[Mobile China Exclusive Interview] On May 27, Beijing time, Wang Yi, Vice President of ZTE and Deputy Director of ZTE Terminal Product Business Center, accepted an exclusive interview with the media, explaining the upcoming Axon 11 SE 5G new phone, as well as ZTE’s product planning and strategy in the 5G era. As a brand known for its communication technology, ZTE Mobile has demonstrated strong technical reserves and keen industry sense in the face of the 5G era.
The previously released ZTE Axon 11 is positioned as “5G video”, clarifying the positioning and functional direction of this product line. At a time when the 5G-related ecosystem is not yet fully established, ZTE has realized the unlimited potential of “video” in the 5G era. This 5G video model with a young positioning and excellent cost performance has received excellent market response. A few months later, Axon 11 SE 5G was born. “Axon 11 is a high-quality mobile phone with a price of more than 2,000 yuan, aimed at mid-to-high-end users; Axon 11 SE 5G is aimed at the lower price segment, more cost-effective, and hopes to allow more users to use 5G mobile phones.” When asked about the positioning of the new phone, Wang Yi said.
Wang Yi added that the imaging function of ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G is consistent with that of ZTE Axon 11 released in March, except for the hardware specifications of the camera module. As a subsequent version of Axon 11, ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G uses a more cost-effective configuration, but its video functions are completely consistent.
Of course, as a product aimed at young people and focusing on cost-effectiveness, it is necessary to balance hardware and user experience. ZTE Axon 11 SE inherits the functions that are widely praised by users, such as dual-channel anti-shake, video editing, HDR shooting, and AI smart video. Wang Yi said that more functions will be added to the video through version upgrades in the future, such as smart sound recognition, which can achieve intelligent sound recognition based on the distance of the characters when shooting videos, so that the picture and sound can be more matched when shooting videos; AI real-time subtitle translation can automatically translate the video language into text. The continuous improvement of functionality is the cornerstone of supporting “5G video” mobile phones.
As another new model in the Axon series, the Axon 11 SE 5G will inevitably be compared with models on the market that use the Dimensity 1000+ chip. Facing competitors, Wang Yi believes that ZTE’s core advantage lies in communication performance. In terms of 5G experience, ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G is leading the industry. “We support a very wide range of frequency bands for overseas roaming, and secondly, we support a variety of operator frequency band combinations.” Wang Yi said affirmatively, after all, ZTE has always been a manufacturer known for its communication strength.
In fact, in addition to communication, ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G still has many outstanding features. In terms of screen, Axon 11 SE 5G uses Japan’s JDI screen, which is excellent in color gamut, contrast, clarity and other aspects. In addition, the front of the fuselage uses a hole-punch full screen with a diameter of only 3.56mm. With a frame of only 1.84mm, the screen-to-body ratio reaches 91.5%. The polishing of the appearance and screen also shows us ZTE’s dedication to the “invisible details” of the product.
In addition, ZTE has also put a lot of effort into the exterior of the phone. The Axon 11 SE 5G uses a seven-layer nano-engraving process to create a more detailed and delicate texture with a very good color illusion effect. Inside the phone, the Axon 11 SE 5G uses a mid-frame antenna metal engraving process, which not only feels better, but also ensures a stable and smooth network.
Affected by the epidemic, the smartphone market has also been hit hard. When asked about ZTE’s mobile phone planning, Wang Yi said: “ZTE mobile phones are still launching new products in an orderly manner according to the established product planning rhythm.” In addition, Wang Yi also said that the epidemic itself has little impact on the release of new products. The most important difference is that the mode of the press conference has changed from offline to online. More importantly, Wang Yi also announced that ZTE will speed up the release of new 5G products in the second half of the year and launch a number of 5G mobile phones, covering the price range from 1,000 yuan to more than 3,000 yuan.
As the development of 5G network is not perfect yet, many users still feel that “5G perception is not obvious”. ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G is the first mobile phone that supports 5G networks of China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and China Broadcasting Corporation. What is the significance for the entire industry and users? In the face of this problem, Wang Yi said that the current 5G must first solve the network problem.
Although 5G has not yet achieved full coverage at this stage, Wang Yi believes that with the advancement of the domestic 5G network layout, including the launch of operator packages, consumer experience will definitely get better and better. In terms of basic network communication capabilities, ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G proposed the concept of “5G super antenna”, supporting the networks of the four major domestic operators, China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, and Radio and Television, and covering the entire frequency band. In addition, the addition of the “5G super antenna” further guarantees the strength of Axon 11 SE 5G in network connectivity.
In order to enhance users’ perception of “5G”, Wang Yi believes that there are two points that need to be paid attention to. In the early stage of 5G popularization, the most important application scenario is video. ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G mobile phone has improved video technology and video solutions, including video shooting and editing; the future development of 5G products will also involve applications similar to AR/VR, online high-definition games, etc. With the deployment of 5G networks and the launch of more 5G mobile phones, users’ perception of 5G mobile phone experience can be further improved.
Nowadays, 5G technology is developing rapidly and competition is fierce. How can ZTE stand out? Wang Yi firmly believes that 5G products should better meet consumer expectations rather than simply piling up hardware specifications. In the 5G era, with the exploration of various 5G scenario applications, it is most critical that products are more in line with consumer expectations. Neutral’s core competitiveness in communications is best evidenced by the “5G super antenna” used by Axon 11 SE 5G and its support for full network access and full frequency bands of the four major domestic operators.
