ZTE Axon Mini: analysis and opinion

During the last edition of the IFA in Berlin, the Chinese manufacturer surprised with the inauguration of the Axon line, a range of high-end terminals that would reach the European market. We already saw the ZTE Axon Elite, now it's the turn of the ZTE Axon Mini.

Of course, that is very clear: this ZTE has very little of Mini. A correct terminal in terms of performance, with a different and groundbreaking design and with a single but: it continues to work with Android 5.1. Without further ado I leave you with him analysis in Spanish of the ZTE Axon Mini.

An aggressive and different design

As you may have seen in the video analysis in Spanish of the ZTE Axon Mini, this phone has a really striking design and out of the ordinary, thanks to that triangular grill on the speakers, in addition to the gold tone of the terminal.

Regarding the choice of color by ZTE, say that in Asian territory the Golden colour or champagne is causing a sensation among users so the Chinese manufacturer decided to try this same color in the European market. Personally, I would have liked to have a wider range of colors, but on taste the colors.

And then there is the issue of the front grill. I personally like it, although I recognize that there are people who will be thrown back by that design. Although no one can deny that the ZTE Axon Mini has quality finishes.

The first example we see in his metal body made of an aluminum-titanium alloy providing great resistance to the terminal. In addition, ZTE has given its Axon Mini a polished finish to improve its grip.

Where I do not agree so much is with its rear. The ZTE terminal has a metal body, but on its upper and lower side we can see two stripes of fake leather, very Note 4 style, where they have placed the antennas. That was a valid solution a few years ago, but today it seems to me a mistake that ZTE has opted for this system. While it is true that this part is pleasant to the touch and softens that cold sensation of the metal, the truth is that the strips of fake leather break a lot with the aesthetics of the phone.

Continuing with the back, the capacitive fingerprint sensor stands out that works even with the screen off and serves to, for example, unlock the phone. The camera and dual LED flash They occupy the places used by the Axon Elite's dual camera system, showing between them that characteristic triangular pattern on the front of the speakers.

On the side front of the ZTE Axon Mini we will find a screen that occupies the vast majority of the surface thanks to minimal bezels. The Axon Mini does not have physical Android buttons, instead it uses software buttons that can be hidden at any time, a very useful option.

The volume control buttons can be found on the left side of the phone, while the right side is where the terminal's on and off button have been located, as well as the tray for a dual nanoSIM card or a nanoSIM + micro SD card.

The phone has a pleasant touch, Thanks to its metal body, in addition to offering a good grip, something I appreciate. Its 140 grams of weight make the phone comfortable and it does not tire your weight after prolonged use. I really like the fact that the ZTE Axon Mini incorporates a front speaker since this way I don't cover the audio output with my hands when watching a video or playing a video game. Point for ZTE in this regard.

Technical characteristics

[table]

Device ,ZTE Axon Mini

Dimensions, 143.5 x 70 x 7.9 mm

Weight, 140 grams

Operating System, Android 5.1.1 L

Display, AMOLED 5.2 5.5 inches 1920 × 1080 pixels (424 ppi)

Processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 octa-core (four A-53 cores at 1.5 GHz speed and another 4 Cortex A-53 cores at 1.2 GHz speed)

GPU, Adreno 405

RAM, 3GB

Internal Storage, 32GB expandable via MicroSD up to 128GB.

Rear Camera, Samsung 3M2 13 megapixels + 2 megapixels with dual camera system / autofocus / face detection / panorama / HDR / Dual LED Flash / Geolocation

Front Camera, 8 MPX / 1080p video

Connectivity, DualSIM Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n / dual band / Wi-Fi Direct / hotspot / Bluetooth 4.0 / FM radio / A-GPS /GLONASS /BDS / GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 ; 3G bands (HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100) 4G bands (band 1(2100) 3(1800) 7(2600) 8(900) 12(700) 17(700) 20(800) 38(2600) 40( 2300) 41(2500)

Other Features, Metal body / fingerprint sensor / accelerometer / gyroscope / iris identification

Battery, 2.800 mAh non-removable

Price, 285 euros on Amazon

[/ Table]

Technically we are facing a powerful phone. With this hardware the ZTE Axon Mini It now encompasses that new premium mid-range, offering a very complete solution that will allow you to enjoy any multimedia content or video game without too many problems, as you may have seen in the video review.

The ZTE Axon Mini has support Force Touch on your screen, that is, recognition of the pressure exerted on the screen. Today there are very few applications that take advantage of this technology, but the fact of being able to create a pin in which, in addition to writing the code, also allows you to configure the pressure level gives the ZTE Axon Mini an extra security to keep in mind. bill.

El capacitive fingerprint sensor located in the back works quite well. It is not the fastest on the market to read the fingerprint, but its recognition rate is quite high. We can also unlock the ZTE Axon Mini through its voice and iris recognition system, although they have some other problem; speech recognition sometimes fails and the iris reader has problems with those who wear glasses. Better to stick with the fingerprint unlocking system and leave the iris and voice recognition to show off with friends.

I want to emphasize the dedicated chip for the audio management AK4961 DAC, giving the ZTE Axon Mini a really good sound quality, thanks to offering Hi-Fi sound quality.

Does it work the same as a Samsung Galaxy S7? Obviously not, but it will more than meet the needs of the vast majority of users. The chip Snapdragon 616 it's perfect for everyday use, even playing video games that require 3D loading. Its consumption-performance balance is more than correct, although there is a section that blackens all the usability of the ZTE Axon Mini: its terrible personalized layer.

MiFavor, a layer that blackens the user experience with its annoying bloatware

I don't like the custom capes that the vast majority of manufacturers use. I think that HTC and Samsung do a minimally acceptable job, but, with the exception of Motorola, whose phones come with minimal customization and what they add is useful on top of that, I don't think the brand does a good job in this regard. But the ZTE thing is scandal.

ZTE's custom user interface is based on MiFavor, exactly the version 3.2.0 that runs on Android 5.1.1. Already the fact that the phone has not yet been updated to the latest version of Google's operating system seems like a mistake to me, but its insufferable custom layer seems like a joke in bad taste.

At first everything looks very good, the typical launcher without an application drawer that we have seen so many times in other Asian manufacturers, but then the notifications begin. The damn notifications. First a message appears asking to clean the terminal memory and close applications, forcing us to choose which applications not to close. Then we have another notification indicating that an application protects our phone for 400-odd days.

Normal, because considering the large number of pre-installed applications, it was to be expected that some would be an antivirus. Are they good for anything? I already tell you that the vast majority do not. And I won't waste time talking about His gesture system was so lacking that I finally gave up on using it more.

The only thing I save from this interface is the customization of icons, background and other details that is quite simple and accessible, being able to personalize the phone very easily.

ZTE Axon Mini shows muscle with its incredible AMOLED screen

If the ZTE Axon Mini can boast of something, it is its screen. And is that the 5.2-inch AMOLED panel with 2.5 D technology and that it has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels offers incredible image quality. Its 5.000: 1 contrast level. Colors look very vivid, thanks to that perfect black offered by AMOLED panels.

The viewing angles are quite wide, in addition to working perfectly outdoors, in addition to dim light the ZTE Axon Mini becomes a perfect ally for lovers of reading since by reducing the brightness to a minimum we can read without being disturbed. the brightness of your screen.

In short, one of the most remarkable aspects of the phone. And if we take into account that the ZTE Axon Mini costs less than 300 euros, I already tell you that it is one of the best screens in its range. If you are looking for a phone with a good panel, the ZTE Axon Mini is an option to consider.

Full camera without too much fanfare

Although we are used to seeing terminals that mount Sony lenses, the truth is that there are other manufacturers in this market. And ZTE decided to bet on Samsung, mounting a sensor 13 megapixels from the Korean manufacturer.

The sensor Samsung 3M2 has a fast focus system by phase detection, dual LED flash and an lens with aperture f / 2.2. The result is pretty good shots in bright environments, offering grainy photos in low-light situations.

El camera software is really simple, offering a simple hidden menu on the left side that shows the different preset modes of photography. Especially noteworthy is the manual mode, which will allow us to take out the photographer that we all have inside, adjusting various values ​​such as white balance or ISO setting.

Rest assured that, if you don't want to get involved, the normal mode, with all the settings in automatic, offers excellent calibration and performance, taking really good photographs, without having to adjust any parameters.

I was a bit disappointed in the HDR mode. Although it is true that it works correctly, it is far from the results offered by other terminals. Sure, ZTe's idea was to preserve the natural colors of the photo and avoid forcing oversaturated colors with HDR mode, but they came a little short in my opinion.

The front camera also offers good performance. Its 8 megapixels will delight lovers of self-portraits thanks to its Beauty mode, which rejuvenates, brightens the skin and makes the person photographed slimmer.

Although it is true that it does not have 4K quality, the ZTE Axon Mini can record in Full HD format, In addition to being able to record Timelapse and slow motion videos. Finally I leave you with a series of photographs taken with the ZTE Axon Mini so that you can see the quality of its lens.

Gallery of photographs taken with the ZTE Axon Mini

Autonomy

Finally I want to talk about autonomy. The ZTE Axon Mini has a non-removable lithium battery that reaches 2.800 mAh. Looking at the hardware of the new ZTE phone it was clear that it could support its full weight, but for how long?

In this regard, the ZTE Axon Mini has pleasantly surprised me. With normal daily use, playing a game, watching a couple of videos, social networks and synchronized emails and the phone has held up well for a day and a half. Reaching 6 o'clock with the screen on.

ZTE has optimized the phone really well, which offers more than good autonomy, surpassing other models in the same range. Although it does not have a fast charging system, it should be noted that its 1.5 A charger allows the ZTE Axon Mini to be charged in just under two hours.

Conclusions

The ZTE Axon Mini has seemed like a great phone that it has hardware to match, excellent sound quality and a screen that stands out from its competitors. But its annoying custom interface slightly detracts from the experience of using a phone that could have given more using an interface less loaded with applications and bloatware.

Editor's opinion

Points in favor

Points against