Overview of the ZTE Axon 11 SE smartphone with key features

On June 01, 2020 the ZTE company launched a novelty — the ZTE Axon 11 SE smartphone. The mid-budget device resembles the fellow ZTE Axon 11, presented in March this year, with the exception of a number of characteristics. What is good news? How much does the device cost and what are its features? Consider the main characteristics, identify the pros and cons of the device.

Key features of the Axon 11 SE

Appearance and dimensions

The new model is made in the form of a classic monoblock, looking harmonious and stylish. The frames are very thin, made of aluminum, they are almost invisible from the front. The dimensions of the device are as follows: height 162.7 mm, width 76.3 mm, body thickness 8.8 mm. The smartphone is heavy in the hand, its weight is 184 grams. The front camera is located in the upper left corner of the screen in the shape of the letter "O". The main camera is built into the back cover, in the upper left corner. The block is made in the form of a square, it has 4 lenses.Under the unit, a separate LED flash is built in. Further in the central part of the cover is a fingerprint scanner. In the lower left part of the case in the supine position, the branded logo of the ZTE Axon line looks spectacular, with the addition of 5G in a circle. On the left side there is a classic version of the location of the volume control and power / lock buttons of the device. On the right is a slot for installing SIM cards and a memory card. The smartphone will appear on the shelves in two color options: Aurora Glamor Aurora Glamor and Aurora Glacier Aurora Glacier. Both colors are interesting, with iridescent tints. In a transparent case, the model will look impressive and stylish.
The declared cost of the model is about 250 euros.

Display

The screen diagonal size is 6.53 inches, the total area used is 104.7 sq.cm. The usable area in budget devices is increased by reducing the frames. The smartphone of the budget segment looks stylish and expensive. The use of a dense case will help protect the case from mechanical damage, protect it from water and dust, and give the device solidity and high cost. The screen-to-body ratio is approximately 84.3%, the height/width ratio of the screen is universal for modern smartphones and is equal to 19.5:9. Resolution capacitive touch screen 1080 x 2340 pixels, pixel density per 1 inch 395 units. An LTPS IPS LCD matrix is ​​installed inside, reflecting 16 million colors. The matrix has a low cost with high quality and reliability, it is used to create low-cost smartphones. IPS differs from the more expensive Oled, Amoled matrices in the response time of the sensor after touching, for IPS it is a little longer, but this is not noticeable to the average person when using the device.

Among other data of the matrix, it should be noted:

• large range of brightness;
• lack of granularity;
• smoothness and evenness of images;
• natural shades in color reproduction;
• white color looks even, does not have inclusions.

Minus IPS-matrix - in direct sunlight, the picture is illuminated and almost invisible. Plus, the matrix is ​​​​excellent brightness: in the dark, even at the minimum settings, you can view photos, movies and videos, read books, flip through Internet pages with maximum eye comfort.

Interface and operating system

The device has an operating platform Android 10, with a proprietary shell MiFavor version 10.1. The firmware comes with functional improvements, for example, applications are enabled on fast startup. System icons have acquired new latest interesting versions. You can also set the dynamic wallpaper option. A dark theme has been developed to save battery power. When working in the dark, the eyes will not get tired due to the black color. Menu navigation can be done using gestures - the firmware is adapted for this function. The visual notification system is triggered if the user is watching a clip or video in full screen mode. Keyboard and messenger windows have a compact look and are displayed on top of the application. The user will immediately respond to the message without looking up from watching the movie. The system of hints and recognition will analyze the touch with two fingers and offer the function of searching or editing text according to the "seen" content. The new version has a voice control and navigation system.

Processor and Memory

The Octa-core processor consists of eight cores with 4 Cortex-A76 + 4 Cortex-A55 architecture. All cores run at the same clock speed of 2.0 GHz.The MediaTek MT6873 chipset with a dimension of 800 is designed for 5G networks, operates on a 7 nm process technology. The graphics accelerator GPU Mali-G57MP4 is responsible for the speed of turning pages of menus and applications, for the smoothness of images. The manufacturer claims one modification of the smartphone. The internal memory of the device will be 128 GB, RAM 6 GB. There is a slot for installing memory cards such as microSDXC, to expand the amount of memory. Files are saved on media according to the UFS 2.1 standard with a good speed of the device.

Technology

The device is designed for the main communication standards: four 2G GSM bands are designed to work with one SIM card or two Nano SIM cards, with dual standby, for European countries. The CDMA format on the waves 800/1900 and TD-SCDMA is considered the Chinese standard for 3rd generation networks and is designed for eastern buyers. 3G HSPA bands operate on 4 waves, 4G format has 14 bands for LTE data transmission. Antennas for 5G bands are also installed (there are 6 of them). Data is transmitted at HSPA 42.2 * 5.76 Mbps.

Wireless and wired communications

The smartphone has wireless communications: dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, with Wi-Fi Direct and a password-protected access point. You can connect at close distances using Bluetooth 5.0. On the road, a GPS navigator with A-GPS will help. For fans of news, audiobooks and music on the road, the model will not work - there are no radio antennas. Among the wired connectors are USB version 2.0, reversible connector type C 1.0, USB with On-The-Go support. A 3.5 mm jack is used to connect wired headphones.

Cameras and their capabilities

The main camera is located in a square block on the back cover. There are 4 lenses in the block:

• the first - at 48 MP, with an aperture of 1.8, a wide lens, with PDAF autofocus;
• the second is 8 MP, f / 2.2, super wide-angle;
• the third lens takes macro shots, its resolution is 2 MP, aperture 2.4;
• the fourth lens has a depth sensor, an aperture of 2.4, a resolution of 2 MP.

Camera features - LED flash, panorama mode, high-quality HDR shooting. Video output format 4K at 30 fps, 1080 pix at 30 fps.

The selfie camera on the screen is single, with a resolution of 16 MP, a wide lens and high-quality HDR shooting. It is possible to make video with this camera, the resulting size will be 1080 pixels / 30 fps.

Sound

Your smartphone has a speaker and microphone. There is no information about the sound.

Additional functions

There is a fingerprint sensor on the back cover. There is an accelerometer to determine the angle of the smartphone relative to the horizon, there is a proximity sensor. Conclusion: the most necessary functions are present. The phone does not have a chip for fast payment for purchases without a bank card and there is no radio.

battery

A non-removable Li-Ion battery with a large capacity of 4000 mAh sets the thickness of the gadget. The manufacturer added an old-style IPS LCD matrix to the battery, and the smartphone turned out to be heavy. In addition to the main charge, there is a quick charge function. According to advertising, using it, the device will be charged by 50% in just half an hour.

Comparison of ZTE Axon 11 and Axon 11 SE

The models have similar characteristics in terms of screen size, pixel density, and battery capacity. The previous model has a modern AMOLED screen with a built-in fingerprint scanner underneath. In the SE model, the IPS LCD matrix does not allow the installation of a scanner, the sensor is located on the back of the case.The 11th model has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor with Kryo cores and 1+1+6 architecture. The SE in question has an Octa-core processor with a MediaTek chipset and Cortex 4 + 4 cores. The processors are identical, the cores are built on the basis of Arm elements, but Qualcomm uses modified latest developments, and MediaTek does not adapt Cortex for extra performance. In terms of memory, three modifications of the Axon 11 should be noted, with an internal / operational size of 6/128 GB, 8/128 GB and 8/256 GB, respectively; one modification of Axon 11 SE 6/128 GB with additional capacity expansion by installing a microSDXC memory card. In addition, the 11 SE is equipped with a 3.5 mm mini-jack socket for a wired headset. The number of cameras in both models is the same. New for June, a weaker 48MP lens is installed compared to the 64MP lens in the previous version. Because Axon 11 SE is cheaper and available to ordinary users.

Advantages and disadvantages

• ergonomic dimensions;
• beautiful appearance;
• designed for the maximum number of communication standards;
• supports fifth generation networks;
• matrix with excellent brightness and high resolution;
• multifunctionality;
• productive processor;
• there is a mini-Jack 3.5 connector for a headset;
• there is fast charging;
• high resolution cameras;
• high level battery.

• no radio;
• outdated matrix;
• large thickness;
• few additional features;
• no radio.

Conclusion

Axon 11 SE is designed for the budget buyer. At the same time, the smartphone has high-quality cameras, a fingerprint scanner, and a productive battery. On it you can use multimedia features, make notes and business notes.The device is not designed for games. The novelty will be released at the end of June 2020 and will hit the shelves in July. When buying, you will be able to verify the studied characteristics, evaluate the quality of communication and the operation of applications.