ZTE Axon 20 5G is the first phone to have an under-display camera

Update, December 3, 2020 (1:04 p.m. ET): Today ZTE announced when and where you can buy the ZTE Axon 20 5G (via) Droid life). This will be the first commercially available smartphone with a built-in selfie camera.

If you want to be an early adopter, you have to live in certain regions of the world. With immediate effect, the Axon 20 is only available in the following countries:

Unfortunately, the US is not on the list. We probably won’t see the device due to the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

If you live in one of the countries concerned, you will be able to buy the phone from December 21, 2020. You can join the limited waiting list here to be notified when it’s ready to buy. Prices are currently unavailable.

Original article: ZTE today announced the Axon 20 5G, its flagship smartphone for the year. The device is characterized above all by its selfie camera, which is the first to be positioned under the display without a notch or hole. ZTE calls it the first “real full display” on a smartphone, although other phones with motorized cameras have achieved the same effect.

How did ZTE accomplish this feat? Android Authority has the ball.

Five core

According to ZTE, five core technologies have been developed to make the Axon 20 5G’s under-display camera a reality. Together, these five improvements work to ensure that light penetrates the display and the camera below can take pictures.

The first is a special material that relies on organic and inorganic substances to create a film that allows more light to enter the camera. This works in tandem with a dual control chip and dedicated driver circuit, the second and third core technologies that help with color synchronization when light falls through the display. The aim is to avoid interference that the display itself could cause for the camera.

Fourth, ZTE optimized the consistency of the display pixels with a special matrix. Fifth and last, the camera itself has a special recording algorithm which, in coordination with the display, improves the image sharpness. To do this, the current lighting conditions are assessed and changes are made to improve the contrast.

These five technologies are built into the 6.92-inch screen of the ZTE Axon 20 5G. In addition to the camera, the screen contains a built-in fingerprint sensor and a speaker.

Connected: Best phones with fingerprint readers under the display

The OLED display itself offers Full HD + resolution in an aspect ratio of 20.5: 9 with 10-bit and 100% DCI-P3 color, which should make it ideal for playing high quality videos.

How well this all works is something Android Authority looks forward to the test as soon as the ZTE Axon 20 is available. If you think the press is rendering, the Axon 20’s sub-display camera will be invisible. That said, press renders can be misleading. In addition, prototypes of Xiaomi phones with cameras under the display showed a visible, albeit discrete, “window” on the screen.

A flagship with a different name

The Axon 20 5G itself bears a passing resemblance to its predecessors, but ZTE was sure to take some aspects of the design in a new direction. It’s a glass sandwich with an aluminum filling. The back 3D glass was made using 36 processes to put 10 layers together to give it its own texture. The phone is available in four colors: black, blue, orange and purple.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor with ZTE Booster 2.0 technology. The company claims this would help improve the app’s startup times by up to 40%. Nine different temperature sensors as well as a three-part heat dissipation system with liquid cooling, nano-carbon fiber and multilayer graphite ensure that the phone stays cool even while playing games and recording movies.

The 4,220 mAh battery supports 30 W fast charging and an energy-saving mode during 5G operation, which, according to ZTE, helps improve battery life by 35%. ZTE didn’t say if the phone supports wireless charging.

ZTE said that the Axon 20 5G will support the networks of all four major operators in China, including the available 5G networks. The phone has a specially designed antenna called “Super Antenna 2.0” designed to improve network performance and speed. ZTE built 12 antennas into the middle frame and placed them as far away from the SoC as possible for better sensitivity.

It ships with MiFavor 10.5, the Android 10 skin for ZTE’s user interface.

See also: Are there bad Android skins out there?

A powerful archer

ZTE may have put a lot of resources into developing the under-display camera, but the phone’s rear cameras haven’t been neglected.

The ZTE Axon 20 5G has a 64 megapixel main camera that supports 4K video recording at 60 frames per second, as well as live HDR in video mode. You also have an 8MP ultra-wide camera (120 degree field of view) and a pair of 2MP sensors for depth effects and macro shots.

ZTE paid special attention to the phone’s video performance. While it does not capture the 8K video that some competing flagships manage, it can be captured in full screen cinema mode at a 20.5: 9 aspect ratio with live bokeh and beauty effects. Editing functions include splicing, cropping, filtering, speed changes and even background music.

A crowded field

ZTE originally positioned the Axon 20 5G as the flagship, but doesn’t quite play it in the over-phone arena. Phones like Samsung, Xiaomi and others, for example, rely on the Snapdragon 865 processor, which outperforms the 765G of the Axon 20.

Either way, the ZTE Axon 20 5G has a starting price of 2,198 yuan (~ $ 322) for the 6GB / 128GB model, 2,498 yuan (~ $ 366) for the 8GB / 128GB variant, and 2,798 yuan (~ 410 USD) for the 8GB / 256GB option. This means it’s a better competitor against OnePlus Nord, LG Velvet, and the upcoming Google Pixel 5.

We don’t know how long the phone will be supported with software updates etc. For now, however, all we can say is that the camera and the price tag below the display grab our attention. Now ZTE has to hold it.