ZTE hit a home run with the Axon 7 but there has been a distinct lack of an update to the series since it was released late 2016. Even with ZTE continuing to support the Axon 7, their users have been crying out for the next Axon iteration and it looks like they will not be disappointed.
Today a new set of renders has shown up displaying a stylish-looking blue ZTE phone that is supposedly the Axon 9 (yes, the 8 was skipped for unknown reasons considering the number 8 is considered lucky to the Chinese). The renders show a deep blue coloured ZTE Axon phone with a dual rear facing camera and possibly dual front-facing cameras. Very few phones have dual front-facing cameras but everyone loves a good portrait mode, something that is easily possible with dual front-facing cameras (without the software wizardry that Google use in the Pixel 2).
The front bezels are very minimal and remind me of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro with small top and bottom bezels and extremely minor side bezels.
The bezels aren’t the only things that the phone is missing. It is missing the front firing speakers, replaced with rear speakers (which may still be stereo speakers — there are three grills on the back). This may upset some Axon 7 users but the bezels on the front are so small there is just physically no room for front-facing speakers.
The other thing missing is a fingerprint sensor. With Vivo being the first to introduce an under-display fingerprint sensor commercially it is certainly possible that ZTE may be heading down the same road. The other theory could be that it is a low-end Axon without a fingerprint sensor at all.
The Axon 9 is believed to be powered by a Snapdragon 945 processor and sport a QHD+ AMOLED display with an 18:9 display ratio. It will come with 4GB and 6GB RAM variations and also in 64/128/256GB storage options.
At this stage it is unclear when the Axon 9 will be announced but is expected around the middle of the year. Hopefully ZTE bring this to Australia. We know the Axon 7 was well received here, not just by us here at Ausdroid and are sure the Axon 9 would fare equally as well.
Unlikely to have dual cameras and a QHD screen and not fingerprint. Could be doing applish 3D face sensing with those dual front facing cameras?
Also looks like no headphone socket, but with capacitance buttons.
Price is once again key, and the existence of Treble if its Oreo out of the box.
PS *8*45