There's never been a time with higher average phone prices, and at the same time there's never been a period where you could get so much phone for the money that you wouldn't need to upgrade for the next two or even three years.
These two trends are not mutually exclusive, as one is pre-determined by the "$1k" club of Apple, Samsung or Huawei flagships, while the other was created by value brands which pack 90% as much as the "status" phones in handsets half that price.
ZTE's new Axon 10 Pro, an heir to the ultrapopular Axons of yesteryear, is in that last "bang for the buck" category, and personifies it in every way imaginable - specs, looks, software or availability.
Yes, you can buy the new 10 Pro from places like B&H, Newegg, and yes, it does cover the new T-Mobile Band 66 & 71 along with full Wi-Fi Calling and VoLTE compatibility with the Un-carrier network.
To top it all off, ZTE USA released a fantastic Black Friday deal for the Axon 10 Pro, bringing the flagship's price down to budget levels at an all-time low, starting November 27:
Axon 10 Pro (8GB) plus a free case $449.98 ($115 savings)
Axon 10 Pro (12GB) plus a free case $499.98 ($115 savings)
New Black Friday deal brings the Axon 10 Pro value proposition to unseen heights
Here's an overview of the top features that make it an incredible value in the American phone market at the moment, and not only on account of the Black Friday promo.
Key Axon 10 Pro selling points
SD 855 | 256 GB | 4000 mAh | 3X zoom | $550
Slim and light body
Stereo speakers, in-display finger scanner, microSD card slot, and... an official case in the box
The Axon's glass sandwich design is a hallmark strategy for many of today’s flagships, but we do appreciate how it also takes some queues from Samsung – like how the edges of the display are sloped a bit to give it a more seamless appearance. This is what ZTE refers to as "3D quad curved glass."
Speaking of being seamless, the teardrop isn’t as distracting as a full notch, at the same time allowing for a pretty high screen to body ratio. And on top of that, the 6.5" OLED display looks stunning and allows for some always-on shenanigans on the lock screen!
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Great battery life
A hearty 4000mAh battery powering a 1080p OLED display? We'd take this battery life-friendly combo any day over QHD panels that drain the battery in no time for a negligible difference in perception.
Versatile camera kit
3x optical, wide, and 48MP for pixel-binning should suffice
Dual cameras are great, but if you want to really be a formidable player that eats flagships for breakfast, you need at least a triple camera system! Well, the Axon 10 Pro comes with exactly that. Starting at the front, there’s a 20MP AI Portrait selfie camera that’s still discrete with the subtle teardrop notch it's housed in.
The more impressive kit, however, is found with the phone’s rear triple cameras – breaking down to a main 48MP camera with an f/1.7 lens, accompanied by an 8MP telephoto lens (3x optical) and a 20MP 125-degree wide-angle camera.
That's high-end versatility that does a lot of heavy lifting, including stabilized 4K footage. We'd recommend using the pixel-binning 12MP mode for better detail preservation when the lighting situation is less than ideal, though.
Top-shelf processing power and loads of memory
Hekkin' 12 gigs and 855 for sub-$600!
Besides the 4000 mAh battery and fast wireless charging, the ZTE Axon 10 Pro has all the trimmings of today’s flagship. There’s no compromise over on the processing side as well, as it’s powered by Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 855 chipset along with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage. That's freakin' 12 gigs for under $600, folks!
Clean, Stock+ Android experience with timely updates
Fast, versatile interface with live wallpapers for added pizzazz
ZTE went with near-stock Android, adding only a few touches to make your life with the handset easier. What does that mean? You guessed it - fluid performance and timely Android updates, as soon as the new version is out over at Google's HQ.
Did we mention you get all that at sub-$500 with extended US warranty and gifts on top?
If we haven't mentioned that this phone starts from $550 at 256GB storage, now we have, and if you are wondering what to do with the other fifty bucks that would take the price to $600, there is a screen damage cover at that tag for a whole year. In addition, the new Black Friday deal knocks another Benjamin off the price, arriving at $450 - unheard of for a phone with that much storage and Qualcomm's top-shelf chipset.
That's in addition to the 18-month extended warranty that ZTE now gives with free two-way shipping in the US. On top of all that, getting the Axon 10 Pro from B&H, for instance, will net you a free power bank as well, not that you will need it much at the display resolution and battery size of the Axon 10 Pro. All in all, one of the greatest deals of a phone you can currently get in the US.
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