ZTE details Nougat w/ Daydream for Axon 7, opens pre-orders for crowdsourced ‘Hawkeye’

At CES 2017, ZTE provided updates on when Android 7.0 Nougat would arrive for the well regarded Axon 7 and more details about their bid to crowdsource a smartphone. The company also launched the affordable dual-camera Blade V8 Pro in the US market.

For $399, the Axon 7 provides good specs, design, and build, in addition to direct manufacturer support for third-party ROMs. ZTE notes that Nougat will arrive in a “few weeks” with Daydream compatibility and new personalization options for users.

Already available in Asia, Europe, and Mexico, ZTE is bringing the low-priced Blade V8 Pro to the US. Specs include a Snapdragon 625, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage that power a 5.5-inch Full HD display with Gorilla Glass 3. The 3,140mAh battery is rather large, but only supports Quick Charge 2.0.

The home button doubles as a fingerprint sensor, with a dual 13MP rear cameras providing a bokeh effect.Other specs include dual-SIM card slots and expandable storage via microSD. The Blade V8 Pro will be available for $229.98, with pre-orders starting today through a number of online retailers.

Since last year, ZTE has been setting out to create a crowdsourced smartphone. Soliciting feedback online, the company allowed people to vote for what features they wanted in such a device. After settling on eye-tracking and a self-adhesive rear, users choose the name “Hawkeye.”

The device is now available for pre-order through Kickstarter at a discounted price of $199.00. Bearing in mind the price, the phone’s design is quite uneventful with a patterned back and Pixel-like front face.