The launch ceremony on Aug. 11, 2015, was attended by no other than Chang Cheng. (Photo : China Daily)
Chinese tech giant Lenovo is supporting new smartphone maker ZUK as it introduces its first device in Beijing.
In his keynote speech, Chang Cheng, CEO of ZUK, showcased the Z1's specs, equipped with a 5.5-inch full HD 1080 resolution display that is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 32-bit processor.
It also comes with a 3-gigabyte RAM, 64GB of internal storage, a 13-megapixel camera at the back and an 8-megapixel front facing shooter.
Priced at 1,799 ($284.42), the device is powered by Android, complemented by a 8.9mm-thick frame with dual-SIM capability, 4G LTE connectivity, and wired connectivity through a Type C USB.
Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group Ltd., stated that investing in ZUK is one major step in adapting to a more interconnected environment.
Yang explained that ZUK will be independent as much as possible, while its Z1 smartphone will try to seek out heavy users who put a premium on specs.
During Chang's keynote message, he emphasized a focus on catering to the needs of college students.
In developing the Z1, the engineering team for the Z1 spent more than two months in 30 universities to assess the various demands of students and what they essentially need in a device.
The result of the team's research was the U-Touch multifunction platform that is expected to attract potential users.
It is located at the bottom of the display, where users can perform multi-task functions, such as seamlessly switching back and forth between applications, returning to the home screen, and opening a multi-task management tool.
Although Chang has not revealed any global plans for the company, the launch has drawn the attention of the Android community.
According to Canalys, a mobile market research firm, one in three smartphones shipped in China was either a device from Xiaomi Inc. or Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. in the second quarter of 2015.
Apple came in third place, followed by Samsung and Vivo.
"Competition among major brands has never been so intense," said Jingwen Wang, an analyst at Canalys.
