A new ZTE-branded smartphone got certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and this could actually be the company’s upcoming flagship. The model number of this phone is Z2321U, and it is listed as an “LTE/CDMA Multi-Mode Digital Mobile Phone”. Now, interestingly enough, the certification listing notes that this smartphone has Android 8.1 Oreo pre-installed, which is quite odd and interesting at the same time. This upcoming handset could actually become one of the first, if not the first non-Google phone to ship with Android 8.1 Oreo.
Now, none of what we just said indicates that this is the company’s upcoming flagship, nor that it will be called the ZTE Axon 8, but it sure is a possibility. The ZTE Axon 7 was announced way back in May 2016, and as the company did not launch its successor last year, it is quite possible that it is aiming to launch the ZTE Axon 8 a bit earlier than usual. Does this mean that the phone may arrive at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona? Well, it sure is a possibility, MWC is a great venue to showcase new technology, especially smartphones, so ZTE may actually make an exception and introduce the Axon 8 there. On the other hand, it is possible that the company is planning to host a separate event just to launch the Axon 8, keep in mind that we’re only guessing here, as ZTE really did not confirm anything just yet.
The ZTE Axon 7 was quite a powerful smartphone back when it launched, the device is equipped with the Snapdragon 820 64-bit quad-core processor, while it packs in 4GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage. That handset actually sports a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED panel, and it is made out of aluminum. ZTE’s Axon series of devices always had a rather recognizable design, and the upcoming ZTE Axon 8 could resemble other Axon-branded phones, though the phone still did not leak out, so we do not know what exactly to expect in the design department. All in all, the device that got certified by the WI-Fi Alliance is expected to arrive soon, no matter if that is the Axon 8 or not.