Chinese company ZTE Corporation has just released in the U.S. its new ZTE Boost Max+ smartphone, which costs about US$200, according to recent reports.

The new ZTE Boost Max+ comes after the release of its predecessor, the original ZTE Boost Max, in January of last year. In comparison with the ZTE Boost Max handset, what does the new successor offer in terms of the specifications and features?

The original ZTE Boost Max runs on the old 4.1.2 Android operating system (OS) and comes with a 5.7-inch display screen with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution. On the other hand, the new ZTE Boost Max+ runs on the new Android 5.1 Lollipop OS and comes with about the same 5.7-inch display screen with the same 720 x 1280 resolution.

Both phones come with the same 8-megapixel camera on the back, but in addition, the Boost Max+ comes with a 1-megapixel camera on the front.

Under the hood, the Boost Max packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8930 processor, a 1024MB RAM and up to 8GB internal memory storage. The Boost Max+, on the other hand, runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB RAM and a larger 16GB internal memory capacity.

The Boost Max is powered by a big 3200 mAh battery while the new successor comes with a slightly larger 3400 mAh battery. In addition, iDigital Times reported that new ZTE Boost handset was certified by the UL Environment and is considered to be "environmentally friendly."

Another smartphone that's also expected to be released sometime this month is ZTE's Axon Pro device. This phone is expected to pack within itself more improved specs in comparison with the Boost Max series.

Other features the Boost Max+ has include the Dolby Digital Plus surround sound and 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) compatibility.