$130 ZTE Max XL launched on Boost Mobile, packing surprisingly generous specs in places

ZTE is on a roll this week, attacking the budget sector with reasonably well thought-out phones. After releasing the $199 Blade Max 3, the Chinese brand is going to launch a new prepaid phone on Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile – the ZTE Max XL. Embargoed information leaked online, describing a $130 phone with some surprisingly solid hardware for the price. The device features a 6-inch 1080p-resolution screen and is powered by the Snapdragon 435 chipset with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

There's a 13MP main camera and 5MP front camera, along with a 3990mAh battery. The ZTE Max XL runs Android Nougat and also supports the High Performance User Equipment standard (HPUE - read more on Wikipedia) for faster network speeds and better coverage.

Overall, this sounds like a very respectable phone for the money – assuming ZTE got the software right and there's no jankiness or excess of bloatware to get in the way of enjoyable use.

The smartphone will be sold on Boost Mobile's 2GB plan, which also offers unlimited talk and text for $30 with auto-renew, or $35 without. You can also get it on the carrier's Unlimited Gigs plan (unlimited talk, text, and data) for $50/mo. These are prices for the plans only. Monthly leasing for the handset hasn't been announced.

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