ZTE Axon 30 5G

“Compared with the Axon 20, the ZTE Axon 30 5G has been improved in many areas, and it now offers a good as well as modern overall package. The fast Qualcomm SoC ensures a strong system and gaming performance, the accurate 120 Hz panel provides a smooth image, and the under-display camera is now well hidden and hardly visible.”

“The Axon 30 5G has a few intriguing features on its specs sheet even if you look past the under-display selfie camera. It's got a high-performance Snapdragon 870 SoC, as well as a very good 120Hz OLED panel. However, there are a couple key aspects in which ZTE Axon 30 5G is not very competitive. Even with its unique display properties, it just can't make up for the absence of auto-brightness boost, the smaller than usual battery and the typical mid-range camera setup. The latter just doesn't cut it in the €500 class.”

“The ZTE Axon 30 5G is a decent phablet, but the under-screen selfie camera is poor and you can get more powerful phones with longer battery life at the same price.”

“With the Axon 30, ZTE has proved it can successfully camouflage its under-display camera. But that doesn’t mean it’s up to the task. Image quality from the secretive selfie lens really isn’t good enough, even if the implementation is impressive. Aside from that, the Axon 30 has a gorgeous, fluid screen and a decent rear camera setup. The lack of wider 5G support in the US is frustrating in a 2021 phone, but there is still a lot here for $500. The bigger challenge is that competition is tough in the middleweight phone arena. Google’s latest Pixel, the 5a, rings in at $450, and offers better-performing cameras, front and back. If you’re struggling to pick between the two, the decision loosely boils down to a bigger screen or better selfies.”