[oyobass]

I'm thinking of getting the Axon 7 Mini for 160USD new, but I'm doubting if it's still relevant enough as a smartphone. I don't have a DAP yet, but I think it's inconvenient for me to carry two devices on commute. Any ideas?

It is a very satisfying music player and web browsing device. It is hard for me to comment on it's use as a phone, since I use it with FreedomPop, a low- to no-cost VOIP provider. FreedomPop sucks for voice quality, but VOIP services Google Voice and Facebook Messenger calls sound fine. I do carry this as a second device, since my regular phone service is on a Samsung Galaxy Sky we with pretty poor audio, but great phone service. I'm getting an adaptor from Amazon that will allow me to use both a micro SD card and a nano SIM in the second SIM position so that I can have both numbers on the Mini, and access to music on the SD.
One minor annoyance, my favorite alarm clock/sleep tracking software, Sleep Bot, refuses to wake me up at the time I set the alarm for. It is always too early. Uhg. The app hasn't been updated in a couple of years, so it may be having trouble with Nougat 7.01 and not the Axon... The stock alarm works fine.
The processor isn't that fast by today's standards, but it is the fastest phone I've owned. I'm not a gamer. For my use, I have never seen a lag or stutter. Even over-stuffed with apps, the phone is always snappy and crisp in response time.
The camera is okay, even good, in strong light, but not too good in low light. It is better than the camera in my other phone, but it ain't gonna make me leave my Nikon at home when I need to capture important images.

 

[Auxillium]

It is a very satisfying music player and web browsing device. It is hard for me to comment on it's use as a phone, since I use it with FreedomPop, a low- to no-cost VOIP provider. FreedomPop sucks for voice quality, but VOIP services Google Voice and Facebook Messenger calls sound fine. I do carry this as a second device, since my regular phone service is on a Samsung Galaxy Sky we with pretty poor audio, but great phone service. I'm getting an adaptor from Amazon that will allow me to use both a micro SD card and a nano SIM in the second SIM position so that I can have both numbers on the Mini, and access to music on the SD.
One minor annoyance, my favorite alarm clock/sleep tracking software, Sleep Bot, refuses to wake me up at the time I set the alarm for. It is always too early. Uhg. The app hasn't been updated in a couple of years, so it may be having trouble with Nougat 7.01 and not the Axon... The stock alarm works fine.
The processor isn't that fast by today's standards, but it is the fastest phone I've owned. I'm not a gamer. For my use, I have never seen a lag or stutter. Even over-stuffed with apps, the phone is always snappy and crisp in response time.
The camera is okay, even good, in strong light, but not too good in low light. It is better than the camera in my other phone, but it ain't gonna make me leave my Nikon at home when I need to capture important images.

Well my current phone's an Alcatel Soleil with a dual core and half a gig of RAM from 4 years ago, so I never really had doubts about the mini being better. I'm just afraid if the phone would last me long enough, like maybe 1.5 to 2 years, before looking for another one.

How's the battery life though?

Sorry if I'm asking more on the smartphone side rather than the audio side.

 

[Sebilion]

I'm thinking of getting the Axon 7 Mini for 160USD new, but I'm doubting if it's still relevant enough as a smartphone. I don't have a DAP yet, but I think it's inconvenient for me to carry two devices on commute. Any ideas?

I just got mine yesterday. So far so good. It performs well enough. Depends what you want it for. Camera is average at best but sound is perfect!

 

[Sebilion]

Well my current phone's an Alcatel Soleil with a dual core and half a gig of RAM from 4 years ago, so I never really had doubts about the mini being better. I'm just afraid if the phone would last me long enough, like maybe 1.5 to 2 years, before looking for another one.

How's the battery life though?

Sorry if I'm asking more on the smartphone side rather than the audio side.

If you want a phone to last you long why don't you get the actual axon 7? It has better battery and specs. Battery is ok in moderate use.

 

[oyobass]

Well my current phone's an Alcatel Soleil with a dual core and half a gig of RAM from 4 years ago, so I never really had doubts about the mini being better. I'm just afraid if the phone would last me long enough, like maybe 1.5 to 2 years, before looking for another one.

How's the battery life though?

Sorry if I'm asking more on the smartphone side rather than the audio side.

No problem. Once updated to Nougat, the battery seems to last very well. It was kind of bad on Marshmallow.
One thing to note: I have the Global version of the phone, ordered from GearBest in China. The US version should have even better audio, since it isn't restricted by EU regulations volume-wise.
If I had to do it again, I would have spent the extra money and bought the US one.
I can see this phone lasting 2 years easily. It is solidly built of aluminum, has a Gorilla Glass 4 screen, and comes with a decent case. I understand an update to Oreo is in the works as well.
Just make sure your carrier supports GSM. In the US, that is AT&T and T-Mobile. Not sure of carriers in the Phillipines...

 

[oyobass]

If you want a phone to last you long why don't you get the actual axon 7? It has better battery and specs. Battery is ok in moderate use.

The Axon 7 is out of production, has been since last year. Some vendors may still have it in stock, though. The price is still much higher than the Mini...

 

[Auxillium]

If you want a phone to last you long why don't you get the actual axon 7? It has better battery and specs. Battery is ok in moderate use.

Unfortunately, there's no place to get it from nowadays, local or online (even used), at least that's how my search ended.

No problem. Once updated to Nougat, the battery seems to last very well. It was kind of bad on Marshmallow.
One thing to note: I have the Global version of the phone, ordered from GearBest in China. The US version should have even better audio, since it isn't restricted by EU regulations volume-wise.
If I had to do it again, I would have spent the extra money and bought the US one.
I can see this phone lasting 2 years easily. It is solidly built of aluminum, has a Gorilla Glass 4 screen, and comes with a decent case. I understand an update to Oreo is in the works as well.
Just make sure your carrier supports GSM. In the US, that is AT&T and T-Mobile. Not sure of carriers in the Phillipines...

I've checked, at least with Gearbest's list. Seems like I'll be fine in that case. Last question, how do I actually know if it's the US version or the EU version?

 

[oyobass]

Where are you buying it? For some reason I assumed Best Buy due to the $160 USD price you quoted. That one is definitely a US version.

Edit:
From Gearbest, it is the "global" (EU) version. This version will not receive OTA updates to Nougat. You'll have to go to the Russian or Spanish ZTE and get the updates there. Another reason I should have bought at Best Buy...

 

[Hariz Nordin]

Hey guys, I just got me an axon 7 just now...

 

[Auxillium]

Where are you buying it? For some reason I assumed Best Buy due to the $160 USD price you quoted. That one is definitely a US version.

Gearbest.

Hey guys, I just got me an axon 7 just now...

Where?

 

[oyobass]

Gearbest.

Where?

Although I really like my phone from GearBest, getting it updated was an adventure.

At one point, I thought I had ruined my phone after loading older firmware onto it.

If bought from Gearbest, it is the "global" (EU) version. This version will not receive OTA updates to Nougat. You'll have to go to the Russian or Spanish ZTE site and get the updates there. Another reason I should have bought at Best Buy... although I couldn't resist the $125 USD Gearbest flash sale price in a weak moment a few months ago, LOL.

 

[Hariz Nordin]

Gearbest.

Where?

Bought a used set from a seller in my country, Malaysia

 

[Auxillium]

Although I really like my phone from GearBest, getting it updated was an adventure.

At one point, I thought I had ruined my phone after loading older firmware onto it.

If bought from Gearbest, it is the "global" (EU) version. This version will not receive OTA updates to Nougat. You'll have to go to the Russian or Spanish ZTE site and get the updates there. Another reason I should have bought at Best Buy... although I couldn't resist the $125 USD Gearbest flash sale price in a weak moment a few months ago, LOL.

Ok thanks hopefully it won't be too hard to do the updates.

On another note, I also missed out on a time when the dual sim LG V20 was being sold at a local online store for somewhere around 260USD. If I only had the money back then :/

 

[oyobass]

If you want a phone to last you long why don't you get the actual axon 7? It has better battery and specs. Battery is ok in moderate use.

Did you get the UK version Carphone Warehouse is selling? I saw this if you're feeling adventurous:
Updating UK version of ZTE Axon 7 mini to Android Nougat 7.1.1 https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7-mini/how-to/updating-uk-version-zte-axon-7-mini-to-t3717933

 

[oyobass]

Ok thanks hopefully it won't be too hard to do the updates.

On another note, I also missed out on a time when the dual sim LG V20 was being sold at a local online store for somewhere around 260USD. If I only had the money back then :/

I can identify with that...

If I was able to buy everything I saw a good deal on but didn't have the money, there would be no room at my house for people.