We haven’t heard much about new Axon devices from ZTE in the US ever since the original Axon Pro launched in the US in July, but overseas, the Axon family is growing.
ZTE today launched the Axon mini, which is indeed a smaller (but not that much smaller) version of the Axon Pro. The Axon mini boasts a 5.2-inch 1920x1080 Super AMOLED display, down from the Axon Pro’s 5.5-inch 2560x1440 screen. That screen is also pressure sensitive, letting you use different levels of pressure for added functionality.
Powering the Axon mini is an octa-core Snapdragon 616 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 2800mAh battery. The phone is packing 32GB of storage, though you can add more using its microSD slot. Also on offer is a 13-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus that ZTE says will focus on a subject in 0.1 seconds. Around front is an 8-megapixel camera. Rounding out the Axon mini’s feature set is a fingerprint sensor and eye scanner, which are two of the three authentication methods on the device, the third being voice control.
All of those goodies are wrapped into a body that’s made of an aircraft-grade aluminum-titanium alloy that starts at 329 EUR/379 USD/2229 CNY for the base model in Ion Gold and Chromium Silver, or 349 EUR/399 USD/2399 CNY if you’d prefer Rose Gold. Meanwhile, the Axon mini (Premium Edition) will cost 389 EUR/439 USD/2699 CNY. It’s unclear exactly what sets the Premium Edition apart from the standard model, though.
The ZTE Axon mini is launching today in China, and in the coming months it’ll also hit Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Japan, India, Australia, France, Germany, Turkey, Spain, and Italy.
The ZTE Axon mini sounds like a nice upper mid-range handset, offering a generous 3GB of RAM, some high-res cameras, and a body that’s made of premium materials. Some folks might find its battery a tad too small, though. Also, while this has nothing to do with its spec list, it’s kind of crazy to think that a phone with a 5.2-inch screen is “mini.” Overall, the Axon mini seems like a respectable mid-range Android handset.
ZTE is also launching its Axon Watch in China this month. The Axon Watch has a round 1.4-inch display, Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, fitness and health monitoring, IP67 certification for resistance to dust and water, and a 300mAh battery. Rather than Android Wear, the ZTE Axon Watch is powered by the Tencent TOS+ operating system.
