UPDATE: ZTE has confirmed that the Axon Phone will be priced at $449.98 unlocked. It’ll be available from zteusa.com, Amazon, eBay, and Newegg. ZTE will also offer a 30-day return period and a 2-year warranty.

As suspected, ZTE has crafted a new Axon Phone device for launch in the US market.

ZTE’s Axon Phone will launch in the US on July 27, and while there’s no word yet on how much the device will cost, but the terms and conditions for ZTE’s “You Wish” contest pegs the Axon Phone’s worth at $450.

In terms of specs, the Axon Phone is packing some heat. It’s got a 5.5-inch 2560x1440 display and 8-megapixel camera on its face. And while there’s just  a mono speaker at the bottom of the phone’s front, ZTE says that the Axon does offer “Hi-Fi audio playback” when used with headphones. Around back lives a 13-megapixel camera with an f/1.8 lens and a second, depth-sensing lens that’ll let you refocus photos after you’ve taken them and create bokeh effects.

Inside the Axon Phone lives a 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 32GB of storage (24.35GB of which is available to the user), 4GB of RAM, and a 3000mAh battery. In terms of connectivity, the Axon Phone offers LTE bands 2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/29/30, which should allow it to play nicely with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US. Finally, the Axon Phone runs Android 5.1.1 with what PCMag describes as a “relatively light skin.”

ZTE says that “Axon” is its new flagship device family for the US and not a different brand or company. So “Axon” is to ZTE as “Galaxy” is to Samsung or “One” is to HTC.

ZTE is no stranger to the mobile phone industry. In fact, it’s actually a pretty big player. ZTE has mostly been known for entry-level devices and carrier-branded phones in the past, though, and so this new Axon Phone may be ZTE’s attempt to distance itself from those devices and get attention from more US consumers. That may be a bit difficult in the US, where the carriers still play a major role in phone purchases for most consumers, but it’s still great to see another manufacturer offering its flagship phone direct and unlocked. Here’s to hoping that that method of buying catches on.

Now that it’s officially official, what do you think of the Axon Phone? Will you be buying one?