ZTE Axon 30 5G review: This is how to do an under-display camera
(Pocket-lint) - Annoying notch digging into your phone's big screen view and getting on your nerves? Well, the ZTE Axon 30 5G bids farewell to the notch by placing its selfie camera behind the screen.
No, it's not the first time we've seen an under-display camera - and it certainly won't be the last - but this ZTE certainly houses the best implementation of this technology yet, making it less noticeable than when it was first used on the Axon 20 and goes beyond what even Samsung can offer with its Z Fold 3.
While the under-display camera is certainly ZTE's headline feature, can the Axon 30 5G - which is positioned as a mid-range in terms of price - deliver all the other key features to make it a worthy move for your pocket?
Design & presentation
- 6.92-inch AMOLED display, 2460 x 1080 resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate
- Dimensions: 170 x 78 x 7.8mm / Weight: 189g
- Fingerprint scanner under the display
- Finishes: Black, Aqua
We used this ZTE for an unusually long time for a review, having moved into the device before then taking annual leave and really getting used to living with this device as if it were our own. That was especially helpful in highlighting its positives and pitfalls.
There's no getting away from it, this ZTE is quite a large device, for starters, with its 6.92-inch screen being very dominant and slightly wider in aspect ratio than many current flagships on the market. However, if you want something that's only screen-focused, this device certainly fills that need.
The under-display camera helps make this screen sing too, as the second-gen technology is vastly improved over the first-gen. Previously, you saw an almost "on/off" pixel grid in front of the camera lens; However, the Axon 30 5G does a much better job of hiding the lens behind a rectangular "screen" area where the image is slightly muted but not as dramatically different. Sometimes you can see the camera lens, depending on the outside light conditions and reflection, but when an image is displayed in front of it on the screen it's handled very well - easily the best we've seen on a device yet.
What's a little confusing, however, is that ZTE has packed such desirable high-end technology into an otherwise pretty mediocre device. From a design standpoint, for example, the Axon 30 just isn't that exciting - its rear is quite plasticky and ultimately feels that way, while the cameras (which we'll get to in more detail later) simply lack the kind of punch you'll find in more impressive flagships will.
At least this time the phone maker has shrunk the entire frame around the screen, making that screen the shining star of this device. It's a pretty decent panel too, an AMOLED panel with adequate resolution, ample brightness (with software improvements, meaning less harsh auto-adjustment this time) and a convincing color palette. It's also flat so as not to distort the graphics, which also makes it ideal for gaming.
And with other features like an under-screen fingerprint scanner and expandable storage (or dual SIM), there are certainly pluses from this big device when you break down the overall feature list.
Performance & Battery
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor, 8GB RAM
- 4200mAh battery capacity, 65W fast charge
- Android 11 software with ZTE MyOS 11
- 128 GB memory, microSD expansion
- 5G connectivity
While the build might not be the boldest aspect of this phone, from an internal hardware perspective, there's enough to generally get a thumbs up. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor at its heart isn't top of the range right now, but it's more than powerful enough to handle everyday tasks, including gaming, with little effort. Housed in this plastic case, there are no problems with overheating either.
We prevailed South Park: Phone Destroyer Sessions like our go-to that works nice and smoothly. However, when you enable the ZTE's screen recording feature while gaming, there's a noticeable drop in frame rate - something you won't see on some more powerful devices, including some older-gen phones, so the power available is limited and like it is managed.
Despite generally good performance, it's not entirely smooth sailing. The Axon 30 5G just lacks polish in terms of controls and software, where that would really help increase the appeal of this phone. The MyOS 11 software, for example, seems to cause a few irritations with Google's Android 11 base - the partially missing notifications being the most prominent example.
With apps like Outlook, we rarely got notifications of new emails, while our Ring Doorbell app didn't show alerts in a timely manner - they often took minutes to appear, if at all. There are various per-app settings that can be tinkered with within the settings, but we've found that this isn't always a success when it comes to getting everything set up and running as we'd expect.
Other quirks, such as the sporadically not working app drawer via swipe-up, continue to show that the software in combination with the hardware is a bit off.
The battery life is also a bit undercooled overall. That's not to say the 4200mAh cell here won't get you through a day, it's just that its percentage drops faster than we'd expect from a device like this. We hit bedtime after 16 hours with the device on and off - and typically stay at around 20 percent. Charging is quick, though, thanks to 65W fast charging - but there's no wireless charging here.
cameras
- Quad rear cameras:
- Main (25 mm): 64 megapixels, aperture f/1.8, pixel size 0.8 µm, phase detection autofocus (PDAF)
- Wide (16mm): 8 MP, f/2.2 / Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4 / Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4
- Single front camera (under Display Design):
- 16 megapixels, aperture f/2.5, under the display
On the front of the cameras, we've already explored the most important aspect of this phone: the under-display selfie cam. Being semi-invisible is impressive in a way you won't see on any other phone on the market right now.
The rear cameras are of course more visible overall, although without a particularly premium setup it doesn't have the undue edge you'll find in so many rivals. Why ZTE went with what it calls a four-camera setup seems to be more for the sake of number appeal, as the performance and variety aren't as impressive.
The presence of the macro and depth sensors doesn't help, for example: the macro, which you'll never know is there or how to activate it; while the depth sensor often automatically applies processing to images, making various patches completely soft, when that's not at all your wish or intention. If those two lenses were removed, it would probably just be an advantage for the Axon 30.
The two to watch out for are the core sensors: the main 64-megapixel sensor; and the wide-angle lens with 8 megapixels. The latter isn't particularly sharp, increases contrast in images too much, and edge distortion is a minor issue. While the former can get good shots from time to time, it largely lacks the ability to resolve detail particularly well - partly due to the optics, partly due to the processing - resulting in mediocre results overall.
What makes the ZTE Axon 30 5G's camera setup overall confusing: After all, its under-display selfie camera is the best of its kind (in terms of implementation, not lens), so this is clearly a device that uses technology wants to show off, but doesn't back that with the presence of more powerful optics and sensors in the camera department - although it really should be, giving this under-display camera more credit.
The ZTE Axon 30 5G is a mix of benefits and pitfalls. On the plus side, the under-display camera is the best of its kind yet, even surpassing Samsung's effort on the Z Fold 3 by a mile. It lets the ZTE's big screen shine. So if you want a display-forward design then the Axon 30 has that in buckets.
On the side of the pitfalls, however, is the lack of cohesion in some ways of thinking about the Axon 30. The cameras, for example, are average - which, while acceptable at this price point, is commensurate with a device that comes in such a refined form for an optic under the display, feels completely at odds. Meanwhile, the software has some hiccups when it comes to notifications, which unintentionally breaks the flow from time to time. And the design just isn't that exciting.
In all our time with the ZTE Axon 30 5G, we hardly noticed the under-display camera. What's ideal, job done - that it can deliver this technology so convincingly is excellent proof for ZTE's R&D department. It's just that the rest of the phone, while largely acceptable given the price, doesn't quite live up to this impressive level overall.
Also consider
OnePlus North 2
OnePlus is now deep in the game, delivering software that's just a lot more adept - and that really helps sell this mid-range handset. Sure, you'll have to live with a hole in the corner interfering with the screen, but you might find that tolerable.
Writing by Mike Lowe.
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