ZTE Axon 7 Mini

Solid build quality ; Awesome speaker setup ; Great bright display

Poor battery life ; Strange user interface ; Below average performance

ZTE's Axon 7 Mini has everything inside that should make a great, smaller alternative smartphone to the Axon 7, but it's not as good as it first seems, with battery life and performance issues.

high-quality chassis ; good speakers ; no throttling ; dual-SIM/memory expansion via microSD ; good AMOLED screen ; Quick-Charge ; protective cover included ; three-year warranty ; USB-C...

...but only 2.0 speed ; average battery runtimes ; microSD cannot be formatted as internal storage ; problems with the mobile Internet connection in difficult reception conditions ; slow WLAN module without ac

ZTE was able to carry over many positive aspects from its flagship smartphone Axon 7 to the smaller Axon 7 Mini. This includes the great chassis and the good speakers, but the FHD-AMOLED panel is also convincing except for the somewhat inaccurate...

High-quality metal unibody build. Strong audio performance. Fingerprint sensor and expandable storage.

Not really "mini." Average hardware and performance. Lots of strong competition in the midrange market.

While the ZTE Axon 7 Mini costs $100 less than its larger sibling and has the same premium build quality, it makes a number of compromises to reach its lower price point. Many of the things we love about the Axon 7, like its Quad HD display, Snapdragon...

Fantastic sound ; Well-executed, attractive design ; Good price (especially with new discounts)

Battery life needs an extra hour or two ; Sub-par display brightness ; MiFavor interface isn't great ; Underwhelming camera ; Fingerprint scanner accuracy

The Axon 7 Mini falls short of being the platonic ideal of a “mini” phone, one that takes a flagship, features intact, and gives us a handset with a smaller screen. Instead, it practically turns that approach on its head, barely decreasing size at all,...

Terrific audio ; Stylish design in an affordable package ; Decent rear camera performance ; Colorful display

Poor battery life ; Front camera falls flat ; Screen's a little dim

The Axon 7 Mini doesn't make too many trade-offs from ZTE's flagship-worthy Axon 7. But this $299 phone's battery life holds it back.

The ZTE Axon 7 Mini is filling a gap in the market as a relatively low-cost handset which provides superior sound quality. If you want these two features, the Axon 7 Mini could be for you.