Chinese handset maker ZTE barely exists in the United States, but its phones look quite amazing on paper. Not to mention that they are typically much cheaper than similar device sold by the competition. The most recent device introduced by ZTE is the new Axon 40 Ultra, its best-equipped flagship to date judging by its specs sheet.
Although the Axon 40 Ultra packs some of the latest display and SoC (system-on-chip) technologies, ZTE is mainly advertising its new product as the ultimate camera phone. The primary cameras of the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra have been upgraded to a three-primary-camera (“trinity) consisting of a 64-megapixel humanity camera, a 64-megapixel ultra-wide-angle primary camera, and a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto primary camera.
The best triple camera phone on the market?
On paper, this is arguably the best triple-camera setup in the industry, but that remains to be determined after the phone actually gets in the customers’ hands. ZTE also confirmed a few other interesting details about the phone’s triple-camera system. For example, the 64-megapixel humanity primary camera and ultra-wide-angle primary camera are both equipped with two Sony IMX787 sensors, some of the best on the market.
Also, ZTE claims the Axon 40 Ultra is the only smartphone in the industry that supports 8K ultra-high-definition recording. It’s also the only phone with a triple primary-camera setup that features a snapshot function, which allows users to capture objects in motion through its own customized adaptive shutter algorithm.
Finally, the Axon 40 Ultra is supposed to be the only three-primary-camera phone in the industry that supports preset focusing with all of its primary cameras, allowing users to manually preset the focusing distance before capturing an image, further reducing the focusing time.
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A larger, better display
But the Axon 40 Ultra is not just about camera, as much as ZTE wants you to think so. The phone boasts a stunning 6.8-inch AMOLED display that support 2480 x 1116 pixels resolution (FHD+), with a peak brightness of 1500 nit. The screen also supports 120Hz intelligent high refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate.
On the inside, the flagship packs the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, UFS 3.1, and LPDDR5 RAM. There will be multiple versions of ZTE Axon 40 Ultra available to purchase, each packing different amounts of RAM: 8GB, 12GB and 16GB. Of course, each comes with a different amount of storage inside: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Last but not least, the Axon 40 Ultra is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery that support 65W fast charging over USB-C. Sadly, this bad boy is only available in China where it sells for prices starting at just $745. On the bright side, ZTE confirmed that a global version is coming in June, so it won’t be long now.
The Axon 40 Ultra is getting a cheaper brother
In the same piece of news, ZTE also introduced a slightly downgraded version of the Axon 40 Ultra, the Pro version. The Axon 40 Pro sports a slightly smaller 6.7-inch 10-bit AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. It’s brightness peaks at 1000 nit, but it does support 144Hz refresh rate.
Unlike the Axon 40 Ultra, the Pro model is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor, coupled with either 8 or 12GB of RAM and 256 or 512GB storage. Similar to the Ultra model, the Axon 40 Pro does not feature microSD slot for memory expansion, so what you see is what you get.
Another major difference between the two is the camera. The Axon 40 Pro has a 100-megapixel main camera, paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a macro camera, and a depth sensor. Also, the phone sports a 16-megapixel front-facing camera, but it’s not under display like the one on the Axon 40 Ultra.
The Axon 40 Pro has kept the same battery as its bigger brother, as well as support for 65W super-fast charging technology. Unfortunately, ZTE hasn’t yet announced when the Axon 40 Pro will hit shelves nor how much it will cost. However, it’s safe to assume that this will be first launched in China for a much lower price than the Axon 40 Ultra. That being said, we expect these prices to be slightly higher outside China, so if you’re expecting to get the Axon 40 Ultra for less than $800 / €800, you might be disappointed.
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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
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