cReview 134: 01.10.2021 at 08:00 am
This device comes with an under-the-display front facing camera. And this is not the even the first version of it. The Development of the ZTE Axon 30 5G is apparent.
Let’s find out more about this device, The Axon series from ZTE bring us great technologies. These technologies include an in-display fingerprint sensor and under-the-display front facing camera.
This ZTE Axon 30 5G device brings us high performance and new technologies such as the under-the-display front facing camera. The front facing camera is nearly invisible. The photography experiment is modest and requires more attention from ZTE, but they’re on the right bath.
The device is mostly built from glass except for the plastic frame. The back is curved with an Axon logo, ZTE lettering and 5G logo at the bottom. The back has a vertical rectangular with two circles inside it. One of the circles is for the main camera, the other circle is for the rest of the cameras. The front is mostly screen, since the front facing camera is actually under the display.
I’ll thoroughly discuss the camera in this review, I’ll discuss this deice along with the Axon 20. The thickness of the device is 7.8mm, which is great. It weighs 189g. The device could be a bit heavy to use one handed. The device comes with a Vapor Chamber cooling system. It also uses the Graphene material, which helps dissipate heat. The cooling system works well considering the capabilities of this device.
The CPU inside is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 with 8 cores and 7nm architecture build. The CPU supports 5G networks. The GPU is the Adreno 650. In Geekbench 5, the CPU scored 980 points for the single core and 3148 points for multicores. Here’s where the CPU performance is ranked among other competitors. Most of you would enjoy using a screen that doesn’t have punch holes or teardrop designs, especially with gaming.
PUBG game started with the high settings automatically with the highest frame rates. The performance was fluid and smooth. In general, the experiment was very satisfactory. The device comes with a 4200mAh battery. It supports fast charging with 65W using Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology. The battery charges from 0% to 76% in 30 minutes.
The screen is AMOLED with 6.92″ size. It comes with FHD+ resolution and 400ppi density. The screen provides saturated colors and deep blacks. The experiment was satisfactory to be honest. The screen supports 120Hz refresh rate. The touch sample is 360Hz. The refresh rate provides high smoothness. While the touch sample is how responsive the screen is. The ZTE Axon 30 5G comes with 4 rear cameras. The main camera is 64MP, and it is housed in its own circle. The camera comes with the Sony IMX680 sensor. This sensor will help in low light photography.
In general, this sensor will help you take great photos. The second is the Ultra Wide 8MP camera. The third is the 5MP Macro camera. The fourth is the 2MP depth sensor.
Let me now discuss the front facing camera, The front facing camera on this device is under the display. It is 16MP. According to ZTE, there’s 7 layers in front of the camera. These layers work together to hide the camera and provide a better photography experience.
Usually, there’s a problem with the under-the-screen cameras. We’ve seen this with other companies that have the same technology. With other devices, when playing content, sometimes, the camera will be appear.
🤡 What else to do with these layers in front of the camera?
If not implemented well, these layers in front of the camera will cause a bad photos. This is the main challenge with this technology, and that’s why ZTE have used these 7 layers. ZTE have also used the Independent UDC Chip. This chip helps increase the ppi density above the camera to 400ppi. ZTE have also used a technology called Smart Pixel Enhancement. This technology ensures a more accurate, synchronized and consistent display and helps hide the camera.
Let’s now discuss the photography experiment. The camera provides a satisfactory experiment, especially with light withdrawal. The colors vary from warm to cold, but in general it does its job. But I hope that ZTE invests more in photo processing.
The Ultra Wide camera provides a 120 degree field of view. The photos taken with this camera are acceptable. In some cases, the details were a bit blurry, and there seemed to be a problem with photo processing. But this could be solved with a software update. The Macro lens provides acceptable photos, too.
Sometimes, the quality isn’t too high. You should stabilize the device to get the best results. It’s better to use a tripod or fixate the device on something before taking Macro photos.
In portrait photos, the isolation is very good. It won’t disappoint you. But the more light there is with portrait photos, the higher quality the results will be. The device supports recording 4K@60fps videos. The outcome is good and the shakiness is limited. But sometimes, the autofocus doesn’t work. This could also be solved with a software update. The front facing camera takes normal Selfies and portrait photos. The results are a bit foggy. I expect under-the-display front facing camera need a bit more time to mature like the regular front facing camera.
But reaching this point where the camera is actually under the display is a great step. If you watch lots of content on your device, then you’ll enjoy this screen. You won’t notice this camera while watching content. But when you try to use the camera, it’ll be there waiting to work. The device comes with a 8GB RAM and 129GB storage. The device supports dual SIM cards or one SIM card and another SD card. The device runs Android 11 with MyOS 11 from ZTE on top of it. The UI packs all the things we’re used to from Android. It’s also simple and easy to use. It supports lots fo shortcuts.
The OS supports Google’s Play Store and all Google services. You’ll receive regular updates and you can install all the app you need without any problem.
🤡 But why there three different devices ?
There is the ZTE Axon 20 5G. This device was issued last year, and it was the first device to come with an under-the-display front facing camera. I wanted to see the difference between both cameras. The camera has been significantly enhanced.
There’s also the ZTE Axon 30 5G the Chinese version. I want to compare both versions of this device: the Chinese version and the International version. ZTE are popular in China and have lots of services there. They also have an international store, and I’ll discuss it later.
The device supports bluetooth 5,.1 and dual band WiFi. It also supports NFC to help you with payment methods. You can also use the STC Pay e-wallet. The device comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. After experimenting with it, the sensor provides high performance responsiveness. It also supports unlocking using the front facing camera but it doesn’t use dedicated sensors. It’s not safe to use.
The international version comes with a clear cover, charger, USB-C cable, headphones and a 3.5mm adapter. The price of this device is shocking compared to the technology it packs; it costs $499. Approximately 1887 SAR. Her’s a list of other currencies. This price is for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. There’s another version that comes with 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, and it costs $599,
Let me now give you an idea about the Axon 20 device. The device comes with the same screen size: 6.92″. It also comes with the mid-range SD 765G CPU. This device, like all the devices in this video, support 5G. The device supports fast charging with 30W. Let me know if you want me to compare this device with another mid-range device.
Let me go back to this great device, that is the Axon 30 5G. It comes with an under-the-display front facing camera, which gives it a futuristic touch. The Axon 20 was the first device in the market with this technology. But with this device, this technology is better with a great price, too. The other device in the market with this technology is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G.
This device provides an excellent performance in daily use and gaming considering its price. The screen is high quality with high refresh rate support.
Is it worth it to buy from outside, then?🤨
You can buy it, and it’d be a risk to buy device form outside our market. But ZTE will provide you with a warranty and will communicate with you. They have an International online store.
There are things that I wished were better with this device. The rear cameras would be better with software updates. The same thing applies to the front facing camera. But I don’t deny the huge improvement from the previous generation. I wished the battery was bigger, but it charges more than 70% in 30 minutes.
I am excited for the ZTE Axon 30 5G to be officially available in Morocco.
Have you used a ZTE Axon device before?
Let me know in the comments. Let me know if you’d like me to compare the ZTE Axon 20 with another mid-range device. Or should I compare this this Axon 30 5G with another premium device?
This is the end of this review; See you later.
Written by:
CEO of OTTO Magazine