ZTE Axon Mini is claimed to be the world’s first phone with force touchscreen


ZTE’s been on quite a roll lately. After announcing the Axon smartphone for the US, the Chinese maker brought home the phone but with a twist in the form of a fingerprint scanner.

It now appears as though there’s another variant of the Axon, aka the Axon Mini. What is special about this device is that it comes with a force touchscreen, i.e., a touchscreen that doesn’t just sense touch but also the pressure. Force touch is a technology that first appeared on the Apple MacBook.

ZTE Axon Mini

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According to Pocketnow, the Axon Mini features a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display among other internals. Not much else is known about the phone besides the force touch feature, which is clearly the Axon Mini’s claim to fame.

Other devices that ZTE showcased today for the Chinese market include the full-sized Axon smartphone, the Axon Watch smartwatch and the Spro 2 smart projector. You can read more about these devices here.

[Picture source]
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54 Comments

  1. realjjj
    July 21, 2015

    lol Apple Macbook first….
    HP has been using ForcePad from Synaptics since 2013 so long before Apple, Apple just ripped it off and added feedback.
    Here a 3 years old article on the tech http://www.tomshardware.com/news/synaptics-forcepad-trackpad-touch-pad,17054.html

    • Bug My Android A$$
      September 6, 2015

      Mention one laptop. it was the other company created it and tested it in an HP Laptop. Apple just bought them (knowing how it can impact the industry). So, Apple is the first to implement this feature in Commercial Product.

  2. AdM
    July 21, 2015

    Apple wasn’t the pioneer of this particular technology. What their market team managed to be was the first to coin the designation “Force Touch”.

    • realjjj
      July 21, 2015
    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      Apple and their fans like to claim they invented everything from the touchscreen to the smartphone and laptop itself. It’s quite funny to hear them each year, they have to wait for the talking points from Cupertino before they can engage you.

      For instance right before the Iphone 6 sizes were officially announced the usual Apple fans were all the forums saying how no one needs a phone over 4 inches it was the perfect size. Immediately following the announcement it was “Apple has reinvented the size of smartphones”!!!

      • Marius Cirsta
        July 22, 2015

        Haha, funny but oh so true.

      • Adam Irvine
        July 22, 2015

        Yep, and it makes me grit my teeth at the Apple tw@ts…

        • balcobomber25
          July 22, 2015

          It’s pointless arguing with them sometimes. They are ignorant to truths. The worst is the Apple fanboy media members every new Android Phones that comes out, especially from China is an Iphone clone to them, even phones that look nothing like the Iphone lol. But yet I never heard them say the Iphone 6 copied HTC….

          • dzawisko
            July 22, 2015

            If we talk about the touch technology Atmel is leading in that field – maXTouch.
            There are Linux (android) drivers for mXT chips.
            The pressure is one of the standard features in all touch drivers.

            .

            • balcobomber25
              July 23, 2015

              Never heard of them Ill have to google them and find out more!

      • Sansa
        July 22, 2015

        “Apple and their fans like to claim they invented everything”

        Remember when Apple created the graphical interface? Remember when Jobs was pissed at BillG for MS stealling their graphical interface?

        Apple is “inventing” stuff for decades now 🙂

        • balcobomber25
          July 22, 2015

          No one said they never invented anything. But once again Apple is getting credit for creating something they didn’t. Apple didn’t create graphical interface. The GUI as we know it today was created by Xerox in 1973, Apple didn’t begin to develop theirs until 5 yeas later. Steve Jobs actually got the idea from a visit to Xerox PARC. When Apple tried to sue MSoft and HP for using a similar GUI, Xerox tried to sue Apple claiming they were the original copyright holders for GUI. Steve Jobs also stole the mouse idea from Xerox. Another product he is often falsely credited with creating.

          Apple lost that case because many of their design elements were licensed from Xerox. This just further proves my point about the Apple invention “myth”. Apple is not an inventor they are an innovator. They take current products that have already been created and improve upon them. The tablet is a prime example. There were dozens of tablets before the iPad but they didn’t sell nearly as well as they do now until the iPad was released.

          • Sansa
            July 22, 2015

            Yeah, Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal. But that scene with Jobs and Billg was epic. It’s how the “industry” works.

            • balcobomber25
              July 22, 2015

              They didn’t call them “Pirates” for nothing…

      • Faress ElFarissi
        July 30, 2015

        Yes , some fans really makes me upset , but i’m really think apple the one who created this tech , and now that. Zte eat the apple

        • balcobomber25
          July 30, 2015

          Apple didn’t create this tech, it has been around for quite some time before them….

          • Bug My Android A$$
            September 6, 2015

            nope, MBP and Apple watch came first with Force touch and then came the others.

  3. joe mont
    July 21, 2015

    Isnt this also known as a wacom digitizer?

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      It’s a similar technology. The Wacom works in conjunction with a stylus pen to detect the difference in pressure signals. The Microsoft Surface Pro has a Wacom layer but you need the Surface Pro Pen to use it.

  4. realjjj
    July 21, 2015

    lol Apple Macbook first….
    HP has been using ForcePad from Synaptics since 2013 so long before Apple, Apple just ripped it off and added feedback.
    Here a 3 years old article on the tech http://www.tomshardware.com/news/synaptics-forcepad-trackpad-touch-pad,17054.html

    • Bug My Android A$$
      September 6, 2015

      Mention one laptop. it was the other company created it and tested it in an HP Laptop. Apple just bought them (knowing how it can impact the industry). So, Apple is the first to implement this feature in Commercial Product.

  5. AdM
    July 21, 2015

    Apple wasn’t the pioneer of this particular technology. What their market team managed to be was the first to coin the designation “Force Touch”.

    • realjjj
      July 21, 2015

      No even that

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      Apple and their fans like to claim they invented everything from the touchscreen to the smartphone and laptop itself. It’s quite funny to hear them each year, they have to wait for the talking points from Cupertino before they can engage you.

      For instance right before the Iphone 6 sizes were officially announced the usual Apple fans were all the forums saying how no one needs a phone over 4 inches it was the perfect size. Immediately following the announcement it was “Apple has reinvented the size of smartphones”!!!

    • Marius Cirsta
      July 22, 2015

      Haha, funny but oh so true.

    • Adam Irvine
      July 22, 2015

      Yep, and it makes me grit my teeth at the Apple tw@ts…

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      It’s pointless arguing with them sometimes. They are ignorant to truths. The worst is the Apple fanboy media members every new Android Phones that comes out, especially from China is an Iphone clone to them, even phones that look nothing like the Iphone lol. But yet I never heard them say the Iphone 6 copied HTC….

    • Sansa
      July 22, 2015

      “Apple and their fans like to claim they invented everything”

      Remember when Apple created the graphical interface? Remember when Jobs was pissed at BillG for MS stealling their graphical interface?

      Apple is “inventing” stuff for decades now 🙂

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      No one said they never invented anything. But once again Apple is getting credit for creating something they didn’t. Apple didn’t create graphical interface. The GUI as we know it today was created by Xerox in 1973, Apple didn’t begin to develop theirs until 5 yeas later. Steve Jobs actually got the idea from a visit to Xerox PARC. When Apple tried to sue MSoft and HP for using a similar GUI, Xerox tried to sue Apple claiming they were the original copyright holders for GUI. Steve Jobs also stole the mouse idea from Xerox. Another product he is often falsely credited with creating.

      Apple lost that case because many of their design elements were licensed from Xerox. This just further proves my point about the Apple invention “myth”. Apple is not an inventor they are an innovator. They take current products that have already been created and improve upon them. The tablet is a prime example. There were dozens of tablets before the iPad but they didn’t sell nearly as well as they do now until the iPad was released.

    • Sansa
      July 22, 2015

      Yeah, Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal. But that scene with Jobs and Billg was epic. It’s how the “industry” works.

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      They didn’t call them “Pirates” for nothing…

    • dzawisko
      July 22, 2015

      If we talk about the touch technology Atmel is leading in that field – maXTouch.
      There are Linux (android) drivers for mXT chips.
      The pressure is one of the standard features in all touch drivers.

      .

    • balcobomber25
      July 23, 2015

      Never heard of them Ill have to google them and find out more!

    • Faress ElFarissi
      July 30, 2015

      Yes , some fans really makes me upset , but i’m really think apple the one who created this tech , and now that. Zte eat the apple

    • balcobomber25
      July 30, 2015

      Apple didn’t create this tech, it has been around for quite some time before them….

    • Bug My Android A$$
      September 6, 2015

      nope, MBP and Apple watch came first with Force touch and then came the others.

  6. joe mont
    July 22, 2015

    Isnt this also known as a wacom digitizer?

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      It’s a similar technology. The Wacom works in conjunction with a stylus pen to detect the difference in pressure signals. The Microsoft Surface Pro has a Wacom layer but you need the Surface Pro Pen to use it.

  7. Muhammad Yasir
    July 22, 2015

    great phones , so far on paper , but at cutthroat prices 😀

    • Steven Fox
      July 22, 2015

      Well, quality material and newer tech is expensive, you can`t have everything for 199$ 🙂

      • Muhammad Yasir
        July 22, 2015

        lel…

      • balcobomber25
        July 22, 2015

        Asus and Jiayu disagree with you.

        • Steven Fox
          July 22, 2015

          The Zenfone 2 with 2GB of Ram is probably the best deal out there, as you get a close to flagship level of performance at a mid-range price.
          I have been a long admirer of Jiayu and currently own a Jiayu S1, but none of them have second rear camera, or force touch technology , not to mention a Super Amoled display which is quite costly, and there you have the 100-150$ difference in prices. It could sell for a bit less, but in my opinion it`s gonna be a great phone.

          • balcobomber25
            July 22, 2015

            If the Zenfone 2 wasn’t so ugly it would be my next phone but I just cant even look at the bulky mess of a design.

            • Steven Fox
              July 22, 2015

              I like it actually, goes to show that taste differs allot, What I don`t like is the Samsung Edge and Ipone 6 designs, too girly.

            • balcobomber25
              July 22, 2015

              I think the Edge is ugly too, I don’t mind the 6 though even if they did blatantly rip off HTC One.

  8. Guest
    July 22, 2015

    great phones , so far on paper , but at cutthroat prices 😀

    • Steven Fox
      July 22, 2015

      Well, quality material and newer tech is expensive, you can`t have everything for 199$ 🙂

    • Guest
      July 22, 2015

      lel…

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      Asus and Jiayu disagree with you.

    • Steven Fox
      July 22, 2015

      The Zenfone 2 with 2GB of Ram is probably the best deal out there, as you get a close to flagship level of performance at a mid-range price.
      I have been a long admirer of Jiayu and currently own a Jiayu S1, but none of them have second rear camera, or force touch technology , not to mention a Super Amoled display which is quite costly, and there you have the 100-150$ difference in prices. It could sell for a bit less, but in my opinion it`s gonna be a great phone.

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      If the Zenfone 2 wasn’t so ugly it would be my next phone but I just cant even look at the bulky mess of a design.

    • Steven Fox
      July 22, 2015

      I like it actually, goes to show that taste differs allot, What I don`t like is the Samsung Edge and Ipone 6 designs, too girly.

    • balcobomber25
      July 22, 2015

      I think the Edge is ugly too, I don’t mind the 6 though even if they did blatantly rip off HTC One.