ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Available from $799/ €829/ £709 on 21st of June

I am a bit late posting news about the global launch of the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra, so I won’t go into too much detail as it has already been covered elsewhere.

It’s worth posting about because I think it has one of the most appealing specifications of a flagship phone this year, especially considering the price.

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra Key Specifications

• 6.8 inches 120Hz 116 x 2480 pixel AMOLED display with 1500 nits (peak)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
• Base spec: 128GB  / 8GB RAM
• Rear Camera:
  • 64 MP, f/1.6, 35mm (standard), 1/1.7″, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
  • 64 MP, f/3.5, 91mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2″, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom (vs. 26mm cam)
  • 64 MP, f/2.4, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/1.7″, PDAF
• Front Camera:
  • 16 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 1.22µm, under display
• Battery: 5000 mAh, non-removable
• Charging: 65W, no wireless

This is a flagship phone at a reasonably affordable price point, so the lack of wireless charging or faster-wired charging is forgivable.

This is a very large phone at 6.8 inches with a very bright display, it is not LPTO, though, but that’s normally something on premium-priced models.

The stand out features are the under-display front-facing camera, meaning that the massive 6.8-inch display is completely undisturbed.

Then you have three 64MP cameras on the rear. The primary and ultra-wide are the brand new Sony IMX787, the sensor size is smaller than the IMX766, so it will be interesting to see how it performs. Then the 3.5x optical zoom lens is a 1/2” 64MP sensor.

Alternative Phones

With that rear camera specification, I’d say it is the excellent Honor Magic4 Pro that is the likely alternative, but that costs £950.

You also have the OPPO Find X5 Pro or OnePlus 10 Pro, which I think are the only two other phones that have an ultra-wide camera that is a comparable specification to the primary camera, but these both have a lacklustre zoom lens. The OnePlus 10 Pro is £800, while the OPPO is over £1k.

Price and Availablity

The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra will be available from 21st of June with an RRP of 21st of June from $799/ €829/ £709.

However, if you buy a coupon for £2 you can get an additional £40 off, taking the price down to £671 in total.

Full Press Release

ZTE Corporation has officially announced today the global launch of Axon 40 Ultra, a masterpiece of a smartphone that boasts a significant upgrade in Under-Display Camera (UDC) technology and a pioneer in multi-camera computational photography. ZTE Axon 40 Ultra offers an excellent experience for users in relation to  display capability, imagery, and performance. It comes equipped with the all-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. Sales for ZTE Axon 40 Ultra will kick off on June 21, 2022, starting from $799/ €829/ £709. Additionally, there will be a pre-order discount, allowing customers to pay $1.99/ €1.99/ £1.99 for a coupon in order to save $50/ €50/ £40, from June 8, 2022 till June 21, 2022.

New Generation UDC Technology Offers Spectacular Images In Every Glance

With a persistent focus on developing Under-Display Camera technology, ZTE is continuously leading the evolution of the full-screen trend. As the third-generation commercial product with advanced UDC technology, Axon 40 Ultra inherits everything from its predecessor while bringing innovative breakthroughs in creating a fully integrated screen.

Axon 40 Ultra comes standard with 400 PPI density and a blue diamond pixel arrangement to provide more detailed imagery. It also offers an industry-first independent pixel drive technology as well as distributed transparent wiring adopted for the circuit which eliminates the aggregation of circuits on the edge of the screen of the UDC area. These elements work together to provide smoother images and a clearer screen display.

Integrating the MRC algorithm upgrade, intelligent pixel improvement, and intelligent display optimization technology into the UDC Pro screen display chip, creates a more

precise and synchronized display. With its newly enhanced full screen, ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is able to create more immersive experiences and offer spectacular imagery at every turn.

Moreover, the front camera image quality has also been vastly improved. ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is equipped with a 16-megapixel front UDC, which can reach up to a 2.24μm large pixel infusion effect, generating increased light sensitivity for the UDC area. The use of in-depth learning AI technology helps improve Selfie Algorithm 3.0 to minimize noise. Real-time calibration of images is also possible under varied light environments such as intelligently defogging or using anti-glare, to significantly improve image clarity and transparency. Furthermore, the Smart Makeup function further enhances the image quality of facial shots.

Screen configuration at the flagship level amplifies the excitement. ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is equipped with a 6.8-inch AMOLED large screen that supports 1116*2480 resolution FHD+, with a peak brightness up to 1500 nits, 100% coverage of DCI-P3 wide color gamut, 10bit color depth, and 1.07 billion color extreme display. The result is a powerful, immersive display that offers superb image quality and stunning color display.  The 6.8-inch AMOLED display supports 120Hz  high refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate. Combined with TUV Rheinland low-blue-light Eyesafe certification, the 1440Hz high-frequency Pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming function efficiently reduces screen flicker in dark scenes, which gives the highest level of eye protection.

Three-Primary-Camera Trinity System Offers Spectacular Shots at Every Angle

While the full screen allows users to “see the spectacular”, the primary cameras of ZTE Axon 40 Ultra have been completely upgraded to the best triple-camera system “trinity” in the industry, consisting of a 64-megapixel humanity camera, a 64-megapixel ultra-wide-angle primary camera, and a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto primary camera. The triple primary camera, powered by a powerful processor, enables ZTE Axon 40 Ultra to capture imagery in spectacular fashion.

The 64-megapixel humanity primary camera and ultra-wide-angle primary camera on ZTE Axon 40 are equipped with two Sony IMX787 sensors, a first for the industry. This configuration can achieve dual full-pixel omnidirectional focus, enabling faster and more precise focus. In particular, the 64-megapixel humanity camera utilizes a 35mm equivalent focal length, a 7P lens and a large aperture of f/1.6 to provide an optical blur effect at hardware-level. Combining wide-angle and macro features, the ultra-wide-angle primary camera utilizes a 16mm equivalent focal length with a 4cm AF macro to achieve ultra-low distortion on curved surfaces. The periscope telephoto primary camera adopts a 91mm equivalent focal length with a 5.7x optical zoom function from wide-angle to telephoto. With Steadicam-level full-system image stabilization, OIS optical image stabilization + EIS image stabilization, every photo is produced in outstanding quality.

Further advancements are made in computational photography. ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is the only smartphone in the industry that supports 8k ultra-high-definition recording. It is also the only three-primary-camera smartphone in the industry equipped with a snapshot function, allowing it to capture objects in motion with its Customized Adaptive Shutter Algorithm. Last but not least, ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is the only three-primary-camera smartphone in the industry that supports preset focusing with all of the primary cameras, allowing users to manually preset the focus distance before shooting and thus significantly reducing the focus time.

Additionally, the super night scene video function has been improved significantly. The unique AI videography algorithm can enhance image brightness and resolution when shooting videos in low-light areas. It also reduces noise and provides true-to-life picture quality. If that’s not enough, multiple night sky photography feature modes such as Smart Moon, Star Photography Algorithm, and AI constellation are also added to the mix, giving users access to superior night photography capabilities. In addition to the humanistic image color system, and rich humanistic filters such as Bresson black and white filter, film filter, etc., users can experience a ton of fun photo shooting with a variety of photography and videography scenarios with ZTE Axon 40 Ultra.

High-capacity Battery Offers Spectacular Power at Every Moment

ZTE equips Axon 40 Ultra with an upgraded 5000mAh battery that supports 65W super-fast charging, which provides users with more power to last for days on end. 

Hardcore Performance and Magnificent Aesthetic Offers A Spectacle for Every Second

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is equipped with the flagship configuration of the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, UFS3.1, and LPDDR5 RAM, and is designed to deliver exceptional performance. This flagship device also features VC liquid cooling technology for better and enhanced performance. The total heat dissipation area of the nine-layer heat dissipation structure can reach 36,356mm²; with the aid of the new dual-channel enhanced VC liquid-cooled vaporizer, the thermal conductivity of the waterfall-type fast heat conduction design can be greatly increased by 400%; the heat absorption capacity of the Aerospace-grade micro-nano-cavity graphene phase-change vapor chamber has been increased by 140%, and its thermal conductivity.

For the ultimate gaming experience, Snapdragon Sound, DTS audio stereo dual speakers, X-axis linear motor, and 90/120 high frame rate are incorporated to provide  users with superior sound quality and a gaming experience like no other. On top of that, ZTE Axon 40 Ultra fully supports hardware encryption and incorporates an independent safety chip to enhance system safety.

Alongside its powerful performance, ZTE Axon 40 Ultra features a sleek and aesthetic integrated design that embodies the spirit of elegance. It is designed with a 71-degree super-curved waterfall surface design, alongside a 3.9mm super-deep bending degree, making it more comfortable to hold. The rear features an industry-first frameless glass design that houses the triple camera, while also concealing the metal platform surface.

Price and Availability

Sales for Axon 40 Ultra will begin on  June 21, 2022, on the ZTE website. Pricing starts from $799/ €829/ £709 for the 8GB+128GB version and $899/ €949/ £809 for the 12GB+256GB version.

Countries and regions for  open-sales include:

North America: Canada, United States (56 of 62 states – American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands not included)

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (50 of 52 provinces), Sweden, United Kingdom

Middle East: Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
Asia Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa: South Africa (8 of 9 provinces)

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.