Mobile World No.2 2016 : Zte spro plus

Mobile World No.2 2016
This issue features the inside story behind ZTE's Spro family and ZTE's chief design officer's insight on product design. It also presents ZTE's latest handset Blade V7 Lite.

1. 2016 No.2
BimonthlyHANDS-ON DESIGN & ART FOCUS
ZTE Blade V7 Lite: A
Minimalist Phone
Products Disappear —
Design Begins
10 Cool Crowdfunded
Products

2. 2
Innovation is part of ZTE’s
DNA, and is evident within all
its recent products.
ZTE’s smart projector
products typify this. p8 p6
p4
ZTE Blade V7 Lite: A Minimalist
Phone
HANDS-ON6
8 FOCUS
The Inside Story Behind ZTE’s Spro
Family
4
INFORMATION ROUNDUP
p5

3. p26
Chairman: Zeng Xuezhong
Vice Chairman: Wang Xiang
Consultants: Ji Zhongwei, Mao Qian, Wang Xiang,
Zhang Shumin, Zhang Zhenyu, Zhu Wenqi
Members: Chen Duolei, Gao Feng, Huang Xinming,
Li Bo, Luo Wei, Lv Qianhao, Qian Peng, Tu Yaming,
Wang Jing, Wei Zheng, Xu Xiaolu
Sponsor: ZTE Corporation
Edited by Shenzhen Editorial Office, Strategy
Planning Department
Editor-in-Chief: Huang Xinming
Executive Editor: Liu Yang
Editor: He Xi, Yang Yang
Circulation Manager: Wang Pingping
Address: NO. 55, Hi-tech Road South,
Shenzhen, P.R.China
Postcode: 518057
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Publishing Date: April 30, 2016
Volume 9 No. 2 (Issue 42)
First Issue Published in 2008
Mobile World Editorial Board
All rights reserved. The content of this magazine may not be
reproduced either in whole or in part without the written consent
of ZTE. Every effort has been made to ensure the information
included is both accurate and complete; however, ZTE cannot
accept misuse or misinterpretation of the information published
or implied from the content. In the case of ZTE mobile devices,
the reviews are based on the products we could find at the time
of printing. The product availability and descriptions may vary in
different countries. Please take the actual product as the standard.
3
p22 p34
NO.2 2016
http://wwwen.zte.com.cn/en/about/publications
28
FASHION
28 Customization Creates a New Way of Life
30 You are Just a Few Steps Away from a
Happier Life
32
MOBILE MASTERY
Building a Theater in Your Home
34
ZTE WORLD
Spring Photos Taken by ZTE AXON
20
DESIGN & ART
20 Products Disappear – Design Begins
22 10 Cool Crowdfunded Products
24
SMART GADGETS
24 ZTE Alighting: A Revolutionary Smart
Home Solution
26 Equip Your Car with a Smart Rear-View
Mirror
Mobile World for Android

4. INFORMATION ROUNDUP
4
ZTE Teams up with the Warriors to
Launch Phone Drive
ZTE Announces Partnership with
Sevilla Football Club
On February 21, ZTE Mobile Devices announced the signing of a sponsorship deal
with Sevilla Football Club to serve as the club’s “Official Technology Partner”. This
sponsorship seals the deal for ZTE to be the official smartphone of the team. ZTE’s
support of sporting activities across the world is already scoring great results and
becoming a definitive part of the ZTE brand.
With this agreement, both ZTE and Sevilla FC will carry out several events throughout
the season to engage with fans. Apart from advertising space in the stadium, Sevilla
FC fans will also receive the latest information about ZTE products and participate in
exclusive sweepstakes to win smartphones, tickets or merchandising from the team.
ZTE Retains Top-3
Position in WIPO
Patent Table
ZTE is one of the top 3 companies submit-
ting the most patent applications for the
sixth consecutive year, according to the
World Intellectual Property Organization’s
latest annual table of patent applicants.
With 2,155 filings under the Patent
Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”), ZTE was No.
3 in WIPO’s table of patent applicants in
2015. ZTE is the only Chinese company
to make the top 3 list for six years. ZTE
ranked 1st in 2011 and 2012, 2nd in
2013, and 3rd in 2014.
ZTE’s industry-leading development of
key technologies is made possible in part
through continuous investment of 10%
of the company incomes into research &
development every year.
ZTE Reports over RMB100.1 Billion in
Revenues for 2015
On April 6, ZTE announced overall operating
revenues of RMB100.19 billion for the year
ended December 31, 2015, while operating cash
flow and cash dividend hit historic highs as sales
in 4G products, smart city and emerging ICT
technologies pushed operating revenues up 23%
compared to 2014.
ZTE reported net profit attributable to its hold-
ers of ordinary shares of RMB3.21 billion for
2015, with basic earnings per share amount-
ing to RMB0.78. ZTE’s operating cash flow was
RMB7.405 billion according to PRC ASBEs and
the cash dividend totaled RMB1.038 billion was
the highest ever in history.
In March, ZTE USA teamed up with the Golden
State Warriors and asked Bay Area residents to
donate used phones, tablets and other mobile
devices in support of the Warriors Community
Foundation.
Lasting over 10 days, ZTE’s second annual phone
drive resulted in active donations to benefit the
Warriors Foundation’s Hoops for Kids, a program
dedicated to helping Bay Area kids live, learn and
play.
ZTE partnered with 16 Metro PCS locations in the
Bay Area to expand the device drive. Consumers
who donated devices had the chance to meet
Warriors Community Ambassador Adonal Foyle
and receive a free Warriors poster. The phone
drive culminated at the Warriors vs. Clippers
game at Oracle Arena where fans in attendance
could donate used devices on the concourse and
receive a Warriors poster as well.
Warriors Community Ambassador
Adonal Foyle (L)

5. INFORMATION ROUNDUP
5
ZTE Updates Blade Smartphone
Line at MWC 2016
On March 19-20, ZTE presented the 2016
Houston Rockets 3-on-3 Blacktop Battle
in the streets of Houston outlining Toyota
Center.
On February 27, the Chicago Bulls and
ZTE presented Derrick Rose bobble head
night. In an effort to enhance the fans
experience, ZTE teamed up with the
Official Wireless Sponsor of the Chicago
Bulls, AT&T.
At MWC 2016, ZTE kicked off its Europe
Tour, showcasing its devices with a road
show truck in five countries.
On February 20, ZTE and Metro PCS
teamed up once again to hold a meet
and greet with Chandler Parsons in Dal-
las. Over 400 fans participated in it.
At a Glance
On February 22, ZTE unveiled the latest iterations of its Blade smartphone series, an-
nouncing Blade V7 and Blade V7 Lite.
Blade V7 is equipped with a 5.2-inch full HD screen, is powered by an octacore chip,
and includes an expanded smart sense intelligent gesture control. It has a body that
is 3 mm thick at its thinnest point, with a 78.2 per cent screen-to-body ratio. It also
features 4G LTE Plus, 2 GB of RAM, and front and rear 13-megapixel cameras, and
will initially be available in Germany, Spain, South Africa, Ethiopia and Mexico by the
summer of this year.
The smaller ZTE Blade V7 Lite has a 5-inch HD screen, and comes with a fingerprint
scanner. Like Blade V7, the V7 Lite also comes equipped with a powerful camera and
smart sense gesture control.
More than 30 million Blade phones were shipped in over 50 countries worldwide by
the end of last year.
Projector
In a separate device launch at a press conference, ZTE also unveiled the latest version
of its smart projector, Spro Plus. Placing it 2.4 meters away from any surface will pro-
ject an image up to 80 inches across. The device can also work as a tablet, comes with
an 8.4-inch touchscreen and 2K resolution, and also offers up to six hours battery life.

6. HANDS-ON HANDS-ON 6
A Minimalist
Phone
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
Minimalism is being exten-
sively applied to smartphone
design in 2016. Mobile phone
designers are trying to use the
fewest and barest elements to
maximum effect. This design
style brings a fresh new look
to smartphones, while placing
greater emphasis on crafts-
manship and texture. ZTE
Blade V7 Lite is such a model
of minimalism. While it ap-
pears simple on the outside,
it pays great attention to tex-
ture, detail and functionality.
HANDS-ON
6

7. HANDS-ON HANDS-ON 7
Special Experience
Android 6.0
Blade V7 Lite runs Android 6.0, which has a more
efficient kernel, better permission management and
new power-saving features. The operation is buttery-
smooth, with no lag. The battery lasts much longer than
before. You have granular control over the permissions
each app requires. You can also use your MicroSD card
for internal storage. All these factors contribute to the
ease of using the phone.
Mobile World Says:
Blade V7 Lite has a minimalist design and a
metallic look. It also feels good in the hand.
Its display, camera, fingerprint recognition,
and smart sense gesture control result in a
phone that is set to be very competitive in
the market.
1. Minimalist Design
Blade V7 Lite features a concise front, with
flashlight and front camera located sym-
metrically to either side of the receiver. Un-
der the screen is a blue circle home button.
The almost bezel-free 5-inch display comes
with 2.5D curved glass, giving the phone
an elegant look. The phone both looks and
feels premium. It is mere 7.9 mm thick and
has a metal frame. It is tightly put together,
demonstrating impeccable craftsmanship.
The back cover has a metallic feeling and
features a circular fingerprint reader below
the rear camera. There is a metallic ring
around both the lens of the camera and the
fingerprint reader.
2. High-Quality Screen
The 5-inch screen features impressive
display performance. When the screen
displays dark images, there are no obvi-
ous issues with light leakage. The color
contrast is high and you can see detail in
the shadow. The display also offers superb
brightness and you can see the phone
screen even in direct sunlight. Last but not
least, the screen has great color saturation
and viewing angles.
3. Fingerprint Reader
It takes only 0.3 seconds for the fingerprint
reader to complete the recognition process
and unlock the phone. Operation is easy
since the reader supports 360 degree
fingerprint matching. You can use your
fingerprint to launch a corresponding app
when the phone screen is off or locked. It
also supports fingerprint touch operations.
When launching the camera, you can take
selfies with a tap of the fingerprint reader.
You can double-tap the reader to turn on
the flashlight when the screen is off. When
playing music, you can switch between
tracks by swiping up or down. You can also
swipe up or down to adjust the volume or
browse web pages. Meanwhile, you can
encrypt and lock pictures, phone book, files
and SMSs with your fingerprint.
4. Smart Sense
Blade V7 Lite boasts a special smart sense
gesture control function. While holding
down the volume button, you can wave
your phone in an M shape to play music,
in a V shape to activate the camera, in a Z
shape to make a call, or in an O shape to
stop the music. The phone also supports
gesture control on a locked screen. For
instance, you can perform a 3-finger sweep
to switch between songs, double tap to
turn on the display, draw an “M” to start
the music player, and draw an “O” to start
the browser. There are over 20 gesture-
activated features. After you get used to
motion controls, it is like playing magic.
A Powerful Camera
Blade V7 inherits the powerful cam-
era functions of ZTE’s smartphones.
The 13-megapixel rear camera
provides the pro and auto modes.
The pro mode offers full control of
every aspect of the camera and gives
you much more play room. The auto
mode automatically chooses the best
mode for the scene you are photo-
graphing and suits users who prefer
not to fuss around with the settings.
The high-end version of the phone
uses an 8-megapixel front camera.
The front flashlight allows you to take
great selfies under difficult shooting
conditions, such as at nighttime, or
with backlighting. Different shooting
modes are available, including smile
shutter, voice, V-gesture and touch
& shoot.
HANDS-ON
Fingerprint Recognition
The fingerprint reader is on the back of the phone.
When you hold the phone with one hand, your index
finger falls naturally on the reader. By pressing your
finger onto the reader gently, the phone unlocks in a
split second. Several unlocking tests show that you can
more easily turn on the phone without the power but-
ton once you get accustomed to fingerprint recognition.
Moreover, you can use the reader for navigation and
quick-launching apps.
7
The dual rear speakers
deliver great sound.
Since the camera is
slightly raised, the speak-
ers’ output will not be
completely blocked even
if the phone is put flat
on a table with its screen
facing up.
The front panel is clean.
The circular home but-
ton is the mark of most
ZTE smartphones, and
matches up well with
the 2.5D curved glass
surface.
The addition of a lit-
tle metal trimming is
refreshing. You can see
it on the frame edge,
fingerprint reader and
rear camera.

8. FOCUS
8
ZTE Spro Plus
Projector Redefined
ZTE has redefined the smart
projector with Spro Plus. You
can hardly tell whether it is
more a projector or of a tablet.
The combination of a tablet and
a smart projector allows you
unlimited business and
entertainment opportunities.

9. Innovation is part of ZTE?s DNA, and is evident within all its recent products. ZTE?s
smart projector products typify this. The ZTE development team showed both courage
and vision in creating an entirely new product category with the ZTE Spro series, whose
latest model, ZTE Spro Plus, was well received at MWC 2016. Let?s now take a closer
look at how ZTE?s design and engineering teams created these devices. FOCUS
9
Smart Projector Overview
With the current boom in mobile internet,
mobile devices are becoming smarter and
more portable. Conventional bulky and heavy
projectors are only appropriate for use in
workplace conference rooms. As projectors
become increasingly portable and intelligent,
the “smart projector”—an entirely new
product category, has been established.

10. What is a Smart Projector?
A smart projector features Wi-Fi and
an operating system with an
independent UI. Android was the
first operating system incorporated
within a pico projector. A smart
projector connects to PCs, Android
and iOS devices and USB peripherals
to display their content. It has
multiple USB interfaces and
supports a USB keyboard and
mouse. It is small, versatile, and
easy to use and carry.

A smart projector differs
significantly from a traditional
projector in terms of appearance
and operation. A smart projector is
operable through buttons as well as
by mouse or keyboard. A traditional
projector, however, runs a closed
operating system and provides
limited functionality. A smart
projector also revolutionizes user
experience. A smart projector
allows you to watch movies without
using the AV, VGA, or HDMI cable
required by a conventional
projector, and provides direct
internet access.
A smart projector combines the
power of a PC with that of a
portable projector, thereby
advancing upon the current
developmental trend surrounding
the “pico” projector.
It is powerful enough to provide a
substitute to some of the existing
bulky projectors, since it can be
used effectively for business
presentation, offers Wi-Fi
connectivity, and is easier to set up.
It can also replace the TV unit at
home. You can connect it to a TV
STB to directly play TV programs, or
to a Wi-Fi network to stream media
wirelessly, to enjoy an immersive
cinematic experience at home.
ZTE’s Spro Family
Spro
At CES 2014 in January,
ZTE introduced Spro,
the world’s first all-
in-one Wi-Fi hotspot
and portable
projector. The
following July, ZTE
announced the availability of this
projector with hotspot, power bank
and 4-inch touchscreen powered by
Android. This all-in-one device, best
described as a “smart projector”, is
the first of its kind to be sold
anywhere in the world.

Spro 2
At CES 2015, ZTE
launched the
second generation
smart projector,
Spro 2. It has higher
specifications, and
adds a number of new
functions including remote
control, gesture control, anti-
glare, auto keystone correction, and
autofocus, making for simpler and
more convenient operations. Spro 2
can play videos from your
laptop, tablet or mobile
handset through a
Wi-Fi connection
and connect
with a mouse,
keyboard, joystick or
speaker via
Bluetooth. It is
currently available in many
countries around the world.

Spro Plus
Following the acclaimed Spro 2, ZTE
unveiled the tablet equivalent of
Spro 2, Spro Plus, at MWC
2016. Physical size alone
does not set this
device apart.
While Spro 2
projects 120-inch,
HD images at 200
lumens, Spro Plus
projects pictures of up
to 300 inches at 500
lumens. It will be available
globally by summer 2016.
Business
When you travel for a business
presentation, you may worry
whether the meeting room has a
projector or reliable Wi-Fi. You can
take the guesswork out of your
meeting with a smart projector.
Before such a meeting, you need
only store your files directly on
Spro 2 and fully charge it. Spro 2
can be used in a small meeting
room. If the meeting room is large
enough, Spro 2 can be placed
further away from the screen or
wall to make the output videos or
images look bigger. Spro 2 can
even suit a meeting with more
than 10 attendees.
During a meeting, attendees can
connect their laptop, tablet, or cell
phone to Spro 2 anytime through a
Wi-Fi connection, to easily project
documents from their devices.
Indoor Entertainment
You may feel it is inconvenient to go
to a cinema theater. Spro 2 brings a
pleasant viewing experience to you
and your friends and family. This
amazing product allows you to
watch movies, TV shows or videos
against the wall of your living room
Tips: Applicable Scenarios of a Smart Projector
or bedroom. It is
compact, easy to
carry, and can be
used anywhere at
home. Its
autofocus and
automatic
keystone
correction
invariably make
for a good-
looking
projection.
Outdoor
Entertainment
Spro 2 is also
perfect for
going hi-tech
outdoors. It
allows you to
stream and
project movies
onto your tent
while camping.FOCUS
10

11. ZTE Spro Plus
A Great Projector
It features a built-in 500-lumen
laser projector that can display
an 80-inch image from about 2.4
meters away, and an 11,500
mAh battery for long usage in
projector mode. The projector
has a native resolution of 1280 x
768 pixels. It also supports
vertical and horizontal keystone
correction and autofocus. FOCUS
11

12. FOCUS
12Interviewee: Zhang Tai, Director
of the Innovative & Integrated
Product Team
1. How was Spro conceived?
I was the marketing director for
AT&T business in 2012. At that time,
ZTE mobile phones accounted for
60% to 70% of AT&T’s prepaid
market. We wanted to find further
growth opportunity in the field of
mobile broadband products. To
stand out from other homogeneous
products, we needed to have some
new ideas and create new values for
our customers. A simple change of
appearance was not sufficient.
Through a research, we found that
70% of hotspot users are business
travelers, so we focused on features
that would attract businessmen.
Pico projectors as an emerging
category came to my mind.
Businessmen need to attend a lot of
meetings and discussions, and a
pico projector is convenient for
making business presentations. I
thought maybe we could integrate a
hotspot and a projector and develop
a new product. AT&T was very
interested in this idea. That’s how
Spro appeared on the scene.
2. Could you introduce the team
that you lead?
Seeing the great potential of Spro,
we established the North American
innovation team in 2014. Our focus
was the Spro series. The team was
small but complete, with functions
ranging from product planning, to
delivery and marketing. This year we
established the innovative &
integrated product team, focusing
on new types of products including
wearable devices, tablets, and
laptops.
3. How competitive is Spro 2 in the
pico projector market?
The pico projector market took off
last year. We were one step ahead.
ZTE is the first vendor to provide a
720p 200-lumen pico projector.
Spro 2 came into the market eight
months earlier than other
competing products. It also led in
product size and features.
Touchscreen is a major highlight of
our product. It encapsulates our
vision. Compared with current
smart projectors only offering
several customized apps, we wanted
our product to have full access to all
Android apps. We wanted to
introduce a touchscreen into the
projector so that you can interact
with an app via touch gestures, as
you do on a smartphone. Spro 2 is
thereby the first projector to use a
touchscreen. Until now, this product
has almost 100 patents.

4. How have you improved user
experience?
We have improved user experience
by incorporating user-friendly
features and a more refined look.
For example, users need to focus
manually with Spro, but Spro 2
provides autofocus, which can be
enabled through a double-click. We
hope this results in a clearly
projected image when turned on,
just as a TV does.
With Spro 2, we have increased the
brightness from 100 lumens to 200
lumens, but were worried that the
strong light could harm the eyes of
Setting Sail Towards Innovation

13. FOCUS
13
children. Therefore, we have
provided an eye protection feature.
Whenever the projector is picked
up, its brightness reduces
automatically.
Moreover, we have provided more
color choices for Spro 2, including
silver, gold, and dark-blue, to give it
a high-tech feel. Some version even
has a texture.
5. Which markets has Spro 2 been
launched in?
In the US, it is sold through AT&T,
Verizon and Sprint and will soon
come to T-Mobile. Moreover, it has
hit Rogers in Canada, SoftBank in
Japan, and LG Uplus in South Korea.
It has sold well in South Korea, with
up to 1,000 units being sold in one
day. The device is also available in
Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa and Mexico.
6. Could you tell us something
about the latest Spro Plus?
Ambient background light must be
considered when using a projector.
In strong ambient light, the
projector can’t perform well. If the
luminance of the projector is
increased, it can be applied to more
and more scenarios.
Spro 2 can be used in a greater
range of circumstances, due to its
200-lumen brightness. Its support
for 720p resolution is in line with
the present trend. It is suitable for
both family entertainment and
business purposes.
Spro Plus needed to have a higher
lumen output. We spent nearly half
a year on the projection effect, and
decided to use laser technology.
Laser light offers high levels of
brightness and can exceed the size
limits of conventional projection
technologies, allowing projectors to
be smaller than before. Many big
projectors have high brightness
levels but the market for them is
limited and shrinking. We wanted to
make Spro Plus more portable so
that everyone can use it. For
example, those who rent a house
can use it to replace a TV.
Spro 2 is small, but a little too
chunky for a lady’s handbag. Many
bags are designed to hold a
notebook, so we have made Spro
Plus flatter and thinner than before,
more like a tablet.
7. What expectations do you have
for your team?
A smart projector makes content
sharing simple. You can comfortably
watch a movie with your family
members or easily give a
presentation to your workmates.
We will maintain a focus on
products that combine a small
physical footprint with a large
screen size. The smart projector is
one of them. We are also exploring
the potential of wearables. Armed
with only a pair of AR/VR glasses for
instance, you can open up new
kinds of immersive experiences.
We wish to become a calling card
for ZTE, with our wholly innovative
products. This will serve to promote
ZTE’s brand image and further
contribute to our user research and
business expansion.
As the person
behind the
planning of the
Spro family, Zhang
Tai told us how the
Spro family has
evolved, as well as
his future
ambitions.

14. FOCUS
14
ZTE Spro Plus
An Amazing Tablet
One of Spro Plus’ highlights is a
larger, 8.4-inch Android
AMOLED touchscreen at 2K
resolution, providing for great
visual effects. It also features a
JBL Audio System, which
includes high quality audio
output via two 4w speakers, so
that you can enjoy a great audio
experience.

15. FOCUS
15
1. What’s the background of the
project?
Many professional projector
manufacturers support Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth in their products but are
weak in data communications. ZTE
has expertise in telecommunications.
We introduced telecommunications
technology into a projector with
Spro. It is the world’s first all-in-one
Wi-Fi hotspot and portable
projector and signifies a great
breakthrough. But it offers relatively
lower brightness and a smaller
screen than traditional projectors,
and still needs to be focused
manually. In overcoming these
hurdles to develop the updated
Spro 2, we actually faced greater
technical difficulties under more
complicated circumstances than we
did developing the original Spro.
2. Could you tell us about your
project team and your
responsibilities?
The Spro 2 project team includes
planning, ID, UE, hardware,
software, hardware testing,
software testing, optical testing, and
components staff. I am the project
manager for the Verizon-customized
version and I am responsible for the
pre-research for Spro Plus.
3. What are your team’s
advantages?
We are a group of people who like
to do creative things. The planning
staff have a strong sense for
innovation; the execution team is
good at engaging in self-study; and
the software engineers always come
up with some good ideas.
4. What are the challenges? How
Interviewee: Zhang
Yongliang, Spro 2 Project
Manager
do you overcome them?
The first challenge was to develop a
stable optical unit. Spro uses a
mature optical engine, with which
few problems occurred. Spro 2 uses
a different optical engine. We have
never developed autofocus based
on an optical engine before. This
was the first time. We were shocked
at the poor display effect produced
by the first several projectors we
assembled. We immediately went to
the optical engine supplier’s factory
to learn the manufacturing process
and testing methods, before
discussing and defining further
specifications for delivery. We also
developed a set of jigs based on the
supplier’s jigs, to improve and
monitor the assembling process.
Developing autofocus was another
challenge, since there were no
industry references. An engineer
from our supplier developed the
autofocus software, while our
software engineers made great
effort to integrate it into the
projector system. ZTE Spro 2 has
since become the first smart
projector to feature autofocus.
UI development was the third
challenge. Spro offers a generic
Android experience. For Spro 2, we
needed to offer an interface more
suited to use with a projector. We
finally developed an interface with
large tiles that you can use to scroll
left and right through various
categories. We also added some
user-friendly features, for example,
a three-finger swipe upwards on the
screen to turn it on, and vice versa.
Last but not least was the heat
dissipation problem. Spro 2 has
taken the lead in using water-
cooling technology. It has added a
heat pipe to the circuit board and
LED light respectively, and uses a
large metal fin. The device also has
an airflow vent that allows the heat
to escape through an internal fan.
Spro 2 was a difficult project overall,
and we worked extra hard to
overcome the challenges presented
to us.
5. What is your next step?
I am currently engaged in the pre-
research for the successor to Spro
2. The tablet-like projector Spro
Plus was unveiled at MWC 2016.
This model uses laser technology
to project images. The light output
was set at 500 lumens for better
temperature control. It features
our self-developed autofocus as
well as our self-developed
horizontal keystone correction.
More features are being planned.
We keep on accumulating
technology to put to future use.
6. How do you feel about the
project?
Pain and happiness are coexisting. I
encountered many R&D and
delivery problems. As a projector
manager, I also had to take on many
responsibilities when others were
not available, and train myself to be
an all-rounder. Nevertheless, I felt
rewarded when the key functions
we conceived were implemented in
the final product. The happiest
moment was when we saw that the
projected image became clearer
and clearer after several autofocus
tests had initially failed.
Since optical
technology is involved,
Zhang Yongliang and
his team have to work
doubly hard. From
Spro to Spro 2, ZTE
has accumulated a
complete technological
knowhow regarding
the optical engine, a
key component in a
projector.
Working Extra Hard to Solve the Challenges

16. FOCUS
16
1. Could you briefly introduce
yourself and your responsibilities
in the Spro project?
I have been at ZTE for four years,
and have participated in many large
and small projects. Most of them
are for the North American market,
such as the AT&T home base Z700.
ID design has played an important
role in the Spro 2 project. I think this
is what we call “design-driven
innovation”.
2. What is the design concept
behind Spro 2? What was the
design process?
I wanted Spro 2 to have a distinctive
design. I wanted it to be carried
proudly for longer in a user’s bag.
From the initial sketch to final batch
production, we created more than
20 models for Spro 2. My initial
design used a metal case. However,
the use of metal may have affected
antenna performance at that time. I
made a compromise, and applied a
brand new spraying mode. Thus, the
plastic outer shell had the appeal of
metal while manufacturing costs
were reduced and product
1. Could you briefly introduce
yourself and your responsibilities
in the Spro project?
I was initially the UX manager for
ZTE’s tablet products. In the Spro
project, I was responsible for the
interaction and visual effect design
of Spro 2’s user interface. I was the
UX designer for both the AT&T-
customized version and the Verizon
customized-version. I am now the
UX manager for ZTE’s Blade
products.
2. What is the UI design concept of
Spro 2?
The user interface is consistent with
ZTE’s design philosophy—“Friendly,
Innovative, Simple, and Thoughtful”.
It has a flat design and easy-to-use
Metro style. We also took into
account touch-based intuitive
operations and remote operation of
the projection screen.
3. How did you come up with the Interviewee:
Zhou You, ID
Designer of
Spro 2
performance was enhanced.
Fortunately, the original form did
not need to be changed to
encompass this.
It was still an amazing feeling to
receive the final product. Just
design? What challenges were
there?
We started the Spro 2 project at
around May 2014. It is an innovative
smart projector integrating a
touchscreen. Spro runs a generic
Android operating system, meaning
that we had to design the UI of Spro
2 from scratch. The schedule was
also very tight—we had only a
month. No one knew what the UI
should look like, or what functions
to provide. Through brainstorming
together, we discussed the UI design
with the planning, requirement
analysis, software, UI, and UE staff
for over a week, and finally drew up
imagine someone pointing to a
desert, hoping to turn it into an
oasis, only to find that the desert
turns green instead.
3. What were the key challenges in
the ID design? And how did you
overcome them?
At the beginning of the design
stage, I was mostly concerned about
how to integrate so many functions
into a space that is only 13 cm long
and wide, and 3 cm high. The first
problem was cooling, which is an
important consideration for a
projector. Current solutions used a
large area for the air outlet. After
multiple attempts with the R&D
team, we finally settled with the
louver design for ventilation,
thereby ensuring effective cooling.
4. Which design feature are you
most satisfied with?
Initially, there were different
opinions on the physical button on
the top of Spro 2. However it was
kept in the end. Apple’s design chief
Jonathan Ive used the “infinity pool”
concept to emphasize the
importance of the screen. The
physical anodized aluminum button
is like a resting spot in the infinity
pool. This button interacts with
people through the sense of touch
and motor neurons. This
undoubtedly relieves tiredness
caused by intensive visual attention
given to either the touchscreen
interface or projected images. The
addition of this button was also out
of consideration for overall
functionality.
experience. Thereafter, we found a
third-party user research company
to help us conduct a user
experience survey. Our solution
finally won recognition from users,
in addition to our client. The UI
framework was then established.
4. What is your favorite part of the
UI design?
I love the flat Metro style launcher
the most. It is very easy to use and
the user experience survey showed
that it remains easy to use even for
a first-time user. Moreover, this
layout allows for remote control
operations.
Spro 2 is compact and stylish in design. Zhou
You shares here some of his thoughts on the
design.
Spro 2 has an intuitive user interface that
provides for effortless navigation. Xie Wenjuan
told us of the challenging process of designing it. Xie Wenjuan,
UX Designer
of Spro 2
the design guidelines. When we first
showed our design to the client
after three weeks, they had their
concerns, because we had radically
deviated from the usual Android
Turning a Desert into an Oasis
It’s the Ease of Use that Counts

17. FOCUS
17
1. Could you briefly introduce
yourself?
I have worked on ID design for 10
years and joined ZTE at the end of
2010. As a senior designer, I am now
in charge of the smartphone ID
design for the North American
market as well as the ID design of
Spro Plus.
My involvement with the Spro Plus
project started in the second half of
2015. The first two generations of
the Spro series were designed by
the ID design team in Xi’an. Since
the project’s planning staff are in
Shanghai, it was decided
communication would be smoother
if the product designer was based in
Shanghai and that’s how I came to
start working on the Spro Plus.

2. What design philosophy and
innovative features are part of
Spro Plus?
Tablet-projector hybrids are seldom
seen on the market. We wanted it
to be a useful tool, that is, for it to
be concise and amiable. We wanted
to use an appropriate design to
produce a feeling of familiarity in
users.

To be amiable and concise does not
mean that it has to be crude. The
device is housed within an
aluminum alloy frame. The frame is
processed through CNC machining
to provide both structural integrity
and an external metallic gloss.
We have also added a sliding lens
cover, a port cover and a kickstand
to improve user experience. The
sliding lens cover functions as the Interviewee: Gu Lei, ID Designer
of Spro Plus
switch of the projector. The port
cover gives the device a clean look
and uses a magnet for easy opening
and closing. The kickstand helps you
prop up the device at any angle for
easier viewing.
Spro Plus is more than just a
combination of a projector and a
tablet. It could be applied to
education. For example, in a
painting class, teachers can
demonstrate their step-by-step
technique on the tablet while
simultaneously projecting the
demonstration. Spro Plus reduces
the number of devices needed to do
the task and improves work
efficiency.
3. Does Spro Plus inherit anything
from Spro 2 in terms of design?
Spro Plus is the latest iteration of
ZTE’s Spro line of pico projectors. It
retains the design language of the
previous products and enhances it
with a new level of visual
sophistication.
Spro 2 places the projector lens, ZTE
logo and a camera in a racetrack-
shaped area. This gives the front
side visual weight and an
uncluttered look. I incorporated this
feature into Spro Plus. You can find
the racetrack-shaped element on
the lens cover as well as the
ventilation holes.
Spro 2
Spro Plus
4. What are the challenges during
the design of Spro Plus?
The main challenge was to bring
curvature to the device. The curved
surface was crafted after much
deliberation. We needed to consider
how the curve would look and how
the device would feel. We also
needed to consider the
construction. The device must have
a certain thickness to be strong and
reliable enough.
Another challenge was to balance
between the heat dissipation
efficiency and the size of the
ventilation openings. The device
Spro Plus brings
together the best of
both a projector and
a tablet in a
portable form. Gu
Lei will tell you of
some concerns he
had when designing
this unique gadget.
Spro Plus: Concise and Amiable
looks a bit ugly if the ventilation
holes are made bigger for better
heat dissipation. It looks good when
the ventilation holes are small with
less efficient heat dissipation. We
kept on modifying the model until
we achieved the optimum outcome.
5. What is the design feature that
you are most satisfied with?
I like the sliding cover for the lens
most. It is practical. To activate the
projector, you simply slide the cover
across the lens. Operations are
easier compared with Spro 2 where
you need to unlock the touchscreen
and tap the projector icon. It also
adds a beautiful detail to the overall
design. Form follows function in this
application.

18. Autofocus
What would you do if the projected
PPTs were fuzzy? You might tilt and
roll the image positioning by turning
the adjustment knobs. You may feel
embarrassed in front of your
audience if you can’t obtain the
precise image alignment within a
few minutes. Spro 2 with autofocus
allows you to set up your business
presentations quickly.
First, place your projector in front of
the screening wall. Press the
physical control button on top of
the projector to bring up the
touchscreen.
Enable the projector function and
you can see the words “Autofocus”
displayed on the interface,
indicating that Spro 2 is
automatically focusing. The
projector provides a crisp image in
just a few seconds. Then, open the
video, and proceed to enjoy the fun
of home theater.
Automatic Keystone
Correction
Spro 2 also supports automatic
keystone correction. A projector is
expected to project an image that is
more rectangular or square in
shape. However, the keystone effect
may be caused by attempting to
project an image onto a surface at
an angle, degrading visual quality.

Without automatic keystone
correction
With automtic keystone correction
Spro 2 has a built-in gravity sensor,
which detects the projector’s angle
of tilt (Vertical: +/- 45 degrees) and
adjusts the keystone correction
accordingly. The automatic keystone
correction can also be performed
when you project the image onto
the ceiling or floor. You can enable
automatic keystone correction in
the Settings menu after turning on
the projector.

Connecting to an
Android Phone
Spro 2 can be used as a standalone
device, but can also connect to a
smartphone and display contents
from it by following the instructions
below.
Setting up Spro 2
Turn on Wi-Fi, and access Miracast
using one of the following two
methods:
Method 1: Pull the notification
drawer down from the top of the
screen. Tap Miracast.
Method 2: Go to the Settings menu
and select Miracast.
Setting up a Phone
We’ll take ZTE AXON smartphone as
an example.
Step 1: Turn on Wi-Fi.
Step 2: Select Settings>Display >
Cast Screen.
Step 3: Select Enable wireless
display in the upper-right corner of
the screen and your phone will scan
for a nearby Miracast device, with
Spro 2 appearing in the list.
Step 4: Tap Spro 2 to connect. A
notification will appear, indicating
that you’re casting your screen. You
will be notified once the connection
is established.
Confirming the Connection
When an Android phone initiates a
Miracast “cast” request, Spro 2 will
ask you whether to receive the
request if this is a first-time
connection. You toned to accept the
connection request. Next time you
initiate a connection via your phone,
a Miracast connection will be
automatically established.
Connecting to an Apple
Phone
Setting up Spro 2
Download AirPin (LITE) and install it
in Spro 2. Then turn on Wi-Fi. Go
into the AirPin interface. Spro 2 is
displayed as ITV by default. You can
rename it.
Connecting an iPhone to Spro 2
We’ll take iPhone 6 Plus as an
example.
Step 1: Connect the iPhone to a
Wi-Fi network, and enable the
iPhone and Spro 2 to be on the
same network.
Step 2: Tap AirPlay shortcut in the
bottom of the screen.
Step 3: In the AirPlay interface,
choose Spro 2 which was listed as
ITV@103. You can change the name
to Spro 2. Enable screen mirroring.
Remote Control
Spro 2 offers significant
improvements in appearance,
functions, and accessories over the
first-generation projector. In
particular, the remote control
function has been developed for
Spro 2.
Press the physical control button on
the top of the projector to bring up
the home screen. In the settings
tab, there is a QR code link to take
you to the Spro 2 remote app for
your phone. You can download the
remote control app by scanning the
QR code with your phone. Once this
app is installed in your smartphone
or tablet, you can connect your
device to Spro 2 and control it
remotely. This makes operations
easy and natural.
Before you can use this app,
remember to turn on the Remote
controller switch by going to
Settings >Projector >Control. This
function is disabled by default. You
must ensure your phone and the
projector are on the same Wi-Fi
network.
Things You Should Know About Spro 2FOCUS
18

19. ZTE Spro Plus
Powerful Functions
The rich functions of ZTE Spro
Plus are supported by its high-
end configurations. It has a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
processor, 3 GB of RAM, and
supports either 32 or 128 GB
internal storage. Its performance
is comparable to flagship-level
tablets. It also supports a 4G LTE
connection, has a variety of
ports, and is very versatile
overall. It is ZTE Spro Plus,
igniting digital life with
imagination.FOCUS
19

20. DESIGN & ART
20
Products Disappear – Design Begins
Smart devices are taking over our lives. In this new
era of smart devices, industrial design has become
more prominent. The Royal Danish Consulate Gen-
eral in Shanghai held a forum on industry design
in December 2015 and invited Hagen Fendler,
chief design officer of ZTE, to give a speech. Hagen
Fendler is a professor at the University of Munich
and is a member of the design jury for the iF
Design Awards.
In 2010, Gartner predicted that by 2014, three
of the five biggest handset manufacturers would
be Chinese. At that time, everyone thought that
prediction was far-fetched because Nokia, Motorola
and Samsung were strong. But it has come to pass.
Chinese companies are growing rapidly, but with
rapid growth comes risk. As with Formula One
racing, you have to be very fast but if you make even
one mistake, you overshoot a curve and crash.

For me, the important point is to change from mas-
sive growth to quality growth. We don’t need more
products; we need better products. We don’t need
more companies; we just need a better company.
We don’t need, let’s say, more pollution; we need to
think about how to reduce pollution. So it’s about
quality growth. This is stepping into a new territory
for some Chinese companies, and that is pretty
much focused on design identity development,
brand development and user experience. These are
the three topics I want to talk about.

For a company like ZTE, that means transformation
from low-end to high-end, from ODM to OEM. It’s
from a white box to brand, from B2B to B2C, from
operator to market.

User Experience
Design is one of the most important things for a
company to develop a brand identity and design
identity and make their products more valuable to
consumers.
ZTE’s design center, headquartered in Shanghai, has
eight departments and more than 400 employees. It
is one of the most powerful design teams in China.
We have seven design centers globally, most of
them located in China. But we also opened a center
in Munich because I’m German and wanted to have
European design skills in the team. We also opened
another design center in Ottawa, Canada.
Of course, we have become a strong user experi-
ence society over the last two to three years. We
have combined the industrial design department
and user interface department to improve our total
user experience. We won more than 30 design
awards by 2015, and we are proud of this. One point
is interesting: we won the Red Dot design concept
award four years in a row.
People walking through the streets are now looking
at screens without recognizing the things around
them. But I am trying to look into your eyes right
now. People have to look into each other’s eyes
when they are talking to each other. The mode of
communication is completely different now.
This morning I read an article: More than 100,000
customers were quizzed, and half of them thought
that smartphones will disappear in the next 5 years.
If that prediction is right, maybe we have to rethink
this screen-based device for the future. Five years
seems a very short time. So the question is really
how do we communicate?
How do we communicate over a long distance?
There are some examples from the past. For exam-
ple, armies once used a beacon tower and smoke
to warn their soldiers of an imminent attack. I asked
myself: how far have we really come?
The question for smart devices is what is the best UI
in the world? Does it look like user interface ideas
in science fiction? What is probably the best user
interface and best user experience? It probably
looks like this (see below). Every child understands
this user interface.

The picture on the left, above, is a very old interface
of a German machine. The right picture is a well-
known user interface. There is still a button to
push, still a description, a color. There’s not much
difference actually.

I just question the way we have set targets and how
far we’ve actually come.
So the question is what UX design really is. User
experience design has four steps. Everything starts
with unconscious incapacity; basically, you don’t
know that you are stupid and don’t know how to
deal with things. The next step is conscious inca-
pacity: you now understand that you are stupid and
have to learn something. Then, after you know that
you are not capable of managing things, you start
learning, and then you have conscious capacity. Now
you have to deal with things and you can handle it.
That is the situation for today, but it is not a perfect
result. The perfect result would be unconscious
capacity so that you don’t have to think about
anything. Then you talk about user friendliness or
intuitive handling. Unconscious capacity should be
the main target of UX design.

I’m talking about very intuitive, unconscious expe-
rience, the idea that no user interface is the best
interface, and we use the sensors of the body: eyes,
ears, voice, and fingers. There is no need to learn
anything, only use your sensors within the UI.

For example, with voice control, you can talk to the
device; and with a very strong EyePrint ID, you can
be recognized. Other examples include gesture
control and fingerprint sensor.

If you make a phone call today, somehow we are
used to opening the phone with an ID code, going to
the address book, searching for the name, tapping
on the name, and then we make a phone call. This
doesn’t seem very smart or intuitive. With the
technology we have today, it is very easy. Just take
the phone for example. You can open it up with your
fingerprint; when you have it on your ear, the sensor
recognizes that you want to make a phone call and
the device asks your who you want to call.
Brand Development
If you have products, which are very comparable
somehow in the electronic device industry, and
you have limited space for industrial design,
the brand is an important issue for Chinese
companies.

Sometimes people say a brand is something that
you can touch. This is stupid. You can’t touch
it. The brand is intangible. A brand appears in
the mind of consumers. So if one million brains
connect with the same idea, you start having a
brand. What they think about you is your brand.
Building up a brand is a little bit like raising a
child—you have to take care and be commit-
ted. Every day you have to be patient; and you
need to have know-how, also some money, and
consistency.

Hagen Fendler’s speech transcripted by Selma Wang

21. DESIGN & ART
21
Products Disappear – Design Begins
Nothing gets forgotten. Take consistency for
example. You don’t feed your child good food on
Monday and rubbish on Tuesday. You wouldn’t
do that.
So everything that raises a brand is the part of
personality in the end. Everyday you have to care
about your message and what you give to the
consumers.
Design DNA

It means as the brand father, when a little child
coming from the same family, the God feeling says:
“it’s ok, this is one family”.
One extreme sample is Porsche. Porsche DNA helps
establish a completely new design language, and it
was the foundation of a brand. It could be seen that
through 50 years of development, these two cars
(see below) still have the same DNA and you can
recognize them globally.

This approach works in restaurant industry, but
when it comes to product and brand identity in
the smart device industry, I have to say the “more
is more” approach is not working. The “less is more”
approach needs to be implemented. Let’s start
focusing on the design language and then push it
through.
But in smart devices, this is basically impossible.
The change is so quick. We have to develop a
new product every six months, so the focus
is much more on future services and
applications, how the products are
connected, and the behind-the-scenes
software.
I’ll lastly touch on the different
cultures in different areas of the
world, for example, the food culture
in Germany. More expensive dishes
often comprise small portions. The
smallest piece of meat is the most
expensive one. So less is more. In
China, it’s different. You get everything
on the table: frog, chicken, snake—it’s just
amazing, and I love it.

Hagen Fendler, chief design officer of ZTE

22. Crowdfunding involves the pre-
sale of items that will be created
if funding goals are met. Crowd-
funding has made dreams more
attainable than ever before. You
post your idea on crowdfund-
ing websites with graphics and
videos to encourage people to
fund it. If you attract a range
of potential backers, you could
turn an idea into reality.
At first, people were not
optimistic about crowdfunding,
because they were all ac-
customed to tangible products.
Fortunately, this situation soon
changed. There are always some
ideas that tug your heartstrings.
Crowdfunding efforts raised
$5.1 billion worldwide in 2013,
and could hit $96 billion by
2025 as it becomes increasingly
popular. We’ll share with you
some covetable crowdfunded
products.
Some designs are too unique to cater to the general
public or be put into mass production. Fortunately, these
products can be produced through crowdfunding.
Enko Running Shoes
Some people need to stop from time to time to catch their
breath even when they run. Christian Freschi, a passionate
runner, has developed shoes to make running more efficient.
This shoe utilizes mechanical parts integrated into the sole.
When your foot hits the ground, with a classic shoe, the energy
is dispersed and lost. The Enko running shoe returns this energy
with every stride.
FLYTE Levitating Light
An attractive product combines science with a stroke of design
wizardry. FLYTE is such a magical product. It is a gravity-defying
LED light bulb. The globe hovers freely above its base, offering a
unique way to light up a room. FLYTE hovers by magnetic levita-
tion and is powered through the air via induction.
DESIGN & ART
22
10 Cool
Crowdfunded
Products

23. Davek Alert: A Smart
Umbrella
The Davek Alert umbrella is an umbrella you
will never lose. It links via Bluetooth to a phone
app and alerts you when the distance between
the umbrella and your phone exceeds a certain
range. In addition to the proximity alerts, the
app also provides weather information so you
can find out if it’s an umbrella or non-umbrella
day.
Keyboardio: An Ergo-
nomic Keyboard
Keyboardio is said to be “an heirloom-grade key-
board for serious typists”. It is made out of two
halves of solid maple body, with key separated
for the left and right hands. The two halves of
the keyboard are angled to help you keep your
wrists in a more natural and neutral position. It
features programmable keys and open-source
software for full customization.
Retro Thinkpad
There are now a great variety of laptop models.
However, the original Thinkpad design is still
missed among tech fans loyal to the product.
Lenovo’s Design Chief David Hill has come up
with a retro Thinkpad concept. The retro Think-
Pad borrows its design from ThinkPad X300. It
also has a few modern touches: it’s 18 mm thin
rather than 56 mm.
The Second Screen for
Your Phone
Oaxis launched a case that also serves as a
second screen, an e-ink display that gives you
time, allows you to receive important messages
and lets you read your favorite e-book. The idea
behind having the second display for your phone
is to cut down energy consumption of the main
device, provide you with more comfortable
reading environment.
Bistro:
A Smart Feeder
Bistro is a smart cat feeder with facial rec-
ognition technology. The developer Mu-Chi
Sung created the concept when one of his
cats almost died after developing pancreatitis
due to its food being eaten by bossier felines.
Bistro consists of a food hopper, a feeding
tray with a load sensor, a water bowl with a
load sensor, a weighing scale, and a camera.
Sense Sleep Monitor
This sleep tracking system allows you to monitor
your sleep patterns and bedroom environments.
Sense sits close to your bed and uses state-of-
the-art sensors to monitor the environment in
your bedroom. Sense also comes with the Sleep
Pill, which is a small sensor that clips onto a pil-
low to track movement with a 6-axis accelerom-
eter and gyroscope.
Somabar: A Robotic
Bartender
You probably don’t have the wealth of experience
that a bartender or mixologist has. No problem,
because Somabar, the first app-controlled robotic
bartending appliance, does. With its streamlined
design, you can thoroughly mix cocktails and
infuse bitters to make the perfect cocktail in sec-
onds. It has Wi-Fi connectivity and allows you to
add your own cocktails to the Somabar app.
Holga Digital Camera
The Holga camera—a 120 film camera from
the 1980s filled with lo-fi photos—gets a digital
makeover. This camera is based on the design
of the vintage toy camera and features an
8-megapixel 1/3.2-inch CMOS sensor. It has a
lens adapter that allows existing Holga lenses
to be used with Holga Digital. It is offered in a
variety of colors.
It uses facial recognition technology to ensure
the food is going to its intended recipient. The
accompanying app allows you to check the
history of your cat’s food and water intake or
health report on demand from your phone.
DESIGN & ART
23

24. Smart home, although it has been
in development for years, still has
not fundamentally changed the
way a home operates. Many smart
home products on the market have
a lot of gimmicks. You can barely
find smart home products that
have comprehensive functions or
that function as a system. However,
smart home is the future and
will come to life eventually. ZTE
Alighting is a future-oriented smart
home solution. With a gateway as a
control center, the solution includes
a variety of smart home devices
that provide almost all the functions
you could name. These devices are
interconnected with each other and
can be controlled from anywhere
with your smartphone. Now let
us see how ZTE Alighting helps in
actual cases.
Dennis
Busy office worker
Dennis often works overtime and
travels frequently. He has a new
house but has little time to take
care of it. Dennis has installed ZTE
Alighting to have full control of
his house, even when he is on a
business trip overseas. When the
winter comes, he needs to fill the
radiators with water to heat his
home. To ensure the radiators work
properly, Dennis mounts the Zigbee-
ready wireless water leak detectors
in potential water leaks. It monitors
moisture and sends Dennis an
immediate alert to Dennis so that
he can tell the property manager to
turn the water off before the leak
becomes a flood. Dennis doesn’t
need not worry about the safety
of his home and possessions.
The Zigbee door/window sensor,
infrared motion sensor, and audible
and visual alarm can help you know
when things go wrong. With ZTE
Alighting Dennis can travel worry-
free.
Annie
SOHO person
Unlike workaholic Dennis, Annie
is a SOHO type of person. She
has a perfect indoor environment
after installing ZTE Alighting. Annie
wakes up every morning with
the first wisp of sunshine as the
curtain rises automatically. With the
accompanying app, she can remotely
turn on the music in the bedroom
and turn on the coffee machine,
which automatically brews a
cup of coffee using coffee beans
ground the night before. The
coffee maker uses reverse-osmosis
water from a filter installed in the
cupboards. Zigbee leak detectors
under the pipes send an alert to
Annie’s smartphone if there is any
leakage. With sensors monitoring
temperature and moisture levels,
she can always keep her house
comfortable. She can also control
the air-conditioner, humidifier and
The central hub of ZTE Alighting smart home solution is ZTE MF283 4G router gateway.
Pictured left is a robot-like shape made up of Alighting smart home appliances.
The Zigbee
door/window
sensor detects
the opening or
closing of a door
or window.
The Zigbee
temperature and
humidity sensor
monitors your
environment.
The Zigbee
emergency
button allows
you to sound an
alarm with only
one press.
SMART GADGETS
24
ZTE Alighting:
A Revolutionary Smart
Home Solution

25. ventilation system through the
Zigbee-based infrared remote
control to ensure that her living
and working area is cozy enough.

Lucy
High school teacher
Lucy is a mother and high
school teacher. She has to raise
her kids and work at the same
time. Thanks to ZTE Alighting,
she keeps an eye on her house
while at work. During lunch,
Lucy can turn on the home Wi-
Fi camera with her smartphone
and monitor what’s going on. The
Zigbee wireless door/window
sensor also helps. Once the kids
open the door or a window, she
can be informed immediately
and stop them or remind them of
safety. How her elderly parents are
doing at home is also her concern.
The Zigbee fall sensor prevents the
elderly from falling down without
being noticed. The Zigbee smoke
detector can provide a warning
of fire in case the elderly forget
to turn off the gas stove after
cooking. After her kids and elderly
parents are settled at night, Lucy
finally can read her favorite book
in bed. She can turn off the Zigbee
LED light remotely before going
to sleep without even getting up.
When her husband is on a business
trip, the Zigbee emergency button
beside the bed guarantees the
safety of the whole family. Once
Lucy detects anything suspicious,
she can just press the button to
The central hub
is ZTE MF283 4G
router.
The Zigbee 3 W
LED bulb can be
turned on and
off remotely.
The Zigbee IR
repeater allows
for the control
of devices like
television and
air-conditioner.
The Zigbee fall
sensor detects
the falls of the
elderly.
The Zigbee
socket enables
you to turn
on/off home
appliances
remotely.
The Wi-Fi smart
camera allows
you to monitor
your home.
The Zigbee
infrared
motion sensor
could detect
movements
of potential
intruders.
The Zigbee water
leak detector
can be placed
anywhere leak
might occur.
The Zigbee
audible and
visual alarm
could be set
off by fire or
housebreaking.
The Zigbee
smoke detector
sounds an alarm
upon detection
of smoke.
SMART GADGETS
25
trigger the Zigbee audible and
visual alarm.
Summary
ZTE Alighting smart home
solution could be used for home
safety, smart housekeeper, and
healthcare. It takes advantage of
the 4G network and smartphones
to make everyday life safer and
easier. You can stay connected
everywhere with this solution. ZTE
Alighting is also one of the few
solutions that bring a high level
of versatility and connectivity. It
is expected that this solution will
continue to advance as it supports
more new smart sensors and
terminals to transform your life.

26. Although the smart rear-view mirror was first
introduced by a third-party manufacturer, automobile
manufacturers have begun the R&D of smart rear-
view mirrors in the past few years. At the Geneva
Motor Show 2014, Nissan unveiled a smart rear-view
mirror. This smart rear-view mirror can function both
as a LCD display as well as a traditional mirror. When
the traffic conditions are complex, or when there are
tall passengers in the rear seat, you can activate the
built-in LCD. A camera located at the vehicle's rear end
provides you with a clear unobstructed view of the
rear flanks.
Cadillac CT6 also has a streaming video screen
embedded in the rear-view mirror to provide an
unobstructed back view. It incorporates a camera
mounted on the back of the new sedan that Cadillac
claims provides four times more visibility than a
traditional mirror by removing obstructions like the
rear frame and headrests. The drivers may feel like
they are driving a convertible with the top down. The
camera lens is covered with a hydrophobic coating to
keep it clean and clear.
Drivers had to turn
their heads to look
back before the rear-
view mirrors were
invented. The rear-view
mirror was introduced
in 1914 and has not
changed much. It has
blind spots, which can
lead to accidents, and
becomes less useful
in rainy and foggy
days. The industry is
looking at how drivers
should look back. Tesla
is pushing to replace
rear-view mirrors with
cameras. But the rear-
view mirrors have
served us for a century.
It may take some
time before the rear-
view mirrors could be
replaced.
A smart rear-view
mirror is thus born.
It is housed within
the structure of the
traditional rear-view
mirror so that drivers
can enjoy advanced
technologies without
changing their
habits. With built-in
sensors and monitor,
it provides a clear
image in periods of
rain and fog. It could
even be integrated
with speaker and GPS
navigation system.
Equip Your Car with a Smart
Rear-View Mirror
Smart Rear-View Mirror
to Become Standard
SMART GADGETS
26

27. Smart Rear-View Mirrors
App-Tronics SmartNav 5
SmartNav 5 projects a 5-inch screen into the middle of its rear-
view mirror. The projection is translucent, letting drivers focus
on the mirror image instead of the screen if they so choose. The
device features automatic day and night modes changing the
brightness so as not to interfere with the simple mirror projection.
It includes a small computer running Windows CE, hosting a
variety of useful driving apps. There is a video recorder integrated
to a front-facing camera, which works as an incident recorder
and can also take input from a separate camera mounted on the
rear of the car. App-Tronics even includes a Bluetooth phone
connection for it to be wired to the car's audio system.
Pioneer Rear-View Mirror Telematics Unit
Pioneer has developed a rear-view mirror telematics unit equipped
with LTE communication module. This allows the driver to use the
voice-activated drive agent service incorporated in the unit for
obtaining a variety of real-time information needed for driving,
such as information on facilities, traffic information, weather
information, and news, and for using the navigation functions. The
unit also comes with a built-in front-view camera with wide-angle
lens, which allows the unit to function as a driving recorder. The
camera also enables the unit to provide safe driving support service
by detecting crossing lanes or front vehicle movement and unsafe
driving with a built-in sensor.
The existing smart rear-view mirrors
have a shortcoming—you can’t
determine the distance between the
vehicle and the detected objects as
easily as with a traditional mirror.
Researchers are trying to use
augmented reality (AR) technology,
which superimposes the distance data
collected by a distance detector onto
the video-streaming rear-view mirror
in real time, thereby significantly
improving driving safety.
For instance, if a rear windshield and
side mirrors become foggy in a rainy
day, a smart rear-view mirror can still
function. The radar detector measures
the speed and distance of a nearby
car and the smart rear-view mirror
overlays these data on the image
captured by the camera. In addition,
when you turn on the left-turn signal,
the system may tell you the distance
between your car and another and
whether you could change lanes or
not. This makes driving easier.
With the development of smart cars,
it is also expected that smart rear-view
mirrors will gradually be integrated
into other systems such as a self-
driving system. If you drive with your
hands, a smart rear-view mirror could
give you maximum rear visibility. If you
are driving in “autonomous” mode, a
smart rear-view mirror allows you to
view the scenery and even reminds
you of potential hazards. For instance,
the car may tell you: "Someone
has been following your car for 15
minutes".
You can ask the car questions such
as the license plate number of the
blue car in the back left or the speed
of the sports car that just passed by.
Using the power of the internet and
various detection methods, the smart
rear-view mirror could give you all the
answers.
The Future Rear-View Mirror
1. Provide the driver with a
better view.
2. Make driving safer and easier
with the help of Internet of
Vehicles.
3. Serve as the eyes of self-
driving cars in the future.
What can a smart
rear-view mirror do?
SMART GADGETS
27

28. Clothing
Ready-made garments offer little room
for customization. Fortunately, online
stores and apps for custom clothing have
appeared. Brands that you are already
familiar with have also begun to allow you
to add your own feature in their products.
Burberry’s new Scarf Bar service allows
you to create your own scarf from over 30
colors and patterns. All styles are available
to monogram as part of in-store and online
personalization service. Cashmere scarves
can be monogrammed with up to three
letters in over 30 complementary and
contrasting thread colors.
Burberry is not the only luxury brand that
provides customization services. Louis
Vuitton has introduced Mon Monogram
Bags service. Once you have chosen your
item you can pick up to three initials and
vertical or diagonal stripes. There are also
many color options to choose from.
Housing
From choosing a designer to finalizing the
design, then to material selection, wiring
and construction, you need to choose from
many categories and brands of products
and deal with different people, such as
electricians and carpenters. Fortunately,
the internet has now been integrated into
house decoration. You can use apps to
customize your design, specify brands, and
In an era where everyone is pursuing individuality,
are you bored with the similarity of the goods
and services available? Your wishes may soon
be answered because a wave of customization is
coming.
A Louis Vuitton bag can be customized
to your preferences.
28
FASHION

29. even choose a foreman to lead the project based
on their expertise and qualification. This enables
you to have your own dream house effortlessly.
However, a solution that looks nice at present
may not be satisfactory several years later, and
you cannot change your house’s decoration as
frequently as you change your clothing style.
E-Ink may have a way to liven things up. Its
new Prism material lets buildings subtly change
colors and patterns. Prism also has a low power
consumption, which reduces need for electrical
connections.
It is also quite time-consuming to choose
suitable furniture. You have to consider not only
the colors and materials and their harmony with
the surroundings but also the right dimensions
of the furniture. In this case, Opendesk would
be the best choice. Opendesk designs can be
downloaded as a digital file and made locally.
Users can customize the furniture to their
preferences and get involved in the making
process.
Vehicles
Automobile customization is also available. The
OSVechicle team introduced an open source
platform for electric vehicles named Tabby
EVO. It’s modular: you can easily assemble or
disassemble it in one hour. However, the most
notable trait is the open-source mission of the
group behind it: its blueprints and design files
are freely available, allowing you to download
the plans and parts lists and build your own, and
share their modifications and improvements with
others.
PC
PC Modding is the process of customizing
your hardware, such as computer case or
water cooling technology. It makes your PC an
expression of your individuality and gives your
PC an improved performance. PC Modding is also
a profitable endeavor and modding competitions
are everywhere.
Mobile Phone
Last year, Google revealed its Project Ara
prototype, Spiral 2, the latest iteration of the
block-based modular smartphone. However,
it is still not commercially available. You may
not be able to have a modular phone soon,
but Motorola’s Moto Maker tool allows you
to configure your device the way you want it.
Currently, you can decide on the back cover,
front panel, frame, memory, inscription and
power-on experience. The back also has the
options of wood, plastic, and leather.
Mouse
While fantastic PC Mods have a strong visual
impact and customization of mobile phones
meets the need for individuality, customized
mouses perfectly match the palms and the
holding and clicking habits of their gamers and
are not only satisfying but also ergonomically
beneficial. Roccat Nyth is such a modular MMO
gaming mouse. It allows you to customize the
button layout. In addition, the side parts of
Roccat Nyth can be swapped. If these still cannot
meet your gaming requirements, you can use 3D
print to produce whatever modules you need for
various game scenarios.
Headset
Due to the complex handmade process, a few
headset manufacturers provide customization
services, while Ultimate Ears is one of them. The
greatest advantage of UE custom in-ear monitors
is that they are attached into your ear canal so
that they deliver a live-sound experience directly
to your ears. Headset customization is different
from the common digital product customization
where you select components and place an
order online. You can find an audiologist to get
an impression of your ear canals scanned into
a computer that will be sent back to UE where
the 3D model will be shaped before moving to
production. The whole process takes three to
four weeks and carries a premium price tag as a
result.
The car customization service allows you to
select parts and place an order, and then the
manufacturer will build a car for you.
This customized computer has a transparent case and cool components.
29
FASHION

30. Early in the Morning
You are Just a Few Steps
Away from a Happier Life
30
FASHION
Happiness sometimes
means exceeding your
expectations. Thanks to
technological development,
we are able to do ordinary
things in an extraordinary
way and feel happier in daily
life.
Breath Freshener
Toothbrushing from Need to
Want
Brushing your teeth is a routine task but it
could be more enjoyable. G·U·M PLAY a gadget
from a Japanese company, turns the usual
three minutes of brushing into an exhilarating
three minutes of discovery. The G·U·M PLAY
attaches to the handle of a manual toothbrush
and connects to a smart device. It allows you
to play music and games or read the news with
a dedicated app that has an interactive screen.
The brush has built-in motion sensors that
trigger sounds that change as you brush. Kids
can also play a game of defeating oral bacteria
as they brush.
Energy Booster
Enjoy a Fresh Cup of Coffee
Many people drink coffee in the morning to
get energy. Instant coffee isn’t that appealing
to a lover of real coffee. But many people
don’t have enough time to brew a fresh cup of
coffee. This is when a capsule coffee machine
comes in handy. It uses pre-packaged capsules
to provide the convenience of instant coffee
but has the flavor of brewed coffee. Keurig’s
coffeemaker K200 is slim and sophisticated
and comes in a variety of colors. It is easy to
use and is quiet. It also offers a wide range of
choices that will suit every taste.
Beauty Enabler
Dress up with a Smart Mirror
Do you struggle to choose what to wear every
morning? There is a type of smart mirror that
helps. It has an OLED instead of a regular mirror
as well as a camera and operating system.
This smart mirror tells you certain information
about your appearance when you stand in
front of it. When you start getting dressed, the
mirror shows you the weather and provides
clothing advice and even makeup tips. Unlike
the above two products that are already
commercially available, the smart mirror is still
being developed. The most challenging part
is to effectively control costs and make the
system provide accurate suggestions.

31. In Your Leisure Time
Before and After Bedtime
31
FASHION
Life at home is sweet, but sometimes a little dreary. You could inject
creativity into every detail of your life to increase your happiness.
Charging Your
Smartphone
Wirelessly
Anywhere
A smartphone is a necessity.
However, battery life is the
biggest issue. Many heavy
smartphone users have to
recharge their phones a few
times a day. IKEA’s Home
Smart, a series of home
furniture with built-in wireless
chargers, solves this. It adds
wireless charging to home
lamps, desks, cupboards, and
bedside tables. You can use it
to quickly recharge the battery
on any compatible devices
currently on the market.
Drinking More Plain Water
People are encouraged to drink more water. However, some hate the
plain water because it is tasteless and they turn to sugary drinks, which
add calories. The Right Cup is a glass with a scented inner lining that
convinces you that you are drinking a flavored dink instead of plain water.
Proprietary material technology lines the inside of the cup. When you
put water in and hold it close to your face to drink, the FDA approved
aromatic fruit flavor is released while you are drinking the water.
Clean a Towel in Seconds
You usually hang a hand towel by the
sink to dry your hands after washing.
But a wet towel can harbor bacteria.
Pure Towel is a smart towel hanger
that instantly cleans your towel after
use, creating a cleaner, healthier
bathroom. Using a high-speed dryer and
a 360° ultra violet, it purifies and dries
the towel in a matter of seconds. By
eliminating almost all the bacteria in the
towel and reducing humidity, you stay
healthy and clean.
Many people want nothing more than to relax after a long busy day with a
hot bath and then sleep with a comfortable pillow.
Reinventing Shower
Have you ever tried taking a shower under a waterfall? The cozy embrace
of water makes you feel refreshed. The Nebia shower uses an innovative
technology that atomizes water into millions of droplets to create 10
times more surface area than a regular shower. This gives you a level of
comfort you have never experienced. More water comes in contact with
your body leaving your skin feeling clean and hydrated and also saving
thousands of gallons of water a year. Nebia receives funding from Apple
CEO Tim Cook and the executive chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt.
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
Falling asleep quickly and having a deep sleep at night allows you to
recover from fatigue. A pillow matters. With the ergonomically designed
Pilo, you will not toss and turn in bed all night. The Pilo connects with a
smartphone. If you have trouble falling asleep, it plays music. Combined
with a wearable device, you can analyze how long it takes you to fall
asleep and improve your sleep habits.

32. Projection Screen
Your home movie theater can have a projection screen as
large as your house allows—at least 100 inches. First, you
should pay attention to the materials and coating of the
screen. A screen with high elasticity and a smooth surface is
better because it provides high resolution and sharpness, and
the projected images seem to float in space. Second, choose
the structure of the screen. If budget allows, choose an
electric projection screen. It can be tightened horizontally
with tensioned cords while the slat bar with added weight
maintains vertical tension. The screen can be recessed into
the ceiling and hidden from view. A manual projection screen
is a cheaper option. Last, you need to choose from white and
gray screens. White screens are usually seen in a public
theater and they work best in rooms with totally controlled
ambient light. Gray screens absorb ambient light and work
best in rooms where the ambient light cannot be fully
controlled. They also increase the perceived contrast.
MOBILE MASTERY
32
In the era of the internet, movies were released online around the same time a movie
was released in the cinema. This meant that more people could enjoy a blockbuster in
their own home. However, a movie is often less dynamic when watched on a small
mobile phone screen. The audience can feel the magic of a movie only when they see
a scene displayed on a screen as large as that of a theater. Fortunately, many gadgets
are available to build a home movie theater, providing the same enjoyable experience
as you can get in the theater.
Building a Theater in
Your Home

33. MOBILE MASTERY
33
Remote Control
After decking out your room with home theater equipment,
you may be worried about having a bunch of remote
controls. BroadLink RM-Pro can solve this problem. It
replaces all the traditional remotes. It is a universal remote
control for you to control infrared/RF appliances through
your smartphone. With an app, you can not only control the
power on/off of appliances, but preset the theme so that
appliances operate under you presetting by one click. For
example, with a click, you could pre-heat the projector,
which triggers the pull down of an electric window shade.
When the projection screen comes down, the 4K media
player and receiver will be turned on and the receiver will
automatically adjust itself. The lamp would dim after the
movie is played. All these happen without human
intervention. With an installed sensor, you can monitor the
indoor temperature and preset the air conditioner to
automatically turn on and lower the temperature by a
predetermined amount.
Spro 2: Your Portable
Movie Theater
If you simply want to watch
movies on a large screen and
do not want to invest heavily,
ZTE Spro 2 smart projector is
the perfect fit. It allows you
to stream a movie onto any
nearby wall you need, from a
smartphone or a laptop. It is
a projector that runs
Android, has built in Wi-Fi
and 4G LTE, a 5-inch
touchscreen, and doubles as
a mobile hotspot for up to
10 devices. It also features
autofocus and auto keystone
correction. It was awarded
“Best Mobile Enabled
Consumer Electronics
Device” by the GSMA.
Projector
For really good projection, Sony LSPX-W1S 4K ultra short
throw projector is a good choice. It provides a fully
immersive experience with expansive 147-inch image and 4x
the clarity of Full HD. It retails for $50,000 and is made to
order.
Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema LS10000, priced at $7,999, is a
more affordable product. This home theater projector
combines revolutionary 3LCD reflective laser projection and
4K enhancement technology. It offers 1500 lumens of color
brightness and 1500 lumens of white brightness, an
unprecedented black contrast ratio, wider color gamut,
richer colors and smoother gradations. The laser light source
also lasts up to 30,000 hours.
Player
Blu-ray is finally playing catch-up to streaming video with the
launch of the first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players. Before 4K blu-
ray players could become widely available, you could choose
players with image enhancing capabilities or Sony FMP-X10
4K ultra media player. It offers you 4K entertainment in one
box. With it, you can download over 200 4K movies from
Video Unlimited and stream Netflix in 4K. It can connect any
USB external hard drive up to 4 TB. Moreover, the
TRILUMINOS display produces the widest color spectrum.
Receiver
A cinematic experience requires immersive sound effects.
Onkyo TX-RZ900 7.2-channel A/V receiver will serve as the
center of your home theater and audio experience. It allows
you to hear every detail and feel every emotion. The
TX-RZ900 custom toroidal transformer and capacitors help to
reproduce ultra low frequencies down to 5 Hz, so you can
feel the bass impact. Its high-current amplification system
also enables enhanced control of the speakers for accurate
and dynamic sound.

34. Spring is finally here. Many flowers bloom and
trees leaf out. The occasional spring rain showers
just make everything more beautiful. Why not
capture the beauty around you with a smart-
phone? To make most out of the springtime, a
smartphone with a good camera is a must. Here
are a few spring photos taken by ZTE’s flagship
smartphone AXON.
The photographed place is ZTE’s Shanghai R&D
center, where ZTE Mobile Devices is based.
ZTE WORLD
Spring Photos Taken by ZTE AXON
● Photos by Zhu Ping
34
Plum blossoms

35. Tips: One of the highlights of ZTE AXON is its
dual-lens (13-megapixel + 2-megapixel) rear
camera with BSI CMOS sensor and dual-LED
flash. Thanks to the dual-camera setup, you can
snap an image at will, and then select the focus
and bokeh intensity later on. The camera is good
with close-ups, especially when the bokeh mode
is used to achieve that professional look.
ZTE WORLD
35
Crabapple blossoms