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digitec Live @ MWC 2018: Day 7 - Peace. Out.
by Dominik Bärlocher
ZTE Axon M: How good is a foldable smartphone?
28.2.2018
Translation: machine translated
Video: Stephanie Tresch
According to the manufacturer, the ZTE Axon M is set to usher in a new era of smartphones and shake up the entire market. However, the hands-on in Barcelona shows that it will take a few more iterations before the foldable smartphone is really cool.
During the newsfeed for the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, video producer Stephanie Tresch and I asked what you want to know. Among many leading questions along the lines of "Why doesn't anyone make a phone exactly the way I want it?", one question stood out.
Are there any exciting foldable and rollable studies?
It's clear that we're looking into Justin3000's question. Because we know that the Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE is exhibiting its Axon M. The device is no longer a study and, according to the manufacturer, is set to usher in a new era of smartphones. One of almost ridiculously large screens and, above all, the age of the foldable smartphone.
But the hands-on shows: It will be a while before the foldable smartphone is really useful and good.
The ZTE Axon M at a glance
As soon as you pick up the ZTE Axon M, you realise that it probably shouldn't be on sale. Because somehow it doesn't feel good at all. There are indentations for the power button and volume control on the left side and a bulge on the right that houses the hinge.
The visual and haptic impression is worse when you open the device. When you unfold the rear screen, which is switched off when folded, it takes some unaccustomed effort. There is no trace of the ease of use of other Android phones here.
Then the cracking
I'm afraid I've broken something. Because when the rear screen of the Axon M snaps into the open position, the 229 gram device makes a really ugly noise. Fortunately, nothing is broken and the second screen comes to life.
But don't turn the phone over, because there are strange indentations and bulges everywhere at the back. That doesn't work at all.
The processor can't keep up
I could still get used to all the hardware aspects. Every phone has its own handling and feels different. But that makes a big difference to me. The Essential PH-1 may never win any awards, but every time I pick it up, I like the way it feels.
In use, however, the ZTE Axon M does not make a good trap. Mainly because the second screen, called "Screen B" by ZTE, reacts far too slowly. No wonder, because the phone is only equipped with a Snapdragon 821. It has a year and a half under its belt and you can feel this when performing complex operations such as calculating a new screen or expanding an existing screen.
Underneath the main screen on the phone side with the 20 megapixel camera - the Axon M does not have a selfie cam - there are four virtual buttons in the menu at the bottom where there are usually three soft buttons. The usual three - Back, Home and All apps - and a fourth with an M. This is where you can determine the behaviour of the second screen.
- Expand screen A
- Screen B as second screen for multitasking
- Clone screen A
- Switch off screen B
The usefulness of the last two options is not entirely clear to me. Because if I don't want the second screen, I leave the phone closed. And why would I want to clone the screen if I can't use screen B when it's closed?
The first option, however, looks nice at first glance. If you have two 5.2-inch screens next to each other, that's quite something. I'm worried: what if a control element ends up in the centre of the screen? I know from experience with tablets, Remix OS and a large number of smartphones that Android adapts to all kinds of screens. But if there is a screen border in the middle of the screen, i.e. a centred bezel, then something would have to be done on the software development side so that the soft buttons in the middle are not torn apart.
The second option is probably the most useful as it is currently delivered. Two screens enable sensible multitasking without any virtual windows that have to be laboriously removed when work is finished. I like that. Even texts are not split by the centre bezel, as the Axon M does not have a character break. Texts are split in the middle of the letter.
In conclusion, I would advise anyone who is looking forward to the foldable phone to wait. The ZTE Axon M is technologically exciting and shows that the manufacturer may be on the trail of a new type of phone. But the Axon M should not be on sale. It should be a study. Something that is shown at trade fairs and that inspires manufacturers around the world. But it is unlikely to appeal to end customers.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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