Why it matters: Under-display cameras (UDCs) allow the display to stretch from edge to edge without any notches or hole-punch cutouts. While the current tech does a good job concealing the camera when the screen is on, image quality is still far worse than a standard camera.
After launching in China last month, ZTE has announced the global availability of its Axon 40 Ultra flagship.
The phone comes equipped with Qualcomm's mighty Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, although it's unfortunate ZTE didn't upgrade it to the slightly faster and more power-efficient Plus variant.
You can choose between the base model with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage or a model with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS. In China, you can get the phone with up to 1 TB of storage and 16 GB of RAM, but that will remain region exclusive for now. It also houses a decently-large 5,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging support.
On the back, there are three 64-megapixel sensors, including the main camera, an ultrawide, and a 3.5x telephoto. The main and the telephoto lenses come with OIS to reduce blurriness caused by shaky hands. All three cameras can record video in 8K at 30 FPS, and they can all be active simultaneously, allowing you to switch between focal lengths quicker.
The screen is the real showpiece of the Axon 40 Ultra. It features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,116 x 2,480 and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It's completely uninterrupted by notches or hole-punch cutouts as ZTE is using their third-gen UDC. Reviews claim the selfie cam is hard to spot, doing a far better job concealing itself when the screen is on than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3's UDC. On the other hand, image quality still has a long way to go.
The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra launches on June 21, although you can already pre-order it on the company's webstore. Pricing starts at $800 for the base model.
https://www.techspot.com/news/94888-zte-axon-40-ultra-goes-global-improved-under.html
