Building a brand: ZTE becomes the Knicks’ official smartphone provider

By Malarie Gokey October 27, 2014

Image used with permission by copyright holder

It ain’t easy breaking into the U.S. smartphone market. Many companies have tried — and failed — to do so. So far, ZTE has made an inroads with its budget-friendly smartphones and it’s actually the fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer in the United States. Now it’s on a mission to build brand recognition. As part of its game plan, ZTE announced on Monday a partnership with the New York Knicks.

The Chinese smartphone company already has marketing rights with the NBA and is the official smartphone provider for the Houston Rockets, too. Now it adds the Knicks to its list of team partners. During the announcement, ZTE’s Lixin Cheng compared his company’s aims to those of the Knicks, declaring that both teams are there to win. He was awarded the number 8 jersey to celebrate the deal. Cheng was pleased with his new number, as it’s actually considered the luckiest number of all in China. The number eight, Cheng explained, is for prosperity and luck — two things ZTE will need to break into the U.S. market.

We are honored to be the official smartphone of the @nyknicks! pic.twitter.com/tuK1Xpnc4M

— ZTE USA (@ZTE_USA) October 27, 2014

No specific handset will be promoted and Knicks players won’t be required to carry around only ZTE phones. However, a Knicks representative said that any player who asks for a device will get one. ZTE’s strategy is probably wise, given the almost consistent failure of celebrity smartphone endorsements.

ZTE’s main goal is to increase brand awareness in the U.S. with marketing, ads, and promotional seat upgrades for Knicks fans. ZTE stated that it currently has 56 devices available for sale in the U.S. and boasted that its phones can be found at any carrier.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…

Mobile

AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Mobile

Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today

Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally.

Mobile

The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024

A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad