ZTE revives its US hopes with the Axon 10 Pro
It's the manufacturer's first phone in the US since it was slapped with sanctions.
ZTE is making its way back to the US smartphone market with a flagship model, which could rival other relatively affordable premium devices like the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Chinese manufacturer has released the Axon 10 Pro in the country today -- its first huge phone launch in the US since it was slapped with sanctions a few years ago. The company debuted another smartphone in the US earlier this year, but it was a $99 model called R2 for Visible, the prepaid wireless brand owned by Verizon.
ZTE's future looked extremely bleak after it was blocked from working with US companies, seeing as it mostly uses Qualcomm processors for its mobile devices. It was, however, able to cut a deal with the administration that effectively ended trade sanctions against the company. In fact, the Axon 10 Pro is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor.
Brad Li, the CEO of ZTE USA, said in a statement:
"We are thrilled to bring the Axon 10 Pro to the U.S. market, the next-generation of the ZTE Axon flagship brand and the successor to the Axon 7 for us in the United States. Smartphones are getting more expensive -- it's a universal trend -- and at ZTE we remain committed to providing consumers with cutting-edge innovation and the features they want most, while remaining extremely affordable. Making the Axon 10 Pro available to our U.S. consumers delivers on that brand promise and commitment."
The device, which is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile bands, is also equipped with 256GB of onboard storage that's expandable for up to 2TB, 8GB or 12GB of RAM and a 4,000 mAh battery. It has a 6.47-inch curved AMOLED glass display and a triple rear camera with a 48-megapixel main lens, a 20-megapixel wide-angle lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens. Like its contemporaries, the phone has facial recognition and an in-display fingerprint sensor.
We first saw the Axon 10 Pro at Mobile World Congress a few months ago, and it has been out in China and Europe for quite a while. Now, it's also available from ZTE's online store in the US and participating retailers like Newegg. The variant with 8GB of RAM will set you back $549, while the one with 12GB will cost you $599.
