ZTE introduces ‘foldable’ smartphone with two 5.2″ screens
ZTE has announced the Axon M, an Android smartphone that has two 5.2″ screens. The phone can be opened via a hinge and apps can then use the combined screen space.
Both 5.2″ screens have a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. When opened, this results in a 6.75″ format. There are several ways to use the two screens. In mirror mode, the same image is shown on the two screens; this should make it possible, for example, to watch a movie with two people, by setting up the device as a ‘tent’.
In addition, there is an extended mode that allows apps to use the two screens as one screen. For example, a YouTube video can be viewed on one screen while the reactions are visible on the second screen. Finally, there is an ab mode, with which a different app is run on each screen. That works just like the split screen function in Android.
When closed, the ZTE Axon M is 12.1mm thick and weighs 230 grams. The device uses the Snapdragon 821-soc, which is also in the OnePlus 3 T and in the first generation of Pixel smartphones from Google. There is 4GB of memory available. The device has no front or back, because when it is closed, there is a screen on both sides. The phone therefore only has one 20-megapixel camera. Depending on how the device is used, that camera can be used as a front camera or a regular camera on the ‘back’.
The Axon M has been announced by ZTE USA, the American arm of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. The device will initially only be sold in the United States with the provider AT&T. The device will also be released in Japan with a provider. It has not been announced whether the device will later be released in other parts of the world.
ZTE itself shows renders of the device, but the manufacturer has already given American media such as The Verge and Engadget the opportunity to try out the device in practice. The Axon M should be on sale in the US before the end of the year. A retail price has not been disclosed, but the manufacturer states that the price is comparable to other high-end smartphones.