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Axon 10 Pro

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ZTE Axon 10 Pro with 12GB of RAM is just $330 ($270 off) today only

That's a stunning dollar-to-RAM ratio

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If you're looking for a phone off the beaten path to play around with, there aren't many options quite like the ZTE Axon 10 Pro. This Snapdragon 855 phone is still on sale in the U.S. unlocked market at B&H, and, for just today only, it's on sale for as low as $300.

ZTE's had a rough go of things in the US, but last year we saw the company step back up to the plate and try to tempt shoppers with the affordable Axon 10 Pro. First launching with Android 9 Pie, Axon 10 Pro owners in Europe started seeing the arrival of Android 10 OTA updates earlier this month, and this week we learn of the availability of a sideload update package for users in the US.

Over the past few years, we've seen the emergence of a new category of phone: the budget flagship. Pioneered by brands like OnePlus, these affordable devices have a lot of the desirable qualities of phones that cost considerably more. At just $550, ZTE's Axon 10 Pro packs a spec wallop, and it seems like a great option on paper — but questionable software decisions and lousy image processing spoil what could've otherwise been an easy recommendation.

One of the complicated factors when it comes to writing about a Chinese smartphone company putting out product into the United States these days is that trans-Pacific trade isn't exactly in great shape. But ZTE — which had a couple of good phones come to the states in the past — went through its deleterious sanctions-skirting saga with the U.S. Department of Commerce, has come out billions of dollars poorer for it, but is ready and willing to try again in America. The company skipped out on the country for last year's uninspired Axon 9 Pro, though it did notch a budget phone with a Verizon subsidiary earlier this year. Now, ZTE's back again with the somewhat more exciting Axon 10 Pro as sales are starting today.