ZTE Blade A3 Joy

The ZTE Blade A3 Joy is aimed at people who want a basic, compact phone, but its 2,650 mAh battery is a major compromise: its capacity is among the weakest of phones launched around the same time. It fits simple daily tasks such as calls and messaging, provided a larger battery is not the priority.

The 5.5-inch IPS LCD display has a resolution of 720 × 1,440 px and a pixel density of 293 ppi, below average for phones of its time. Its 86.9% screen-to-body ratio is better than that of most phones launched around the same time. At 162 g, it is lighter than most, while its 7.9 mm thickness is among the lowest of phones from the period.

Its hardware is worse than that of most phones launched around the same time. The 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage leave little room for apps and files, although storage is expandable. The rear camera is 8 MP, the front camera 2 MP, and the operating system is Android 10.

Connectivity is among the weakest of phones launched around the same time, despite support for LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS. A 3.5 mm audio jack is also included. The phone measures 142.2 mm tall and 63.2 mm wide. Overall, the Blade A3 Joy is a basic choice for people who value a light, compact handset more than battery capacity, storage space or hardware performance.