After multiple promises to release such a device, Chinese company ZTE has officially unveiled the Axon 20 5G, the first smartphone to feature a selfie camera located beneath the display. The mid-range handset, which is otherwise unremarkable, was introduced by the company on Tuesday, but questions on availability remain.
The Axon 20 5G is the first smartphone brought to market that features a front-facing camera under the display, something ZTE says was made possible using a variety of ‘high transparency material that includes new organic and inorganic films’ in addition to image software, The Verge reports.
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Quite obviously, this design means the Axon 20 5G does not feature a visible selfie camera, rather presenting users with a clean, uninterrupted display free of notches, hole punches and thick camera-packing bezels. The actual quality of images produced by the hidden camera remains unclear, however, due to the current lack of reviews and sample photos.
The camera located beneath the display packs 32MP; it is joined by a 64MP primary rear camera alongside an 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP depth/macro cameras. The primary camera supports video recording at up to 4K/60fps with real-time HDR and real-time subtitles.
Novelty aside, the Axon 20 5G is a solidly mid-range device packing a 6.92in 20.5:9 FDH+ OLED display with 10-bit 1.07B color and 100% DCI-P3, as well as a 90Hz refresh rate. Circling back to the unique hidden camera, ZTE’s website explains that this unit features high-transparency micron-level material, a ‘special pixel matrix,’ triple selfie algorithm, an integrated circuit and an independent driver chip.
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The light sensor, sound system and fingerprint sensor are likewise hidden beneath the display, according to ZTE, which has packed a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor and Adreno 629 GPU under the hood. Other features include an ‘AI performance engine,’ smart power-saving mode, ‘liquid cooling circulation,’ carbon nanofiber thermal pad and nano-level textured design.
Buyers will have two models to choose from, one featuring 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, the other featuring 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Both variants will feature a microSD card slot, 4220mAh battery and support for 5G. At this point in time, ZTE is only offering the Axon 20 5G model in China for the equivalent of around $320 starting price. It’s unclear whether the model will get an international release.
