Tracfone ZTE Quartz Review - Android Smartphone

ZTE Quartz 797C Review with Features, Specs and Where to Buy

Below you will find our review of the ZTE Quartz from Tracfone with lots of details facts about this new phone. TracfoneReviewer works hard to provide useful and accurate information, and we will update this post as needed.

ZTE Quartz Review - 5.5" Android Smartphone

Tracfone continues to upgrade their phones offered to consumers with the latest smartphone, the ZTE Quartz that features a 5.5" touchscreen, the largest available at this time. Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company that offers both phones, and cell service by contracting with various other companies.

Over the past few years Tracfone has steadily offered more and more smartphones to use with their service. Most of their Android smartphones are for CDMA networks through Verizon, but some phones use GSM networks through AT&T. Tracfone also still offers many non-smartphones.

Until the Quartz, the Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop had the largest screen size at 5". All of Tracfone's other smartphone options were between 3.5" and 4.5". For some, a larger screen is very desirable, and the current trend for many smartphone manufacturers.

The Quartz (Z797C) will use CDMA networks through Verizon cell towers and only comes with 3G capability. But it does have many great features, which we will get into, but first we want to share our quick points about this phone:

ZTE Quartz Z797C Quick Points:

The Good:
-Large Screen at 5.5"
-8 MP Camera
-8 GB Internal Memory

The Not So Good:
-Poor Screen DPI and Resolution (960x540 about 200 DPI)
-Battery Unremovable
-Reviews for ZTE phones are generally mixed, with some reports of quality issues

This smartphone brings some key features many users have been looking forward to, but it also has a handful of drawbacks that one may need to consider. For example, the battery is unremovable, which means if it stops working, you will have to get a new phone entirely, not just a new battery. The Moto E is similar in this respect.

Now let's take a look at the full list of features and specifications for the ZTE Quartz which will give us a better idea of all it has to offer.

ZTE Quartz Features and Specs List

Below are the features for the ZTE Quartz, followed by the technical specifications

• Android 4.3
• 3G Connectivity through Verizon CDMA Service
• WiFi
• GPS
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 8 MP Rear Camera, 1 MP Front Camera
• HAC Compatible/Handsfree Speaker
• Triple Minutes for Life
• Access to over a Million Apps on Google Play
• MicroUSB connection 

ZTE Quartz Technical Specs List

• Size: 6.10" x 3.09" x 0.35"
• 5.5" Touchscreen (960x540 resolution with 200 DPI)
• 1.2 Ghz Quad Core Processor (some sources list only dual core)
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 GB Internal Memory (up to 64 GB external memory from MicroSD card)
• Battery: Talk Time 18 hours, standby 16 days. 3400 mAh non-removable

A lot of great features in this list, with several that are surprising to us, especially the battery life of up to 18 hours talk time. We would have expected the large screen to drain the battery quickly, but instead the phone comes with plenty of power.

The Quartz has all the other typical features for an Android Tracfone, like Bluetooth capability, WiFi access, Hands free speaker, voicemail, caller ID, and more.

There are plenty of exciting features, but there are also a couple of things we think consumers should be aware of before buying the ZTE Quartz, so let's jump into our review.

ZTE Tracfone Review - Likes and Dislikes

What we Like about the Quartz
The main feature on this phone, and the reason why many will be interested in buying the Quartz, is the 5.5" touchscreen. This is the largest smartphone available through Tracfone yet, and we are glad to see that Tracfone continues to improve what they have to offer.

At 5.5" screen, that's starting to get close to a tablet size, and may not fit in your picket very well. However, it will be much more convenient to use the phone to read, watch videos, and view other media.

Along with a large screen, the Quartz also has has 8 GB of internal memory, 1 GB RAM, a Quad-Core processor and a MicroSD slot for external memory. The LG Power and LG Sunset also come with similar specs which allows you to load the phone with a variety of apps and be able to run them without issues. The more RAM a phone has, the better it does at multitasking and running multiple apps at once.

The 8 MP rear camera on the Quartz is quite adequate and comes with autofocus, touch to focus, flash, and face detection. You can record videos at up to 720p quality which is HD. The front facing camera is a modest 1 MP which you can use for video calls and selfies. While it would be nice to have a better front camera, it is hard to expect that at this price point.

Lastly, we find that the Quartz is priced very reasonably for a phone with the features it has. The Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop, which had only a 5" screen, was initially priced for over $150. But you can find the ZTE Quartz on Amazon for $109, or about the same as the LG Power, Sunset or Ultimate 2

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we want to share a couple of dislikes for the Quartz.

What We Don't Like About the Quartz
The Quartz comes with a huge screen, but it also comes with some sacrifices, and one of those is resolution for the screen.

The screen resolution for the Quartz is 960x540 with a density of 200 DPI. For most of us, this doesn't really mean anything, so let's compare it to another phone with a 5.5" screen, the Asus Zenfone 2 (16GB). The Zenfone has a screen resolution of 1080x1920 with 400 DPI, or about double the Quartz. What this means is that media and content will look clearer and sharper on the Zenfone. But the Quartz' screen is adequate, and will get the job done. The Zenfone is also about twice the cost of the Quartz. (You can use the Zenfone with the Tracfone BYOP program)

Most of the phones from Tracfone have a DPI of somewhere between 200 and 300, so the Quartz fits in this range, and doesn't have any noticeable issues.

Another dislike we have about the ZTE Quartz is that it is a little outdated in two areas: 3G Connectivity and Android 4.3. Tracfone now allows 4G LTE devices through their BYOP program, and we want to see more 4G LTE devices offered directly through Tracfone, like the LG Sunset. But the Quartz only has 3G service. Along with that, the Quartz doesn't have the latest version of Android, it has 4.3. This isn't a big deal, but it is always better to have more updated versions, and we would have expected at least Android 4.4.

Lastly, we have some concerns with the Quality of ZTE phones. The older, ZTE Valet which came to Tracfone a few years ago, had a number of reported issues including poor WiFi strength. We've also seen mixed reviews on the ZTE website for the Quartz, where some users complain about various problems with the phone.

What this boils down to is that if you get the ZTE Quartz, you may get a great phone and have no problems, or you may experience issues that require you to return the device or get it repaired. So be aware of this, and we will share updates as more user information becomes available.

No brand of phone is without problems, but LG devices seem to have less issues, and ZTE seems to have a few more.

ZTE Quartz Overview and Where to Buy

If you're looking for a phone with a big screen, and you don't want to venture into Tracfone BYOP, the ZTE Quartz is your best options. It is similar to the Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop, but the Quartz comes with a larger screen, more internal memory, and better battery life.

If you're looking for a more well rounded smartphone, the ZTE Quartz is up near the top of our list, along with the LG Power, LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2. All of these phones have different pro's and con's that may make one better than another for you. Visit our Android Tracfone page which has all the smartphones with their key stats so you can quickly compare them.

Overall the ZTE Quartz brings a lot of great features, but it has a couple of drawbacks that may or may not be an issue for you.

You can find the ZTE Quartz on Amazon for $109

You can also find the ZTE Quartz on eBay for $109

We have only found the Quartz on Amazon and eBay through a Tracfone third party retailer, but this has also been the case for several other phones released by Tracfone.

We hope this review was helping and provided you with enough information and details to make your own conclusions. Leave a comment if you have any thoughts or questions.

If you're looking into a new Tracfone device, you should visit our Tracfone Reviews List, which contains all the phones we have reviewed and are available from Tracfone.

Also take a look at our post on How Data Works with Android Tracfones, and How Minutes Work with Android Tracfones. Both posts share enlightening details on some of the new things you should know about when upgrading to a smartphone.

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