In order to set itself apart in an already very crowded smartphone market, ZTE’s thrust has been to bring down last year’s high-end tech into this year’s midrange phones.

Here at MWC 2018 in Barcelona, the company is introducing its sub-US$ 300 Blade V9 smartphone.

The phone is familiar, and in many ways reminiscent of a flagship phone from late 2017.

It is ZTE’s first full-screen 18:9 phone with a pretty decent 84 percent screen-to-body ratio, and with dual cameras for better low-light performance.

In the hands, the phone’s all-glass build and metal frame give it a solid, premium feel. The back of the phone shimmers when it catches light; the company is calling it Aurora Glass.

ZTE reps tell GadgetMatch that the phone was designed “with a lot of emphasis on battery, camera, and display.”

The phone is powered by a 3100mAh battery with software that switches off infrequently used apps to maximize battery life.

It’s dual main cameras (16- and 5-megapixel) both work in tandem to provide better exposure when light is scarce and enable bokeh mode for portraits. The main camera shoots at f/1.8, and in our limited tests, did a good job at managing tricky lighting situations.

The Blade V9’s camera also has “AR mode” and can overlay 2D objects into photos.

International versions of the phone will run stock versions of Android Oreo and the company promises speed updates. The phone runs on a Snapdragon 450 processor and comes in 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB memory and storage models. It retails for EUR 269, or around US$ 330, and is available in blue, black, gold, or gray.

If that’s still too high an asking price, ZTE is also offering the Blade V9 Vita, which costs only EUR 179 (US$ 220). It has lower specs like a Snapdragon 435 processor, up to 3GB of memory, and up to 32GB of storage. It has a slightly smaller 5.45-inch 18:9 display but with strong battery life and a dual-camera setup.

Colors options for the Blade V9 Vita are blue, dark blue, pink, and black.