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The ZTE Axon 7 shouldn't have been this good. Honestly, when it dropped back in 2016, most of us in the tech world were busy looking at the Samsung Galaxy S7 or the iPhone 7. ZTE was kind of an underdog brand in the US, known mostly for budget burners you’d find at a prepaid kiosk. Then, out of nowhere, they released this sleek, all-metal beast that basically punched every flagship in the mouth. It was a $400 phone that sounded better than a $2,000 professional audio player.
People still talk about it. Seriously.
If you head over to the XDA Developers forums or specific subreddits today, you’ll find people still trying to daily drive this thing. It’s not because they’re cheap. It’s because the Axon 7 mobile phone represents a specific peak in smartphone design that we’ve actually moved away from. We traded front-facing speakers for thin bezels. We traded the headphone jack for "convenience." The Axon 7 was the last stand for the "everything including the kitchen sink" philosophy.
The Audio Hardware That Ruined Other Phones
Let’s talk about the DAC. Most phones back then (and certainly now) used the integrated audio processing on the Snapdragon chip. It’s fine. It’s whatever. But ZTE went out and slapped a dedicated AKM AK4490EN DAC and an AK4461 amp inside this chassis.
It was loud.
I mean, properly, dangerously loud. If you plugged in a pair of high-impedance Sennheisers, the Axon 7 didn't just play the music; it drove the headphones with authority. You could hear the separation in the instruments. Most modern flagships sound thin and digital by comparison. Then there were the speakers. Twin front-facing grilles with Dolby Atmos certification. While Apple was still messing around with bottom-firing speakers that you’d accidentally cover with your pinky, ZTE was giving us a portable boombox.
There’s a weird nuance to why this matters now. In 2026, we’re surrounded by Bluetooth compression. Even "lossless" wireless isn't quite there. The Axon 7 is a reminder of what happens when engineers prioritize local, high-fidelity playback over sleek aesthetics. It felt heavy. It felt intentional.
📖 Related: How to get better wireless internet: Why your router location is probably ruining your life
Why the Axon 7 Mobile Phone Refused to Die
Usually, a Chinese flagship from 2016 would be e-waste by 2019. Software support is usually the first thing to go. But the Axon 7 had a strange second life. Because ZTE was relatively open with their bootloader for a while, the custom ROM community took this phone and ran with it.
LineageOS saved this device.
Even when ZTE officially stopped at Android 8.0 Oreo, developers were pushing Android 10, 11, and even 12 onto this hardware. It’s a testament to the Snapdragon 820. Sure, that chip was known for getting a bit toasty, but it had legs. The 4GB of RAM—which sounded like overkill at the time—became the bare minimum that allowed it to survive the bloat of modern apps for nearly a decade.
The Screen Nobody Remembers Being Good
Everyone remembers the speakers, but the display was a sleeper hit. It was a 5.5-inch AMOLED panel with a QHD resolution ($2560 \times 1440$).
That’s a pixel density of about 538 ppi.
Compare that to some "budget flagships" today that are still pushing 1080p on much larger screens. The colors were punchy, the blacks were deep, and because it was a 16:9 aspect ratio, you didn't have a notch or a hole-punch camera cutting into your movies. It was a pure, rectangular window. It felt premium.
The Reality Check: What Most People Get Wrong
It wasn't all sunshine. If you're looking at an Axon 7 mobile phone through rose-tinted glasses, you’re forgetting the software. ZTE’s "MiFavor" UI was, frankly, a mess. It looked like a weird iOS clone but with more bugs. The capacitive buttons on the bottom were also spaced way too close together. You’d try to hit "Back" and end up on the "Home" screen constantly. It was infuriating.
And the camera? It was okay. Just okay.
The 20-megapixel sensor had OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), which was great on paper, but the processing was aggressive. Photos in daylight were sharp, but as soon as the sun went down, the noise crept in like a fog. It couldn't touch the Google Pixel that came out the same year. Not even close.
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
- Audio: Dual AKM DACs, Front-facing stereo speakers
- Build: Aluminum unibody designed by BMW’s Designworks
- Storage: 64GB (expandable via microSD)
The BMW connection is one of those facts people often miss. ZTE actually hired Designworks to help with the ergonomics. That’s why the edges were so smooth and the phone felt so comfortable to hold despite being a bit of a brick. It didn't have sharp edges that dug into your palm.
Is it even usable today?
Not really. Not as a phone.
The battery is the first hurdle. Most original Axon 7 batteries are chemically exhausted by now, and finding a high-quality replacement is getting harder. Then there's the 4G LTE bands. While it supports most of them, the lack of 5G and the phase-out of 3G networks mean your signal might be spotty depending on where you live.
But as a dedicated music player? It's incredible.
You can pick one of these up on the used market for maybe $50 to $70. Stick a 256GB microSD card in there, load it with FLAC files, and you have a high-end Digital Audio Player (DAP) that outperforms many $300 dedicated units. It's a niche use case, but for audiophiles on a budget, it’s the ultimate "life hack."
The Legacy of the "Flagship Killer"
The Axon 7 arrived at the same time as the OnePlus 3. It was part of that golden era where you didn't have to spend $1,000 to get a top-tier experience. It forced the big players to pay attention. It proved that people actually cared about audio quality, even if the industry eventually decided we didn't.
When you look at the landscape now, everything is a glass sandwich. Everything looks the same. The Axon 7 had those iconic speaker grilles that made it look like nothing else on the shelf. It had personality.
Actionable Steps for Axon 7 Owners
If you still have one of these sitting in a drawer, don't throw it away. Here is how you actually make it useful in 2026:
- Check the Battery: If the back panel is bulging, stop using it immediately. If not, download an app like AccuBattery to see how much life is left. Replacing the battery is doable with a heat gun and some patience.
- Unlock the Bootloader: If you’re tech-savvy, head to the XDA forums. Getting a clean version of Android (like LineageOS) removes the ZTE bloat and makes the phone feel twice as fast.
- Turn it into a Media Server: Use it as a dedicated remote for your home audio system or a high-res music player. Plug it into a set of powered speakers via that beautiful 3.5mm jack.
- Use it for VR: Believe it or not, this phone was Daydream-ready. If you can find an old Google Daydream headset, the QHD screen still provides a decent entry-level VR experience for watching 360-degree videos.
The Axon 7 was a moment in time. It was a risk that paid off for the users, even if it didn't turn ZTE into a household name overnight. It remains a benchmark for what happens when a company actually listens to what power users want.
Keep it for the audio. Keep it for the history. Just don't expect it to run the latest 3D games without breaking a sweat. It's an old soldier now, but it's still got the best voice in the room.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts
If you are looking to buy a used unit, prioritize the A2017U (US model) or A2017 (Chinese model) as they have the best community support. Avoid the "Mini" version; it looks the same but lacks the powerhouse DAC and processor that made the original special. Check the USB-C port for corrosion, as that was a common failure point over years of use. For those transitioning away from the Axon 7, the only modern equivalents with a heavy audio focus are the Sony Xperia 1 series or specialized gaming phones from ASUS, though they lack the specific AKM tuning found here.