ZTE intros the Axon Lux (with faux leather and 128 GB of storage space), Axon Mini, and Axon Watch

Last week, ZTE made quite a splash with the Axon, a new high-end smartphone which, according to the company, is "designed in the US for the US." However, the handset isn't a US exclusive: it will be released in Canada, as well as in China (ZTE's country), where it was officially presented today.

During the announcement of the Axon in China, ZTE had a few surprises to reveal. As we already assumed, the Chinese version of the smartphone has a fingerprint scanner on the back (which is nowhere to be found on the US variant). Another difference is that the handset features leather-like material at the top and bottom, this reminding us of the faux leather materials that Samsung is using on some devices (like the latest Galaxy Notes).

The regular ZTE Axon for China offers 32 GB of storage space, 3 GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch 1080p display. But there's also an Axon Lux model, which comes with 128 GB of expandable internal memory, 4 GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen. Moreover, the Axon Lux is presented as "the world’s first smartphone that can be unlocked with three different biometric authentication options", thanks to the fact that, in addition to the fingerprint scanner on the back, it can be unlocked by voice, as well as via eye scan. The Axon Lux is ZTE's second handset to feature an eye scanner, after the ZTE Grand S3.

The regular ZTE Axon will cost about $435 in China. The Axon Lux will obviously be more expensive: around $625. Both are powered by octa-core Snapdragon 810 processors, run Android Lollipop, and feature dual (13 MP + 2 MP) rear cameras, as well as 8 MP front-facing cameras.

ZTE also announced an Axon Mini, which sports a 5.2-inch AMOLED display, and should be released later this year in China. Most of its features are unknown at this point, though it looks like the Mini won't be as powerful as the regular Axon.


Another new device that ZTE announced today is the Axon Watch. Obviously, this is a smartwatch, though it doesn't run Android Wear, as you may expect, but Tencent OS - which means it's going to be sold only in China. The Axon Watch sports a circular 1.4-inch AMOLED display with 400 x 400 pixels, further featuring a heart rate monitor, GPS, Bluetooth 4.1, 512 MB of RAM, and 4 GB of internal memory.

Right now, we don't know if the ZTE Axon Lux and Axon Mini will be available outside of China.


sources: ZTE (in Chinese), Business Wire, ePrice (translated)