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LineageOS is the most popular custom ROM around, with official support for dozens of devices and a huge community. The project relies on the work of contributing developers, which means phones can just easily be dropped as they are added. Since we last covered LineageOS, a few new devices are now supported, while a handful of fan favorites have been dropped.
After a beta program with bizarrely strict requirements for entry earlier this year, an update to Android 8.0 Oreo is now available for the ZTE Axon 7 — with more than one catch. The update isn't being pushed over the air, but rather has to be installed from an SD card, and it'll wipe your device.
The last time we covered LineageOS, the most popular custom ROM in the Android community, Oreo builds for the Nextbit Robin and Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 became available. In the month since that post, even more phones have been added to the Oreo roster, including a long-time community favorite - the ZTE Axon 7.
Over the past couple of months, more and more phones have begun receiving Android 8.0 Oreo. Despite being about six months old now, Oreo is still rolling out to several devices, slowly contributing to its 1% marketshare. Just recently, Samsung started (and then stopped) the official rollout of Oreo to the Galaxy S8 and S8+, and now ZTE is joining the club by announcing its Axon 7 A2017U Oreo Preview Program.
The last time we covered LineageOS, the project had started supporting seven new phones, including the Xperia Z5 Compact and LG K10. Since then, several additional devices have been added to the official build roster. These include the Sony Xperia Z5, Samsung Galaxy S6, and Redmi 3S/3X.
The ZTE Axon 7 fills a space in the current smartphone market that's changed quite a bit in the last couple of years. Let's call it the Nexus space. You've got a phone with mostly flagship internals, minus for a few trade-offs, for a much more wallet-friendly price. A phone like this from ZTE might not have made waves when you had Nexuses competing with OnePluses and so on, but right now it looks like a pretty good deal.
The ZTE Axon 7 has had fairly speedy updates - it received Android 7.0 in February, and 7.1.1 in March. The Axon 7 Mini, on the other hand, has been stuck on 6.0.1 Marshmallow this whole time. ZTE started previewing the Mini's Nougat update in March, and it's finally being rolled out to the masses.
The ZTE Axon 7 was updated to Android 7.1.1 last month, becoming one of the few non-Google devices to officially receive it. A new software update, referred to as 'B25' by ZTE, is now rolling out to the Axon 7 A2017U with a few minor new features and bug fixes.
I don't usually get super excited about deal posts, but this is a good one for one of my favorite phones. eBay has a sale going on the ZTE Axon 7 today for $330, which is a great price. The seller is even Newegg. Last time this deal was $350.
ZTE isn't having its best days lately after pleading guilty to violating US sanctions against Iran and the failure of its Kickstarter campaign for the Hawkeye, but that hasn't stopped the company from still forging on with its quick and laudable support for the Axon 7.
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- The OnePlus 3T is also seeing LineageOS 14.1. The build for the 3T has been merged with the OnePlus 3, so both phones now use the same .zip file, which is good - have a look on the wiki entry for both devices for more information. The download link is above.
LineageOS is still a relative newcomer to the Android world, but since it's descended from the legendary CyanogenMod, builds for various devices are coming thick and fast.
The ZTE Axon 7 was announced in May of last year with plenty of hyperboles over its BMW Designworks-inspired look, renowned pianist Lang Lang endorsement, and Dolby Atmos surround sound. In reality, the phone was very good, bar its software as Ryan discovered in his review. But ZTE has been issuing updates to improve some of the shortcomings, like the signal reception and the weird notification bell. Today, another update will start rolling to the Axon 7, though this one is a lot more major.
The ZTE Axon 7 Mini, as the name might imply, is a slightly-smaller version of ZTE's Axon 7 with downgraded specifications. The phone has a Snapdragon 617 CPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage with microSD expansion (if the second SIM tray isn't being used), and a 2,705mAh non-removable battery. Now you can grab it for just $199.99, $100 off the normal MSRP.
For those of us who love to mess around with our Android devices' software, custom recovery is essential. TWRP is, without a doubt, the most popular custom recovery out there, likely due to its easy-to-use interface and availability on a wide variety of devices. Now, it's available for several more devices, including the OnePlus 3T, ZTE Axon 7, a few BQ smartphones, and more.
Budget flagships are abound these days, and the latest addition to ZTE's line of premium phones, the Axon 7, is one of the better ones on the market. The hardware is top-notch, and although the software isn't quite up to par with the OnePlus 3T's or the Nexus 6P's (as Ryan writes about in his review), it's certainly not the worst on the market. Now, you can pick one of these powerhouses up for just $349.98 and have some extras thrown in if you buy from the right retailers.Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, Newegg, and ZTEUSA.com all have the Axon 7 in both Quartz Gray and Ion Gold available at the discounted price of $349.98, but some will give you more incentive to buy than others. Amazon may have free 2-day shipping if you're a Prime member, and Best Buy may give you the opportunity to pick the phone up in-store, but those two don't include the free $60 JBL Synchros E40BT Bluetooth headphones that B&H is offering, the ~$200 Monster ROC Sport Freedom Bluetooth headphones that Newegg is giving away, or the free case and USB Type-C charging cable that ZTE is throwing in. It's also worth noting that only devices purchased from ZTEUSA.com qualify for ZTE's comprehensive Passport 2.0 warranty, which includes discounts for future phones, a $79.99 deductible for screen replacements, and more.Personally, if I were on the hunt for an Axon 7, I'd go with Newegg. The Monster Bluetooth headphones that it's offering are better than the JBLs that B&H is including, and its warehouses around the country (including one in my state) make for fast shipping. However, if you're on the clumsier side, you may want to go with ZTEUSA.com for the warranty and free case. All the retailers have compelling offerings; it's up to you to decide which suits you the best.If you're not interested in getting an Axon 7 and just like reading these articles for fun, perhaps our Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals roundup will have something more to your liking.Source: Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, Newegg, ZTE
When the Axon 7 launched in China in late May, a more powerful version with a pressure-sensitive display debuted alongside it. That version was only available in China - until now. ZTE has just announced the improved Axon 7 that China has had all along for the US market, and it costs $100 more than the standard model.
One of the more annoying things about buying a non-Nexus (erm, non-Pixel) device is that sometimes you have to put up with the OEM's weird and whacky software quirks. Sometimes these genuinely add to the experience, other times... they don't. An example of one that falls into the latter category is the tiny notification bell on the lockscreen of ZTE's otherwise perfectly good Axon 7.
ZTE's Axon 7 has some of the best hardware I've ever seen, but its software is a major letdown. Ryan's review and many more indicate that I'm not alone in thinking this. With this latest update for the Axon 7, ZTE doesn't change much visually, but there are quite a few upgrades under the hood.
We already knew a bunch of stuff about ZTE's Axon 7 mini thanks to this leak from over a month ago and this leak from a few days ago, but now it's official. The creatively-named Axon 7 mini has, unfortunately, had a specs decrease from the Axon 7, but it still seems like a solid mid-ranger.