ZTE has expanded its Blade-series with the launch of Blade S6 at an event in Hong Kong.

The company has announced that ZTE Blade S6 will be priced at $249.99 (approximately Rs. 15,300) and will be available globally starting February 10. The handset will be available online worldwide via AliExpres, and via Amazon or eBay in select markets. Notably, the new Blade-series smartphone can also be shipped to India via AliExpress.

The Blade S6 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box with ZTE’s MiFavor 3.0 UI on top. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939) alongside 2GB of RAM. The Chinese handset maker touts that the ZTE Blade S6 is “world’s first Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core smartphone running the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.”

Some of the other highlights of the ZTE Blade S6 include ZTE’s AliveShare application for network-less communication and Smart Sense gesture motion control.

The dual-SIM (supports Nano-SIM) based Blade S6 features a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) display with In-Cell technology. It packs 16GB of built-in storage and supports expandable storage via microSD card, while the company is touting Hi-Fi sound capability.

ZTE Blade S6 sports a 13-megapixel autofocus rear camera with Sony IMX214 sensor and LED flash. There is a 5-megapixel front camera also onboard. The smartphone is backed by a 2400mAh battery. Connectivity options on the smartphone include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS/ A-GPS, 4G LTE, and Micro-USB. The smartphone packs proximity, ambient light, accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope sensors.

Commenting on the launch, Adam Zeng Xuezhong, Executive Vice President of ZTE Corporation and CEO of ZTE Mobile Devices, said, “In line with our product portfolio plan, we very much sought to push the envelope with the Blade S6, and to do so in a way that would appeal to youths, as well as those with active social lives.” The smartphone is surrounded by a two-millimetre-thin casing, and comes in a silver or pink matte finish options.

The company also shared some details about its Blade series of devices claiming that the Blade series accounted for over 20 million units of ZTE’s global device sales.

Adam Zeng Xuezhong, Executive Vice President of ZTE Corporation and CEO of ZTE Mobile Devices, added, “In line with our product portfolio plan, we very much sought to push the envelope with the Blade S6, and to do so in a way that would appeal to youths, as well as those with active social lives. The Blade S6 is part of our 3+1 approach, which is led by a trio of product lines that includes the voice control Star series, security-focused Grand series and mass-market premium Blade series.

The sub-brand Nubia series completes the approach, which together allows ZTE to address an expansive variety of customer needs. With its small package and powerful capabilities, the Blade S6 is the dream device for the socially active consumers and a clear demonstration of ZTE’s ability to offer a premium smartphone at an affordable price.”