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I didn't want it to happen. I wanted ZTE to have a standout feature. But the pixel XL 2 is rumored to have front facing stereo speakers. Sound comparisons will be interesting for sure!
https://www.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl-stereo-speaker-music-recognition-portrait-mode/
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Let's just hope the next Axon doesn't drop dual front facing stereo speakers. ZTE will look even worse if they lose it and the Pixel adds it. I'd love for it to become standard on all phones though. I will say when I had my 6P working and compared it to the Axon 7 the Axon 7 blew it out of the water. I believe most of it was due to the Dolby Atmos equalizer setting. But no matter what it was I could hear it was significantly better.
You bring up good points Jim. Yes there are phones the same age, but I want the Axon line to use it as a centerpiece. The Idol 4S was great sounding, I'll even say as good as the A7, but the 5S was so underwhelming it was disappointing to see. Yes Moto X Pure and Nexus 6P had them, but I want a few years in a row. Moto Mods don't count
It needs to be a trademark. I've heard the U11 in person, and while it sounds great, it's only as good as the A7 at certain angles. Bass can be experienced non directionally but any high ranges need to be facing the user. I don't mention the iPhones. Apple has notoriously bad sound.
No device had as much hype for sound as the A7, and I just want ZTE to keep that moving forward. Is it a deal breaker for me? Of course not. It's more of a nicety.
Maybe you guys have bad ears or aren't listening to the right material. The Axon 7 is miles ahead of the 6P. I put them head to head with several audio files and movies and could tell a huge difference. The Axon 7 has the best speakers of any phone I've ever used and that's a lot of phones. However, it's not as noticeable if you don't have Dolby Atmos turned on.
In retrospect.. now that we are here... I think Google might pull and/or take some drastic steps to correct the XL... will be interesting to see what the upcoming software updates bring. I fear too little too late for a $900 device. People are returning and cancelling orders in droves because of the screen issue. LG and Google are both going to take a hit on this.
The U11 as beautiful and fast as it is, is an eggshell waiting to crack, not to mention the bend test fail. I carry my 6p in my back pocket every day... and sit on it in the car and house all the time... The number of reports from folks who sat on their U11 in a rigid case only to have the screen crack is a sad state of affairs.. and I love HTC devices.
Now they are going to do it again with the U11 life and U11 plus, being announced Nov 2nd. I'd consider one, but cannot buy something I will inevitably put in my back pocket... and sit on. That habit would be too hard to break.. I've carried all my phones in a back pocket like a wallet... no issues... but I fear the U11 is not strong enough due to its weakened squeeze frame.
The mate 10 is also a contender (coming soon) as well as the Essentials that just dropped to $499. And of course the 5T for the single speaker crowd. Seems ZTE is all caught up in this foldable AT&T exclusive. Gimmick, but I don't care about a foldable device either way. Also worth mentioning is the Moto X4.. but only the 4/64GB version that has no release date. Great budget device and Android One.. stock android and regular security patches. Very happy to see this.
The Mini's update to Sept. Security patch was a nice perk for Mom... but ZTE's inconsistent track record had me questioning their viability as a major player after a short period of time. Good things are happening. Maybe we'll get surprised.. but nothing with Mi-Favor is of any interest to me. Gave it a chance. Nope. Stock android and regular patches for the win.