Chinese handset player ZTE today unveiled the latest iterations of its Blade smartphone series, announcing Blade V7 and Blade V7 Lite.

The company said the two devices “are designed to meet the needs of today’s smartphone users”. Blade V7 is equipped with a 5.2 inch full HD screen, is powered by an octacore chip, and is said to include an expanded Smart Sense intelligent gesture control.

Described as “slim and sleek”, the Blade V7 has a body that is 3mm thick at its thinnest point, with a 78.2 per cent screen to body ratio and “2.5D curved edge glass”.

It also has “4G LTE Plus” capability, 2G of RAM, and a front and rear 13MOl cameras, and will initially be available in Germany, Spain, South Africa, Ethiopia and Mexico by the summer of this year.

The smaller ZTE Blade V7 Lite has a 5-inch display, HD screen, and comes with a fingerprint scanner, quick app launch and navigation. The Lite version comes with an 8MP camera, and will first launch in Russia, before wider availability in Mexico, Spain, Germany and Thailand by spring 2016.

“We’re proud to show off the Blade V7 and V7 Lite to the world, and we’re starting here in Barcelona,” said Jacky Zhang, CEO of EMEA and APAC, ZTE Mobile Devices.

“We know how important smartphones are to our daily lives, especially for capturing those significant moments. Hence, we’ve designed the Blade V7 and Blade V7 Lite with that in mind.”

ZTE said more than 30 million Blade phones were shipped in over 50 countries worldwide by the end of last year.

“As overseas users have higher requirements for product quality, the success of the Blade is highly significant,” it added in a statement.

Projector

In a separate device launch at a press conference yesterday, the company also unveiled the latest version of its “smart projector”, Spro Plus. Placing it 2.4 metres away from any surface will project an image up to 80 inches across.

The device, which the company said can also work as a tablet, comes with an 8.4 inch touch screen and 2K resolution, and also offers up to six hours battery life.

Waiman Lam, VP global mobile and technology, strategy and marketing ZTE Mobile Devices, said Spro Plus launch was part of the company’s drive towards “mobilising the big screen”.

“The Spro created a brand new category, the smart projector, and the industry has taken to the idea,” said Lam. “ZTE has been a pioneer in this space, and I’m very excited by the Spro Plus. Mobility is very important, and consumers clearly want the big screen experience.”

In the same press conference, ZTE also announced a sponsorship deal with Sevilla Football Club, to become the team’s “official technology partner”.