Zte Axon 40 Pro Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro is a highly anticipated smartphone that was announced on May 9, 2022, and released on May 31, 2022. This device boasts a range of impressive features, including a 144Hz AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 870 5G chipset, and a 108MP quad-camera setup. With a sleek and modern design, this phone is sure to turn heads.

Design and Build Quality

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro is a sleek and stylish smartphone with a premium feel. The device measures 162.9 x 72.9 x 8.7 mm and weighs in at 199g, making it a bit chunkier than some other flagship devices on the market. The front of the phone is dominated by a large 6.67-inch AMOLED display with slim bezels, giving it a screen-to-body ratio of around 90.4%. The back of the phone features a unique vertical camera module that houses the quad-camera setup and a flash.

The phone is constructed with a sturdy metal frame and a glass back, which gives it a premium feel. The glass back also features a gradient color scheme that changes depending on the angle at which you view it. The device is available in three colors: Dream Black, Crystal Blue, and Gold.

Despite its larger size, the phone feels comfortable to hold thanks to its ergonomically designed curved back. The placement of the physical buttons is also easy to reach, making it convenient for one-handed use. The camera module doesn't protrude too much from the back of the phone, ensuring that it doesn't wobble when placed on a flat surface.

Overall, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro has a solid build quality and a unique design that stands out from other smartphones on the market. Its ergonomic design and premium materials make it a pleasure to hold and use.

Display

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro boasts an impressive 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 144Hz refresh rate. The display technology is top-notch with 1B colors and a peak brightness of 1000 nits, making it easy to use even in bright outdoor conditions. The display's size makes it incredibly immersive, and the 90.4% screen-to-body ratio means that users can enjoy an almost bezel-less screen.

The color accuracy and vibrancy on the ZTE Axon 40 Pro's display are incredibly impressive. The colors are bright, vibrant, and well-saturated, making for a visually stunning experience. The touch sensitivity and responsiveness of the display are also top-notch, making it easy to navigate through apps and games.

One of the most impressive features of the ZTE Axon 40 Pro display is the 144Hz refresh rate. It makes scrolling through apps and websites incredibly smooth and seamless, and gaming on this device is an absolute delight. The device's high refresh rate ensures that there is no lag or stutter when gaming or scrolling, making it a great option for gamers and heavy users.

Overall, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro's display is one of the device's standout features. It's a stunning display that is sure to impress even the most demanding users. The display's size, color accuracy, and refresh rate make it an excellent choice for anyone who values a great viewing experience.

Performance

When it comes to performance, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro is no slouch. Equipped with a Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G (7 nm) chipset and an octa-core processor, this device can handle multiple tasks with ease. The Adreno 650 GPU ensures that gaming is a smooth experience, and there are no lags or stuttering even when playing the most demanding games.

The Axon 40 Pro comes with various RAM and storage options, including 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, and 512GB 12GB RAM. The UFS 3.1 storage technology ensures that the device boots up quickly and apps launch in no time. The device can handle multitasking with ease, and switching between apps is quick and seamless.

In terms of benchmark scores, the Axon 40 Pro scores highly, making it a worthy competitor to other flagship devices in the market. Real-world usage is also impressive, with no noticeable slowdowns or lagging, even when running multiple apps simultaneously.

One of the standout features of the Axon 40 Pro is the 144Hz refresh rate of the AMOLED display. This high refresh rate ensures that scrolling through apps and websites is incredibly smooth, and animations are fluid. The device also has high touch sensitivity and responsiveness, making it a joy to use.

Overall, the performance of the ZTE Axon 40 Pro is impressive, with no noticeable lagging or slowdowns. The device can handle even the most demanding apps and games with ease, making it an excellent choice for power users.

Software and User Interface

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro runs on Android 12 with MyOS 12 on top, providing users with a clean and user-friendly interface. The operating system is optimized to make the most of the phone's hardware, providing fast and efficient performance.

Users have access to a variety of customization options, with the ability to change the home screen layout, adjust icon size, and choose from a range of themes. The phone also comes with a variety of pre-installed apps, including popular social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram, as well as productivity apps such as Google Drive and Microsoft Office.

The user interface is simple and intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate the phone's features and settings. It also features a dark mode, which reduces eye strain and can help conserve battery life.

Software updates are available regularly, ensuring that the phone remains up-to-date with the latest security patches and bug fixes. Overall, the software and user interface on the ZTE Axon 40 Pro are well-designed and provide a smooth and seamless user experience.

Camera

VI. Camera

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro boasts an impressive quad rear camera setup, headlined by a massive 108 MP primary sensor. The camera system also includes an 8 MP ultra-wide lens, a 2 MP macro lens, and a 2 MP depth sensor. On the front, there is a 16 MP wide-angle selfie camera.

In daylight conditions, the Axon 40 Pro's camera produces sharp and vibrant images with excellent color accuracy. The camera's high megapixel count makes it possible to crop images without losing too much detail, and the ultra-wide lens is perfect for capturing expansive landscapes or fitting more subjects into a shot.

Low-light performance is also commendable, with the camera capturing decent amounts of light and producing usable images. The camera's night mode further improves low-light performance by reducing noise and improving sharpness.

The Axon 40 Pro's camera also excels in videography, with 4K video recording at 30/60 fps, gyro-EIS, and HDR10 support. The camera's 10-bit video capability captures a wide range of colors, making videos look more natural and lifelike.

The camera app is easy to navigate and offers a range of features, including a pro mode for manual adjustments, a portrait mode for bokeh effect, and a super night mode for low-light conditions. The camera system's AI capabilities optimize settings for different scenarios, ensuring that users capture the best possible images.

Overall, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro's camera system is impressive, delivering excellent results in various lighting conditions and offering a range of features and modes for users to experiment with. The camera's high megapixel count and advanced video capabilities make it a great choice for content creators and photography enthusiasts.

Battery Life

Connectivity and Networking

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro boasts impressive connectivity and networking features that make it a standout device in its category. Firstly, it is compatible with various cellular networks, including GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE, and 5G, which means that users can enjoy fast internet speeds and reliable connectivity.

In terms of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, the device supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 and dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE. The device also supports NFC, which allows for convenient wireless payments and data transfer.

Moreover, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro also has reliable GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS positioning, ensuring that users can always find their way around with accurate navigation.

With regard to sensors, the device features a fingerprint scanner that is located under the display, which provides a secure and convenient way to unlock the device. Additionally, the device has an accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass sensor.

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro does not have a headphone jack, but it compensates for this with its 24-bit/192kHz audio quality, which provides a rich and immersive audio experience.

Overall, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro's connectivity and networking features are impressive and make it a reliable and convenient device for users who value fast and stable connectivity, accurate navigation, and secure authentication options.

Additional Features

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro is packed with additional features that set it apart from other smartphones in the market. For starters, the device boasts water and dust resistance, providing an added layer of protection to the phone's internal components. Moreover, the device does not come with a 3.5mm headphone jack, but it does offer impressive audio quality through its stereo speakers and 24-bit/192kHz audio technology.

The ZTE Axon 40 Pro also comes with an impressive camera setup that includes a 108-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The camera setup also features dual-LED flash, HDR, and panorama, and can record 4K videos at 30/60fps, 1080p videos at 30fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, and 10-bit video.

In addition, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro supports NFC and wireless payment, making it convenient for users to make payments on the go. The device also features a USB Type-C 3.1 port that supports OTG functionality, allowing users to connect various peripherals such as mouse and keyboards to the device.

Lastly, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro comes with a range of sensors, including a fingerprint sensor that is embedded under the display, an accelerometer, a gyro, a proximity sensor, and a compass. These sensors work together to provide a seamless and intuitive user experience that is both responsive and accurate.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When we look at the ZTE Axon 40 Pro, it's clear that ZTE is aiming to compete with other flagship phones in the market. One of the closest competitors to the Axon 40 Pro is the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

In terms of display, the Axon 40 Pro's 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate is comparable to the S21 Ultra's 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the S21 Ultra has a higher resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels compared to the Axon 40 Pro's 1080 x 2400 pixels, resulting in a higher pixel density.

Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 870 chipset, but the S21 Ultra has a more powerful variant, the Exynos 2100, in some regions. The S21 Ultra also has more RAM options, with up to 16GB compared to the Axon 40 Pro's maximum of 12GB.

In terms of camera, the Axon 40 Pro has a 108MP quad-camera setup, which is comparable to the S21 Ultra's 108MP penta-camera setup. Both phones offer 4K video recording and advanced camera features such as HDR and night mode.

Another competitor in the market is the OnePlus 9 Pro. The OnePlus 9 Pro has a slightly larger 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a higher resolution of 1440 x 3216 pixels. It also has a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM.

When it comes to camera, the OnePlus 9 Pro has a triple-camera setup with a 48MP main camera, 50MP ultra-wide camera, and 8MP telephoto camera. It also offers 8K video recording and advanced camera features such as Hasselblad color tuning.

Overall, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro competes well with other flagship phones in the market such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and OnePlus 9 Pro. It offers a strong combination of specs and features at a more affordable price point.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

Overall, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro is an impressive smartphone that packs a punch with its high-end specifications. From its beautiful AMOLED display to its powerful Snapdragon 870 5G chipset, this phone is a top contender in the mid-range market.

The camera setup is undoubtedly the standout feature, with its impressive 108MP sensor and 10-bit video recording capabilities. The battery life is also quite good, with its 5000 mAh capacity and 65W fast charging support.

However, the lack of a headphone jack and expandable storage options may be a deal breaker for some users. Additionally, the absence of an IP rating for water and dust resistance is a bit concerning.

Overall, if you're in the market for a mid-range smartphone with a top-of-the-line camera and excellent performance, the ZTE Axon 40 Pro is certainly worth considering. However, if expandable storage and water resistance are important to you, you may want to look elsewhere.