Android 7 update makes ZTE Axon 7 smartphone compatible with Daydream

Smartphone manufacturer ZTE has started releasing an Android Nougat update for the Axon 7 in the US. The update makes the smartphone compatible with Google’s Daydream platform. It is not yet known when the update will be released in Europe.

In addition to Daydream support, the update also brings the ability to take raw photos and the December security patch to the Axon 7. The new software also runs more stable, according to the announcement on the American ZTE forum. The update is based on Android 7.0.

To use Daydream, owners of the Axon 7 must purchase a headset such as the Daydream View from Google. Other manufacturers may also release such headsets, but so far this has not been done. However, Huawei has announced during the CES that it will come with its own headset. Huawei’s Mate 9 Porsche Design and Mate 9 Pro smartphones will also receive Daydream support.

ZTE launched the Axon 7 midway through last year. At the time, it was already known that the device would receive support for Daydream, but Google’s VR platform had not yet been released. The phone came on the market before the official release of Android 7 and was sold with an installation of Android 6 until now. Since September last year, the Axon 7 is also for sale in the Benelux.

The device has a Snapdragon 820-soc, a 5.5″ OLED screen with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. In addition, the phone has an AK4490-dac from AKM, a 20-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization and an 8 megapixel front camera.

Huawei’s Daydream headset, which has yet to hit the market