ZTE Axon 9 Pro hands-on review

The Axon 9 Pro looks unassuming enough. That is to say, for a 2018 handset. Put it next to its closest predecessor (say, the Axon 7s) and the extent of just how much the new all-display design trend has re-shaped our devices, instantly becomes apparent.

A glass sandwich, with a metal frame as the stuffing in-between - we've seen this before, that's clear. Everything is nicely curved, with very smooth angles, including the edges of the glass panels. ZTE is not mentioning any branding for the front glass, Gorilla or otherwise, but the glass finish is rated at 7H scratch resistance. Not bad at all!

Looking at the Axon 9 Pro from the back side, we can't help but get an iPhone X vibe. Especially with the vertical camera arrangement. Still, with all the copying and "inspiration" going around in the industry today, we can't exactly be too salty about that. It's a good look. The only available color as of this unveiling is blue. The particular shade looks really well, although it is a fingerprint magnet.

ZTE Axon 9 Pro

Nothing too spectacular or strange about the controls and their placement. You get a volume rocker and power button on the right-hand side of the device. On the left - a SIM tray. The Axon 9 Pro is dual-SIM and also has support for a microSD card, up to 256GB in size.

Unfortunately, there is no 3.5mm jack anywhere in sight. There are, however, a couple of speakers. One is bottom-firing and located on the bottom bezel, next to the Type-C port. The earpiece doubles as the other. Just like the Axon 7, as we mentioned earlier, the stereo setup on the Axon 9 Pro is Dolby Atmos certified. The chambers for the speakers don't look nearly as beefy as the ones on the Axon 7, and a show floor isn't exactly the best setting to test out audio quality. So, we hope these sound at least half as good as the spectacular Axon 7 speakers.

ZTE Axon 9 Pro

One look at the front of the Axon 9 Pro and the iPhone vibe we talked about earlier comes rolling back in waves. The particular way the wider than most notches breaks up the top of the 6.21-inch, OLED panel into distinct segments just has that look to it. To be fair, however, just like Cupertino, ZTE is making good use of the extra space there. There is an RGB sensor crammed next to the earpiece, which is intriguing. But, you'll have to flip on to the next page to learn more.