ZTE is a Chinese consumer electronics brand owned by Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited, founded in 1985. Today, it is the second-largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer in China. ZTE’s product range covers virtually every sector of the wired and wireless communications market. Like many Chinese companies working internationally, ZTE has two versions of the logo (in English and Chinese).
Meaning and history
The Chinese company ZTE was founded in 1985, in Guangzhou, China, and was originally called Zhongxing Semiconductor Co. The company was founded by a group of investors together with the Ministry of Aerospace Industry of the People’s Republic of China.
At the beginning of its history, the company was engaged in the production of small electronics, such as electronic watches and phones. A year later, Zhongxing Semiconductor Co. opened a research and development group to develop its own automatic telephone exchange (ATS), which was ready in 1987.
In March 1993, Zhongxing Semiconductor Co. changed its name to Zhongxing New Telecommunications Equipment Co. – ZTE for short. In 1997, ZTE shares appeared on the stock exchange, and in 2011 the company became the second-largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment and cell phones in China.
ZTE has 20 in-house R&D centers in China, the USA, Sweden, France, Japan, and Canada, employing over 30 thousand specialists. ZTE’s product range covers virtually every sector of the wired and wireless communications, mobile, and fixed terminal markets. However, the company does not stand still and is constantly evolving. ZTE’s developments in the 2020s include innovative energy solutions such as smart lithium batteries, cloud energy management systems, green power supply, and more.
1985 — 2015
The old ZTE logo had the same core as the current one. You could see the abbreviation “ZTE” set in a simple all-caps sans serif type. The letters were blue.
However, the shape of the glyphs used to be different. Although some of the angles were rounded, the majority of the ends was rectangular. Also, the shade of blue in the previous logotype used to be darker.
2016 — Today
Describing its logo, the company uses the following adjectives: “harmonious, integrating, flexible, and interactive.” The flowing shape symbolizes the free flow of information.
The ZTE logo used abroad is absolutely minimalistic. There’s nothing more than the three capital letters of the company name. Moreover, the type itself is also a very simple sans serif one – it doesn’t seem to have any features making it stand out. The ends are rounded; the glyphs have a traditional shape. Yet, it looks modern, sleek, and perfectly readable, which seems only natural for a company dealing with telecommunication. Here, getting the message across and being understood is more important than being unique.
Emblem used in China
The ZTE logo used abroad is absolutely minimalistic. There’s nothing more than the three capital letters of the company name. Moreover, the type itself is also a very simple sans serif one – it doesn’t seem to have any features making it stand out. The ends are rounded; the glyphs have a traditional shape. Yet, it looks modern, sleek, and perfectly readable, which seems only natural for a company dealing with telecommunication. Here, getting the message across and being understood is more important than being unique.
Colors
The shade of blue featured on the ZTE logo is saturated and eye-pleasing. It’s dark enough to make the necessary contrast with the white background, and yet, it doesn’t sacrifice its bright and vivid mood for the sake of contrast. According to the company, the color was chosen for its “youthful and lively” feel.