ZTE Axon Mini: First Android Smartphone with Force-Touch Technology [ZTE Axon Vs iPhone 6S Price, Specs & Features]

The ZTE Axon Mini, the first Android smartphone to use Force-Touch technology in its touchscreen, can be yours now, if you live in China.

According to Business Wire, the now-available ZTE flagship has been unveiled first in July, along with some gadgets that the Chinese tech company offers to the general public.

Aside from the pressure-sensitive display that wiil be useful for various applications, the new high-end Axon Mini comes powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor and Adreno 640 GPU. It possesses 3GB of RAM and internal storage capacity of 32GB, which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card.

Camera-wise, the smartphone sports a 13 megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) feature, which gives it a mere 0.1 second focus time. There's also a front-mounted 8 megapixel camera with a 5P aspherical lens.

Regarding audio capacity, the phone is equipped by an AKM4961 audio chipset. Because of this, the Axon Mini's dual microphones provide users with high quality sound recording, and 32-bit high-fidelity audio playback.

It may be a mini, but it's not to be underestimated: although it is just 3.5mm thin, the phone's body is made of Boeing 787 aircraft-grade alloy, which gives it a good feel; while its 5.2-inch Super AMOLED Full HD (1080p resolution) 2.5D curved screen fitted in a 70mm-wide body gives it a good look.

The ZTE Axon Mini also has a voice search function, which can be activated within 1.2 seconds, and comes with real-time voice translation support for English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages. It also supports voice messaging and chat functions.

For those interested in the phone's security options, it offers fingerprint- and eye-scans, as well as voice control.

Currently the phone is only available in China through ZTE's online store, JD.com, and offline through some major retailers. Prices start at 2,299 CNY (approx. $364) for the Ion Gold and Chromium Silver models, while it's at 2,399 CNY ($379) for the Rose Gold variant. Both are more affordable than the new iPhone 6s, which is priced starting at $649.

For those who love the NBA, Mobipicker reports that the Axon Mini will also have a premium NBA model, which features some of the NBA teams' images and includes some NBA-specific apps. This model is product of a partnership between ZTE, the NBA, and Tencent. It is expected to cost around 2,699 CNY ($427).

The smartphone will be available in other countries in the next few months. It will also be released in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Japan, India, Australia, France, Germany, Turkey, Spain, and Italy.