My thoughts on the ZTE Axon 7

I had pre-ordered the ZTE Axon 7 last year and I've been using it for the last few months along with my Blackberry Priv, OnePlus One, and Blackberry Passport. I thought that I would mention what I like about the ZTE Axon 7 and what I disliked about it.

I was looking for an Android phone which I could use instead of my OnePlus One which is starting to show its age and I was considering the OnePlus Three and the ZTE Axon 7. At the time, a lot of reviews that I was seeing/reading online were comparing the OnePlus Three and the ZTE Axon 7. The main reason I went for the Axon 7 was due to the support for a microSD card (which the OnePlus Three doesn't have). I wanted a device that supported microSD cards since I often store videos on my phone so that I have easy access to them without having to redownload them or delete the videos already on my device to put room for the newer videos. The ZTE Axon 7 does this.

While the OnePlus Three supports 2 SIM cards just like the ZTE Axon 7, the ZTE Axon 7 will only support 2 SIM cards or a microSD card and a SIM card. For the Axon 7, you will need to decide whether you want the dual SIM support or the microSD support at any particular time.

The sound is amazing on the ZTE Axon 7. I'm not an audiophile but in my opinion, it has the best sound support (both using headphones as well as using the phone's external speakers) out of the phones that I've tested/used.

One menu option that I like on the Axon 7 which I've rarely seen on mainstream Android phones except those phones which were rooted is the ability to power off the phone automatically at a certain time.

The ZTE Axon 7 is the first phone that I purchased which uses the USB type C connector. Within the box, there is an adapter which you can plug into the phone if you only have a standard micro-USB charger with you at the time. Included with the Axon 7 which I found unusual is a screen protector as well as a plastic case.

The things that I am not crazy about with the Axon 7 is that even though according to a lot of reviews that I've read/watched, it doesn't have a lot of bloatware and is somewhat similar to stock Android, personally, I don't think it is as "stock" as my Blackberry Priv or my OnePlus One. Comparing it to a Samsung phone which Samsung customizes dramatically, a lot of people will probably find it to be similar to stock Android. Whereas I agree that the Axon 7 is more "stock" than a Samsung phone, personally I was annoyed by some of the options missing which I have on my Blackberry Priv and my OnePlus One. One of the things that I found missing from the Axon 7 is the multi-user support that is available in my LG Nexus-4, OnePlus One, and Blackberry Priv. A lot of people probably don't use the multi-user support but because I sometimes lend my phones, I like the ability to easily switch between users so that they don't install applications under my profile. Another option that is available on these phones which is missing from the Axon 7 is the lock screen message where I often put my name and contact information in case someone finds my phone and wants to contact me.

One other thing that I noticed is that because the keys (back, home, & recent) are non-illuminated capacitive keys, certain Android apps that offer a menu option next to these keys when they are screen keys is no longer available.

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