Available in China and Europe, ZTE aims to bring its latest 5G phone stateside for $300 or less.
Today, the Axon ($138 at Amazon) 11 5G launched in Germany and it’ll be available in China and other countries in Europe and the Middle East. But its manufacturer, ZTE, is eyeing for a US launch of the phone sometime early next year too. If it does arrive, the device will likely have some of its hardware tweaked, though at its current state, the Axon 11 5G serves as a reliable preview of the kind of affordable 5G phones we can expect from ZTE here in the US.
The company is aiming for US carriers to sell the device for under $300. Converted from Chinese yuan, the device’s present cost is $382, £305 and AU$557 (6GB of RAM/128GB) and $424, £338 and AU$619 (8GB of RAM/256GB). ZTE also has a 4G variant of the phone.
With its thin bezels, teardrop-notch camera and sleek finish, the Axon 11 5G has a premium look that belies its potential $300 price tag. Its generous 6.47-inch AMOLED display has a 1080p resolution and there’s also an in-display fingerprint reader for user authentication.
We won’t know how these cameras fare until we get our hands on a review unit, but having four cameras is relatively impressive given how affordable this phone is set to be. We’re also seeing a lot of macro cameras in budget phones (including the Moto G Power ($250 at Best Buy) and Galaxy A51 ($325 at Amazon)), so it makes sense that ZTE is including itself on the trend too.
Powering the device is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset and a sizable 4,000mAh battery.
With these kinds of specs and price range, the Axon 11 5G will likely compete against the Galaxy A51, which also features a 4,000mAh battery, four cameras, and a 1080p (6.5-inch) display. Given Samsung’s brand recognition in the US, however, ZTE has a tough hill to climb. But one notable thing the phone has is in its name — 5G. Whereas the 4G version of the Galaxy A51 is readily available but not the 5G model, ZTE hopes to have the Axon 11 with 5G in the hands of US carriers at launch.
ZTE Axon 11 5G spec comparison
| ZTE Axon 11 5G | Samsung Galaxy A51 (4G) | Motorola Moto G Power | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.47-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels | 6.5-inch FHD AMOLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels | 6.4-inch LCD; 2,300×1,080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 398ppi | 405ppi | 399ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 6.27 x 2.89 x 0.31 in | 6.24 x 2.90 x 0.31 in | 6.29 x 2.98 x 0.38 in |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 159.2 × 73.4 × 7.9 mm | 158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm | 159.85 x 75.8 x 9.63 mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 5.93 oz; 168g | 6.07 oz; 172g | 7.01 oz; 199g |
| Mobile software | Android 10 | Android 10 | Android 10 |
| Camera | 48-megapixel (standard), 8-megapixel (wide-angle), 2-megapixel (depth sensing), 2-megapixel (macro) | 48-megapizel (standard), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth sensing) | 16-megapixel (wide-angle), 2-megapixel (macro), 8-megapixel (ultra-wide angle) |
| Front-facing camera | 20-megapixel | 32-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | 2.3GHz octa-core processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB | 64GB |
| RAM | 6GB, 8GB | 6GB | 4GB |
| Expandable storage | Up to 2TB | Up to 512GB | Up to 512GB |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 4,000mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | In-screen | In-screen | Back |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price off-contract (USD) | From Chinese yuan converts to $384 (6GB/128GB), $424 (8GB/256GB) | $400 | $250 |
| Price (GBP) | Converts to £305 (6GB/128GB), £338 (8GB/256GB) | £329 | Converts to £199 |
| Price (AUD) | Converts to AU$557(6GB/128GB), AU$619 (8GB/256GB) | AU$599 | Converts to AU$365 |
Contact Information:
Lynn La
Tags:
, Wire, United States, English
Contact Information:
Lynn La
