This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZTE Grand X Max 2 for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a travel blogger, I have a really strong need for tech products that can help me take readers to a certain destination, so they can experience it first hand through our posts. Most of the time, that means lugging around a heavy DSLR plus multiple different lenses. For shorter trips or on the fly photos though, it is nice to have a smartphone that is capable of producing high quality photos with tons of detail without breaking the bank. That's the need that ZTE's Grand X Max 2 phablet is currently filling for me.

The first thing I adore about this phone is the fact that it is in fact a phablet due to its rather impressive 6" FHD LCD display. I used to have another phone that was a similar size, but I sadly dropped it and was not able to replace it with one of a similar size. Over the last year, ZTE has become a brand I trust, as my old phone was a slightly older model ZTE with a 5" display. The sleek design and extra inch of display screen certainly makes a huge difference with the ZTE Grand X Max 2 though, and I'm loving it so far. 

When I got this phone, I was instantly drawn to the dual rear cameras. You heard me right, this baby has two rear facing cameras, a 13 MP AF + 2 MP FF with flash and FHD video. The dual cameras allow for stunning photographic capabilities like panoramic shots and shots with cool bokeh effect, which I previously could only get from my DSLR. There is also a 5 MP front facing camera with video capabilities too.

You aren't sacrificing speed and entertainment for great quality photos either, the ZTE Grand X Max 2 is a high powered phone running Android Marshmallow OS and it is plenty fast enough. I love the Dolby Audio and Hi-Fi Music capabilities while traveling and on the road as well.

I decided to put this new smartphone to the test and took the Grand X Max 2 outside to snap some photos of my furry friends. Some were more willing subjects than others, but overall, I was amazed at the crispness of he photos, and the bokeh effect was gorgeous, even with a wiggly dog as the subject. The bokeh effect is that in focus subject with beautifully blurred background effect that I previously could only get with a DSLR. So excited to see it as an option on a smartphone. Check out the second photo below for an example! I am so looking forward to taking this phone with us to London, Paris and Venice starting next week to see what it can really do.

Want to check out the ZTE Grand X Max 2 phablet for yourself? It is available through Cricket Wireless retail stores and CricketWireless.com. Locate a Cricket Wireless authorized retail location. The phone is currently $129.99 for customers bringing their phone number to Cricket, or $169.99 for existing customers. Cricket Wireless has affordable plans starting at just $35 a month after the AutoPay $5 credit.

Have you tried the ZTE Grand X Max 2 phablet yet? If so, what's your favorite feature?
Buy ZTE Grand X Max 2 for $129, port number to Cricket and activate a new qualified plan, minimum $40 per month. Fees, other charges & restrictions apply. See store for details.