A global release is expected to follow the China release
(Image credit: ZTE)
The president of the mobile division of ZTE, Ni Fei, has shared a teaser post on Chinese social media platform, Weibo (via GSM Arena) which suggests the upcoming Axon 40, and a Pro variant too, will be announced in China this month. The teaser is just that and doesn’t give much away other than confirming launch is imminent.
Axon 40 series: What we’ve heard so far
Rumors so far have centered around the Axon 40 Pro, which different sources suggest is actually a re-badged version of the Nubia Z40 Pro. The most detailed source is a TENAA leak, via GSM Arena, which details a smartphone with model number A2023H with full specifications and photos, confirming it is the same device.
If the leaks are correct and ZTE is simply preparing to relaunch the Nubia Z40 Pro – announced back in February - under its own Axon brand, then we have a good idea of its specs, thanks to both the TENNA listing and knowing the specs of the Nubia Z40 Pro.
Specs match the Nubia Z40 Pro
The new phone, which will most probably be called the Axon 40 Pro, could have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU as which has a 2.995GHz prime core – the TENNA listing states a 3GHz CPU. RAM is listed as 8GB, 12GB or 16GB, while storage comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options.
The camera resolutions on the TENNA listing match the Z40 Pro specs too - 64MP, 50MP and 8MP. The screen is listed as a 6.67” OLED, which again matches up. The battery is listed with its 4,900mAh charge – this would presumably mean Axon 40 Pro will have a magnetic charging edition like the Nubia Z40 Pro, as that one has a smaller 4,600 mAh cell, but time will tell.
We expect to see ZTE launch the Axon 40 series for global markets shortly after it becomes available in China this month.
Rachael is a British journalist with 18 years experience in the publishing industry. Since working on www.digitalcameraworld.com, she’s been freelancing, and contributing to some of the world’s best-loved websites and magazines including T3.com and TechRadar.com and has also had a book, iPad for Photographers, published. She's currently acting as editor of 5GRadar.com - a website specializing in the latest cellular technology.