ZTE unveils the $99 Zmax Pro with 6-inch display, Snapdragon 617

The CPU runs at speed of 1.5GHz and has 2GB of RAM.

ZTE puts a fingerprint reader on the back of the phone – and points out that this is the first sub-$100 handset in the United States to offer biometric security – along with a 13-megapixel camera.

“I have absolutely no idea how ZTE isn’t selling these for a loss (if that’s even true), but I guess that doesn’t matter much on our end – the 6” ZTE ZMax Pro is coming to MetroPCS and is selling for just $100, despite having a solid set of mid-tier specs.

It has 32GB of internal storage and, in case that’s not enough, a microSD card slot. The front-facing camera clocks in at 5-megapixels, meanwhile. The battery perhaps is the standout feature, weighing in at 3400 mAh. ZTE even paid attention to the small details, such as adding copper accents around the fingerprint reader and side buttons, which gives the ZMax Pro a decidedly classier appearance that a lot of its similarly priced competition. MetroPCS is taking pre-orders starting today with availability on August 1st. The price should still fall short of the $200 mark, beating out the Moto G4 for the budget crown and giving the budget scene its first premium mid-range phablet. The new ZMAX Pro follows up on the Snapdragon 400-toting original ZMAX and its similar sequel, signaling a huge jump in quality and Android experience for the line. “We continue giving consumers what they want, value, and use at a pace in which they ask for it”. But as a GSM phone, there’s a chance it’ll launch on other U.S. carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile in the future.