ZTE takes on the OnePlus 3 with the $400 Axon 7, now available for pre-order in the US

ZTE ‘s Axon 7 is now available for pre-order in the US for $400. It’s competing directly with the OnePlus 3, which means it’s a pretty great deal.

If you’re not familiar, the phones comes with specs to match current flagships. Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage with a Micro SD slot, and a 3250 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. It has dolby-tuned stereo speakers with a ‘Hi-Fi’ audio chipset, and the rear camera comes at an impressive F1.8 aperture with a 20MP resolution, optical image stabilization and phase detection focus.

At $400, it’s really hard to scoff at, and the design – by BMW’s Designworks susidiary – looks pretty neat too. While the OnePlus 3 has more RAM (64 GB), ZTE’s QHD 5.5-inch AMOLED display means the phone is better prepped for VR.

We won’t know for sure until we get our hands on the device itself, but it’s a promisin device. ZTE has been trying to make headway in the US recently, and this is solid step.

You can pre-order the device now from ZTE in either gold or grey colors. Gold units begin shipping July 27, grey August 17.