The ZTE Blade V40 Design is quite an interesting offering in the sub Php 8K segment. The smartphone offers a mix of style, functionality, and affordability on the table. With the handset's trendy design, vibrant screen, capable cameras, and reliable performance, the Blade V40 Design aims to challenge the existing category powerhouse and seeks to provide users an impressive smartphone experience without shelling out much money. Join us in this review as we delve deeper into the phone's features and see if it's the right choice for you.

ZTE Blade V40 Design Review

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Unboxing

The packaging of the ZTE Blade V40 Design features a simple white box with the ZTE logo prominently displayed on the front. The box's face provides a preview of the available color options for the handset, namely the Sky Blue and Starry Black colors. Additionally, it includes the memory configurations for this unit. On one side of the box, you will find a list of the key features of this device, which include:

• 6.6-inch FHD+ display
• 50MP triple camera
• UFS 2.2 for faster response
• 22.5W fast charging

Upon unboxing, you'll find the SIM eject tool, a transparent case, some paperworks, and a screen protector (yet to be installed) inside a white packet. Then we have the handset itself, which showcases the attractive Starry Black colorway. Towards the bottom of the box, you will find the power supply unit and USB-C cable, which are essential for charging and data transfer. It is worth noting that the inclusion of earphones is a generous addition. 

• Smartphone unit
• Transparent case
• Screen protector (to be installed)
• SIM eject tool
• USB-C cable 
• Power supply unit
• Earphones
• Documentations

Design and Display

The ZTE Blade V40 Design boasts a 6.6-inch display that maximizes screen real estate with minimal side bezels, resulting to a screen-to-body ratio of 87.0%. The front camera sensor is housed within a dewdrop notch, which a common design in this price point. The IPS LCD display delivers vibrant colors and sharp contrast thanks to its FHD resolution of 1080 x 2408 pixels. 

However, the phone's 60Hz refresh rate may feel underwhelming, especially if you're accustomed to devices with higher refresh rates. Thus, you'll never experience the perception of speed that comes with panels with higher refresh rate.

The phone adds customization options, allowing you to alter the shape of icons, choose different theme colors, adjust fonts, and more. Additionally, you can personalize the color temperature of the display from warm to cool according to your preference. The screen is sufficiently bright, ensuring legibility even in outdoor settings during daylight.

The phone's side railing is made of plastic material with a matte finish; it may be made of plastic but it registers premium to me. On the right side, you'll find the volume rocker and power button, which also functions as a fingerprint scanner. The left side houses the SIM tray, which includes a dedicated microSD slot, while the top features a secondary microphone. Lastly, at the bottom, you'll find the mono speaker, USB-C port, primary microphone, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Just like the frame, the rear panel is also constructed from plastic material. In the classic Starry Black color variant, the matte finish conceals smudges effectively and is easy to clean. Additionally, the camera sensors are housed in prominent circular enclosures with an elegant gold ring accent. We have three cameras here, two of which are housed within a single enclosure. 

The ZTE logo, in silver, is positioned on the opposite side of the cameras. The design also features a vertical section which crosses from top to bottom. This line-separation has a different finish giving the back panel a more trendy look. This section also features the LED flash and the "50MP triple camera" branding.

The phone's build is boxy and weighs approximately 183.4 grams, with an 8-mm thick frame. However, I should say that it offers a satisfactory grip, and its handling is moderately comfortable. Despite being an entry-level smartphone (priced at only P7,999), the ZTE Blade V40 Design exhibits good craftsmanship and above-average aesthetics. This attention to detail aligns with the phone's name, emphasizing its focus on design.

Internals and Performance

The handset is powered by Unisoc Tiger T616 (12 nm) chipset, featuring an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0 GHz. As expected, it delivers an entry-level performance. It's supported with 4GB of RAM, which can utilize an additional 3GB of RAM from your storage, resulting in a total of 7GB of RAM. This configuration allows for smooth multitasking and hassle-free casual gaming experiences. It's also a great smartphone for multimedia consumption.

While the handset lacks a 5G modem, it supports LTE connectivity, which still ensures a reliable internet access. It also supports VoLTE, enabling you to stay connected to the LTE network even during phone calls. The internal storage capacity is 128GB using UFS 2.2 technology, providing ample space for your multimedia files. If you require more storage, the phone offers expansion option through a dedicated microSD card slot in the SIM tray.

As previously mentioned, we encountered no issues while playing casual games on the device. When it comes to MOBA games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, it automatically adjusts to a smooth graphic setting and remains playable. However, it's important to keep in mind that this is not specifically designed as a gaming phone. Therefore, it may not be ideal for highly competitive gameplay, as occasional lags in motion, movement, and animations may be noticeable, and it may not be as responsive to inputs. Nonetheless, I was able to play and win a few ranked and brawl games. The overall gaming experience is not exceptional, which is to be expected considering the price point of the device.

If you're interested in benchmark results, here are the scores we've compiled:

• AnTuTu: 229,852
• Geekbench 6: single-core score of 443 and multi-core score of 1,562.
• PCMark Work 3.0: 7,739

Camera

The ZTE Blade V40 Design is equipped with a triple camera setup, highlighted by a 50MP primary camera with an aperture of f/1.8. Additionally, it includes 2MP cameras with apertures of f/2.4, dedicated to macro photography and capturing portraits.

The primary camera delivers impressive results, producing high-quality outputs. When it comes to the front camera, it captures good selfies suitable for sharing on social media platforms under well-lit conditions. However, camera performance noticeably decreases in low-light environments.

Both cameras support video recording at up to 1080p resolution and 30 frames per second. The camera app features a user-friendly interface, offering various modes including Pro, Time lapse, Macro, Night, and Qr code, in addition to the basic camera modes.

Check out our sample photos below:

Sample Photo: Night Mode

Sample Photo: Macro Mode

Software, Battery

The ZTE Blade V40 Design runs on MyOS 12, which is based on the Android 12 platform. Powering the device is a 4500 mAh battery, providing ample battery capacity. Furthermore, it supports 22.5W fast charging for quick replenishment of the battery through wired connections. The device also incorporates AI technology for battery conservation and optimization, thus enhancing the overall battery performance.

In our battery and charging tests, the device displayed decent performance. It restored 50% battery capacity within a span of 52 minutes, while a complete recharge took 1 hour and 52 minutes. Additionally, during our PCMark battery life test, the device delivered a total runtime of 13 hours and 8 minutes.

Conclusion

The ZTE Blade V40 Design is a very capable handset below Php 8K price point. It offers an impressive combination of style, performance, and value in one package. Budget-conscious consumers will enjoy the phone's vibrant display, capable camera system, and sleek design.

While it could not match other flagship features and performance, it still offers an excellent value for its price. The ZTE Blade V40 Design is a very good smartphone for those seeking good value without compromising style and overall performance.

ZTE Blade V40 Design Specs

• 6.6-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display, 1080x2408p, 20:9 aspect ratio, 400ppi, waterdrop notch
• Unisoc Tiger T616 SoC
• 2x 2GHz Cortex-A75 + 6x 1.8GHz Cortex-A55 CPU
• Mali-G57 MP1 GPU
• 4GB RAM
• 128GB Storage
• Dedicated microSD card Slot + Dual SIM
• Triple rear cameras:
• (1) 50MP f/1.8 wide with PDAF
• (2) 2MP f/2.4 macro
• (3) 2MP f/2.4 depth
• Video @ 1080p 30fps
• 8MP wide front camera
• LED Flash, HDR, Panorama, Night Mode
• 4G / LTE
• WLAN, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC
• USB Type C 2.0
• 3.5-mm Audio Jack
• Side Mounted Fingerprint Sensor
• Android 12 with MyOS 12
• 4500 mAh Battery with 22.5W Charging
• Sky Blue and Starry Black
• Php 7,999 Official Price