ZTE Axon 30 Ultra to bring its three 64MP cameras to global markets

An oddity a few years back, almost all smartphones these days have no fewer than two cameras. Some more eccentric ones even have five or more (if you consider 3D ToF sensors as cameras). In most cases, however, those cameras are often not created equal, with manufacturers favoring one mode of photography over another, which sometimes means lower picture quality in some modes compared to others. So that users won't have to choose, ZTE has made the rather unusual decision to give the Axon 30 Ultra not one not even two but three cameras, all with 64MP sensors.

Of course, those three cameras have their differences and they're not all the same sensor anyway. The main camera is a wide-angle Sony IMX686 with a lens aperture of F1.6 while the Ultra-Wide camera gets a Samsung ISOCELL GW3. Curiously, the third 64MP camera is also a Samsung GW3 but, with an F1.9 lens, it's designed for portrait mode. Oh, and there's actually a fourth camera, a measly 8MP periscope-style camera with 5x optical zoom.

In theory, this means that all photography modes except zoom will be able to enjoy the same 64MP quality that the sensors have to offer, whether it's shooting at night or using wide-angle panoramas. The Axon 30 Ultra even has a trick where all three 64MP cameras can record a video all at once with different focal lengths, allowing users to pick the view they want later on.

In terms of specs, the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra is as high-end as you can get, with a Snapdragon 888 processor and memory configurations of up to 16GB RAM and 1TB UFS 3.1 storage. The 6.67-inch AMOLED display, though limited to 2400x1080 FHD+ resolutions, boasts of a 144 Hz super-fast refresh rate. The phone also comes with Android 11 out of the box but the exact flavor will depend on the market where it launches.

Available in color options of Black, White, Blue, and Light Brown, the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra will be launching in China next week starting at 4,700 RMB, around $720. International availability, on the other hand, starts in May with no pricing or exact market details yet.