ZTE Axon 20 5G official render confirms intriguing design

Some companies, like Sony, try hard to keep upcoming products from leaking, even if those attempts have become futile in this Internet age. Others like OnePlus, on the other hand, have accepted that reality and even learned to use that to their advantage. ZTE seems to be taking a page from that book with its next Axon flagship that was leaked last week. Not only has it announced what the Axon 20 5G will bring next month, it is now even revealing what it will look like as well.

ZTE isn't exactly big in the mobile market these days but it definitely sparked some interest when rumors started circulating that it would have the world's first under-display camera. Capitalizing on that buzz, ZTE confirmed that fact and even publicly announced when the phone will launch, at least in China. If and when it launches to the rest of the world is still an open question.

The device also made its way to China's TENAA office, which revealed low-quality photos. Once again riding on that wave, ZTE President of Mobile Ni Fei has just teased on Weibo a render of the phone, confirming what it would look like.

The most interesting part of the image is the phone's back, and not just because of the rather odd gradient design it uses there. At a time when camera bumps are getting bigger and more obnoxious, the ZTE Axon 20 5G will stand out as one of the outliers, albeit its rectangular panel is still bigger than necessary. The front of the phone reveals nothing in this render, which sort of suggests it will be all screen.

ZTE still has plenty of time to build up the hype leading up to its September 1st announcement. There are plenty of missing pieces, including the Axon 20 5G's core specs. It will, of course, be gambling on a single feature as it rubs shoulders with other bigger OEMs who also have a stronger presence in markets where ZTE isn't held suspect by governments.