yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
Where did you get the 'no headphone jack, no DAC' part? They don't say anything about that. I don't believe they will abandon those two since every Axon (not sure about the C2017, but all of the others, Axon, Axon Pro, and all of those) had the AK4490.

I've read from different pages and they don't mention a thing about audio.

Besides that, there is one thing that I love about the design. The S8, OP5T, Mate 10 pro, they all have that useless chin below, and they just add on-screen buttons. The perfect solution is either an IPhone-like screen and navbar buttons below (like an upside-down Mi Mix) or capacitive buttons on the chin just like this one (Or at least the fingerprint sensor there, like the regular Mate 10, then add fingerprint gestures).
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Soyunamortz:
What would we get first Oreo or the axon 9 ?

???
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] GammaRay654:
Rear speakers kill the best of axon line, if it's real, except the processor, for me, axon 7 is still better
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
the ETA is April, so Oreo. Plus the A2017 already has Oreo.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Teet1:
The renders lack a headphone jack it seems, andl especially because of the screen. No headphone jack, no DAC
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
I see a very tiny imperfection on the top of the phone. Look carefully there.

Plus many bezel-less phones have a headphone jack. take the s8/s9/note8 for example. i think the OP5T also has one. Apple said it was to get more space but in reality I don't think you have a lack of space on a 6" device
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Teet1:
That looks too small for a headphone jack doesn't it? Very low quality pictures though...I think it might be a mic hole. If it's not up there, then I hope it's at the bottom. I just hope it doesn't have the speakers at the back side. Everything else is fine but it doesnt have the things that made the Axon 7 popular in the first place. I even remember taking a survey provided by ZTE from Newegg where I bought the phone about a few months asking me what I would want to find in a new Axon phone. A lot of the questions asked about the speakers and audio.

It makes me believe it's either some other phone in the Axon line, since the CEO mentioned there will be three Axon tiers. Tier A, B and C and maybe this could be that "midrange B" tier .

Then that makes the one with speakers, headphone jack, and a DAC the flagship Tier A pricing over $600 to $700

Which just doesn't make sense from a company like ZTE when there are so many over marketed phones in that price range like the Galaxies, people will choose those over this one simply because of how many people are familiar with a company like Samsung or even a Google device like the Pixel lines.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
It's not small at all. Notice how the whole side of the phone has a frame. Our phone has a very rounded back, that's why it's so noticeable in the axon 7. But that phone has a frame, so the jack is much less noticeable. just look at it some time and you'll see that it has just the right size to be a 3.5mm jack.

They may have gotten rid of the front firing speakers. I personally don't care, I bought it for everything else - if it came out with a reasonable price (say, $500 - 550) i wouldn't think twice.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Teet1:
You might be right, but time will tell. Hopefully soon more leaks come or they'll announce it. I like the front speakers, but if the price range is say more than 500-600, i may as well get another better phone with that price range. I'm picky, it must have front speakers for me :D I take advantage of them all the time.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] cyborgshogun:
I honestly hope they don't omit, what was in most people's opinion, the best part of the Axon 7: incredible front facing speakers. If they fail to include them they are going to lose a huge part of the Axon following. I definitely won't be buying it without them.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] J0nhy:
I would like to see a desing with no hardware buttons, and a bigger screen :3
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Elgsdyr:
I too bought the Axon 7 for the front facing stereo speakers alone. Without them I might as well have bought a OnePlus phone. I'd rather have some sort of gesture-based navigation system (like on the iPhone X or like OnePlus is experimenting with) than losing the stereo speakers...
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] raystef66:
Don't know whether this info is right or not but some sites confirm a 3.5mm jack...

https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_axon_9-9069.php

https://www.pdevice.com/product/zte-axon-9-price-specs
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] reticuli:
Axon 9 without anything from Axon 7 (except amoled), it will fail! I am lucky to have Axon 7! =)
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] HallOfPromise:
I'm a huge fan of the front stereo speakers. It was one of my main attractions to the Axon 7. Not sure about this new one.

And even though it's pretty cool that the fingerprint ready is under the display, I personally like the placement on the back. I can unlock it with only one hand when it's on the back, rather than one hand holding the phone and the other to unlock.

Ugh, this doesn't look like an upgrade at all. It's a completely different phone. They might as well give this a different name all together. I mean, it looks very nice and all, don't get me wrong. But to me, an Axon is all about the speakers and sound! If this is truly the next Axon I am very disappointed.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] emepher:
I agree with a lot of this:

The fingerprint scanner placement on the Axon 7 is perfect - my index finger goes right there automatically and I like unlocking with one hand.

The audio capabilities were a big deal to me, both the relatively loud front-facing speakers and the good DAC. And I require a headphone jack (and microSD).

The price was also a big factor for me - $350 (6 mo. or so after launch) vs $500+ for most comparable phones.

If the Axon 9 changes these things, I see little reason for me to buy it, even though I've been very happy with my first ZTE device. I'll stick with my Axon 7 for a while longer, and upgrade to something that fits my preferences better when the time comes. Not a deal breaker for me, but the Axon 9 pics I've seen make it look generic and kind of cheap.

Slimmer bezels are always a good idea, but I'd rather keep the 5.5" screen and make the casing smaller than keep the same size casing and grow the screen to fit it. That would allow me to use the phone much more comfortably with one hand
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] beastobadness:
I don't see anything in that article that is written in stone. The images are so low res that they could be a total computer generated mock up and even if the leaked specs are correct, they are very vague at best. Although would be very interesting to have an under-screen fingerprint scanner!

One thing I have learned over the years is to take all mobile phone leaks with a massive pinch of salt. Best bet... just wait and see! April is not far away and besides, we still have one, if not thee best bang for buck smartphone on the market even after being released 2016. All the big smartphone manufacturers would have EOL'ed a device by now but not ZTE.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] ibphantom:
The Axon 7 design is great. As for the Axon 9 maybe a little bigger screen, but other than that, it's a perfect design. I just wish they would update the processor to the 845 and improve the camera then focus the rest of the budget towards proper updates over the next 2&1/2 years and it would be an easy sell.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] argblah:
If gsmarena's price of 600 EUR / 750 USD is accurate, this phone won't be a success until it gets discounted. Not many people want a 750 dollar phone from ZTE, and that is presumably for the 64GB/4GB version mentioned on gsmarena.

The SD 845 and fingerprint sensor under display will be cutting edge, flagship level features upon launch, but it's not very far from a flagship level price at 750 USD.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
On other pages they say 500-650. It's pure speculation
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Soyunamortz:
Why would they get rid of the most popular futures of the axon the speakers ?

Not need 6" screen !

Keep the 4k resolution

Give us the basic stuff , keep the chassis of the axon 7 ,update the camera a decent one , plus jump to the 845 processor ... keep the price on 449 I'm pretty sure we all be happy !

A mate black color probably or silver like the old Nexus 6p ...

The waiting it's killing me ?

When would the 9 be announced ?
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] RobboW:
If they just stuck an SD845 in the 6Gb/128Gb Chinese Axon 7, throw in an IR blaster and manage a 3700mah battery, Oreo with Treble support and keep price down, it would smash the sales. Not a lot of effort needed and would be praised up.

Edit: Forgot to add, update to better cameras.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] patio54:
That would be perfect.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Jaredsk74:
I really liked it except for seeing it lack a fingerprint scanner. I really do not want to move away from my scanner.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
You didn't notice the fingerprint icon on the screen right? It's below the screen
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Knuxyl:
If its a faster axon 7 with less features, i wont be buying it and im sure a lot of other ppl wont either, considering all new phones will have the sd 845.

they need to have dual sim with a seperate sd card slot, and need to keep 3.5mm jack.

if any lte bands that r present on axon 7 arent available on 9, then it definitely wont be worth buying.

and the bevelless idea that these companies r going with is a scam, less bevel = less space for protective case to grab onto.

capactive nav bar seperate from screen is horrible idea, should just go with on screen navbar.

so more than likely, axon 7 is my first and last zte product.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Jaredsk74:
Well now I feel like I need glasses. Thanks for pointing that out!
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
I'm literally laughing right now. Please tell me of a phone that has the same features as the Axon 7 and a similar price (Great sound, AMOLED 2K, rather good 16:9 camera, < $400). If the Axon 9 comes out next year without front firing speakers or with sim + sim/sd like now, what will you change to? From what I've seen there are only 2 phones with better speakers than the Axon 7 and they are the Razer phone (you'll have to sell a kidney) or some other one that's sorta expensive. Try to fine a phone with all of the features that you want to keep from the Axon 7.

I'm not saying it's right to abandon features, I'm saying that there are no options.

p.s. the headphone jack is visible on the picture. just need to look harder
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] elb0wf4ce:
BlackBerry DEK60 has good stereo speakers. I might go back to Xperia someday if they stop being such a rip off in the UK market when it comes to internal storage, etc. I'll be keeping my Axon 7 for a long time though. Would be surprising if ZTE didn't release something similar in the future.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] nfsmw_gr:
If any ZTE employer is reading this, this is what I think would be the best.

Keep the base specs the same as the Axon 7.

Swap the SD820 for the 845, up the ram to 6GB base.

Upgrade the camera to a better single or dual lens setup.

Upgrade the battery to a 4000mah one.

Add IP68 protection.

Maybe check if a better amoled panel is being produced and upgrade to that, although I really like the current one to be honest.

And done, perfect device to upgrade to.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
tbh the 6 inch panel is not a bad idea
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Knuxyl:
I didnt look hard at it, i read somewhere someone said it didnt have 3.5mm. And price isnt an issue. I searched gsmarena for a phone that supported all USA LTE bands, and went from there. Samsung is like apple, products are made to break over time, and the xaiomis are way too big. the axon 7 is perfect excluding audio. I have a moto z2 force as well and it has better sound then my axon, and its not a feature motorola advertises. ZTEs push for better audio has created more problems than was worth it, like the call audio bug. And i just wont change phones until a better one comes out, I dont have to upgrade. Honestly, my moto e4 is fast enough for me, so if they just update the cpu and didnt do anything about their audio problems and didnt seperate the sd card from sim than im just sticking with axon 7. i dont need a front facing camera and this axon 7 camera seems to be as good as the camera on my $40 phone. they just increase capture resolution without increasing the quality of the pictures. i gave up on cell phone cameras long ago, they're crap.

And you should listen to a moto z2 force next to axon 7. specs arent everything. motorola is definitely doing something way better with audio then ZTE is. I dont care which side of the phone the speakers are too, but front does seem like a better idea.

idk what u couldve been laughing for, im just pointing out the possibility of zte jumping on the bandwagon of selling more expensive phones with less features. im thinking its prob too late but i was just hoping to put it out there my thoughts on the axon 9 so maybe they dont make a huge mistake with their next flagship.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
What do you use for listening? I haven't tried the Z2 force but every other motorola that i tried has the same crappy iDAC noise and narrow soundstage on 32 ohm cans.

What I meant is that no phone in the market right now has exactly the same features that the axon has. many phones come with similar stuff but lcd display, or crappy sound, or back speakers. And probably all of them are way pricier
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] raystef66:
Coudn't agree more. Leave body like it is, 5.5", nice and slim with that shiny little polished edge.

Put in the 845, just an upgrade of the single lens (dont care for those double ones), 4000mah would be possible but not at cost of a thicker body.

Amoled is just fine.

Leave front speakers as they are. Back speakers would be a degrade imo (just hold the phone and imagine where the sound is coming from...). in one way or another you would block sound yet alone the direction of it.

Leave the FP like it is. Works fine like it is...even the backdesign with lens and flash aligned is somehow great.

And put in a descent rgb notification led, not a cheap one like now ;)

And i wouldn't mind to have the backlit navigation buttons again.

As i look at the 9, if it's made like this, it looks like a cheapy thing. No thanks ;)
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] kitcostantino:
i really hope all of these people realize the axon 9 hasnt been leaked at all yet. as far as dual front facing speakers i think we have all said the same thing on zte forums etc. Hopefully they realize how far (despite govt/news reports about security saying to avoid ZTE and Huawaii phones) listening to what we ask for will go.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Predatorhaze:
just the same as axon 7.but instead of the black bezels,i want screen,stereo front speakers,and a bigger battery
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] kitcostantino:
man, i am totally with you on all of your points, especially the backlit keys. but i also want them to include a software feature to turn it off so that can translate to custom roms as well. dual front facing speakers are a requirement for me. i honestly think 8 gb of ram and a sd 845 would put it over the top with a 4000 mah battery. that and a black finish that isnt plastic.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] nonamesl:
Well... The color is UGLY, and the back is just ugly overall. It looks like an even uglier version of the back of the Huawei Mate 9.

The front looks nice, the physical navbar maybe looks a bit small. Double front cameras are unnecessary IMO. It doesn't look that good right now, but it all depends on the actual design, the specs and the features.

Under display fingerprint scanner is cool though :)
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
The back is just like the Axon 7s but with the back speaker, and i'm grateful that there IS a physical navbar tbh

We'll see. I just wanted to say that, since I found out yesterday that the 7s looks pretty identical to this one on the back
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] gregfrankenstein:
If there is in fact a headphone jack, why does it look like an effort was made to frame the photos so it's not visible?

Maybe they're trying to expand outside their niche. You know, market to the Pixel crowd that likes the $1000+ phones with fewer features. So they make it look like another flagship in their marketing, but they also want to keep their core audiophile customers who are still beating a dead horse with the 3.5mm jack.

Or they dropped the jack. Or this mockup is meaningless and looks nothing like the finished product. Who knows?
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
Or maybe you are overreacting horribly and it is just because the phone has a metal frame, which by the way is clearly visible and would make the headphone jack almost invisible from the front/back. Who knows??? :laugh:
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] RobboW:
Not too sure about that. If I look at the back of my A7 the jack is very visible. You couldn't mistake it. It's so visible I can even see the outer electrical contact.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
Damn you guys don't get it do you. This new phone being the Axon 9 doesn't mean that it will have the exact same design.

Imagine a box and a sphere, both with a hole on the top. The box is the Axon 9 and the sphere is the 7. Now look at them from the front. On the sphere you can clearly see the hole, while on the box you can't.

In the leaked photo's case you can see a slight shadow where the jack should be (it is on the other side relative to ours, because the cameras are also on the other side) and there's no reason why that wouldn't be the jack. If it isn't the jack then it's an artifact (which makes zero sense).

The leaked phone clearly has a flat frame. Our phone has one hell of a curve on the aluminium unibody. That phone doesn't have an unibody. So stop trying to make a connection between the two
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
tell me what this is.

it's even consistent with the front camera placement.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Vilperi15:
You treat this "leak" like it's set in stone with no possibility of it being just a fake.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] RobboW:
Yeah, no further comment till official news and pics are released. I just want to see a stable O for my G ?
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
clearly no. I've been saying all along that THIS PHONE RIGHT HERE definitely has a headphone jack there. If it is not the Axon 9 and it's just a random mockup, so be it, but I am sure that there is a jack on the 3d model. If this is the actual phone to be released, then it will be just like the one on the picture; therefore i'll be right.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Miustone:
USB Audio is really awesome, same for the new Codecs AptX HD and LDAC! I can totally live without a Headphone Jack (Which breaks, sucks dirt and has no other functionality), but the lack of front Stereo Speakers and this Generic Design are forcing Me back to Google. No Matter of the Prices. Samsung has Stereo Speakers this Year, but Exynos and Locked Snapdragons are a no-go. Sony has screwed up the Design AND the front Speakers and the Others? Well, no Snapdragon no fun! I'm going with a Pixel 3 which will have all i need. Stereo Speakers, great Camera, awesome Software Support, extra Features which make Sense, a clean Stock OS, best of Hardware (Snapdragon, Storage, Cam, Speakers, Materials) and so on. Sorry for ZTE, the Axon 7 was and is a great Piece of Hardware but the Time goes on... The Lack of Camera API 2 alone is Reason enough for Me to Upgrade to a Phone which has it (And HDR+ in the GCam)

Just My 2 Cents as Contributor on the Axon 7 Forums and as User who has switched from a Nexus 6 to a LG G5 to a Axon 7...
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Mist3r_J:
The Galaxy S9 is destined to have dual front-facing speakers among other 20I8 flagship's. If the new Axon drops this feature it will be an 3pic detriment. A feautre a dont really use actually, but I digress. I want an even more primo DAC and more importantly support behind it and regular updates. In short, ZTE, Dont make me regret choosing your phone/next phone over the OnePlus series.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
Uhh no, the s9 has the same set of speakers but they actually decided to use the earpiece and added Atmos to the mix. Don't know where you read that dual front facing speakers part.

And the DAC is fine. Perfect even. Just let them put the exact same DAC/ADC/amps. Just like every other Axon before it starting maybe with the A2015
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Mist3r_J:
I wasnt knocking the DAC, as primo as it is(puts many PC's DAC's/soundbourd's to shame). Its an actually quite/somewhat old AKM chip(circa 2014). Am I wrong for anticipating/expecting an upgrade? At the very least, I would be satisfied with proper suppport of the DAC software wise.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
well, since sound is not like processing at all, maybe you shouldn't expect an upgrade on that front. the only "better" thing they could add would be a 384 kHz DAC, but I don't believe there is any difference after maybe 96 kHz.

But this DAC is very low power, does 24bit and all, has a low sound floor, and is proven on the field.

The amplifiers used on the Axon (about 10V) are insane. If you use 16/32 ohm gear you have to use it at like 1/4th of the scale to not blow your ears out.

I guess they should use it better software-wise. The DAC is actually capable of 384kHz at least from asahi kasei website. There's no indication that it works and the stock music player could never play a 192 kHz file for me. It always says "unsupported"
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] kountry83:
Update for y'all on first page post!
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] kitcostantino:
Totally called it. lol.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] HallOfPromise:
Oh thank God!
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] svsavic:
ZTE Axon M9 Flagship Arriving in September.

https://www.gizmochina.com/2018/03/...september-to-regain-ztes-popularity-in-china/
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Soyunamortz:
And wait until September ?
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] kitcostantino:
Release in China doesn't mean release everywhere else. I.e.- US market could be later...or as I theorize it will be, earlier. I say this bc if I was ZTE, I'd try to beat Pixel 3 or whatever they will call it to market. Proved to be a great move in 2016. Well, also helped that Zte's phones weren't combustible. Lol.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] svsavic:
Axon 9?

https://www.gizmochina.com/2018/04/09/the-zte-iceberg-has-two-notches-dual-cameras-might-be-modular/
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] troy5890:
Nope, this can't be the Axon 9. Looks like another project, but makes me worried that they might add a notch to the Axon 9.
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] svsavic:
Concept is very interesting, STB is over 95%, front speakers,...
[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] Choose an username...:
that's as good as it gets. Hide both notches and you get a symmetrical device with unintrusive navbar and statusbar and no notch. But I'd sand the corners if i ever got something like that ?