One of the most critical challenges for mobile manufacturers today is being able to differentiate themselves in design. The need for users to have a large screen makes it very difficult to do it on the front.
However, ZTE has opted for a somewhat different rear, with a matte gray finish in which the camera module stands out, slightly reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, it has two levels, although one of them is used only to put a marketing slogan.
The finish catches the last traces of those we have been able to test lately, and the back area curves a lot on the larger sides until it fits with the metal frame. However, it does not reach the edge, and in hand, that gives a strange sensation, something sharp.
At first, I thought it would be a problem, but as the days went by, it became more irrelevant to me, and finally, it hasn’t bothered me. It also highlights the curvature of the screen, which is very accentuated, and which lovers of flat screens will not like.
At the bottom, we have the USB C port, the dual SIM tray and the main speaker. Here we appreciate the two typical shortcomings of the high range, the microSD tray and the headphone jack.
We have a secondary speaker in the earpiece, which is much less powerful than the main one but manages to give a stereo sound sensation. The reached volume is high and does not distort, but we would have liked to see the second speaker in the upper frame, as Xiaomi does.
Another aspect that ZTE has worked on is the weight, of 188 grams, well below that of its rivals, some of which exceed 220 grams.
Top-tier performance, with plenty of RAM
ZTE has wanted to diversify just enough. Instead of three or four variants, it has created two, one thinking of offering the lowest price, with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory, and another with double the internal memory and 12 GB of RAM. The striking thing is that none is too expensive.
Both have the Snapdragon 888 processor, and the performance is excellent. Of course, as I said in the video, I would prefer the most potent option due to my user profile, which plays a lot on mobile and greatly values RAM. That said, for most buyers, we will recommend the cheapest one.
We have not found ourselves before any scenario in which we have demanded more power than this device can give.
Regarding connectivity, we have Wifi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC… but there are shortcomings such as the MicroSD slot, the infrared emitter, the headphone jack…
In addition, although it has two speakers, the sound is not as powerful as in the models of this category from Samsung or Xiaomi.
A perfect screen, which does not reach the highest range
Mobile manufacturers usually differentiate benefits according to the ranges of their products. For example, we have seen how the highest refresh rates are only seen in gaming models. However, ZTE has wanted to raise the maximum of its Axon to 144 Hz, which was only seen in terminals designed for gaming until now. Of course, now their RedMagic reaches 165 Hz.
This is appreciated, and much, in the fluidity with which the system moves, which sometimes seems to fly. However, this penalizes autonomy, although we will discuss it in the corresponding section.
The panel is OLED and has an FHD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080 px, which is a lower resolution than that of models such as the Xiaomi Mi 11, OPPO Find X3 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, other options such as the Xiaomi Mi 11i, the Galaxy S21 Plus or the Asus Zenfone 8 have this number of pixels.
We do not believe this is a problem, although we face a sizeable diagonal screen (6.67 inches in particular). Depending on the price of this terminal and its rivals, it could be an essential factor for many users.
As expected, HDR10 + technology is present and appreciated when watching compatible videos.
As for the software, we can change the brightness, the colour mode, the colour temperature… In general, the behaviour of the screen is excellent. Still, the automatic brightness seems higher than necessary, and although that makes the experience better, the battery consumption is too high.
The fingerprint sensor is housed under the screen, in a higher position than what we see in other mobiles, and that seems to us to be a success. The response speed is good, but the facial unlocking is so fast that we have rarely resorted to the fingerprint.
The first mobile phone with a triple 64 Mpx camera
Many mobiles today boast of having a triple 64 Mpx camera, or quad 108 Mpx. That means that, of the three or four sensors they have, one of them reaches that resolution.
In the case of ZTE the reality is different. The firm has decided to use three 64 Mpx sensors in three of the rear cameras.
The main sensor is 64 Mpx with an aperture of f/1.6 and is the equivalent of a 26mm lens, with a sensor size of 1/1.72″, 0.8µm pixel size, PDAF focus, laser autofocus and optical image stabilizer. image.
The quality in good light is really good, and not only because of the sharpness, but because of the dynamic range, the realism of the colors and the attempt to get as close to reality as possible, without oversaturating, or the opposite.
