The ZTE Axon Max first hit the consumer market on the final day of last year, and given frequency in which hardware updates are pushed in today’s world, its Chinese maker seems to be prepping a sequel. Spotted on GFXBench, it will apparently retain a number of original Axon Max’s assets alongside some welcome tweaks including a new processor.
Packed with the octa-core Snapdragon 617 SoC and 3 gigs of RAM, the ZTE Axon Max is nestled in that saturated arena just below the very top-end handsets. For an initial starting price of $450, it includes a 13-megapixel camera for selfies to complement the 16-megapixel rear shooter. The slick design also belies a hefty 4150 mAh battery, which is considerably more sizable than the vast chunk of its competitors’.
With the Axon Max 2, it looks like ZTE will seek to refine the experience, rather than chase an all-out specs bump. According to the new GFXBench info, the ZTE Axon Max 2 (C2017) will retain a 6-inch, 1080p display, while both front and back cameras may pack 13-megapixel resolutions. The marquee enhancement may take the form of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625, a powerful yet power-efficient chip that should get the job done during most everyday activities.
Where the original Axon Max includes 3 gigs of RAM and 32 GB ROM, the next-in-line looks poised to roll with a healthy 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of on-board storage. It’s entirely possible that the model seen through benchmarks is one of two or more variants, though, so we’ll have to wait to find out precisely what ZTE has in store. Either way, the pre-existing Axon Max includes expandable storage by means of a microSD slot, so it’s reasonable to presume that mark II will do likewise.
Since the Axon Max dropped on December 31st of 2015, it could be that we’re still many months from seeing the Axon Max 2 in all of its official glory. If we are to be sitting on our hands until the latter stages of the year, here’s hoping that ZTE can get the fledgling Android 7.0 Nougat on board before the roll-out.
[Source: Phonearena]
