The under-screen camera has long been touted as the next step in smartphone technology to help keep the display free of interruptions such as a notch or punch-hole.

ZTE claims to be the first that will get one to market, with the Axon 20 5G, as proclaimed by Ni Fei, the company's president of mobile devices, on Chinese social media site Weibo.

So when is it due? On 1 September, a follow-up company teaser revealed, is when we'll find out the full ins and outs about this device.

Now it's far from the first time we've heard about under-screen camera technology. Back in May 2020 there was a smattering of such news: the Huawei Mate 40 is rumoured to feature such a solution; Xiaomi patented a way to deliver such technology. Then in June Oppo showed off its version

ZTE racing to the finish line is very much a statement of intent. It's a huge brand - but not one with full international reach at present. So to be first across the line sure will be a way to make everyone look on with interest.

So what else do we know about the Axon 20 5G? Not much. 5G connectivity is a given, of course, but there's no additional specification, release date or price. The image up top does show off the camera-free front face though.

We'll be keeping eyes peeled to see what ZTE puts out into the world on its 1 September launch event, as 2021 is very likely to be the year of the under-screen camera phone.