The Axon 30 with Under Display Camera: Hands-on Mini-Review
by Andrei Frumusanu on September 3, 2021 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Mobile
- Smartphones
- ZTE
- Axon 30
System Performance - Extremely Snappy
Featuring the Snapdragon 870, the Axon 30 should still be plenty competitive in terms of performance. The 120Hz screen and high touch sample rate also should allow excellent responsiveness.
The performance of the device in PCMark is excellent, and does end up managing to perform most of the time ahead of Snapdragon 865 devices (this is the first 870 we’ve had our hands on). What was a bit surprising is to see the Axon 30 outperform the Axon 30 Ultra in the writing sub-test, which could signify more aggressive scheduler settings on the Snapdragon 870 phone.
Unfortunately, ZTE is still doing benchmark detection and cheating in PCMark, increasing frequencies. We circumvent this in our testing.
Web Browser Performance
In the web-browsing tests, the Axon 30 lands in at around where we expected the Snapdragon 870, performing still quite excellently and keeping up with Snapdragon 888 devices, bar a larger gap in Speedometer.
Overall, the device is extremely responsive and the combination of 120Hz and high sample touch allows for a very snappy device experience.
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Spunjji - Monday, September 6, 2021 - link
I honestly think the compromise in picture quality from the UDC substantially outweighs the tiny functional - and questionable aesthetic - benefits of it being there in the first place. But then I'm one of those weirdos who things having a border at the top and bottom of the screen for speakers and a camera is an asset, not a flaw, and I've been outvoted by the masses. All hail the impending victory of our crappy unsharp-mask-reliant overlords! 😅Kangal - Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - link
Even funnier, you have the opposite thing when you look at the ASUS Zenfone 6/7 Pro/8 Flip.Here, you get to have the sharpest Selfie cam, and a bit of a bulge. But I like it.
I prefer the middle-ground set by the modern Sony 5.2, or the ASUS RoG 5. Other honourable mentions are the Pixel 2XL, ZTE Axon 7, Alcatel Idol 4s, Moto X Style.
Rant:
-I hate these notches and cut-outs. It's functionally bad, and an eyesore.
-And even worse are the curved screens. Why would I want to get content cut out weirdly, have the light glare back on my eyes, increase my accidental taps, and make the device fragile? Form and function should go hand in hand.
-Not to mention the weird 19:9 aspect ratio. They should stick to 16:9 for best compact, or even 17:9 is alright... anything else is just wasteful. At least Sony's 21:9 serves a purpose: very niche people who watch Ultrawide content like Hollywood Movies (not youtube) on their phone.
Tams80 - Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - link
I don't think we've been outvoted by the masses for support of bezels, but rather that most don't care if they are or aren't there (unless they are big) and just follow whatever is trendy.I'd settle for an under-display camera in the middle of the display. I'd still like at least one decent one in a bezel too though.
But hey, this AnandTech. Remember the spats over user-replaceable batteries and SD cards?
nandnandnand - Monday, September 6, 2021 - link
The phone on the phone should have been showing a phone showing a phone showing a phone...