ZTE has launched its latest flagship phone in China, with a global release to follow in June.

As expected, the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 5G chipset. There’s also the Axon 40 Pro, which features the older, slower Snapdragon 870 platform and 100-megapixel primary camera on the back. However, there’s no word on the pricing and availability of the phone yet.

In China, the Ultra carries a suggested retail price of ¥4,998 (around $742 or P39,043) for the base 8GB/256GB version and ¥5,298 ($787 or P41,387) for the 12GB/256GB variant. The top-end 12GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB models are priced at ¥5,798 ($861 or P45,293) and ¥7,298 ($1,084 or P57,010), respectively. Local preorders have already begun, with the first day of sale scheduled for May 13.

One of the biggest highlights here is the third-generation 16-megapixel under-display selfie camera that the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra debuts. Its predecessors, the Axon 20 5G and Axon 30 5G, features a hidden front-facing camera as well.

Like the Axon 30 5G before it, the Ultra packs a 64-megapixel triple-camera setup with a pair of custom Sony IMX787 sensors in its main and ultrawide shooters. The tertiary telephoto option also gets a 64-megapixel sensor, in addition to a 91mm equivalent lens with f/3.5 aperture and optical image stabilization.

The smartphone’s rectangular camera island includes a 3D ToF sensor for focus assistance and a flicker sensor, too. Impressively, it can record 8K footage with all its rear cameras while also allowing you to switch between three focal lengths to get the best possible framing for your shots.

In terms of battery life, the Axon 40 Ultra should be able to get you through a full day with moderate usage, thanks to its sizable, 5,000mAh cell. It provides fast charging up to 80 watts, too, but lacks support for wireless charging.

Some gaming-centric features are available here, including a VC liquid-cooling unit, which boasts a 36,356mm2 area inside the phone, dual speakers with DTS Ultra surround sound, and an X-axis linear motor.

Finally, the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra brings a 6.81-inch AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution of 2,480 x 1,116 pixels, a refresh rate of 120Hz, full DCI-P3 coverage, and 10-bit colors. It has an in-display fingerprint reader for security as well.

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra specs

• 6.8-inch AMOLED display, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling, 10-bit color
• 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 5G processor
• Adreno 730 GPU
• 8GB/12GB/16GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 256GB/512GB/1TB storage
• Triple 64-megapixel main, 64-megapixel ultra-wide, 64-megapixel telephoto rear cameras
• 16-megapixel under-display front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 5,000mAh battery with 65-watt USB-C charging
• MyOS 12 based on Android 12
• Color option: Black and gold

Main image via Weibo

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