothing jaw-dropping about the features. The appearance is generic and the specs are average as well. But if there’s anything remarkable, it’s the price.
This phone is selling at $19,99. A very cheap price that will give you an Android 10 phone with an HD display. Another notable feature is the fingerprint reader, a feature that’s usually opted out on budget names.
Although there are flaws here and there, this ZTE Blade A3Y review shows how it is still attractive for a certain segment of consumers. If you’re not requiring your phone to have a gigantic display or dual-camera, ZTE Blade A3Y is for you.
ZTE Blade A3Y Pros
- Fingerprint reader
- Dual LED Flash
- 2TB external storage
- Android 10
- Cheap price
ZTE Blade A3Y Cons
- Average camera
- Small battery
