ZTE’s latest low-cost handset drops MiFlavor overlay in favor of pure Google goodness

While those buying high-end handsets often get the option of Google Play editions that are free from manufacturer overlays, the same isn’t generally true of low-end ones, where manufacturer overlays rule. ZTE’s new Blade Vec 4G handset, though, is being supplied with the Google Now Launcher as the default interface, reports the WSJ.

“Some consumers may prefer Google Now Launcher,” said Zeng Xuezhong, ZTE’s head of mobile device business, in an interview Thursday. “We are trying to give users more options.”

The Chinese manufacturer says that it expects to sell around 20M smartphones in its home market this year, with a similar number in the US.

ZTE says that it plans to launch further Google edition handsets in future, but that it will continue to use the MiFlavor overlay on others. Its high-end Nubia Z7 was announced earlier this month, but it’s not yet clear whether it will make it to the USA.