ZTE last week released their second smartphone in partnership with Virgin Media, the ZTE Kis, which follows the release of the ZTE Tania Windows Phone earlier this year. Available initially only in the U.K and through Virgin Media, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone is just GBP49.99 on a pay as you go plan.

While by no means the most advanced smartphone on the market, the Kis offers a lot of value for the modest price. An 800 Mhz processor powers the phone, with 2GB of external storage in the form of an included microSD card for music and photos, the latter of which can be captured with the 3.2 MP auto-focus camera. Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi capabilities are also present and accounted for.

"With the Kis, ZTE has designed a handset that meets customer requirements for a rich Android experience at a very affordable price for PAYG customers. With plentiful features and an abundance of apps to choose from through Google Play Store the ZTE Kis certainly delivers on that" said Virgin Media Director of Mobile, Jamie Heywood.

ZTE has no plans to rest on their laurels, and have several more devices planned for launch later in 2012, and throughout 2013, which will target different price points, and make use of different operating systems to provide a wide range of products that meet the needs of the broad consumer base.

"It is an example of our commitment to providing our customers with quality devices at affordable prices under the vibrant ZTE brand proposition," said Wu Sa, Director of Mobile Device Operations at ZTE UK.

The ZTE Kis is available now in the UK through Virgin Media. Included with the plan is 1GB of free monthly data allowance for the first 12 months. A release throughout Europe is expected in the future.