Zetafone History

Created by YouTube user JSR Phones, Zetafone is a fictional phone brand.

The first phone was a prototype of the actual Zetafone. It was made before the release of "The Zetafone", but after Zetafone was established.

The first phone ever released was "**the Zetafone**".

* 1,400 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Monochrome display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 128KB RAM, 256KB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless and Singularity PCS

This phone was a commercial FAILURE, mainly due to the high price tag and awkward design although the phone shaped like the letter Z. The software on the phone was also shoddily designed.

The Zetafone was the first ever phone from this company that costed over $1,000!

They released another phone a few months later. They called it the **Zetafone Mini (LT-300M)**.

* 700 USD
* 2-line and segmented display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue only
* 64KB RAM
* Available on Leap Wireless and Singularity PCS

This phone did a bit better than the Zetafone due to its price being cut in half, despite appearing more primitive compared to many other phones on the market at the time.

### 1998

Another phone was made, and it was similar to the Zetafone Mini: the **Zetafone LT-300**.

* 700 USD
* 2-line and segmented display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue only
* 64KB RAM
* Available on Leap Wireless and Singularity PCS

The Zetafone LT-300 had 2 different startup/shutdown sounds, and to change startup and shutdown sound, you had to dial \*#4815162342#.

### 1999

There was another Zetafone similar to The Zetafone, it was called the **Zetafone LT-650**.

* 800 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Monochrome display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 256KB RAM, 512KB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless and Singularity PCS

Due to technology advances in 1999, Zetafone were able to sell their Zetafone at a lower price than in 1997, and with better specifications. This resulted in the creation of the **Zetafone 2**.

* 800 USD
* 96x64 resolution
* Monochrome display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 256KB RAM, 512KB storage
* Available on Singularity PCS

Starting from this point on, Zetafone’s flagship phones were only available on Singularity PCS. A decision they would later regret.

Another Zetafone Mini was created: the **Zetafone Mini 2 (LT-400M)**.

* 700 USD
* 3-line and segmented display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue only
* 64KB RAM
* Available on Leap Wireless and Singularity PCS

And then a few months later, came the **Zetafone LT-600**.

* 800 USD
* 128x80 resolution
* Monochrome display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 256KB RAM, 512KB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

### 2000

Early in the year, Zetafone would release their most ambitious phone yet– the **Zetafone Touch**.

* 1,000 USD
* 128x160 pixel resolution
* Monochrome touch display
* DUAL Monophonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 512KB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless and Singularity PCS

This phone was also a commercial FAILURE, again due to the high price tag, (another $1,000 phone?!) and the relative newness of the touch technology at the time.

Later in 2000, Zetafone would release their next phone in the Zetafone lineup… the **Zetafone 3**.

* 600 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Monochrome display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 512KB storage
* Available on Singularity PCS

A few weeks later, another version of the Zetafone 2 was released, the **Zetafone 2M**.

* 800 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Monochrome display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 256KB RAM, 512KB storage
* Available on Singularity PCS

This is the same as the Zetafone 2, except the speakers are polyphonic.

Three Zetafones were released all at once: the **Zetafone LT-700**, **LT-710**, and **LT-715**.

* 700 USD
* 128x80 pixel resolution
* Monochrome display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 512KB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

## THE RISE OF ZETAFONE (2001-2006)

### 2001

In 2001, Zetafone released their first color-screen phone. They called it the **Zetafone 4 (LT-800)**.

* 500 USD
* 64x96 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 1MB storage
* Available on Singularity PCS

And then a few months later, the **Zetafone 5**.

* 500 USD
* 64x96 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 1MB storage
* Available on Singularity PCS

And this time, for their Leap Wireless phone, they decided to outsource the software development to a smaller, lesser-known company called “LWARE”.

As a result, their Leap phone for this year is WILDLY different from any of the other phones they have made or will make: the **Zetafone LT-1120**.

* 600 USD
* 128x104 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 1MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

This year also marked the opening of their Russian division. This division is where the R-series phones are made.

First came the **Zetafone R1**.

* 10,000 RUB
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Monochrome display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 1MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless RU

### 2002

In 2002, the Russian division released the **Zetafone R2**.

* 10,000 RUB
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Monochrome display
* Monophonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 512KB RAM, 1MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless RU

### 2003

In 2003, Singularity PCS was acquired by Leap.

This year also marked the release of the **Zetafone BT-20**.

* 300 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 512KB RAM, 2MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

And another one 3 months later: the **Zetafone BT-25**.

* 300 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 512KB RAM, 3MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

As well as the release of the **Zetafone R3**.

* 8,000 RUB
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Analogue and digital
* 1MB RAM, 2MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless RU

### 2004

Zetafone released their next phone, the **Zetafone BT-30**.

* 400 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 1MB RAM, 2MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

As well as the release of the **Zetafone BT-40**.

* 400 USD
* 96x64 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 1MB RAM, 2MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

Including the **Zetafone R4**.

* 8,000 RUB
* 128x96 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 4MB RAM, 8MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless RU

### 2005

Another Zetafone Touch was made in the mid-to-late 2005. The **Zetafone Touch Turbo**.

* 900 USD
* 128x160 pixel resolution
* Color touch display
* DUAL Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 32MB RAM, 64MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

The Zetafone Touch Turbo was ANOTHER FAILED ATTEMPT at another touch screen phone!

Another phone from the Russian division was released after the R4: the **Zetafone RX**.

* 8,000 RUB
* 128x96 pixel resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 5MB RAM, 10MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless RU

The Zetafone RX was the Russian version of the BT-30.

### 2006

There was no activity for the Zetafone’s American division for a little while. But in the meantime, their Russian division released one last phone, the **Zetafone R5**.

* 7,000 RUB
* 128x96 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 8MB RAM, 16MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless RU

Unfortunately, this year marked the end of the Russian Zetafone division. This division shut down a few months before releasing the Zetafone R5.

## THE END OF ZETAFONE? (2007-2018)

### 2007

After hearing about the upcoming iPhone back in 2007, Zetafone decided to try their hand at a touch screen phone again. The **Zetafone T200**.

* 500 USD
* 240x320 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 64MB RAM, 2GB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

Arriving just a few weeks before the iPhone, they had a small bit of success, before the iPhone ate up all their sales.

### 2009

By 2009, Zetafone were bleeding cash and having a hard time staying afloat.

In a last-ditch effort to stay afloat, they contacted LWARE to create another phone for them: the **Zetafone T202**.

* 400 USD
* 480x640 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 128MB RAM, 4GB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

### 2011

In 2011, the Zetafone T-Series was continuing because of the release of the **Zetafone T300**.

* 500 USD
* 600x720 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 192MB RAM, 6GB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless
* 2 startup/shutdown sounds

### 2012

In 2012, JSR LTD's Zetafone division was bought out by a no-name Chinese company which made MediaTek feature phones. Although, the Chinese government banned that company from making "Zetafones" due to it being a copyright strike.

### 2013

In 2013, the first ever Windows phone was released: the **Zetafone WinPhone 100.**

* 650 USD
* 900x1000 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 1GB RAM, 8GB storage

This is the only Windows phone from Zetafone. Unfortunately it failed. No startup or shutdown sound.

Unfortunately however, it was not enough. 2 months later, Zetafone declared bankruptcy and were acquired by LWARE.

LWARE pushed out cheap, low quality phones under the Zetafone name. Such as the **Zetafone Slice**, and the **Zetafone Edge 3** and **Edge S**.

### 2014

In 2014, JSR LTD managed to acquire their Zetafone division back, and this is the first Zetafone made after JSR LTD got rights to Zetafone back: the **Zetafone T240**.

* 650 USD
* 500x700 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 256MB RAM, 8GB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

Few months later… LWARE and Zetafone decided to make their first ever watch: the **Zetafone Watch L100**.

* 500 USD
* 500x500 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 8MB RAM, 16MB storage

### 2015

This year marked the release of the Zetafone Z-Series flagship smartphones.

First came the **Zetafone Z1**.

* 600 USD
* 5x7 in. screen
* Color display
* 2/3GB RAM, 24/48GB storage
* 16MP main camera, 10MP selfie camera
* Available on Leap Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T (US only)

This was the first ever smartphone/Android phone made by the Zetafone company.

### 2016

Another Zetafone creator was planning to create a watch, the **Zetafone Watch W90**.

* 400 USD
* 500x500 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 12MB RAM, 24MB storage
* 2 different startup and shutdown sounds

### 2017

Yet again, nothing much happened in 2017.

### 2018

In 2018, LWARE disappeared, and with it went the Zetafone name. Zetafone was no more.

Shortly after their disappearance, a fan-made Zetafone group was created. Those fans would come up with designs for potential Zetafone-produced phones.

And a small group of super fans throughout America believe that Zetafone could return.

As for Zetafone themselves though, a few months after shutdown… some of the older employees and even the founder of the original Zetafone company decided to found a new company, Zeta Corporation.

Some of good programmers of LWARE also joined the new Zetafone team.

And so, Zetafone and LWARE both returned.

## THE RETURN OF ZETAFONE! (2018-present)

### 2018

After their shutdown in 2018, more Zetafone creators decided to join in to make more phones! This caused Zetafone to run the newest company.

To celebrate 20 years of Zetafone, a Zetafone creator, My Computer, decided to release a new feature phone, the **Zetafone Classic**.

* 700 USD
* 800x800 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 125MB RAM, 250MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless

Zetafone Classic had the same form-factor as the original one, but it was slimmer, smaller, and did not have such an awkward design as the original one, and it actually succeeded! More than 131 million units were sold.

A few days later, My Computer created the new touch screen + Android phone… the **Zetafone Z2**.

* 699 USD
* 5x7 in. screen
* Color display
* 2/3GB RAM, 32/64GB storage
* 16MP main camera, 10MP selfie camera
* Available on Leap Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T (US only)

### 2019

This marked the year of the return of the Russian division. Two R-Series phones were released in this year. However, both of those phones were the same price. The **Zetafone R6** and **R7**.

* 9,000 RUB
* 132x128 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 12MB RAM, 24MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless RU

### 2020

A new tablet was now created in the Zetafone company. But it is not named the Zetafone Tablet. It’s named, the ZetaTablet.

* 400 USD
* 300x150 pixel resolution
* Color display
* 1GB RAM, 32GB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless, powered by RedOS

### 2022

To celebrate 25 years of Zetafone, (1997 - 2022) Zetafone creator 2022Gaming designed the newest phone for the 25th Anniversary: **the Zetafone Anniversary 25**.

* 500 USD
* 96x64 resolution
* Color display
* Polyphonic speaker
* Digital only
* 1MB RAM, 3MB storage
* Available on Leap Wireless