ZTE Axon 40 Ultra

The latest smartphone to join the market is none other than the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra. In terms of its design, the sleek, matte glass back feels smooth to the touch, and the curved screen makes for a very comfortable experience in hand despite its large size. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the wrap-around display does not create a razor’s edge situation on the side of the device, like the Axon 30 Ultra. Apart from that, the glass back does feel a lot like Samsung’s phones as it is durable and does not pick up scratches. However, the slim, plastic buttons do make it feel cheaper than it is, but on the wrap-around display and the glass matte finish, they feel a bit more natural than on the Axon 30 5G's plastic build. On the other hand, the device also offers the option between standard screens unlock, or biometric access through facial recognition or the under-display fingerprint scanner to unlock the phone. While the facial recognition worked well enough, there was the occasional delay, which was most probably due to a problem with the under-display camera. In contrast, the optical under-display fingerprint scanner was a dream, working quickly and effectively every time with all five fingers which it allows the users to store.

As far as its display is concerned, the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra has been equipped with an AMOLED display. Overall, the size is obviously great for watching any kind of content, again matching the Samsung S22 Ultra at 6.8 inches. However, it is worth mentioning that this device offers a much lower resolution at 1116 x 2480. In addition, the tiny bezels at the top and bottom of the device are barely perceptible, giving the Axon an impressive 93% screen-to-body ratio (a bit higher than the S22 Ultra). Even better, the phone also comes with a high 144Hz refresh rate which comes in handy particularly when it came to scrolling through social media and playing high frame rate games. Apart from that, the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra also boasts an impressive brightness range, which improves the overall experience in bright spots and dark ones as with a peak brightness of 1500 nits, the device was easily viewable in bright sunlight, even when watching dark videos. As for its performance, this smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which has become one of the standard options for high-end smartphones in 2022. It is worth mentioning that it handled everything with aplomb, hitting no lags or glitches while streaming or gaming, even on the infamously dodgy HBO Max platform. The device also rocks a 5,000 mAh battery. In terms of its camera, this model carries three 64MP rear-facing cameras. Overall, the cameras can impress more than one can expect since it is without the AI power behind the array. It is definitely a great phone to be explored, depending on the need and preference of the user.

Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam