ZTE unveils premium Axon 7 smartphone, VR headset

ZTE Has unveiled a new affordable high-end smartphone, the Axon 7. The device was presented in Beijing and will launch first in China. The pianist Lang Lang will serve as ambassador for the phone, which offers a number of premium audio features for music lovers. The audio technology incorporates dual-speaker, Hi-Fi quality sound coming from two dedicated audio chips (AK4961 and AK4490 from AKM) and Dolby Atmos surround sound. In addition to quality playback and recording, the phone is able to clearly pick up voices up to eight meters from the device, ZTE said. 

ZTE said it worked with Designworks, a unit of BMW, to develop the phone and the fingerprint scanner on the back of the device. The Axon 7 also comes with a 20 megapixel back camera with OIS and advanced auto focus and a front 8 megapixel camera. The phone runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and comes with a choice of 4GB RAM plus 64GB ROM or 6GB RAM plus 128GB ROM, as well as support for microSD cards up to 128GB. The Basic edition costs CNY 2,899, the Standard edition CNY 3,299 and the Premium edition CNY 4,099. 

ZTE is also introducing its own VR headset to complement the Axon 7's 2k WQHD AMOLED display, Hi-Fi sound and support for Google's Daydream platform. The ZTE VR is priced at CNY 518. 

ZTE did not say whether the phone and VR device would launch elsewhere in the world. It has traditionally sold the Axon brand phones in major markets, such as China, the US and Germany.