The ZTE Axon 7 mini gets its official introduction at IFA: high-quality audio, pretty looks

The ZTE Axon 7 mini was belatedly introduced today by ZTE at IFA in Berlin. The phone was actually up for sale in Europe a few days ago despite the lack of a proper unveiling and taken down some time after. You can now consider the phone properly introduced. The Axon 7 mini features what ZTE calls "the highest quality audio experience available in smartphones today." The handset happens to include a dedicated audio processor from Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM).

The chip helps drive the dual front-facing stereo speakers which feature Dolby Atmos sound. The result is a movie theateresque 7.1 surround sound that is powerful enough to be used as a stand-alone speaker at outdoor parties. Besides the speakers, the ZTE Axon 7 mini features a 5.2-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1080 x 1920. A Snapdragon 617 chipset drives the device, carrying an octa-core 1.5GHz CPU and the Adreno 405 GPU. 3GB of RAM is inside along with 32GB of expandable internal storage. A hybrid SIM 2 slot doubles as a 128GB capacity microSD slot for those seeking additional storage.



The 16MP rear-facing camera offers an aperture of f/1.9 and focuses quickly thanks to PDAF. An 8MP front-facing camera takes selfies and handles video chats. The phone is powered by a 2705mAh battery, which charges to 50% in just 30-minutes thanks to Qualcomm's Quick Charge. A fingerprint scanner is found under the rear camera, and Android 6.0 is pre-installed. The phone will be available in Iron Gold and Platinum Gray.

The ZTE Axon 7 mini will be coming to the U.S., Russia, Germany, Spain, Poland, Japan, Australia, India and Saudi Arabia. Outside of the states, the phone will be offered at the end of this month at a suggested retail price of € 299 (including VAT). That is the equivalent of $333 USD. U.S. pricing and availability will be announced at a later time.