We’ve known for a while now that ZTE was planning to bring the affordably-priced, flagship-specced Axon 7 along with its little brother, the previously-announced Axon 7 Mini, to Australian retail thanks to a partnership with JB Hi-Fi. What we didn’t know was when – but it turns out they’re both available today!
We just reviewed the Axon 7 and found it an impressive device for a walk-away price of $699 with local warranty and retail support (in fact, I think it’s perhaps the best value for money Android device in Australia at present). The only device that may be better value for money could be the Axon 7 Mini, but we haven’t had the chance to play with that yet.
Check out the difference between the Axon 7 and Axon 7 Mini:
| ZTE Axon 7 Australia | ZTE Axon 7 mini | Release date | October 2016 | September 2016 | Screen size | 5.5-inch | 5.2-inch | Screen technology | AMOLED | AMOLED | Resolution | 2,560 x 1,440 | 1,920 x 1,080 | PPI | 534 | 424 | Rear camera | 20MP | 13MP | Front camera | 8MP | 8MP | Chipset | Snapdragon 820 | Snapdragon 617 | Core config | 2 x 2.15 GHz Kryo + 2 x 1.6 GHz Kryo | 4 x 1.5 GHz + 4 x 1.2 GHz | Ram | 4GB | 3GB | Storage | 64GB | 32GB | MicroSD | Yes, up to 128GB | Yes, up to 256 GB | Battery | 3,250 mAh | 2,708 mAh | Battery removable | — | — | Connector | USB C | USB C | Headphone Port | Yes | Yes | Headphone Location | — | Top | Speaker Configuration | Front |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Android OS | Android 6.0.1 | Android 6.0 | Vendor skin | — | — | Dimensions | 151.7 x 75 x 7.9mm | 147.5 x 71 x 7.8 mm | Weight | 175g | 153g | Colours |
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For $498 the Axon 7 Mini is a pretty extraordinary device – it keeps a similar style and the premium all-metal construction of it’s larger sibling. JB Hi-fi has both models in Gold and Grey.
The closest competitor to the Axon 7 Mini would probably be the Moto G4 Plus. With the 16GB model of that device selling fro $100 less, it will be a bit of a trade off which is the “better” value. For my money, however, the NFC chip in the Axon 7 Mini is worth the extra cost although those who like software updates might prefer to head to the Motorola side.
Is the ZTE Axon 7 Mini on your shopping list? Tell us in the comments!
way to expensive coming to Australia 1/2 way through a product cycle. Plenty of better options out there – the HTC x9 is $499.00 and is comparable to the mini and its receiving Android Nougat
Hey Ausdroid, do you know from your review unit if these support “caller ID” on calls? I read some comments on GSMArena that suggest outgoing calls are only anonymous…
Too expensive for $699. The S7 is down to $849 at JB, and it also includes a Gear Fit 2.
Sony’s X Performance was also $699 during the christmas sales.
ZTE have built something of a reputation for providing relatively good value handsets but then quickly moving on and not bothering to maintain the software on previously released devices. However, it looks as though CyanogenMod/Lineage will be/are supporting this device which is good news – particularly given that your original review’s negatives were largely software based.
$699 is still too expensive for me.