GPU Performance

GPU performance should be a larger differentiator to the Axon 30 Ultra- the Snapdragon 870 should fall in line with Snapdragon 865+ devices such as the Note20 Ultra in our benchmark charts, however the end result will depend on the thermals of the device, notable because the Axon 30 Ultra was a device that was allowed to get quite hot.

3DMark Wild Life Unlimited

Basemark GPU 1.2 - Medium 1440p - Off-Screen / Blit

GFXBench Aztec Ruins - High - Vulkan/Metal - Off-screen GFXBench Aztec Ruins - Normal - Vulkan/Metal - Off-screen GFXBench Manhattan 3.1 Off-screen GFXBench T-Rex 2.7 Off-screen

The Axon 30 behaved quite differently to the Axon 30 Ultra, falling further behind in performance compared to its sibling. This difference however was not due to the inferiority of the Snapdragon 870 – but rather due to the fact that the Axon 30 throttles to peak skin temperatures of 39-40°C, significantly cooler than the 45-46°C of the Ultra.

The end result is actually a quite well-performing device that doesn’t get very hot, which is very much a positive in my book.

System Performance Battery Life
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  • GreenReaper - Friday, September 3, 2021 - link

    It seems what is essential to this phone is invisible to the eye... except at an angle.
  • Kangal - Friday, September 3, 2021 - link

    The implementation would have been more convincing if the UDC was on the Top-Left Corner. There needs to be some software/OS feature built-in to actually "black out" that section when the Front Camera is in use. Not just for the Stock Camera, but for other Apps like openCamera and Snapchat etc etc. On top of this, I think it requires a slightly better front camera (sharper camera, larger sensor).

    Portrait mode; the UDC might be hidden by the icons in the notification bar. And when the Notification Bar isn't displayed, that entire section could just be a colour that blends in with the content.
    Landscape mode; that corner is mostly un-used. Think of most movies, that section is more like the blindspot. So here, the subtle differences, will also be masked.

    Overall, they've done great with the UDC implementation, camera choice, 4MP downsampling, post-processing, and the adequately sharp 1080p display. Can't wait for this to get even better.
  • Samus - Sunday, September 5, 2021 - link

    Kangal took the thoughts out of my brain bone: if they put this in a top corner its much more "transparent" to the user.

    Either way, the under screen camera implementation is far more impressive than I thought it would be going into the article, and honestly the 4MP output is totally adequate unless you are actually taking selfies with the front camera.
  • sharath.naik - Monday, September 6, 2021 - link

    Why do these manufacturers feel the need to do under display camera? It is at best horrible, NO ONE IS ASKING FOR IT. It is baffling the level of nonsensical decision making that goes into going into this direction. The display cut out is Already small enough to be a nonissue.
    Round cutouts are that are small enough and in the center are absolutely fine. Even having a small bezel at the top and bottom to accommodate the camera and front Firing speakers are even better. No one is asking for Zero bezel at the top and bottom, let alone an under display camera.
  • CampGareth - Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - link

    "NO ONE IS ASKING FOR IT"

    Hello, I am a human being and I am asking for under-display cameras. I bought a galaxy fold 3 instead of a 2 for this reason. I like big uninterrupted displays but a camera is still useful for video calls, face unlock and the occasional selfie. I would accept a motorised pop-out camera but that takes up more space than a UDC, space which I would rather use for batteries. I would love to have UDCs on my laptops in exchange for slimmer bezels leading to smaller laptops for a given screen size or more screen for a device size.

    Speak for yourself not for others, we all have different opinions.
  • Tams80 - Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - link

    You want slimmer bezels on your laptops...

    Sorry, but that alone makes your opinion silly.
  • Tams80 - Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - link

    I'm only interested if the camera is going to be placed in or near the middle of the display. That would be innovative and useful (if still poor image quality).

    But otherwise, yeah, just use a damn bezel.
  • shabby - Friday, September 3, 2021 - link

    Surprised the udc area ppi is identical to the main screen, Samsung's implementation has 10 year old ppi in that section, how are they so far behind?
  • Fulljack - Saturday, September 4, 2021 - link

    Samsung uses foldable display which adds complexity.
  • Samus - Sunday, September 5, 2021 - link

    Samsung also used previous gen tech. Even the recently launched Z Fold 3 uses a 4MP front camera (the actual sensor is 4MP, not just capturing at 4MP like this one.)

    This phone appears a generation ahead on UDC technology.

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