ZTE launches 5.5-inch Google Daydream-ready Axon 7 for $450 alongside its first VR headset
Evan Blass / VentureBeat :
Context & Ripple Effects
A year after ZTE used the $450 unlocked Axon phablet to break into the US market, the sequel holds the same price point but adds what matters for 2016 phones: Google Dayreadm certification. That makes ZTE one of the first non-flagship vendors whose hardware qualifies for Daydream, and it is hedging by shipping its own headset alongside the phone.
The timing matters because Google itself was weeks away from entering the accessory market — reporting pointed to a first-party Daydream headset priced around $79, tied to new flagship phones. ZTE is positioning its bundle as the cheaper on-ramp before Google sets that reference point.
First-order effects
- US buyers can now get Daydream-capable VR at $450 rather than flagship pricing, with ZTE's bundled headset removing the need for a separate purchase at launch.
Second-order effects
- Rival Android makers face pressure to match Daydream certification at comparable prices — ASUS followed with the ZenFone AR pairing Daydream with Tango AR, sold through Verizon at a much higher $648 price per later coverage of the Verizon pre-order.
Third-order effects
- If midrange phones keep clearing Daydream's bar while Google sells its own low-cost headset, phone-bundled VR becomes the volume channel and third-party headset makers compete mainly on comfort and optics rather than exclusivity.
The trend: Daydream is turning VR-readiness from a flagship differentiator into a standard checkbox across Android price tiers, with OEMs like ZTE and ASUS racing Google's own hardware to define the entry point.