ZTE isn’t precisely a household name in the U.S., but the Chinese company’s cell phones are well known in its home country and India. Now ZTE is giving the U.S. market a try with a phone called the C88. Though a pretty basic flip phone, the C88 may supply insight into ZTE’s design and market philosophy for other handsets to come. “We want to be a mainstream player,” says Drew Wilkens, a handset director at ZTE. “We think we can compete against LG, Samsung, and Motorola.”

The first U.S. carrier to introduce the C88 is MetroPCS, which offers prepaid wireless service in 10 metropolitan areas including Miami and Los Angeles. Many of Metro’s 3.6 million customers are budget-conscious consumers looking for a good deal: Metro charges as little as $30 a month and doesn’t require contracts. But it plus doesn’t offer discounts on the list price for phones like the big carriers do, so ZTE tried to

create a reasonably priced device. Depending on the store, the C88 sells for $129 to $149.

The phone — particularly the keypad design — reminded me of Motorola’s Razr, though much thicker. But unlike the Razr and many other flip phones, the top half of the clam doesn’t open as wide, so it looks more like a clam than a straight line in that position. Many public, Wilkens says, prefer that design, as they feel that it fits the curve from ear to mouth better and they don’t have to talk as loudly. But I find phones that open wider a bit more comfortable, as they can adjust to my face better.

Adequate, Workable Features

The phone comes with all the standard features in handsets these days: a camera, compatibility with Bluetooth cordless headsets, a Web browser, and messaging capabilities. The speakerphone is superb — much better…

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