Dual, for instance, makes for efficient multitasking since you can drag and drop info between the screens, bring up a reference Wikipedia article while typing an email, or compose a tweet while watching a YouTube video. Dual mode brings up a launcher for you to pick the app that you want to run on the second screen.Īll three modes are useful in their own way. Mirror and Extend are relatively straightforward, since you just have to tap the corresponding symbols and the display is either duplicated or stretched, respectively. The Axon M switched quickly among these modes during my demo. For example, Mirror mode is represented by a rectangle split into two with the letter "A" on either side, while Dual shows "A" on one side and "B" on the other. The names can be confusing to understand at first, but the icons help by graphically depicting what each mode does. This brings up four icons: Extend (full screen), Dual (two apps side by side), Mirror (same contents on both screens) and the regular single-screen format.
To make use of these viewing positions, the Axon M features three modes that you toggle through by tapping the M button ZTE added to the Android 7.1 Nougat navigation bar. For the most part, you'll likely be using the Axon M like a regular phone, with both screens pointing outward and just the primary display turned on. Because the Axon M can only be opened up as wide as 180 degrees for full-screen viewing, you can't get the displays to face each other. The hinge is rigid enough to hold the screens in place even when they are slightly ajar, and this lets you prop the phone up in what's called "tent mode" in most convertible laptops. Together, the two 5.2-inch displays make one 6.75-inch screen and are separated by a 180-degree hinge. The secondary screen is thinner than the main display, but it feels sturdy and didn't flex during my testing. A hinge in the middle lets you flip one display all the way back so both panels are on the outside. Think of the Axon M as a tiny laptop with a screen where the keyboard and trackpad would usually be, except the screens face outward.