ZTE CEO at CES 2017: ZTE could play a bigger role in the internet of things

By Christian de Looper January 6, 2017

ZTE U.S.A. CEO Lixin Cheng spoke with Digital Trends at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, saying the company takes a much more “grass-roots” approach to advertising — through word of mouth and through its great phones — and that strategy seems to be working.

Cheng also spoke a little about the fact that ZTE isn’t just a smartphone business — the company believes in connecting everything.

Recommended Videos

“We have mobile devices — the smartphone is a big part of that. We believe that in the future, everything is connected. Firstly, the communication between people, but we’re also going to facilitate collaboration between machines,” Cheng said in the interview. “Everyone’s talking about artificial intelligence and the internet of things, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.”

So should we glean from the interview that ZTE is going to play a bigger role in the internet of things? Well, it’s certainly possible. Apart from its smartphone business, ZTE is also known for wireless devices, and even internet hot spots for your car, such as the ZTE Mobley. Bringing out more connected devices that play nice with the products that ZTE already offers would make sense.

ZTE also makes tablets, and while the tablet market is largely shrinking, ZTE is still forging ahead in that sector. During the interview, Cheng said that we should expect more tablets this year, as ZTE continues its tradition of offering premium quality at an affordable price.

Check out the video below to see the full interview.

Digital Trends is live all week at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. Check out our continuing coverage live on YouTube, Facebook, #DTces, and DigitalTrends.com/ces/.

Topics

Christian de Looper

Contributor

Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

Mobile

I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps

The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Mobile

The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far

Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Mobile

Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look

Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.