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ZTE's 2014 lineup includes 'Iconic Phablet' and a hotspot with built-in video projector

ZTE's 2014 lineup includes 'Iconic Phablet' and a hotspot with built-in video projector

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ZTE (STOCK)
ZTE (STOCK)

ZTE is going big for this year's Consumer Electronics Show. The company has announced that it will be showcasing a wide variety of products including the Grand S II, its second-generation flagship smartphone. ZTE says the Grand S II will feature "intelligent voice control technology" that allows users to snap photos and unlock the device with voice commands. CES will also see the debut of the nubia 5S and nubia 5S mini, two oddly-named handsets the company says stand out due to their "professional-grade photography" capabilities. But from there, the product lineup only grows bigger — and a bit more bizarre.

ZTE has chosen to embrace the word "phablet" like few manufacturers before it; it's thrown the term right into a product name. The Iconic Phablet, as you'd expect, straddles the line between phone and tablet with its 5.7-inch HD display. (It's not ZTE's first huge phone, though.) The device features a "smart viewer" mode that lets users multitask with two apps on screen at the same time. It's powered by a dual-core processor and supports wireless charging, according to ZTE's press release.

Who knew the world needed a hybrid wireless hotspot and video projector?

But perhaps the strangest product of all is the Projector Hotspot. It's exactly what the name implies: a mobile hotspot and miniature video projector combined in one device. "This device is great for streaming and sharing visual content whether you’re in the office, at home, or in the classroom," ZTE says. Aside from support for up to eight wireless connections, we don't know much about this truly oddball product, but look forward to seeing it at CES next week.

ZTE's first smartwatch, dubbed BlueWatch, will also be on display at the show. The company says BlueWatch "records and analyzes data around the clock" and can reveal a wearer's body fat percentage and other "quantified self" data. And finally, the company is working with AT&T on the Wireless Home Base, which allows landline phones to be plugged in and used with the second-largest US wireless network.