Looking to shake up the smartphone market, ZTE has launched the Axon M, a foldable dual-screen device. The company’s CEO claims the device enables smoother multitasking and opens the door on an entirely new category of smartphones.
Axon M features dual 5.2-inch LCD glass displays – one on either side of the handset – which can be folded out to offer either one large screen or two side-by-side.
Four viewing modes are available: Extended for additional screen space in a single app; Dual to run an app on each screen; Mirror mode to share your screen with a friend when gaming, for instance; and Traditional, where users can fold up the device and use it like a regular single-screen smartphone.
“The ZTE Axon M is the beginning of a significant movement of smartphone capabilities, and ZTE is leading the way,” ZTE Mobile CEO Lixin Cheng said in a statement. The specs of the device include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which can be expanded to up to 256GB, through a micro SD card. The phone will launch with Android N, but Cheng said ZTE will be releasing an Android O update for the Axon M.
Axon M comes with a single 20MP camera. However, due to the folding nature of the phone, users have to change screens when switching between selfie and regular mode. ZTE has partnered with AT&T on an exclusive US launch just in time for the holiday (Q4) sales season. The device will roll out in November priced $24.17 with a 30-month contract, or around $725 for upfront one-time payment.
