A new ZTE flagship smartphone has recently been revealed, courtesy of CEO Zeng Xuezhong via a tease on his Weibo page.
The Chinese company teased an image of the upcoming Axon 2, comparing it with an iPhone 6 and the new Huawei 9, and reveals no screws or speakers at the bottom, according to GSMArena.
Early Tenaa images have revealed front-facing speakers on the new flagship phone, which is a more ideal location.
However, the minimalistic design is not new to ZTE phones, as the original Axon and Axon Elite also had the same features.
The Tenaa listing shows the ZTE Axon 2 to have a Snapdragon 820 SoC, 5.5-inch Quad HD OLED panel, 4 GB/64 GB memory configuration further expandable up to 128 GB with a microSD, 20 MP main camera at the back with a dual-LED flash, 8 MP front-facing camera perfect for selfies and a USB Type-C port. As for the dimensions, the device will measure 154 x 77 x 9.8 mm and weighs in at 175 grams. The Axon 2 will be powered by a 3140 mAh battery. The phone was recently listed on online retailer OppoMart's website for $599.
While the above specifications have not been confirmed by the company, the Axon 2 is also expected to boast a high-quality Sharp 2K panel compared with its rivals, according to Android Geeks.
Xuezhong pointed out that the 2K resolution display is necessary on a flagship device today because of the rise of virtual reality. The higher resolution screen is held closely to the eyes in a virtual reality headset, making whatever movie you are watching or video game you're playing more visually appealing with a sharper image. The ZTE CEO also shared a virtual reality image along with his Weibo announcement, hinting at a possibility that the company may deliver a VR headset.
Xuezhong added there were a number of factors that influence the VR experience. The Sharp panel provides a wider range of colors, higher contrast ratio, faster response time and lower power consumption compared with 2K panels used by rival flagship phones.
The second generation Axon is set to be available in the U.S. later this year.
