Last November, ZTE and Fido partnered to bring the Chinese company’s Axon smartphone to Canada, a well-designed mid-range Android smartphone with software concessions, designed specifically for the North American market.
While it rankled a few people that a device sold unlocked directly from ZTE in the U.S., was locked and exclusive to a single carrier in Canada, fans of the handset now have another option to obtain a version of the device.
The Axon Pro, which launched months after the original, is now available unlocked and unbranded through Newegg’s Canadian portal. Featuring a higher-resolution 5.5-inch 2560×1440 pixel LCD display than its 1080p counterpart, the Axon Pro also boasts an octa-core Snapdragon 810 chip, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, and a 3,000mAh battery, all powering a relatively clean version of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The phone is compatible with every Canadian carrier on both LTE and HSPA+.
When it was released last summer, the Axon Pro was well-received, with Android Central’s Jerry Hildenbrand calling it “one of the best phones in its price range,” and PCMag’s Sascha Segan noting it is “handsome and powerful. The Verge derided the phone’s middle-of-the-pack design and specs, with reviewer Dan Seifert saying “[he] just can’t tell who it’s for.”
Unfortunately, the timing is pretty bad for ZTE, with Newegg selling the Axon Pro for a troubling $649.99, on the verge of major Android announcements at Mobile World Congress next month. While it does surpass the now invite-free OnePlus 2 in some ways, the Axon Pro may be priced too high in a Canadian market full of cheaper alternatives.
The ZTE Axon Pro is available in gold or silver.
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