With the release of the ZTE Axon 20 5G, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has become the first company to release a phone with an under-display camera. This type of camera design has been discussed for years, but it has taken longer for it to become a reality. Here's a quick explanation on what an under-display camera is and how ZTE's latest offering works.

When purchasing a smartphone, many buyers are often interested in choosing a device that not only suits their practical needs, but also one that's aesthetically pleasing. The front-facing camera can be a stumbling block here, with the hole-punch or notch camera designs that most phones use feeling obtrusive. Not only does it obstruct a small portion of the otherwise rectangular display, but many feel its inclusion is just ugly. The under-display smartphone camera is an attempt to deal with that concern. While Oppo, was the first company to unveil the concept in 2019, it has yet to release a phone using the technology.

Related: ZTE's New Axon 20 5G Phone Has A Selfie Camera, But You Can't See It

Now ZTE has beat Oppo and the other smartphone brands out of the gate. The ZTE Axon 5G's front-facing camera lens sits well, underneath the display, as does its speaker and fingerprint sensor, giving the phone a holeless 6.92-inch FHD+ (2,460 x 1,080) OLED display. In reality, while the camera sensor is underneath the display, the lens has to be able to shoot through the display. ZTE uses a high-transparency material that includes both organic and inorganic films to better allow light to pass through to the sensor. The result is a rectangular space on the screen that can leave a ghosting of the camera, depending on the display's background.

How Well Does It Work?

ZTE Axon 20 5G

The ZTE Axon 20 5G is understood to be using a built-in dual-control chip and integrated driver circuits to provide color synchronization between the selfie camera and the rest of the display. It also uses a special matrix to optimize pixels to attain great digital consistency. However, according to a reviewer at The Verge, that area of the screen has a much lower resolution and looks worse than a hole-punch or notch against light backgrounds. With darker backgrounds, it is not as noticeable.

ZTE's phone features a 32-megapixel front-facing camera. On the surface that might sound impressive, but based on early reviews it may not be. The Verge review showed examples of photos taken in both good and low-light situations and the pictures appeared to be slightly over-exposed in the first instance and plagued with image noise in the second. Reviewers from Android Authority and Pocket-Lint had similar reactions to the selfie camera's image quality, with the former suggesting that every image had "a glow reminiscent of Vaseline on the lens of a 60s movie." Although their selfies didn't look nearly as bad as the ones in The Verge review. Perhaps even ZTE realizes its tech isn't quite up to snuff as it uses no examples of its own. The photos on the Android phone's product site are taken with the Axon 20 5G's quad-lens rear-camera system, which includes a 64-megapixel lens. To be fair, front-facing cameras are always less impressive than rear ones and aren't usually hyped up as much.

Of course, it shouldn't be expected that the first product using a new technology will be gold. Samsung, for example, has now released three different phones with folding screens and while its technology has improved since the original Galaxy Fold, it's still a niche device that probably has some time to go before getting mainstream acceptance. Unlike Samsung's folding phones, the ZTE Axon 20 5G is modestly priced. After all, it's available for $449 on ZTE's global site. Although this may be a case of the company rushing to be the first one to offer a phone with an under-display camera, at such a low price, ZTE can use the Axon 20 5G to test out the technology and drum up interest in a next-gen model. Likely, pushing other smartphone companies to do the same.

More: How Snapdragon 888 Will Improve Android Phone Cameras & Photography

Source: ZTE