The newly released Axon 20 smartphone from ZTE comes with 5G, but the mind-blowing feature is the world's first selfie camera hidden under the screen. Invisible to the user, the camera can snap photos and record videos right through the display. Many smartphone brands have been toying with ways to improve front-facing cameras without altering the aesthetics of the front of the phone, but none have arrived to market looking as free from holes and notches as this one.
ZTE is a large corporation with the majority of its efforts going toward Network Operators Equipment, the infrastructure that allows mobile phones to operate wirelessly. ZTE also manufactures mobile phones and hotspots. In March 2017, ZTE pleaded guilty to illegally exporting U.S. technology to Iran and North Korea, violating trade sanctions, and leading to a fine of $1.19 billion by the U.S. Department of Commerce. ZTE was banned from the US for over a year, but the restriction was lifted and ZTE products are now available in the US for consumers. In July 2020, the U.S. government banned companies that use ZTE technology from receiving federal contracts and investigations are ongoing.
ZTE's new Axon 20 5G uses high transparency material in the screen. It is claimed that this allows sufficient light input to the front camera to allow quality photos and video. Although until photos are made available, the quality remains an unknown. New organic and inorganic films are employed to achieve this breakthrough. As if that wasn't enough, the screen measures a huge 6.9-inches, uses OLED for bright, rich colors, and has a 90Hz refresh rate. The transparent approach means the ambient light and fingerprint sensors are also under the display. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, like so many other recently announced phones, the newest Axon will provide an interesting mid-range option for anyone that finds bezels, notches and hole punch cameras distasteful. It includes up to 8-gigabytes of RAM and 256-gigabytes of storage.
Axon 20 5G & Its Four Interesting Cameras
The main rear camera has a 64-megapixel resolution and supports 4K high-resolution video at 60fps. Another unique feature that isn't highlighted by Axon, is a 2-megapixel macro camera, allowing photos to be taken very close to the lens. In the world of smartphone photography, a macro lens is often the most overlooked type. An 8-megapixel wide-angle and a depth camera round out the four rear cameras. Special features include super night scenes and real-time HDR video. AI enhanced video editing apps are also included, making this of particular interest to vloggers.
The ZTE Axon 20 5G comes in four colors including blue, black, purple and orange. It has a curved glass back that is textured for easier holding. The phone is currently available for pre-order in China at the equivalent of about $400. When, and if, it will reach the US is unclear, given the governmental attention on Chinese tech companies, such as ZTE and Huawei, and the potential for another ban.
Source: ZTE