New | 'Nubia', not iPhone, is Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan’s latest choice of smart phone
Ever since Peng Liyuan dazzled the public on her first official appearance as China’s first lady a year ago, the former military singer's every movement, speech and choice of apparel has been closely watched by fans as well as analysts.
And the latest social media craze about Peng among China’s online community is, “what cellphone is she using?”
On Saturday, a picture of Peng snapping photos with a white mobile phone emerged on the internet, prompting curious internet users to speculate over exactly what brand the first lady favoured.
A smiling Peng was seen sitting between her husband Xi Jiping and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, raising a white smart phone to take pictures of a friendly match between German and Chinese youth soccer teams in Berlin, during the couple's state visit to Germany.
Although only the back of the smartphone and no logo was visible in the photo, gadget-savvy web users soon discovered that Peng's phone was a Nubia Z5 mini, a one-year-old model made by Chinese firm ZTE, the world’s seventh-biggest smartphone maker.
The budget smartphone retails between 1,499 yuan and 1,888 yuan (US$241-304), but is no longer available on Nubia’s official website as it has been replaced by newer versions.
