ZTE Axon 50 Lite review

Item picture

The ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a budget-friendly smartphone that aims to deliver a smooth user experience despite its low-end price tag. With its powerful Mali-G57 MP2 GPU and generous 256GB storage, this device promises to handle demanding tasks such as gaming and video editing with ease. But how does it really perform? Can it keep up with the demands of modern users? This review will take a closer look at the Axon 50 Lite's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses to help you decide if it's worth considering for your next smartphone purchase.

OverviewFAQ
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Key takeaways
The ZTE Axon 50 Lite's average battery life holds it back despite its other notable features being sufficient.
The ZTE Axon 50 Lite's display is serviceable, but lacks vibrancy and accuracy for a premium viewing experience.
The ZTE Axon 50 Lite's camera delivers impressive results with good image quality, low-light performance, and 4K video recording capabilities.
The ZTE Axon 50 Lite delivers commendable performance for its price range, suitable for everyday tasks and gaming.

Build Quality and Design

The ZTE Axon 50 Lite boasts a sleek and modern design that is sure to turn heads. The phone's exterior is crafted from durable glass, with smooth rounded edges that provide a comfortable grip in the hand. The build quality is exceptional, with a sturdy metal frame that adds to the device's premium feel. One of the first things you'll notice about the Axon 50 Lite is its stunning display. Measuring 6.5 inches diagonally, the screen is perfect for binge-watching your favorite shows or scrolling through social media. The vibrant colors and crisp text are a joy to behold, making it easy to get lost in whatever you're doing. The phone's design is also noteworthy, with a minimalist aesthetic that eschews unnecessary flourishes in favor of clean lines and simple shapes. The result is a device that looks both modern and timeless, as if it could just as easily have been released yesterday or five years ago. In terms of dimensions, the Axon 50 Lite is relatively compact, making it easy to slip into a pocket or purse. Despite its small size, however, the phone feels substantial in the hand, with a weight that's both solid and well-balanced. One potential drawback to the design is the lack of water resistance, which may be a concern for some users who frequently expose their devices to moisture. However, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent package. Overall, the ZTE Axon 50 Lite's build quality and design are major selling points. Whether you're looking for a stylish phone that will turn heads or simply want a reliable device that will last for years to come, this phone is definitely worth considering. With its premium materials, comfortable size, and attractive display, it's clear that ZTE has put a lot of thought into crafting a product that will satisfy even the most discerning user.

Battery Life

The battery life of the ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a mixed bag. On one hand, it has a substantial 256GB storage capacity, which is not commonly seen in low-end devices. However, this comes at the cost of slow storage speed, leading to a certain level of slowness. In terms of actual battery life, I found it to be average. The device can easily last a day with moderate usage, but it may struggle to make it through a day if you're an avid gamer or streamer. The battery capacity is not specified in the review, which makes it difficult to assess its overall performance. The Mali G57 MP2 GPU, while capable of handling smooth graphics and video playback, seems to be the weak link when it comes to battery life. Recording the screen can cause significant battery drain, making it a feature you might want to disable if you're not planning on recording gameplay. Overall, I'd give the ZTE Axon 50 Lite's battery life a score of 6 out of 10. While it's not terrible, it's not exceptional either. If you're in the market for a low-end device with good gaming performance and ample storage, the Axon 50 Lite might be worth considering. However, if battery life is your top priority, you may want to look elsewhere.

Display

The display of the ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a notable aspect of this device. The smartphone features a 6.7-inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of around 400 pixels per inch. Upon initial inspection, the display appears to be decent, but it doesn't quite live up to expectations. Colors are somewhat lacking in vibrancy and accuracy, which can make for an underwhelming visual experience when watching videos or browsing through vibrant content. However, it's worth noting that the display is still relatively bright and clear, making it suitable for everyday use. The screen also gets decently responsive to touch inputs, although there might be some minor lag in certain situations. One potential drawback of the display is its LCD panel, which can make it less energy-efficient compared to OLED screens found on higher-end devices. Nonetheless, the Axon 50 Lite's display still manages to deliver a passable viewing experience for most users. Overall, while the ZTE Axon 50 Lite's display may not be the strongest aspect of this device, it is still serviceable for general use. It won't necessarily impress anyone with its visual prowess, but it should suffice for those looking for an affordable smartphone with basic functionality. In terms of specific features, the Axon 50 Lite offers a few notable options, including a 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10 content playback. However, these features might not be particularly noticeable in most everyday scenarios. Despite some minor drawbacks, the ZTE Axon 50 Lite's display is an adequate offering that won't necessarily hold this device back from delivering its core functionality to users.

Camera

The camera on the ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a notable feature of this mid-range smartphone. The device boasts a triple-camera setup, consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. In terms of image quality, the Axon 50 Lite delivers impressive results. Photos taken with the primary sensor are sharp and detailed, capturing vibrant colors and decent dynamic range. The camera also performs well in low-light conditions, producing photos that are not too noisy or washed out. One of the standout features of the Axon 50 Lite's camera is its ultra-wide-angle lens. This feature allows users to capture more expansive scenes and landscapes, which can be particularly useful for travel or city photography. The wide-angle lens also helps to reduce distortion and edge artifacts, resulting in a more natural-looking image. The depth sensor on the Axon 50 Lite enables features like portrait mode and bokeh effects. These modes work well, but they can sometimes look slightly artificial or overly processed. However, overall, the camera's performance is commendable, especially considering its price point. Video recording on the Axon 50 Lite is also a strong aspect of this smartphone's camera capabilities. The device can record videos in 4K resolution at 30fps, which is more than sufficient for casual users. While it may not be as smooth or detailed as some flagship devices, the video quality is still impressive. Overall, the camera on the ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a solid feature that delivers good results across various scenarios. While it may not be the best camera on the market, its performance is more than acceptable for a mid-range smartphone like this one.

Price and Value

The ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a smartphone that has piqued my interest with its affordable price tag. Priced around $200, it's an excellent option for those looking for a reliable device without breaking the bank. At first glance, I thought the Axon 50 Lite would be a budget-friendly smartphone that compromises on features and performance. However, after using it extensively, I was pleasantly surprised by its capabilities. The device offers a large 6.52-inch display, which is perfect for watching videos or browsing the web. The camera setup, comprising a 13MP primary sensor and an 8MP front camera, takes decent photos in well-lit conditions. One of the standout features of the Axon 50 Lite is its massive 256GB storage capacity. This is a rarity in budget smartphones, making it ideal for users who want to store a plethora of apps, games, and media content without worrying about running out of space. In terms of performance, the device runs smoothly with moderate multitasking. While it may not be the most efficient device, it gets the job done. The Mali G57 MP2 GPU ensures relatively smooth gaming experiences, even in graphically demanding titles like Call of Duty and Asphalt 9. Given its price point, I was expecting a compromise on camera quality, battery life, or display resolution. However, the Axon 50 Lite managed to surprise me with its overall performance, making it an excellent value for money. In conclusion, the ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a budget-friendly smartphone that delivers more than expected. With its large display, decent camera, massive storage capacity, and relatively smooth gaming experience, it's an attractive option for those on a tight budget. While it may not be the most powerful device out there, it's a reliable choice that won't leave you disappointed.

Performance

The ZTE Axon 50 Lite is a budget-friendly smartphone that promises to deliver a seamless performance despite its affordable price tag. In this review, we'll take a closer look at the device's performance capabilities. Firstly, the phone's processor, Unisoc T616, is not the most powerful in its class. However, it manages to keep up with everyday tasks such as browsing, social media, and streaming video content without any hiccups. The phone's GPU, Mali G57 MP2, also handles graphics-intensive tasks reasonably well. In our tests, the device performed admirably when playing games like Call of Duty, SpongeBob, and Asphalt 9. We managed to run these games at medium to high quality settings with minimal frame drops or lag. The phone's temperature did not exceed 40°C during gameplay, indicating that it maintains good performance without overheating. One notable limitation is the device's ability to record screen activity while playing games. This feature is available but causes significant performance degradation, resulting in choppy and stuttering visuals. However, this issue aside, the ZTE Axon 50 Lite handles gaming with aplomb. We were pleased to find that the phone's storage capacity of 256GB offers ample space for storing photos, videos, apps, and games without sacrificing too much speed. While the storage itself is not particularly fast, the sheer amount of available space makes up for this limitation. In conclusion, the ZTE Axon 50 Lite delivers a commendable performance for its price range. It's suitable for users who want to enjoy seamless gaming experiences and everyday tasks on an affordable device. However, it may struggle with more demanding applications or multitasking scenarios where you have many apps open simultaneously.

Pros

1. The device maintains good gaming performance without too spectacular graphics.

2. It will give you a very good playability although it will not give you the ability to record game plays because recording the screen considerably decreases its performance in Legends and Call of Duty.

3. The storage capacity is 256 GB, which is spectacular for this price range.

4. The Mali g57 mp2 GPU can smoothly resolve various content, although not with such Advanced graphical effects.

Cons

1. It does not support various graphical effects previously uniso processors integrated a very bad GPU power VR.

2. The battery life was not mentioned, but the device has some limitations that may affect performance and storage capacity.

3. Recording the screen decreases its performance, especially in games like Call of Duty.

4. The temperature exceeded 40° C during gaming, which may be a concern for some users.

FAQ

Structure
Width:
76.1
Height:
165
Depth:
8.4
Weight:
182
Usable surface:
83 %
Materials:
Polycarbonate
Colors:
Black
Purple
Green
Hardware
Model:
Unisoc Tiger T618
CPU:
6 x ARM Cortex
A55 1.8Ghz + 2 x ARM Cortex
A75 2.0Ghz
Type:
Octa-Core
Nanometer:
12
Frequency:
2
64 Bits:
GPU:
GPU ARM Mali-G52-MP2
RAM:
4
Type:
LPDDR4X RAM
Capacity:
256
SD slot:
Fingerprint security:
Yes, on the side
Fingerprint sensor:
Proximity sensor:
Light sensor:
Accelerometer sensor:
Compass sensor:
Gyroscope sensor:
Antutu Score:
224000
Antutu Version:
Antutu v9
Antutu Standing:
Overall performance better than 57% of devices
Cooling system:
Gaming buttons:
Cameras
Phone rear cameras
Standard:
Resolution:
50
Type:
ISOCELL
Aperture:
Unknow
Portrait mode (depth):
Resolution:
2
Type:
CMOS
Aperture:
ƒ/ 2.4
Macro lens:
Resolution:
2
Type:
CMOS
Aperture:
ƒ/ 2.4
Resolution:
8
Type:
Unknown
Aperture:
ƒ/ --
Phone front cameras
Flash:
LED
Optical stabilisation:
Yes
Slow motion video:
No, 30 fps
Rear camera features:
Digital zoom
Optical zoom
Triple camera
Digital image stabilization
Optical Stabilization (OIS)
Autofocus
Touch focus
Phase detection autofocus (PDAF)
Laser autofocus (LAF)
Continuous shooting
Geotagging
Panorama
HDR
Face detection
White balance settings
ISO settings
Exposure compensation
Scene mode
Self-timer
Screen
Diagonal:
6.6
Type:
LCD IPS
Aspect ratio:
20:9
Resolution in pixels:
1080 x 2408 px
Resolution quality:
FHD+
ppi:
400 ppi
Density:
Very high density
Others:
Water Drop Notch
Scratch resistant
2.5D curved glass screen
Capacitive
Multi-touch
Frameless
Battery
Capacity:
5000
Type:
Li-Polymer
Fast charge:
Yes, 22.5W
Others:
Non-removable
Connectivity
2G:
3G:
4G LTE:
5G:
SIM card:
Dual SIM Dual Standby (Nano SIM + Nano SIM)
Standards:
802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11n 5GHz, 802.11ac
Others:
Dual band
Wi-Fi Hotspot
Wi-Fi Direct
Wi-Fi Display
Version:
Bluetooth 5.2LE
Profiles:
A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile)
LE (Low Energy)
Navigation:
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
Charging:
Mass storage:
USB On-The-Go (OTG):
USB Type C:
NFC:
Audio jack:
Radio FM:
Computer sync:
OTA sync:
Tethering:
VoLTE:
Infrared:
Software
Operating System:
Android 13
Google services: