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ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G Review - Affordable flagship smartphone with 144 Hz OLED and Trinity Cam

Flagship? Yes. High-end? No! The Axon 30 Ultra is an exciting upper-range phone packed with up-to-date hardware. However, our review reveals that an Axon 30 Ultra cannot compete with high-end smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. You can read where ZTE's Axon 30 Ultra has shortcomings here.
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

The Axon 30 Ultra is one of the most interesting flagships of the year so far due to its relatively low RRP of 749 Euros (~$912). The flagship smartphone from ZTE relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 which is flanked by 8 GB of working memory and 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Axon 30 Ultra comes with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage for 100 Euros (~$122) more. It also has a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a frame rate of 144 Hz. However, the absolute highlight of the ZTE smartphone is supposed to be the Trinity camera system on the back. It houses three 64 MP cameras and an additional periscope lens.

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G (Axon Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G 8 x 1.8 - 2.8 GHz, Cortex-X1 / A78 / A55 (Kryo 680)
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
Display
6.68 inch 20:9, 2400 x 1080 pixel 394 PPI, capacitive Touchscreen, AMOLED, glossy: yes, HDR, 144 Hz
Storage
128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash, 128 GB 
, 109 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), Audio Connections: USB-C, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: acceleration sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, hall sensor, OTG, Miracast
Networking
Wi-Fi 6E (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 6E 6 GHz), Bluetooth 5.2, 5G: n41/78(SA&NSA), n1/3/28(SA), FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28, TDD: B34/38/39/40/41, UMTS: B1/2/4/5/8, GSM: B2/3/5/8, Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8 x 161.53 x 72.96 ( = 0.31 x 6.36 x 2.87 in)
Battery
4600 mAh Lithium-Ion
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 11
Camera
Primary Camera: 64 MPix (f/​1.6, OIS, 8K video) + 64 MP (f/​2.2, wide angle lens) + 64 MP (f/​1.9, Portrait) + 8 MP (f/​3.4, OIS, periscope-telephoto lens); camera API: Level 3
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Onscreen, 65W-charger, USB cable, MyOS 11, 12 Months Warranty, Widevine L1, GNSS: GPS(L1+L5)/A-GPS/BeiDou/Galileo/GLONASS, fanless
Weight
188 g ( = 6.63 oz / 0.41 pounds), Power Supply: 112 g ( = 3.95 oz / 0.25 pounds)
Price
749 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible competitors in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
86.4 %
06/2021
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
188 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.68"2400x1080
88.6 %
06/2022
OnePlus 9 Pro
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
197 g256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.70"3216x1440
87.3 %
02/2021
Xiaomi Mi 11
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
196 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.81"3200x1440
89.6 %
02/2021
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14
200 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.70"2400x1080

Case - ZTE Axon 30 Ultra with Punch-Hole

The Axon 30 Ultra is only available with a black, matte glass casing. On the back, the striking and somewhat sharp-edged quad-camera module catches the eye directly, which is set off in a high-gloss look. The build quality meets the highest demands, but we find the thin metal frame a bit (too) sharp-edged. This has a slightly negative impact on the haptics. There is no specified protection against water penetration.

Like on the back, fifth-generation Gorilla Glass is also used on the front. The small punch hole and the thin display edges ensure that ZTE's phone still fits well in the user's hand despite the pronounced screen diagonal of 6.67 inches and enables the Axon 30 Ultra to have a very efficient display-to-surface ratio of 90 percent.

Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

Size comparison

164.3 mm / 6.47 inch 74.6 mm / 2.94 inch 8.06 mm / 0.3173 inch 196 g0.4321 lbs163.2 mm / 6.43 inch 73.6 mm / 2.9 inch 8.7 mm / 0.3425 inch 197 g0.4343 lbs161.53 mm / 6.36 inch 72.96 mm / 2.87 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 188 g0.4145 lbs161.5 mm / 6.36 inch 75.6 mm / 2.98 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 200 g0.4409 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features - ZTE smartphone with UFS 3.1 storage

The flagship smartphone's features include an Always-On Display function and USB OTG, which allows connecting peripherals via the USB-C port. The interface's data transfer is performed according to the USB 3.2 (Gen. 1) standard. Wireless image transmission of display content via Miracast also works without problems.

Software - Axon 30 Ultra 5G with Android 11

The Chinese manufacturer installs the operating system Android version 11, which is supplemented by ZTE's new user interface MyOS 11. The latter still has some translation flaws in version 11.0.0. However, the security patches are up-to-date with May 2021 at the time of the test.

Video content on streaming platforms can be viewed in HD quality thanks to Widevine DRM Level 1.

Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

Communication and GNSS - ZTE phone with WiFi 6E

ZTE relies on Bluetooth version 5.2 and an NFC chip for near field communication. The integrated Wi-Fi module supports the Wi-Fi 6E standard, which leads to high transfer rates in everyday use with our reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12.

The dual-sim smartphone accesses the mobile Internet via the fast 5G standard. However, the Axon 30 Ultra also supports all 4G frequencies relevant for German-speaking countries in terms of LTE.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
1175 (1141min - 1218max) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
747 (650min - 862max) MBit/s -36%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
600 (305min - 657max) MBit/s -49%
OnePlus 9 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
680 (649min - 703max) MBit/s -42%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
519 (391min - 604max) MBit/s -56%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
855 (827min - 886max) MBit/s +9%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
854 (804min - 879max) MBit/s +9%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
842 (329min - 976max) MBit/s +7%
OnePlus 9 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
799 (635min - 854max) MBit/s +2%
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
786 (755min - 837max) MBit/s
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -52%
065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø785 (755-837)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1175 (1141-1218)
Locating in the building
Locating in the building
Outdoor locating
Outdoor locating

In order to assess the positioning accuracy of our test device in practice, we record a route with the Garmin Edge 500 in parallel for comparison purposes. The GPS module of the Axon 30 Ultra shows a slight deviation from our navigation reference, so nothing stands in the way of everyday use for navigation in the car.

Location ZRE Axon 30 Ultra vs, Garmin Edge 500
Location ZRE Axon 30 Ultra vs, Garmin Edge 500
Location ZRE Axon 30 Ultra vs, Garmin Edge 500
Location ZRE Axon 30 Ultra vs, Garmin Edge 500
Location ZRE Axon 30 Ultra vs, Garmin Edge 500
Location ZRE Axon 30 Ultra vs, Garmin Edge 500

Phone features and voice quality - Axon 30 Ultra with WiFi calling

Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

The dual-SIM phone offers room for two nano-SIM cards and a VoLTE as well as Wi-Fi calling function. The voice quality is good in test calls as well as via Skype. Our conversation partners also attest to the ZTE phone's good intelligibility.

Cameras - ZTE smartphone with quad cam

Selfie with the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra
Selfie with the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra

The 16-megapixel selfie camera in the 2.6 mm (~0.1 in) small punch hole captures subjects with good sharpness and color fidelity. However, the bokeh effects do not always fit in portrait mode, and bright backgrounds look burned out. There are also compromises in terms of video quality (no UHD option).

However, the highlight of the Axon 30 Ultra is the "Trinity" camera setup on the back, consisting of three 64 MP sensors. The main camera is a Sony IMX686 with optical image stabilization. The 1/1.7-inch sensor has nice sharpness, even around the edges of the shots, and realistic color reproduction. However, the dynamic range as well as the white balance in the photos only convinces us to an extent. The same applies for the low-light qualities - we do not see them on the highest level.

Besides the 64 MP main camera, ZTE's flagship offers a lens for portraits and a lens for ultra-wide-angle photos, both based on the 1/1.97 inch Samsung ISOCELL GW3. The latter have a lot of details and, against the price background, an overall very appealing reproduction quality.

On top, there is a telephoto camera with periscope optics with an equivalent focal length of 120 mm and an aperture of f/3.4 as well as optical image stabilization. The resolution of only 8 MP is clearly lower, but the Axon 30 Ultra still manages good zoom shots up to 5x magnification.

Ultra wide angle
Ultra wide angle
Wide angle
Wide angle
2x zoom
5x zoom
60x zoom (max)
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Wide AngleWide AngleLow Light5x-ZoomUltra wide angle
ColorChecker
5.2 ∆E
3.5 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
8.7 ∆E
2.8 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
3.1 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
3.1 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
2.7 ∆E
2.2 ∆E
9.3 ∆E
7.2 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
3.4 ∆E
3.4 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
ColorChecker ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G: 4.9 ∆E min: 2.2 - max: 9.27 ∆E
ColorChecker
25.9 ∆E
42 ∆E
33.5 ∆E
34.3 ∆E
37.9 ∆E
52.1 ∆E
41 ∆E
27.8 ∆E
28.2 ∆E
23.9 ∆E
53.4 ∆E
55 ∆E
25.8 ∆E
40.5 ∆E
23.4 ∆E
55.8 ∆E
32.8 ∆E
38.4 ∆E
51.5 ∆E
52.1 ∆E
44.2 ∆E
34.4 ∆E
23 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
ColorChecker ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G: 37.08 ∆E min: 13.2 - max: 55.77 ∆E

Accessories and warranty - Axon 30 Ultra with 65W power adapter

ZTE equips its flagship smartphone with a 65-watt power adapter, a USB cable and a nice protective case.

The Warranty amounts to 12 months.

Input devices & operation - ZTE smartphone with 300 Hz sampling rate

The capacitive multi-touchscreen with a sampling rate of 300 Hz recognizes inputs quickly and precisely. Thanks to the refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, even fast scrolling passages are displayed very smoothly.

The optical fingerprint sensor underneath the OLED panel is not one of the fastest on the market, but the sensor reliably detects the fingers and the positioning is pleasantly high. The 2D Face Unlock feature is also fast, but relatively insecure.

The vibration motor of the Axon 30 Ultra provides a solid haptic feedback, but operates on a manageable quality level - measured against the MSRP of 750 Euros (~$913). The competition in this price range, including the Xiaomi Mi 11, among others, are much better.

Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

Display - Axon 30 Ultra with 144 Hz

Sub-pixel representation
Sub-pixel representation
PWM of the Axon 30 Ultra from 37 percent
PWM of the Axon 30 Ultra from 37 percent

Like the Axon 20 the Axon 30 Ultra offers an AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution. With a diagonal of 6.67 inches, ZTE's phone has a pixel density of slightly below 400 PPI.

The maximum screen brightness of 641 cd/m² is good and the illumination is even at 93%, but the OLED panel should shine brighter considering the price level.

In our more realistic APL50 measurement, it is just as good at 758 cd/m², but HDR content with the certified panel is not optimally effective with this luminance.

Since organic light-emitting diodes almost never shine with their theoretical maximum brightness, the Axon 30 Ultra's display brightness is also reduced accordingly via pulse width modulation. The frequency of the flickering is relatively high and irregular at 89 to 758 Hz. We measured a frequency of 120 Hz above 37 percent, but the fluctuations in the amplitude course are much smaller here. A DC dimming mode is not available.

637
cd/m²
641
cd/m²
665
cd/m²
631
cd/m²
638
cd/m²
659
cd/m²
619
cd/m²
630
cd/m²
648
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 3
Maximum: 665 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 640.9 cd/m² Minimum: 2.77 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 638 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 7.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.27
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.68
OnePlus 9 Pro
AMOLED, 3216x1440, 6.70
Xiaomi Mi 11
LED DotDisplay, 3200x1440, 6.81
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2400x1080, 6.70
Screen
46%
49%
44%
Brightness middle
638
733
15%
840
32%
814
28%
Brightness
641
746
16%
845
32%
814
27%
Brightness Distribution
93
97
4%
98
5%
97
4%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4
0.95
76%
1.2
70%
2
50%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
14
2.01
86%
2.7
81%
3.6
74%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
7.2
1.7
76%
2
72%
1.4
81%
Gamma
2.27 97%
2.21 100%
2.26 97%
2.12 104%
CCT
7190 90%
6591 99%
6492 100%
6568 99%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 758 Hz ≤ 37 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 758 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 37 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 758 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The analysis of the photospectrometer and the CalMAN software reveals high average delta E deviations from the sRGB color space for this price range with 4 (colors) and 7.2 (grayscale), respectively, in the "Normal" display mode - the ideal range starts at values <3. However, the OLED panel covers the sRGB color space almost completely.

Color accuracy (target color space: sRGB, profile: Soft, Normal)
Color accuracy (target color space: sRGB, profile: Soft, Normal)
Color space (target color space: sRGB, profile: Soft, Normal)
Color space (target color space: sRGB, profile: Soft, Normal)
Grayscale (Target color space: sRGB, Profile: Soft, Normal)
Grayscale (Target color space: sRGB, Profile: Soft, Normal)
Color saturation (target color space: sRGB, profile: Soft, Normal)
Color saturation (target color space: sRGB, profile: Soft, Normal)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 1.2 ms rise
↘ 1.2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 7 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
2.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 1.2 ms rise
↘ 1.2 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 6 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The viewing angles of the display are on a good level. Outdoor readability is also possible without problems thanks to the high-contrast organic display. However, grease streaks are annoying due to the relatively poor oleophobic coatingespecially when reflections occur. In addition, the brighter competition, including the Xiaomi Mi 11, can be seen indirect sunlight. The Xiaomi Mi 11 among others, are correspondingly easier to read.

Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

Performance - ZTE phone with Snapdragon 888

The Snapdragon 888 installed in the Axon 30 Ultra Snapdragon 888 is based on the Kryo-680 CPU unit. This integrates a fast "Prime Core" based on the ARM Cortex-X1 architecture, three fast Cortex-A78-based performance cores, and four ARM Cortex-A55 cores. Besides the CPU unit, the chipset has a Qualcomm Adreno 660 as the graphics processor.

In our benchmark package, the ZTE phone is on par with the Snapdragon 888 competition, and the Axon 30 Ultra leaves an excellent impression in everyday use. The system performance is first-rate and the loading times of applications are very short. However, write and read rates of the UFS storage are relatively low for the 3.1 standard.

Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1156 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1129 Points -2%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1136 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
1100 Points -5%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1089 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (976 - 1198, n=27)
1118 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 2138, n=211, last 2 years)
900 Points -22%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
3456 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
3666 Points +6%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
3784 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
3364 Points -3%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
3687 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3204 - 3810, n=27)
3571 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 6681, n=211, last 2 years)
2944 Points -15%
Vulkan Score (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4336 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
4544 Points +5%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4279 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6259 Points +44%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4643 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3894 - 6176, n=26)
4711 Points +9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (79 - 9992, n=89, last 2 years)
4117 Points -5%
OpenCL Score (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4764 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
4604 Points -3%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4674 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
7514 Points +58%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4676 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3100 - 4786, n=26)
4617 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (434 - 10711, n=81, last 2 years)
3917 Points -18%
PCMark for Android
Work 3.0 (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
16564 Points
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
14876 Points -10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (11435 - 17085, n=21)
14307 Points -14%
Average of class Smartphone
  (4761 - 21385, n=206, last 2 years)
11646 Points -30%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
10740 Points
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
12876 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
12255 Points
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
13546 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (10231 - 15027, n=10)
12376 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points
3DMark
Wild Life Score (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5598 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5736 Points +2%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5599 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
5668 Points +1%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5786 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3958 - 5942, n=26)
5674 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (395 - 9839, n=130, last 2 years)
2548 Points -54%
Wild Life Unlimited Score (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5765 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5737 Points 0%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5678 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6010 Points +4%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5578 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3959 - 5925, n=26)
5617 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (394 - 20068, n=193, last 2 years)
6048 Points +5%
Wild Life Extreme (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1556 Points
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1542 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (1236 - 1602, n=21)
1516 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 5226, n=198, last 2 years)
1626 Points +4%
Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1478 Points
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1492 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (974 - 1564, n=21)
1421 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (110 - 5248, n=193, last 2 years)
1635 Points +11%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
120 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
60 fps -50%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
120 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
119 fps -1%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
120 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (60 - 143, n=20)
102.5 fps -15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps -30%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
290 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
258 fps -11%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
268 fps -8%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
242 fps -17%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
279 fps -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (173 - 294, n=20)
247 fps -15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps -16%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
118 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
60 fps -49%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
91 fps -23%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
119 fps +1%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
120 fps +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (55 - 121, n=20)
93.9 fps -20%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps -40%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
165 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
151 fps -8%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
158 fps -4%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
161 fps -2%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
177 fps +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (101 - 180, n=20)
141.7 fps -14%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps -16%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
97 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
57 fps -41%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
59 fps -39%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
103 fps +6%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
105 fps +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (36 - 105, n=20)
71.5 fps -26%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps -38%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
112 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
69 fps -38%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
111 fps -1%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
107 fps -4%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
120 fps +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (69 - 126, n=20)
98.9 fps -12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps -13%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
56 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
36 fps -36%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
33 fps -41%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
56 fps 0%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
61 fps +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (26 - 61, n=20)
47.2 fps -16%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps -23%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
66 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
59 fps -11%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
67 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
62 fps -6%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
72 fps +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (42 - 74, n=20)
60.6 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps -11%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
63 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
55 fps -13%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
41 fps -35%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
64 fps +2%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
73 fps +16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (32 - 73, n=26)
55.7 fps -12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps -31%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
70 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
63 fps -10%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
79 fps +13%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
64 fps -9%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
85 fps +21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (46 - 87, n=27)
70.4 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps -10%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
41 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
42 fps +2%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
25 fps -39%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
44 fps +7%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
46 fps +12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (25 - 51, n=26)
38.5 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps -21%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
29 fps
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
28 fps -3%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
29 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
27 fps -7%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
32 fps +10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (19 - 32, n=26)
27.5 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps -14%
Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
809906 Points
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
804683 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (636471 - 824694, n=17)
767997 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (102602 - 1650926, n=149, last 2 years)
744244 Points -8%
AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
264766 Points
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
209984 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
226728 Points -14%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
211932 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (171404 - 264766, n=15)
243759 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1043 - 139804, n=54, last 2 years)
20600 Points -92%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
6843 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
6959 Points +2%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
6361 Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6144 Points -10%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
6893 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (5839 - 6985, n=20)
6495 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points -17%
System (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
10896 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
11774 Points +8%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
10377 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
10492 Points -4%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
10923 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (9119 - 11774, n=20)
10766 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points -12%
Memory (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
7684 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
9044 Points +18%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
8789 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6246 Points -19%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
7948 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (5352 - 9044, n=20)
7316 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points -19%
Graphics (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
13543 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
13463 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
12732 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
14636 Points +8%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
15628 Points +15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (9399 - 15739, n=20)
13676 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +3%
Web (sort by value)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1983 Points
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1633 Points -18%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1434 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
1486 Points -25%
Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1726 Points -13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (1434 - 1983, n=20)
1683 Points -15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points -25%
Jetstream 2 - Total Score
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G (chrome 90)
107.7 Points
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (61.3 - 125.1, n=13)
96.1 Points -11%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
83.2 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
66.3 Points -38%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
63.2 Points -41%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G (chrome 90)
114 runs/min
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
104.7 runs/min -8%
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
85.8 runs/min -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (46.9 - 121, n=12)
84.1 runs/min -26%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
62.8 runs/min -45%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
56 runs/min -51%
Octane V2 - Total Score
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G (chrome 90)
38401 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (23491 - 47543, n=20)
35591 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
28247 Points -26%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
27539 Points -28%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
26829 Points -30%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
1808 ms * -39%
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
1744 ms * -34%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
1722 ms * -33%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * -28%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (891 - 1841, n=20)
1319 ms * -2%
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G (chrome 90)
1297 ms *

* ... smaller is better

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5GOnePlus 9 ProXiaomi Mi 11Samsung Galaxy S21+Average 128 GB UFS 3.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
17%
16%
30%
8%
18%
Sequential Read 256KB
1464
1995
36%
1615
10%
1623
11%
1602 ?(1030 - 3134, n=55)
9%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
0%
Sequential Write 256KB
689
769
12%
754
9%
1037
51%
778 ?(233 - 1332, n=55)
13%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
56%
Random Read 4KB
208.2
258.7
24%
278.5
34%
309.6
49%
244 ?(126.2 - 428, n=55)
17%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
16%
Random Write 4KB
265
254.3
-4%
289.3
9%
283.3
7%
245 ?(121.4 - 503, n=55)
-8%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
0%

Games - gaming is no problem with the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra

The powerful Adreno-660 graphics unit offers enough computing power to ensure smooth playback even for demanding games. Current games can be rendered in best graphics and with a high frame rate with the ZTE flagship.

PUBG mobile
PUBG mobile
Armajet
Armajet

Emissions - Axon 30 Ultra gets hot

Temperature

The surface temperatures are quite high even when idling, but the ZTE phone gets much warmer under load with a peak of over 44 °C (111.2 °F). Thanks to the Vapor Chamber design in conjunction with water cooling, we still achieve continuous performance with the Axon 30 Ultra in the 3DMark Wild Life stress test.

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra in the 3DMark Wild Life stress test
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra in the 3DMark Wild Life stress test
3DMark
Wild Life Stress Test Stability
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
92.8 (5440min - 5882max) %
Xiaomi Mi 11
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
90.2 (5064min - 5613max) % -3%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
65.8 (3805min - 5781max) % -29%
OnePlus 9 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
60.3 (3461min - 5740max) % -35%
Wild Life Extreme Stress Test
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
96.9 (1429min - 1479max) %
Max. Load
 43.6 °C
110 F
43.7 °C
111 F
40.4 °C
105 F
 
 44.1 °C
111 F
42.7 °C
109 F
40.1 °C
104 F
 
 43.7 °C
111 F
43.4 °C
110 F
39 °C
102 F
 
Maximum: 44.1 °C = 111 F
Average: 42.3 °C = 108 F
39.7 °C
103 F
42.1 °C
108 F
43.2 °C
110 F
39 °C
102 F
41 °C
106 F
43.3 °C
110 F
35.9 °C
97 F
38.7 °C
102 F
43.6 °C
110 F
Maximum: 43.6 °C = 110 F
Average: 40.7 °C = 105 F
Power Supply (max.)  27.2 °C = 81 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated) & Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 42.3 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.1 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.6 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone
Test ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G smartphone

Speaker

The two speakers of the upper-class phone provide a good and, at over 89 dB(A), very loud sound experience. The output is dominated by trebles, tones from medium frequencies are somewhat overlaid.

Wired headphones can be connected to the smartphone via the USB Type-C port. Alternatively, Bluetooth 5.2 can be used for wireless transmission. A broad codec palette of SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and LDAC is available here.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.329.22523.324.23120.324.3401926.55029.832.96317.225.98012.930.510019.427.912512.131.51601147.52009.545.725012.651.731513.658.240010.561.85001164.66309.768.880011.173.3100011.575125012.775160013.475.5200012.778.6250013.678.4315014.180.140001379.9500013.279.5630013.978.6800013.476.21000013.769.61250014.469.31600016.757SPL25.189.3N0.677.1median 13median 73.3Delta1.110.14344.236.835.836.829.930.631.83432.32930.225.521.829.322.523.93014.241.111.346.611.754.29.757.19.358.211.861.613.761.317.363.416.269.511.169.610.373.110.471.711.668.212.670.313.970.415.268.915.663.916.367.716.565.116.461.317.154.670.970.660.268.865.971.426.481.126.125.712.522.219.226.50.848.4median 14.2median 63.4median 36.4median 45.5median 42.5median 49median 13.6median 64.75.29.923.823.323.422.512.816.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5GOnePlus 9 Pro
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 19% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 40% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

OnePlus 9 Pro audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 64.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 64.7% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 64.7% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (119% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery life - ZTE smartphone charges quickly

Energy consumption

Energy is supplied by a 4,600 mAh capacity battery, which can be recharged in 45 minutes with the included 65-watt power adapter when completely drained. Wireless charging is not supported by the Axon 30 Ultra.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.36 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1 / 1.99 / 2.02 Watt
Load midlight 5.15 / 10.36 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
4600 mAh
OnePlus 9 Pro
4500 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 11
4600 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S21+
4800 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-21%
-17%
16%
6%
14%
Idle Minimum *
1
1.6
-60%
1.57
-57%
0.74
26%
1.066 ?(0.46 - 1.8, n=23)
-7%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
11%
Idle Average *
1.99
2
-1%
1.92
4%
1.27
36%
1.58 ?(0.74 - 2.6, n=23)
21%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
27%
Idle Maximum *
2.02
2.4
-19%
1.94
4%
1.33
34%
1.733 ?(0.78 - 3.1, n=23)
14%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
19%
Load Average *
5.15
6.2
-20%
6.32
-23%
6.32
-23%
5.46 ?(3.87 - 6.7, n=23)
-6%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-8%
Load Maximum *
10.36
11
-6%
11.65
-12%
9.61
7%
9.79 ?(5.89 - 11.7, n=23)
6%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
21%

* ... smaller is better

Battery life

In our real-world WLAN test, with an adjusted display brightness of 150 cd/m², the ZTE smartphone achieves about 10 hours with the 144 Hz option selected - not a really good rate, but it is okay in view of the high refresh rate. If the panel is throttled to 60 Hz, the Axon 30 Ultra can run for about 2 hours (736 min) longer.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
10h 15min
ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
4600 mAh
OnePlus 9 Pro
4500 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 11
4600 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S21+
4800 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
615
1002
63%
527
-14%
651
6%

Pros

+ 144 Hz OLED panel
+ Power
+ 65W power supply included
+ USB 3.2 (Gen 1)
+ Good camera package

Cons

- High waste heat
- No IP rating
- No wireless charging
- Display only 1080p resolution
- Somewhat sharp-edged bezel
- Low runtimes (with 144 Hz)
- Software with translation weaknesses

Verdict of the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G

In review: ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G. Test device provided by ZTE Global.
In review: ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G. Test device provided by ZTE Global.

The current flagship smartphone from ZTE offers a good overall package with a lot of performance and a 65W fast charging technology including a matching power adapter in the scope of delivery for an MSRP of about 750 Euros (~$913). Due to the focus on a high-resolution quad camera setup, the Axon 30 Ultra has very good photo qualities, which the upper-class competition, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 or Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus cannot offer.

We like the simple design of the Axon 30 Ultra, but we miss the color options of ZTE's smartphone.

Apart from the Trinity Cam, however, ZTE's flagship is not free of criticism, even considering the comparatively "cheap" (flagship) pricing. The 144 Hz OLED panel is very smooth, but the brightness, resolution, and color reproduction as well as the Gorilla Glass generation from 2016 do not really fit into the image of a current premium smartphone. We also miss some points on the equipment list and a consistently translated user interface compared with the competition.

Price and availability

The ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G is available for 750 Euros (~$913), currently only in the ZTE store.

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G - 08/31/2022 v7
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
87%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 90%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
55 / 70 → 78%
Weight
89%
Battery
88%
Display
86%
Games Performance
64 / 64 → 100%
Application Performance
90 / 86 → 100%
Temperature
85%
Noise
100%
Audio
73 / 90 → 82%
Camera
72%
Average
81%
86%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G Review - Affordable flagship smartphone with 144 Hz OLED and Trinity Cam
Marcus Herbrich, 2021-06- 8 (Update: 2021-06- 8)