ZTE Axon 40 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: ZTE just released the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phone with an under-display camera and it’s called the Axon 40 Ultra. This full-screen smartphone has the same chipset as the Galaxy S22 Ultra from Samsung. But, between the 40 Ultra and S22 Ultra, which is the best ULTRA smartphone? And given the choice, which of these two ULTRA phones should you buy?

In this post, I’ll compare the specs of the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra side-by-side to help you know which is better. At the end of this post, you will know which of these phones you should buy and why.

See Also: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Which is better

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Specs

Specs	Axon 40 Ultra	Galaxy S22 Ultra
Display	6.8-inch, 120Hz	6.8-inch, 120Hz
RAM	8/12GB	8/12GB
Storage	256/512GB/1TB	128-512GB
Back Camera	64 + 64 + 64MP	108 + 10 + 10 + 12MP
Front Camera	16MP	40MP
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Exynos 2200 5G
Software	Android 12	Android 12
Battery	5,000mAh (80W)	5,000mAh (45W)
IP Rating	Unspecified	IP68

Display, Build, and Design

The Axon 40 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra come with a 6.8-inch display, AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, and support for HDR10+. Both phones also feature Gorilla Glass protection and have a good back finish. But, there are noticeable differences in the design of both phones.

First, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has its punch-hole on the central screen while there is no punch-hole on the screen of the Axon 40 Ultra. Another difference in the design is the rear camera model. On the rear, there is no big camera module for the Galaxy S22 Ultra as the camera sensors protrude from the back panel. While the Axon 40 Ultra has a camera bump that houses triple rear camera sensors. So, when you see both phones from afar, it’s very easy to differentiate between them from their designs.

The build materials on both smartphones are durable but the Galaxy S22 Ultra is certified to have IP68 water and dust resistance. The Axon 40 Ultra is not certified to have that level of water and dust protection. Overall, the screen of the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra looks neat and has smaller bezels compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. So far from our own experiment, 80% of users like the full screen and display of the Axon 40 Ultra.

See Also: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: Which is better

Camera

The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra features a triple rear camera set-up and a single front camera. It has a 64MP main camera with PDAF, Laser AF, and OIS features. The main camera is supported by a 64MP telephoto lens with OIS and another 64MP ultra-wide camera. Upfront it has a 16MP front camera that can shoot videos in 4k resolution.

On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has quad rear cameras and a single front camera. At the rear, it has a 108MP main camera with PDAF, Laser AF, and OIS features. The main camera is supported by a 10MP periscope lens with dual-pixel PDAF, OIS, and 10x optical zoom. Then there is another 10MP telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide camera that can shoot Super Steady video. Upfront it has a 40MP main camera that can shoot videos in 4k resolution.

When it comes to the camera, the Galaxy S22 Ultra gives you more camera options. But, the Axon Z40 Ultra is really good as all its 64MP cameras can shoot videos in 8k resolution. And the quality of photos and videos from the 16MP camera under-the screen is really good. Although the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the better camera phone here, some people will prefer the neat and improved camera sensors of the Axon Z40 Ultra.

See Also: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: Should you upgrade?

Performance | Storage | RAM | 5G

Both the Axon 40 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra have support for 5G connectivity and both phones also have the same performance. This is because both smartphones are equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 5G chip.

As per performance, both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Axon 40 Ultra are the same. The CPU, GPU, and ISP chips inside both phones are the same. So, playing games and doing graphics-intensive tasks on both phones will give you a similar experience.

The RAM inside the Axon 40 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra is 8/12GB. The minimum internal storage capacity on the Galaxy S22 Ultra is 128GB while the minimum storage capacity of the Axon 40 Ultra is 256GB. The maximum storage option for both smartphones is 1TB. None of these phones have space for storage expansion via a microSD card slot.

See Also: vivo X80 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: which is better?

Software

The ZTE Axon 40 Ultra boots MiFavor 12 based on Android 12 out of the box. ZTE has promised three years of major software updates and security patches for the Axon 40 Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boots the OneUI 4 based on Android 12 OS out of the box. Samsung has promised four years of major software updates and five years of monthly security patches for the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Battery

Both the Axon 40 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra are powered by a 5,000mAh battery. But, the Axon 40 Ultra has support for an 80W fast charge while the Galaxy S22 Ultra only has support for a 45W fast charge. One advantage of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is that it has support for a wireless charge while the Axon 40 Ultra does not.

See ALso: vivo X Note vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Which is better

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Price

The price of the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra with 8 + 256GB storage option is $959 while the 8 + 256GB storage option of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is priced at $1,199. Given the price of both smartphones, which should you buy?

Buy Axon 40 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Ultra

Axon 40 Ultra	Price	Galaxy S22 Ultra	Price
Buy on Giztop	$959	Buy on Amazon	$1,199

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Verdict

So, between the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra which is the best ULTRA smartphone? The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the best ULTRA phone. But, does this makes it the best ULTRA phone to buy among these two phones? Let’s find out.

There is no doubt that the Galaxy S22 Ultra beats the Axon 40 Ultra in many areas. For example, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has support for an in-built S PEN, is certified to have IP68 water and dust protection, has better camera options, and features a longer software update policy. All these are features that are not readily available in the Axon 40 Ultra.

But, the Axon 40 Ultra has a neat display with an improved under-display camera that allows you to enjoy using the full screen. It has the same performance as the S22 Ultra, has the same battery, features a faster charging solution, has a bigger storage option, and is cheaper. For the price of $899, the Axon 40 Ultra offers a better deal for the money.

So, if I’m to score both smartphones, I’ll score the ZTE Axon 40 Ultra (49%) and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (51%). Although the Galaxy S22 Ultra is better than the Axon 40 Ultra, the Axon 40 Ultra offers better value for the money compared to the S22 Ultra.