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ZTE Axon 9 Pro specs: Does it tick all the boxes for a flagship?
The ZTE Axon 9 Pro is a key smartphone for the company in several ways. It’s the manufacturer’s first high-end phone since U.S. sanctions were lifted, and it’s also ZTE’s first traditional Axon flagship since the Axon 7 and Axon 7s.
The Axon 7 stood out thanks to a stacked spec sheet and lower than usual price tag. So how does the Axon 9 Pro compare? Take a look at the full ZTE Axon 9 Pro specs below:
| ZTE Axon 9 Pro | |
|---|---|
Display | 6.21-inch AMOLED 2,248 x 1,080 resolution 18.7:9 aspect ratio |
SoC | 10nm, 64-bit, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 |
GPU | Adreno 630 |
RAM | 6GB |
Storage | 128GB UFS 2.1 Non-expandable |
Cameras | Rear: Main camera: 12MP sensor, f/1.75 aperture, 1.4 micron pixels, OIS Secondary camera: 20MP super wide-angle sensor (130 degree field of view) Front: 20MP sensor |
Audio | Stereo speakers, surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology No headphone jack Surround sound recording with three microphones |
Battery | 4,000mAh battery Non-removable Wireless charging |
IP rating | IP68 |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz) 2x2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 USB Type-C NFC Location: GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou |
SIM | Single nano-SIM |
Software | Android 8.1 Oreo with ZTE "Stock plus" |
Dimensions | 156.5 x 74.5 x 7.9mm |
When it comes to flagship-level features, the ZTE device doesn’t disappoint (for the most part). The device comes with a Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,000mAh battery. This is pretty much identical to the base model Galaxy Note 9.
Much like Samsung and LG‘s recent flagships, we see wireless charging and IP68 water/dust resistance as well. Unfortunately, ZTE’s new phone differs from the Korean brands by ditching the headphone jack. The lack of a microSD card slot is another big omission compared to several other flagships, but at least you’ve got 128GB of storage to play with.
The polarizing choices don’t stop there, as the Axon 9 Pro has a rather large notch on its 6.21-inch AMOLED screen (2,448 x 1,080 resolution, 18.7:9 aspect ratio). ZTE is also implementing motion-smoothing tech of sorts for the display, akin to those smooth motion modes on your high-end TV set. This essentially adds extra frames to content, delivering a smoother 60 frames per second. We’ll need to spend more time with the technology before making a verdict.
Switching to the camera department, the ZTE Axon 9 Pro delivers a dual-camera setup. The main camera is a 12MP f/1.75 shooter (1.4 micron pixels), packing optical image stabilization for reduced blur. The secondary camera is a 20MP super wide-angle shooter (130 degree field of view), so you might not have to step back or squeeze together for that group shot. Otherwise, ZTE is also offering a 20MP front-facing camera for selfies and facial authentication.
Other noteworthy features include a rear fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB Type-C, stereo speakers, surround sound recording, an RGB sensor for automatically adjusting the screen’s temperature, and Android 8.1 (with Android Pie in the works).
What do you think of the Axon 9 Pro specs? Anything missing? Let us know in the comments! You can also check out our Axon 9 Pro coverage below: