ZTE Axon 40 Extremely Specs
Worth: $799/£709 (8GB + 128GB), $899/£809 (12GB + 256GB)
OS: myOS 12 / Android 12
Show: 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
RAM: 12GB
Rear cameras: 64MP broad (f/1.6), 64MP ultrawide (f/2.4), 64MP periscope telephoto (f/3.5)
Entrance digital camera: 16MP (f/2.0)
Storage: 256GB
Battery: 5,000mAh
Dimension: 6.4 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches
Weight: 6.8 ounces
The ZTE Axon 40 Extremely brings huge specs and a glossy design with an under-display selfie digital camera, vying for a spot as one of many finest smartphones you should buy in 2022.
Filled with a 64 megapixel, triple-camera array, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, an enormous 6.8-inch, AMOLED show, and a 5,000 mAh battery, the spec sheet definitely leads us to imagine that we’re in for a deal with.
However does the 40 Extremely stick the touchdown? Is that this a powerful Android flagship that has what it takes to battle amongst one of the best of them? Let’s discover out.
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: Worth and configurations
The ZTE Axon 40 Extremely (opens in new tab) is out now in two configurations: 8GB RAM and 128GB storage for $799 (£709), or 12GB RAM and 256GB storage for $899 (£809).
This places it in the identical value vary because the OnePlus 10 Professional and Google Pixel 6 Professional — each stable telephones, so ZTE actually must convey its A-game.
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: Design
Similar to the ZTE Axon 30 5G, this can be a giant slab at 6.4 x 2.9 inches, however its curvature feels extra slender within the hand than it has any proper to be resulting from its slim 0.3 inch body and seven.2 ounce weight. For context, that is nearly similar to the OnePlus 10 Professional (6.4 x 2.9 x 0.33 inches, 7.1 ounces), however a tinge smaller and lighter than the Pixel 6 Professional (6.45 x 3 x 0.35 inches, 7.4 ounces).
This curved sandwich of glass and aluminum with a frosted again appears to be like and feels slick and premium. The digital camera bump is slightly sizeable, however that’s the giveaway that there’s an entire lot of tech in right here (extra on that later).
Personally, I choose a flatter design, particularly for the show, because the curvature of it does result in unintended touches and makes it vulnerable to scratches, however that is an upmarket aesthetic.
Additionally, shout out to the minimal branding on the again. It appears to be like like ZTE learn my earlier evaluation and offered a cleaner end to the again. Good work!
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: Show
Due to the selfie digital camera being hidden beneath the show, you’re getting an uninterrupted, 6.8-inch AMOLED show with a 1116 x 2480-pixel decision, a 120Hz refresh charge, HDR10+ help and a claimed 1,500-nit peak brightness.
The top result’s a gorgeously vivid, shiny show that’s viewable in all lighting circumstances. Making the most of the show’s OLED advantages, the trailer for Spider-Man: No Method Dwelling emanated depth in darker scenes, making the brighter results of Physician Unusual’s spells actually glow.
And naturally, what about that little bit of show over the front-facing shooter? As we discovered with the Axon 30 5G, the pixel matrix wasn’t fairly sufficient to masks the lens. For the 40 Extremely, nevertheless, the digital camera is totally invisible. I checked out this telephone from each potential angle and couldn’t see the telltale lure door in anyway.
Total, the show makes for a stunning viewing expertise for gaming, binge watching and getting stuff finished.
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: Audio
A powerful display screen wants robust sound for listening on-the-go with no earbuds, and the stereo audio system on supply right here do present an honest social listening expertise that’s match for TikTok doom scrolling and falling down YouTube wormholes.
Positive, you can also make them distort barely at larger volumes. When put underneath intense strain with bass-heavy, intense metalcore equivalent to Keep away from’s EP “The Burner”, they’ll crackle barely. However more often than not, all the things is evident and finer particulars could be picked out.
As soon as once more, no signal of a 3.5mm headphone jack, however ZTE does pack a pair of wired earbuds and a USB-C to headphone adapter within the field. Despite the fact that I’d at all times choose a port on the telephone itself, this can be a extra consumer-friendly possibility.
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: Efficiency
Underneath the hood, the ZTE Axon 40 Extremely is packing some critical warmth, which is being cooled by a nine-layer warmth dissipation system. The spec checklist reads effectively: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, as much as 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
When put by way of its paces, the 40 Extremely hit a Geekbench 5.4 multi-core rating of three,383, which falls barely behind the OnePlus 10 Professional (3,482) and demolishes the customized chipset of the Google Pixel 6 Professional (2,760).
For graphics, the ZTE telephone hit an excellent easy 65 frames per second within the 3DMark Hearth Strike check, which beats each the ten professional (61 fps) and the Pixel 6 Professional (40 fps). However in fact, numbers inform half the story — it’s about how this efficiency interprets into real-world use.
The top results of all of it is near-instantaneous app opening, zero sluggish downs — regardless of how a lot CPU-intensive multitasking I threw at it. It seamlessly dealt with all types of video games operating oh-so easily, together with Actual Racing 3 and Genshin Affect.
Put merely, there aren’t any complaints concerning the efficiency of this telephone, however do be warned: should you put it by way of its paces, the again will get fairly sizzling fairly rapidly. Nothing to the purpose of it being uncomfortable to carry, however it’s noticeable.
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: Battery Life & Charging
The 5,000 mAh battery within the ZTE Axon 40 Extremely matches the capability of the OnePlus 10 Professional and ends in an all-day longevity, which implies you shouldn’t have to fret concerning the capability throughout a median day of use.
Waking up at 8 a.m., I went by way of a whole day to 10 p.m. with the standard work/leisure (emails, calls, social media, taking some fast photos, Spotify by day, gaming and YouTube by night time) and ended with round 20% left within the tank.
Plus, the 65W quick charging is sweet to have for fast top-ups — juicing this telephone as much as full in slightly below an hour.
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: Cameras
Summed up in a single sentence: the under-screen selfie digital camera continues to be a potato, however the rear cameras are very nice.
You’ve acquired three 64MP snappers on the again, together with a essential lens with an f/1.6 aperture, a 91mm periscope telephoto at f/3.5, and a 16mm ultrawide at f/2.4. Particulars are crisp and colours are vibrant through the day throughout all lenses. The AI mode can once more work somewhat too laborious to spice up the saturation, so maintain that switched off.
You can even shoot as much as 8K video and body charges as much as 120 FPS at 4K, which works positive in apply, however as soon as once more, the auto-focus is simply too rattling sluggish for any critical filming wants like vlogging — simply maintain it to taking pictures household movies.
Flip the telephone over and there’s a 16MP, front-facing digital camera hiding underneath the show with an f/2.0 aperture. Images are tremendous spongy and over-processed, trying like my accomplice’s photographs in Barcelona after placing sunscreen on (critically, how greasy is sunscreen!).
Shortly head over to view the picture in your digital camera roll after snapping it, and you may see the software program tweaking the picture for just a few seconds to enhance brightness and sharpness. None of it helps, however it exhibits simply how a lot is required to beat the brand new digital camera tech.
Oh, and branded watermarks are on by default. You already know my ideas on these and the warning I made to OEMs for this apply, so off comes half a star.
ZTE Axon 40 Extremely: MyOS 12
The MyOS 12 UI pores and skin over Android 12 continues the clear combo of tiles and widgets we noticed in model 11, alongside a wealth of customization and quality-of-life options like Z-Pop — a customizable equal to Apple’s AssistiveTouch that made one-handed navigation on this beast a cinch.
There’s a lingering query about software program help although, as ZTE has not made clear how lengthy they intend to offer software program updates for the 40 Extremely. Going off previous expertise, the Axon 30 5G did obtain Android 12 just lately, however any extra updates stay up within the air. Examine this to 3 years of main OS updates for the OnePlus 10 Professional and Pixel 6 Professional together with 4 and 5 years of safety updates, respectively.
Backside line
Sure, the selfie digital camera is pants, however I’m a sucker for worth for cash. That’s what the ZTE Axon 40 Extremely gives in a powerful Android flagship full of highly effective specs, good battery life and first rate rear cameras.
Hiding the front-facing snapper underneath the display screen has turn into an artform for ZTE now,; it is without doubt one of the finest at making it an invisible, un-disturbed rectangle of AMOLED goodness.
All-in-all, should you can work round its pitfalls, this can be a first rate telephone that’s pitted in opposition to stiff competitors.
