The good: The ZTE Render has a user-friendly design, satisfying call quality, and a generous amount of internal memory. Bloatware is almost nonexistent.
The bad: The Render's Windows 7.8 operating system is already outdated. The internal processor is slow and the data speeds creep by at 3G EV-DO.
The bottom line: The ZTE Render would be a great starter Windows Phone, but only if it came out a year ago
I wouldn't blame you for wondering why you should even consider the ZTE Render for U.S. Cellular. Because in all honesty, you shouldn't. It is, after all, a Windows 7.5 smartphone hitting stores just days before Microsoft releases Windows Phone 8. And as every Windows Phone watcher knows, current Windows handsets won't upgrade to the next version of Microsoft's OS. That alone renders it (yes, I went there) obsolete right out of the gate, a fact that can't be overcome by a promised small upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8.
Behind that mess there’s not much to make the Render worth your time. The 5-megapixel camera produces average photos, the data connection tops out at 3G EV-DO, and the 1GHz processor is slower than it should be. Voice quality is fine, and if the Render carried a different price tag, I'd give it more of a pass. But at $49 with a two-year contract, it's just not worth your time. Unfortunately, it is U.S. Cellular's only Windows device. But even if you're an ardent Microsoft fan, you're better off waiting for the carrier to embrace Windows Phone 8.
