Two-Screened Axon M Smartphone by ZTE Coming to AT&T Next

When Apple announced the first iPhone Plus in 2014, the trend was clear: out with the small phones, in with the ones that can broadcast the game in 1080p.

And now we’ve got the best example of that trend yet: the Axon M from Chinese manufacturer ZTE, the smartphone with a screen so big they had to chop it in two.

Featuring a pair of identical 5.2-inch HD screens topped in Gorilla Glass and connected by a hinge, the bifold design allows the phone to fold flat and offer a tablet-like display in 1080p. Capable of multitasking to the nth degree, the Axon M’s dual screen technology means users can play Candy Crush while watching Netflix, or use Skype while scrolling through email.

Also thanks to the dual displays, two people can simultaneously watch the same content on their own screen after the phone is folded in half and set on a table. When folded, the Axon M works like a regular handheld smartphone: calls, texts, other archaic stuff, etc.

“The Axon M is the beginning of a significant movement of smartphone capabilities, and ZTE is leading the way,” said ZTE mobile devices CEO Lixin Cheng. “The mobile technology ecosystem and consumer habits have evolved over the past several years, but the smartphone experience has only slightly varied throughout that time until today.”

Initially launching in the U.S. as an AT&T Next exclusive, the Axon M will be available for $24.17 per month on a 30-month contract.

For an in-depth look at the phone and everything it can do, check out The Verge’s video review: