In the title of this review, we set out to explore a bold idea: a commercial smartphone without a visible camera notch or punch-hole, thanks to an under-screen camera. The first Axon 20 5G tried to blend cutting-edge display tech with a practical hardware package, and Revuvio dives into what that means for real-world use. This is not just a spec sheet exercise; it’s a hands-on story about how a flagship concept translates to daily life, from the moment you pick up the phone to the moment you capture memories on a busy afternoon. The title of this piece signals a tangible goal: understand whether the Axon 20 5G delivers a compelling experience, or if it’s a clever idea still hampered by trade-offs. We’ve tested for months, using it as a primary device in urban commutes, coffee-fueled work sessions, and weekend photo hunts, to give you a clear, practical picture of value and performance.
Design and ergonomics in the ZTE Axon 20 5G review
Materials and how it feels in the hand
The Axon 20 5G stands out with a front and back made of glass and a sturdy aluminum frame, which lends a premium feel without sacrificing durability. When you pick it up, you notice a smooth, cool finish in the hand rather than a plasticky impression. The measurements hover around 172.1 x 77.9 x 8.0 mm with a weight near 198 grams, a balance that sits in the comfortable territory for most users with average-sized hands. The generous surface area is driven by a 6.92-inch display, which emphasizes a modern, immersive look. Crucially, there are no visible camera modules on the back or a notch on the front. The camera sits under the display, a design choice that redefines the traditional silhouette of a smartphone while inviting a more seamless screen experience. The absence of extruding modules means fewer interruptions when laying the phone on a table for a video call or streaming session, which many users will appreciate as a daily convenience.
Ergonomics and everyday use
In practice, the absence of a visible punch-hole or notch creates a cleaner viewing experience, especially when watching video or browsing the web. It makes the display feel larger and more continuous, a selling point for fans of media consumption. On the other hand, the phone’s footprint means you’ll notice the right edge when you’re using the device one-handed, particularly on smaller hands. The 6.92-inch panel is dominant enough that it nudges the phone toward a slightly top-heavy feeling when held loosely in one hand, but the weight distribution remains fairly stable in daily use. The edges are rounded and comfortable, helping to minimize fatigue during longer sessions. Overall, the Axon 20 5G is designed for users who prioritize a near-edge-to-edge display and are willing to accept a broader form factor in exchange for a more immersive panel and the novelty of a camera under glass.
Display and performance in the ZTE Axon 20 5G review
Display: size, color and reproduction
The core strength of the Axon 20 5G’s display is its 6.92-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. This translates into crisp text, punchy colors, and a strong sense of depth in images and video, thanks to the deep blacks typical of OLED technology. The refresh rate tops out at 90 Hz, which gives scrolling and gaming a noticeable smoothness compared to standard 60 Hz panels. The color accuracy is good out of the box, with a wide color gamut that makes photos and videos look vibrant without appearing oversaturated. HDR support broadens the dynamic range for compatible content, which helps when watching streaming apps that deliver HDR10 content. In bright daylight, the display remains legible, though peak brightness hits a practical ceiling, so viewing angles and sunlight still require a thoughtful angle for optimal readability. The 10-bit color depth supports nuanced gradients and more natural skin tones in photos and videos, which helps when you’re editing on-device or previewing content taken with the phone.
Hardware and performance: what sits under the screen
Under the hood, the Axon 20 5G relies on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G, a mid-range 5G-capable chipset that balances efficiency with enough raw power for everyday tasks and casual gaming. In day-to-day use, the experience feels fluid: app launches snap quickly, transitions are smooth, and the system responds promptly to touch inputs and gestures. The device is offered in several RAM and storage configurations, typically 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM with 128 GB or 256 GB, and a microSDXC expansion option after the SIM slot, enabling flexible storage for photos and large media libraries. Real-world performance stays steady when juggling social apps, messaging, streaming, and a moderate amount of multitasking. It’s not a flagship-level performance sprint, but it’s more than adequate for most users who aren’t chasing the latest top-tier games or ultra-heavy workloads. The 5G capability is a notable plus, delivering faster download speeds where networks are available and reducing latency for certain applications. If you’re migrating from a 4G device, you’ll appreciate the improvement in connectivity, even if the maximum speed isn’t the talking point of a premium handset.
Software, UI and user experience in the review
Operating system and user features
Out of the box, the Axon 20 5G runs Android with ZTE’s MiFavor user interface on top. The MiFavor layer adds thoughtful customization options, gesture controls, and privacy settings that many users find practical without becoming overwhelming. The software feel is relatively light, with a clean approach that avoids excessive bloatware. The design language emphasizes a practical, intuitive experience: quick access to essential settings, responsive status bar controls, and customizable home screens. Throughout our testing, we found the software to be dependable, with no major bugs or crashes interfering with daily usage. Security and privacy features are accessible and straightforward, including app permission management, privacy dashboards, and simple controls for seizing data-sharing options. The software experience supports the device’s design philosophy: keep the display front and center while delivering useful tools that complement the camera under the screen and 5G capabilities.
Camera: main sensor and front camera under the display
The camera system on the Axon 20 5G is central to the device’s identity. The rear camera array includes a 64 MP main sensor with a bright f/1.8 aperture for strong daylight performance and the potential for expressive photos with good dynamic range. Alongside the main sensor sits an 8 MP ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree field of view for expansive landscape shots and creative compositions. There are also macro and depth sensors (2 MP each) that support close-up photography and portrait depth effects. The most distinctive feature, of course, is the front-facing camera placed beneath the display. The goal is to deliver a truly uninterrupted screen experience, but the technology brings its own set of compromises. In typical lighting conditions, the front camera performs reasonably well for selfies and video calls, producing sharp images with natural skin tones. However, in dim lighting or challenging backlight, the under-display camera can reveal subtle artifacts—soft focus in some cases, with a slight halo or blur around subject edges that becomes more noticeable in difficult scenes. For video, the rear camera records up to 4K, while the front camera tops out at 1080p, with stabilization and HDR support that help capture smooth clips. The experience of switching between shooting modes is generally fast, with quick toggles for wide-angle, macro, and portrait modes that respond without lag. If you’re a photography enthusiast who relies on perfect skin tones in every scenario, you’ll want to temper expectations for the front camera under the glass and appreciate the main camera’s broader capabilities on the back.
Real-world performance and daily responsiveness
Everyday tasks and app fluidity
In daily use, the Axon 20 5G demonstrates respectable performance: scrolling feels smooth, app switches are quick, and multitasking with several installed apps remains stable. The mid-range chipset combined with a well-tuned software layer yields a responsive experience that most casual users will find satisfying. The combination of 5G connectivity and a solid OLED display enhances the sense of speed, particularly during streaming and cloud-based tasks where lower latency and faster downloads translate into a more seamless workflow. Battery endurance is in line with devices in this category. With typical usage—social media, messaging, light gaming, and occasional video streaming—you can expect a full day of use from a single charge, with more demanding sessions requiring a top-up by late afternoon. The inclusion of a sizable battery helps bridge the gap created by the large display and always-on features, delivering a practical balance between screen time and charging frequency. For heavy gamers, the device remains capable, but you’ll notice some throttling if you push the phone hard for extended periods, particularly at higher brightness settings. Overall, the Axon 20 5G’s performance is better suited to daily productivity and media consumption than to the most intense, frame-rate-hungry gaming sessions.
Camera performance in regular conditions
Photographs taken with the rear camera array are generally clean and well-exposed in daylight. The 64 MP main sensor produces high-resolution images with detailed textures and dynamic range that holds up well in typical shooting scenarios. The 8 MP ultra-wide offers a broad perspective that’s useful for landscapes and architectural photography, though edge distortion is more noticeable at the extremes. The macro and depth sensors add versatility for close-ups and portrait shots, enabling subject separation with a pleasing blur in well-lit scenes. In low light, the camera’s computational photography and multi-frame stacking help preserve detail, but noise becomes more visible and dynamic range compresses, as expected with many mid-range systems. The under-display front camera’s bets pay off in terms of a distraction-free front view: you get a clean portrait experience on social media, but the potential downside is reduced image sharpness and minor artifacts in tricky lighting, particularly for selfies with strong backlight or room lighting that isn’t evenly distributed. For video, the rear camera supports 4K capture with stabilization and HDR, while the front camera can handle 1080p video with similar stabilization—a feature that helps when filming vlogs in varied environments.
Connectivity and 5G experience
5G coverage and network performance
5G support is a core selling point of the Axon 20 5G. In cities with robust 5G deployments, you’ll enjoy noticeably faster download speeds and lower latency for cloud gaming and real-time collaboration. In more mature markets, 5G can be a practical productivity boost for large files, HD video calls, and streaming high-bitrate content on the go. The device also benefits from robust LTE performance for areas with limited 5G coverage, ensuring reliable communication and data speeds. Wi-Fi connectivity remains solid, with support for modern WPA3 security and stable performance across typical home networks. Bluetooth connectivity is reliable for wireless audio and accessories, with minimal dropouts during normal usage. The phone also includes the usual GPS, NFC for contactless payments, and a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, rounding out a dependable, future-forward connectivity package for everyday users.
Should you buy? Pros and Cons
Pros
- Notch-free, immersive display thanks to the under-display camera.
- Solid OLED panel with 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR support.
- Deceptively capable rear camera system for a mid-range device, with a strong main sensor.
- Practical software experience via MiFavor with useful customization options.
- Comprehensive 5G support and expandable storage for flexible use.
Cons
- Front-camera quality under the display can show limitations in certain lighting conditions.
- Battery life is adequate but not exceptional for power users, especially with the large display.
- Performance is strong, but not on par with flagship-tier devices; gaming may require mid-level settings for sustained high frame rates.
- The design choice of under-display camera means a potential trade-off in image clarity for selfies and some video scenarios.
Temporal context, statistics and market positioning
Released in 2020, the Axon 20 5G arrived as one of the earliest mainstream smartphones to trial the under-display camera concept for commercial consumers. It followed a wave of research and development in which manufacturers experimented with hiding the camera behind the display to achieve truly edge-to-edge screens. The broader market that year leaned toward traditional cutouts or notches, while ZTE’s approach aimed to set a new standard for screen real estate and immersion. While the Axon 20 5G demonstrated the feasibility and appeal of a notched-free display, it also underscored the inherent challenges of the technology—namely, compromises in front-camera quality and brightness under the display. In the months that followed, competitors refined under-display mechanisms, but the Axon 20 5G remains a landmark for its boldness and a clear signal of what the era was trying to achieve: a seamless screen experience with practical, everyday performance.
Real-world verdict: who should consider the Axon 20 5G?
Ideal candidates
- Tech enthusiasts who crave a truly uninterrupted screen and are curious about under-display camera tech.
- Users who value a large display for media consumption and productivity on the go.
- Shoppers looking for a mid-range 5G device that balances performance with modern features.
Possible fits to consider
If your priority is the best possible front-camera quality or the most aggressive gaming performance, you might want to explore higher-end models or devices that have refined under-display camera solutions. On the other hand, if you’re drawn to a bold design and enjoy the novelty of a camera hidden beneath the screen, the Axon 20 5G offers an intriguing blend of display immersion and practical hardware. The phone also makes a compelling case for users who want a robust 5G-enabled device with flexible storage and a comprehensive software experience that respects privacy and personalization.
Verdict: a thoughtful, forward-looking mid-range with a caveat
The ZTE Axon 20 5G is more than just a phone; it’s a statement about where smartphone displays were headed in the late 2010s and early 2020s. It highlights a pioneering approach to design, offering a screen that dominates the front with the camera tucked away beneath the glass. The result is a device that feels like a preview of what future flagships could become, albeit with some practical compromises in front-camera performance and battery endurance. If the idea of an open, uninterrupted display matters to you—paired with solid performance, good battery life for day-to-day tasks, and a dependable software experience—the Axon 20 5G can be a compelling pick, especially when you value novelty and a more immersive screen above all else. For buyers who place the highest premium on top-tier photographic quality from the front camera or maximum raw power for the most demanding apps and games, this model is a stepping stone toward future innovations rather than the final destination.
FAQ
What makes the Axon 20 5G unique?
The defining feature is its under-display front camera, which enables a nearly uninterrupted front screen and a true edge-to-edge display aesthetic that was rare in commercial smartphones at the time of launch.
How does the under-display camera perform in real life?
In well-lit conditions, the front camera yields decent selfies with natural skin tones. In dim lighting or tricky backlight, you may notice softer detail and minor artifacts—an expected trade-off when compared to conventional front cameras with visible sensors and dedicated optics.
Is the display quality worth upgrading to the Axon 20 5G?
If your priority is a large, vivid, and smooth display for media and productivity, the 6.92-inch OLED with 90 Hz refresh rate is a strong selling point. The screen’s presence makes the device feel modern and immersive, which is a major part of the overall experience.
How capable is the Axon 20 5G for gaming?
The Snapdragon 765G delivers solid performance for casual and mid-range gaming. High-end titles at maximum graphics settings will run on this platform, but you should expect some frame-rate adjustments in the most demanding scenes if you push the device to its limits.
What about battery life?
Battery life is practical for a typical day of use, though heavy users or long gaming sessions may find themselves needing a daytime recharge. The device supports reasonable charging speeds, which helps when you need to top up quickly.
Is 5G connectivity reliable on this device?
5G availability varies by region. In cities with robust coverage, you’ll notice improved speeds and lower latency. In areas with limited 5G, LTE remains a dependable fallback for everyday tasks.
How does it compare to other mid-range devices of its era?
Compared to contemporaries, the Axon 20 5G’s bold design and display focus set it apart. Its camera system is competitive, though the under-display front camera introduces limitations that aren’t present in devices with traditional front cameras. Battery life, camera versatility, and overall performance sit in the mid-range territory, offering good value for users who prioritize screen experience and 5G connectivity over the last word in performance or photography.
In summary, the ZTE Axon 20 5G is a bold early prototype of a concept that has since matured in many ways on the market. It shows what a future phone could look like when the display dominates the front face and when the camera recedes beneath the glass. For 2020, this device carved out a unique niche: a mid-range package that embraced a radical design idea, balancing novelty with practical everyday use. If you’re drawn to the idea of a true, notch-free screen and you’re comfortable with the trade-offs in front-camera performance and battery endurance, the Axon 20 5G is worth considering as a distinctive, forward-looking option in the mid-range segment.
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