ZTE Axon 20 5G Launched As the World’s First Phone With an Under-Display Selfie Camera

Though Oppo and Xiaomi have shown off their under-display selfie camera prototypes in the past, ZTE had been teasing the first commercial under-display camera phone for long time now. And today, at a virtual launch event, ZTE officially launched the Axon 20 5G as the first under-display camera phone in China. It also features 5G support, a 64MP quad-rear camera, and fast-charging.

ZTE Axon 20 5G

Axon 20 5G is built around a 6.92-inch Full-HD+ OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch response rate. The panel boasts a 20.5:9 aspect ratio, 2460 x 1080 resolution, and 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut support. The highlight, however, will have to the fullscreen bezel-less display with no notches, punch-holes, or even a pop-up module to house the selfie camera.

Yeah, the shift away from bezels has slowly been leading up to this day, when the selfie camera does not hinder the immersive experience. You now have a fullscreen display to watch movies, play games, and more. The device can also be water resistant with the use of this technology, without any worries for moving parts.

ZTE Axon 20 5G sports a 32MP selfie camera that sits under the display. ZTE has managed to hide the camera under the screen quite well. How was it made possible? Well, ZTE is using a mix of technologies to achieve this feat today. The company is not only using a special pixel matrix and a special display material with increased transmittance (ability to pass light) but also a dual-control chip and a driver circuit to handle how the pixels over the camera module operate.

How does Axon 20 5G’s improve the picture quality of selfies? Well, it uses a triple proactive algorithm that employs dynamic range automatic adjustment, contrast enhancement, and intelligent defogging for improved clarity.

Under the hood, Axon 20 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 765G chipset. You will find up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of built-in storage aboard this device. It runs Mifavor 10.5 UI based on Android 10 out-of-the-box. The device, of course, supports dual-mode 5G (SA/ NSA), WiFi optimization features, and 12 antennas onboard.

As for the quad-camera on the rear, Axon 20 5G includes a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degree FOV, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The device supports 4K video recording @ 60FPS with a vlog mode, AI video subtitles, and real-time HDR support.

The smartphone comes equipped with a 4,220mAh battery with 30W fast-charging support via the USB Type-C port out-of-the-box.

ZTE Axon 20 5G Specifications

Network Properties

• 2G bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2
• CDMA 800
• 3G bands: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
• 4G bands: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
• 5G bands: 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA
• Speed: HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (CA), 5G

Launch

• Announced: 2020, September 01
• Status: Exp. release 2020, September 10

Design

• Dimensions: 172.1 x 77.9 x 8 mm (6.78 x 3.07 x 0.31 in)
• Weight: 198 g (6.98 oz)
• Build: Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame
• Colors: Black, Gold, Blue, Purple
• SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

Display

• Type: OLED capacitive touchscreen, 1B colors
• Size: 6.92 inches, 113.7 cm2 (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio)
• Resolution: 1080 x 2460 pixels (~388 ppi density)
• 90Hz refresh rate

Operating System

• Android 10, MiFavor 10.5

Hardware

• Chipset: Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver)
• GPU: Adreno 620
• RAM: 6GB, 8GB
• Internal Storage: 128GB, 256GB
• Memory Card slot: microSDXC

Cameras

• Main Camera: Quad
  • 64 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF
  • 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm (ultrawide)
  • 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro)
  • 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
• Features: Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
• Video: [email protected]/60fps, [email protected], gyro-EIS, HDR
• Selfie Camera: Single – 32 MP, f/2.0, (wide), under display
• Features: HDR
• Video: [email protected]

Multimedia

• Radio: No
• Loudspeaker: Yes
• Audio 3.5mm jack: Unspecified
• 24-bit/192kHz audio

Connectivity

• WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
• Bluetooth: 5.1, A2DP, LE
• GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
• NFC: Yes
• USB: 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go

Features

• Sensors: Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Battery

• Battery Type and Capacity: Li-Ion 4220 mAh, non-removable
• Charging: Fast charging 30W, 60% in 30 min (advertised)
• Quick Charge 4+

Models: A2121

ZTE Axon 20 5G Price and Availability

ZTE Axon 20 5G comes with attractive pricing China.

• 6GB + 128GB variant is priced at CNY 2,198 (around $ 322)
• 8GB + 128GB variant is priced at CNY 2,498 (around $ 366)
• 8GB + 256GB variant is priced at CNY 2,798 (around $ 410)

The smartphone will be available in four color variants — black, white, orange, and blue. It is now up for pre-order and will go on sale starting from September 10, in China. There is currently no word on whether ZTE plans to launch the Axon 20 5G globally or not.