ZTE’s troubled days might be over, but the company will still take some time to get back on track. We are seeing signs of recovery, like the ZTE Blade V9 going on sale this month and the recent confirmation of Axon 9 Pro launch on August 30 at IFA 2018.  Now, the same phone has been spotted on the benchmarking platform Geekbench, revealing a few details about the hardware inside.

The phone went through Geekbench under the name ZTE A2019G Pro and scores pretty well. In fact, with the base clock speed of 1.77GHz and single-core and multi-core scores of 2399 and 8785 respectively, we know for sure that the upcoming Axon flagship will be powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset. The Axon series has always featured the top-end Snapdragon chipsets (Axon 7 had SD820 and Axon 7S came with SD821), so the new flagship was expected to come with SD845 on board. The listing also confirms that there will be 6GB of RAM inside.

A recently leaked poster of the Axon 9 Pro has also revealed its potential design. Its actually disappointing to see that the phone will feature a generic design. So, you have dual cameras at the back, arranged vertically with a flash underneath. Then there’s the Axon logo along with the ZTE logo below. The poster reveals the Blue color version of the device, but there should be a couple of other options too. Coming to the front, the Axon 9 comes with a notched display, with a chin below. The notch is relatively big, much like the iPhone X or the Mi 8, which adds the possibility of IR port for face recognition.

The ZTE teaser for the Axon 9 Pro had the 5G logo on top, which could hint at some kind of 5G support. However, with SD845 and its X20 LTE modem inside, its unlikely that we will see this flagship rock support for the next generation standard. So, don’t keep your hopes too high!

We await more details as the launch date nears.

(Source, Via1, Via2)

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A recently released poster by ZTE had hinted that it will be debuting the Axon 9 smartphone through its press event on Aug. 30 at IFA 2018 in Berlin, Germany. The Chinese manufacturer has now confirmed through another poster that it will be debuting Axon 9 Pro soon later this month. It has also revealed that the smartphone will be sporting a design that is very similar to the Apple iPhone X.

Few months ago, ZTE spotted trademarking Axon 9 and Axon 9 Pro monikers. Moreover, earlier rumors had claimed that the Axon 9 would be sporting an 18:9 aspect ratio display. ZTE is yet to confirm on the existence of the Axon 9, but the Axon 9 Pro poster reveals it will be sporting a notched display design and vertical dual cameras like the iPhone X. The back panel of the phone is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. There is a possibility that ZTE may announce Axon 9 as well as Axon 9 Pro at IFA 2018.

There is no information available on the specifications of the Axon 9 Pro, but it is very likely to feature Snapdragon 845 SoC. The handset will be arriving as the successor of the older and well-received Axon 7 smartphone. The below image belongs to the Axon 9 that were released six months ago.

Read More: ZTE successfully tests the 5G network, commercial rollout set for H2 2018

The handset sports a different design as it features a notch-less 18:9 aspect ratio display. The upper bezel of the phone seems to feature dual selfie snapper. A vertical dual camera is placed on its back panel. The back panel of the phone lacks a fingerprint reader. Its rumored specs include 6-inch AMOLED screen with QHD+ resolution, Snapdragon 845 SoC, 64 GB of storage, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB / 256 GB storage, 20-megapixel main sensor on the rear and 13-megapixel primary sensor on the front.

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ZTE Axon 7 turned out to be a really good premium affordable offering from the Chinese company and was well-received by the users globally. Now, the company is all set to launch its successor as it has managed to get the ban lifted which barred it from doing business with US-based companies.

Earlier, the company had sent out media invites for the IFA 2018 in Berlin from August 31 to 5th September. Now, the company has sent out official invites for the Axon 9 launch event on August 30 and has also shared the invite of the launch through Weibo. The invite has a big ‘9’ written on it, clearly hinting at the Axon 9.

The image also mentions 5G, hinting that the phone could be a 5G-enabled device. The phone is also expected to come with the trendy full-screen display having 18:9 aspect ratio. There’s also dual-camera setup on the back, for improved imaging capabilities.

Based on the previous reports, the Axon 9 is expected to come with a 6-inch QHD+ display and will be powered by Qualcomm‘s flagship Snapdragon 845 processor. It could come in two variants, one with 4GB RAM and another with 6GB RAM.

As for the internal storage, it’ll start with 64GB onboard storage and will max out at 256GB. The device, which is expected to be 5G-enabled, will be running Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box. Currently, no more details are available regarding the phone.

Apart from the Axon 9, the company is also expected to launch a new Blade series smartphone at the IFA 2018. To know more about the devices getting launched by ZTE at IFA, we’ll have to wait for the official announcement.

(Source)

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ZTE has had a rough year but there is still some time left to make back some of the cash it lost no thanks to fines and months of not being able to work as a result of the US ban.

On Thursday, August 16, one of its official Twitter accounts released a poster announcing that the Chinese corporation will be at this year’s IFA holding in Berlin, Germany. The poster does hint at a 5G related reveal but that may not be the only thing we get to see. As you can see, there is an outline of a phone in the image as well.

Other than the hint in the poster, those who have received ZTE’s invitation said there is a 9 in the letter which may be a teaser for the Axon 9. Therefore, it is believed that the Axon 9 will be announced at the event.

The Axon 9’s existence was confirmed earlier this year by the company’s CEO who said it is the successor to 2016’s Axon 7. Later, alleged photos of the device leaked which revealed it will have a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and dual rear cameras.

READ MORE: ZTE is back: Blade V9 finally listed in China, Goes on sale soon

The display is said to be a 6” QHD+ panel and there will be a Snapdragon 845 chipset powering the phone. RAM will be 4GB/6GB and storage will start at 64GB and max out at 256GB. The phone is also expected to come with Android Oreo out of the box.

(Source, Via)

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ZTE and its relationship with the United States just took a turn for the worse and the effect will be massive. The reason for the sour relationship is not unrelated to the sanctions placed on the Chinese manufacturer last year for selling US technology to Iran.

ZTE got fined for its actions and was told to terminate the employment of 4 senior executives and discipline 35 others or risk getting cut off from its US suppliers. However, it only fired the four executives as it revealed in March.

ZTE’s failure to keep to its agreement resulted in the US Department of Commerce announcing yesterday that all American companies are banned from selling components to ZTE for a period of 7 years.

The first American company that comes to mind is Qualcomm which means for the next 7 years, ZTE should not release a phone powered by a Qualcomm chip. While ZTE may look to MediaTek for chips for its mid-range phones, flagships like the Axon 9 which should come with a Snapdragon 845 may be scrapped or delayed due to a redesign if ZTE decides to switch to a Samsung processor or MediaTek chipset.

Unfortunately for ZTE, the processor part is just half of its problems. The US Department of Commerce also banned the export of software which means its devices may not come with Google Play services or receive updates.

READ MORE: ZTE A530 Silently Launches With 5.45” HD+ Screen For ¥799 (~$127)

ZTE says it has set up a crisis management group and is in talks with relevant parties. A former undersecretary of commerce, Eric Hirschhorn involved in the case said the company may be put out of business if it is not able to resolve the issue.

(Source, Via)

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ZTE was in the news yesterday for its Iceberg smartphone which has two notches and an unusual design. Depending on what you think about the phone, you won’t have to worry about it until “after 2018” when it is expected to launch. The focus should instead be on the next Axon phone set to launch this year.

ZTE is expected to release a new Axon phone this year. Apart from a word of mouth confirmation from the CEO and alleged leaked photos and specs, there’s been no other info on the phone called the Axon 9 until today.

A document from the Eurasian Economic Union has revealed that ZTE has trademarked the Axon 9 name along with an Axon 9 Pro. So it is safe to assume that we will be getting two Axon phones. While there is a chance they might launch together, they also may not. The Axon 7 which has four variants launched over a span of almost 12 months.

READ MORE: ZTE Axon M Teardown Shows A Surprisingly Simple Internal Arrangement

The document also reveals some other names trademarked by ZTE. There is the ZTE Blade A531 which should be a more powerful variant of the A530 we covered yesterday. There is also the Blade A3 (already announced), Blade A7, and Blade A7 VITA. All these phones are expected to launch this year while the Blade A3 may be arriving in more markets.

(Source, Via)

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ZTE’s Axon 7 flagship from 2016 had received good reception from audience and critics. When its fans were eagerly waiting for the arrival of its successor, the Chinese manufacturer had launched ZTE Axon 7s smartphone. Finally, ZTE CEO Cheng Lixin confirmed on the actual successor of Axon 7 in the previous month by saying that it would be arriving with Axon 9 moniker. This means that the company has decided to skip the Axon 8 moniker. Today, the rumor mill has revealed never before seen images of the alleged the Axon 9 along with its specifications.

The Axon 9 renders that have surfaced on Weibo suggests that it would be arriving with a metallic chassis. It may come in multiple colors at launch and one of them could be the blue variant that can be seen in the leaked photos.

The rear side of the smartphone has the “AXON” branding just above the external speaker. Vertically arranged dual rear cameras along with its dual-tone LED flash can be also found on the back panel. There is no fingerprint scanner on the backside of the device.

The front features an elongated display which indicates that the handset will support an aspect ratio of 18:9. The sides bezels are quite slim and the thin bezel below the display features the capacitive keys. The upper bezel houses the dual selfie snappers. There is no confirmation on whether it features an in-display fingerprint scanner.

It is speculated that it will be arriving with a 6-inch AMOLED display that will support QHD+ resolution of 2880 x 1,440 pixels. The Snapdragon 845 chipset is expected to power the handset. Its 64 GB model may arrive with 4 GB of RAM and its 128 GB /256 GB variant may come with 6 GB of RAM. It will arrive preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo. A 20-megapixel lens is expected to be available as the main sensor in the rear-mounted dual camera setup. One of the camera sensor at the front could be of 13-megapixel.

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As of this writing, there is no information available on its launch date. Hence, it is difficult to guess whether it will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018.

What do you think about the above renders? Share us your views by adding your comments below.

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Fans of ZTE Axon 7 have been eagerly waiting for the company to announce a successor flagship phone for it. During the recent launch of the Axon M foldable smartphone in China, ZTE CEO Cheng Lixin announced that the company’s next flagship phone will be called ZTE Axon 9 and not Axon 8 as the rumor mill has been speculating.

In November 2017, the Chinese firm had confirmed that it is no longer making Axon 7 and it had also said that a worthy successor for it is in works. Finally, the company has confirmed that the Axon 9 will be replacing the Axon 7 flagship from 2016 this year. Even though the company has decided to kill the Axon 7, it has just rolled out the Android 8.0 Oreo beta update for it in the U.S. The stable Oreo update for Axon 7 is expected to arrive in Q2 this year.

The Axon 9 will be the company’s weapon to rival with the flagship phones from Samsung and Apple in the U.S. Skipping the Axon 8 moniker for its next flagship will allow it to compete with forthcoming Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ and iPhone 9.

Read More: ZTE Plans To Launch 5G Smartphone in The US By 2019

Apart from confirming on the Axon 9 moniker, Lixin did not reveal any information on the specifications of the phone. ZTE is currently ranking on the 7^th position in the list of top 10 smartphone brands in China. The executive that he would be working on the increasing the popularity ZTE phones in the home market.

In the past week, a mysterious ZTE phone running on Android 8.1 Oreo was certified by Wi-Fi Alliance. Since the smartphone is running on an Android version that is only available on Google and Nexus devices, it seems to be a 2018 flagship device from ZTE. The Axon 9 is expected to appear on Bluetooth SIG, TENAA and the FCC in the near future. As of this writing, it cannot be confirmed whether the Axon 9 will be debuting at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech trade fair.

(source|via)

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