ZTE Star 2 launched with system-wide voice control and high-end specs

Indeed, actions such as placing a call, controlling the camera, or even unlocking the device, can all be carried out with just your voice – a bit like Motorola's Moto Voice, though ZTE claims its own solution is better than what competitors have to offer. According to CNET, even though the feature was built with Mandarin Chinese in mind, the Android 4.4 KitKat-touting Star 2 also understands English, but not as well just yet. In its PR statement, ZTE claims that the Star 2 makes use of some 1,000 different patents, 158 of which related to voice control. Furthermore, the company claims that its implementation has 90% success rate even in "abnormal noise conditions", and has a response rate of just 1.2 seconds.

Going back to the hardware, we're looking at a 5-inch, 1080 x 1920 resolution display (or 441 ppi) with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with four cores clocked at 2.3GHz, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in, expandable storage. The rear camera on board is a 13-megapixel Sony sensor with f/2.0 aperture and dual LED flash, with a 5-megapixel selfie snapper with f/2.2 aperture and 88-degree wide-angled lens taking the front. The device is encased within an aluminum alloy frame and has pretty small (0.05 in / 1.18 mm) bezels. It is also quite thin, at 0.27 in (6.9 mm), though that does come at the expense of battery capacity – the 2,300 mAh juicer isn't what we expect from a 2015 flagship.

The ZTE Star 2 is already available to buy online in China for ¥2,499, or the equivalent of $402. ZTE is keeping mum on which markets are to follow, though it is planning on showcasing the flagship in January at CES 2015 in Las Vegas.

source: CNET, BusinessWire