ZTE shrinks the Axon 7 into the Axon 7 Mini
The Chinese company touts the audio capabilities of the phone, which is powered by Dolby Atmos stereo technology.
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ZTE's Axon 7 phone now has a little brother.
The Chinese phone maker on Thursday unveiled the Axon 7 Mini, which rocks a 5.2-inch 1080 display. That compares to the 5.5-inch Axon 7. The phone, which costs 299 euros (likely about $300), was announced ahead of the IFA trade show in Berlin. It will be available on September 7.
The Axon franchise is ZTE's family of premium devices. The hook is that the features of the phone -- the metallic body, speedy processor and powerful camera -- come at a more affordable price than the top-tier phones from Samsung or Apple. The company released the Axon 7 earlier this summer, and it said the initial stock of phones is sold out in the US and Europe.
ZTE emphasized the audio chops of the Axon 7 Mini, a feature also found on the Axon 7. The company brought up an executive from Dolby to talk about the Hi-Fi Dolby Atmos audio technology found on the phone. The phone features front-facing speakers to take advantage of the audio tech.
The company also touted the 16-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. In addition, the Mini has an automatic HDR function, which kicks in during relevant scenarios like a night-time shot.
"Our point for the camera is simplistic point and shoot," said Waiman Lam, vice president of product and technology for ZTE Mobile devices.
Like many other premium phones, it comes in an aluminum body and offers a fingerprint sensor.