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The ZTE Axon 30 Ultra launches with triple 64MP rear cameras and promises of international availability

The Axon 30 Ultra. (Source: ZTE)
The Axon 30 Ultra. (Source: ZTE)
ZTE has debuted its 2021 flagship smartphone series with a launch for the Axon 30 Pro and 30 Ultra in China. The latter is the one with the OEM's intensely-hyped "Trinity" rear camera system. It also has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and, of course, that Snapdragon 888 SoC.

ZTE has made its Axon 30 series official today (April 15, 2021). The teasers and trailers leading up to this Chinese-market event hinted at a "Trinity" of 64MP cameras in its higher-end options, possibly leaving the impression they were destined for the Pro as well as the Ultra. However, only the flagship has turned up with this feature.

It does indeed have a trio of 64MP sensors, each of which does a different job. Accordingly, the Sony IMX686 with OIS and up to 8K/30fps recording is the primary lens, whereas the secondary module has a longer (35mm) lens, and the last is for 120° ultrawide functions. They are joined by an 8MP sensor with 5X optical zoom in the 30 Ultra. Whether this can beat other flagships with very different cameras or not remains to be seen.

The Axon 30 Pro, on the other hand, has the same ultrawide lens as its bigger sibling, along with another 64MP module for primary functions, as well as profoundly standard 5+2MP macro+depth sensors. It also has a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display; however, its panel is flat as opposed to curved as in the Ultra and has a 120Hz refresh rate.

On the other hand, it still has the same Snapdragon 888 platform as the top-end model. It starts at 2.998 yuan (~US$460) for a base 6GB RAM/128GB internal storage model; 3,298 yuan (~$506) for an 8GB/128GB SKU, or 3,598 yuan (~$552) for an 8GB/256GB option.

The Axon 30 Ultra's price has been set at 4,698 yuan (~$720) for the same RAM/storage configuration as the most expensive 30 Pro. Alternatively, there is a 12GB RAM variant, set at 4,998 yuan (~$766). They come in typical glass rear panels colored Black, White or Mint, whereas its most premium 16GB RAM option comes in Coffee vegan leather, and goes for 6,666 yuan (~$1022).

That was not all, though: ZTE has indicated that the Axon 30 Ultra is coming to the North American market. This pretty overt challenge to Xiaomi's Mi 11 Ultra and Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra was not given an exact release date, however.

Finally, some consumers might wonder where the vanilla 30 went in all this. ZTE revealed that it, like its predecessor, will rock under-display camera technology (whereas the Pro and Ultra are stuck with punch-hole selfie shooters that were patently afterthoughts), and is thus delayed pending the OEM's finishing touches on the second generation of this emerging screen type.

The Axon 30 Pro has 2 color options. (Source: ZTE)
The Axon 30 Pro has 2 color options. (Source: ZTE)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 04 > The ZTE Axon 30 Ultra launches with triple 64MP rear cameras and promises of international availability
Deirdre O'Donnell, 2021-04-15 (Update: 2021-04-15)