ZTE Axon 7 Review — The Loudest Multimedia Flagship Smartphone

The ZTE Axon 7 is a multimedia smartphone designed to effortlessly substitute Bluetooth speakers, advanced audio players, or professional voice recorders.

Positioned to challenge flagship models from Xiaomi, Huawei, and Meizu, the Axon 7 combines a 2K AMOLED display, powerful hardware, sleek design, a capable camera, and exceptional sound quality through both speakers and headphones.

Technical Specifications

Display	5.5" AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 resolution, capacitive multitouch (10 points)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
GPU	Adreno 530
RAM	4/6 GB
Internal Storage	64/128 GB
Memory Card Support	MicroSDHC up to 256 GB (hybrid slot)
Operating System	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Connectivity	GSM 900 / 1800 MHz; UMTS 900 / 2100 MHz; LTE Bands 1, 2, 4, 18 (A2017G), Band 20 supported on European A2017 version
SIM	Dual nanoSIM (hybrid slot), Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS)
Wireless Interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2
Navigation	GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Cameras	Main: 20 MP (flash, autofocus); Front: 8 MP
Sensors	Light sensor, motion sensor, gyroscope, fingerprint scanner
Battery	Non-removable 3250 mAh
Dimensions	151.7 × 75 × 7.9 mm
Weight	175 g

Design

The unibody metal chassis of the Axon 7, crafted in collaboration with BMW's design studio, presents a fresher look compared to most smartphones from 2016-2017, despite the protruding camera and adjacent recessed ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

The design continues with a subtle bezel-to-screen transition, where the protective glass is slightly recessed. The wide bottom bezel houses capacitive navigation buttons, while the top bezel contains built-in sensors.

The phone's size and button placement make one-handed use comfortable, with the thumb easily reaching the screen and the index finger accessing the fingerprint sensor.

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The bottom edge features a modern USB Type-C port and the main microphone hole, mirrored by another microphone on the top edge next to the classic 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The standout design feature is the front-facing speaker grills, enabling stereo sound for gaming or video playback without obstruction.

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Audio Performance

The speakers are a core design element for a reason. ZTE equipped the Axon 7 with two high-quality Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) digital-to-analog converters (DACs) paired with a single amplifier, capable of driving any portable headphones.

By default, audio is processed through the AK4961 DAC, which is simple yet effective. Activating the Hi-Fi mode (available only with headphones) switches to the flagship AK4490 DAC, supporting 32-bit/768 kHz PCM and 11.2 MHz DSD audio streams. This bypasses Android's standard playback system, eliminating resampling and preserving original sound quality—a feature rare in most audio-centric smartphones.

Both DACs deliver impressively rich and clear sound, allowing listeners to distinguish every instrument in recordings. The Axon 7 sounds nearly like a professional monitoring device, empowering users to choose their headphones and sound signature freely.

The Axon 7 also supports Dolby Atmos surround sound technology, which acts as the main sound enhancer when using the speakers.

The speakers handle maximum volume effortlessly—louder than comparable Bluetooth speakers—without distortion during complex passages, whether it’s classical fugues, King Diamond’s four-octave range, or the deep lows of grindcore or Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s performances.

Display

Complementing the powerful sound is the vibrant 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a 2560 × 1440 pixel resolution (measured without bezels), covering 72% of the front surface.

Thanks to a high pixel density of 538 ppi and PenTile matrix technology, visible subpixel grids and usual color inversions are absent. Moreover, the screen offers an extended color gamut exceeding the standard sRGB range.

Brightness is somewhat modest at 333 cd/m² compared to competitors like the Xiaomi Mi5, which boasts 670 cd/m². However, strong contrast ensures screen content remains readable even in bright sunlight.

The touchscreen responds smoothly and supports glove mode for convenient use in cold weather.

Performance

The ZTE Axon 7 is available in three configurations: 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, 4GB RAM with 128GB storage, and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. All models run on the reliable Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 platform with Adreno 530 GPU. This quad-core chipset provides ample performance headroom for the next couple of years.

Benchmark tests indicate that the base Axon 7 model delivers solid, though not record-breaking, performance, likely influenced by RAM size and the high-resolution display.

In practical use, the Axon 7 keeps pace with market leaders like the OnePlus 3T and iPhone 7. The user interface is smooth, and all games and apps run at maximum graphics settings without lag.

Storage can be expanded via microSDHC cards, which occupy the second SIM slot, supporting up to 256 GB.

Software and Interface

Out of the box, the Axon 7 runs MiFavor UI 4.0 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, with an available update to version 5.0 based on Nougat.

Unlike many custom interfaces from other Chinese manufacturers, MiFavor feels polished and cohesive.

The system menu includes numerous convenient features such as a quick settings page, proprietary gesture controls, on-screen navigation buttons, and a power manager with detailed resource usage analytics.

The Chinese version might come without pre-installed Google services, but this can be easily resolved by users.

Cameras

The primary camera features a 20 MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture, phase-detection autofocus, optical image stabilization, and dual-tone LED flash.

In daylight, the camera delivers great shots instantly—just pull out your phone and capture the moment.

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For more challenging or artistic shots, an advanced mode allows users to manually adjust exposure, shutter speed, focus distance, and even select metering modes.

At night, the camera automatically increases exposure time and ISO, which introduces some noise. The manual mode helps mitigate these issues.

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The front camera sports an 8 MP sensor without autofocus and relies heavily on software post-processing.

The Axon 7 supports 4K video recording with effective stabilization, allowing handheld shooting even in challenging lighting conditions.

Wireless Connectivity

Like many competitors, the ZTE Axon 7 features a hybrid slot supporting two nanoSIM cards, with instant switching available directly from the notification panel.

The Chinese A2017G model lacks LTE Band 20 support, which is included in the European A2017 version.

The navigation module supports GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou, offering excellent reception and quick cold starts. Additionally, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and NFC (compatible with transit cards) are included.

Battery Life

The Axon 7 is powered by a non-removable 3250 mAh lithium-ion battery—modest in capacity but sufficient.

ZTE engineers optimized the Snapdragon 820 chipset for efficient power use:

• Video playback (2K, airplane mode) — 6 hours;
• Video playback (HD, airplane mode) — 10.5 hours;
• Web browsing (4G) — 7 hours;
• GPS navigation (4G / Wi-Fi + cellular) — 5.5 hours;
• Mixed usage — 16 to 40 hours.

The included charger supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, charging the phone from zero to 50% in 30 minutes and to full capacity in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Conclusion: An Advanced Multimedia Flagship

The Axon 7 stands out as ZTE’s best smartphone and one of the finest audiophile devices on the market.

Pros:

• Distinctive design and ergonomic form factor;
• Excellent AMOLED display;
• Decent battery life;
• Outstanding sound quality through speakers and headphones.

Cons:

• Weak front camera;
• Relatively high price.

When evaluating the market, the Axon 7 faces few rivals in terms of sound quality. Direct competitors include the LG V20 and the rare Vivo Xplay 5 (in global markets). More common models like Lenovo X3 Vibe, Meizu Pro 6 (Plus), and LG V10 offer inferior audio performance.

Moreover, the ZTE Axon 7 is the most affordable among them. The gold edition, with coupon code AXONGBS, is priced around $400, while the gray version costs approximately $380.

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