ZUK Z1 international version with Cyanogen OS 12.1 to launch in October

ZUK, Lenovo-backed startup introduced ZUK Z1 smartphone in China last week. It recently said that the international variant of the smartphone will run on the latest Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) compared to the Chinese version that runs on ZUI based on Android 5.1 (Lollipop). Today, Cyanogen has revealed that the smartphone will be available internationally starting mid-October.

“Cyanogen is excited to be the OS for ZUK’s Z1 international version!” posted the firm on its Google+ post on Friday. It also gave the launch month of the international version of the Z1. “Be on the lookout for the Z1 in mid-October!” Zuk Z1, as per the post, is said to have become an ‘instant success’ in China as over 2 million users have already pre-ordered the smartphone within one week.

The partnership marks the third major partnership for Cyanogen’s commercial OS offering, after OnePlus and Micromax. Cyanogen however broke off its partnership earlier this year, after exclusivity issues in India following the OnePlus One’s launch late last year. OnePlus has since shifted to its own Android-based custom ROM, OxygenOS, currently available for the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2.

Besides the change in the software front, the international Zuk Z1 version is expected to come with similar hardware specifications like seen in its China version

The ZUK Z1 packs a 5.5-inch 1080p display, is powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3GB LPPDR3 RAM, 64GB internal storage, 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, 8MP front-facing camera, 4G LTE support, aircraft-grade aluminum metal frame, reversible USB 3.0 Type-C port and a 4100mAh battery with 5.3V-2.5A fast charger that takes just 2.5 hours to charge fully.

The ZUK Z1 comes in White and Grey colors and is priced at 1799 Yuan ( US$ 284 / Rs. 18,280 approx.).The company did not reveal the pricing of the smartphone for international markets yet.