ZTE Axon 7 mini official with spectacular audio, okay chipset

The ZTE Axon 7 is part of the new breed of flagships that brings top-end specs for mass market prices. And ZTE Axon 7 mini is its more compact sibling.

"Mini" is a bit controversial - it's hard to call a phone with a 5.2" screen with stereo speakers by its side a "mini." It is more compact than the big Axon 7 so there's that.

ZTE Axon 7 mini in Gold

The Axon 7 mini brings the same impressive stereo speakers that are imbued with Dolby Atmos magic and powered by a dedicated audio chip.

And the screen between them is still an AMOLED, even if the resolution dropped to 1080p (it's still plenty sharp at 424ppi).

The camera switched to a 16MP sensor and f/1.9 aperture and dropped the OIS. Also, video resolution is capped at 1080p. At least the selfie cam is identical.

ZTE Axon 7 mini in Grey

The mini model also forgoes the Snapdragon 820 chipset and has an older Snapdragon 617 instead. The base model comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, but you can match the big 7 at 4GB/64GB. This is a dual-SIM phone with a hybrid slot, meaning you can add extra storage if you opt out of having a second SIM.

The ZTE Axon 7 mini will launch in September at a price of €300 (including VAT). In Europe, it will land in Germany, Spain, Poland and Russia. The phone will also be available in the USA, India, Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia, but there's no local pricing info yet. In the US, the big Axon 7 is on pre-order for $400.