Asus has recently launched its third generation smartphone, the ZenFone 3 in the Indian market. Flaunting its striking metal design and powerful specs, the Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) is a stunner like its predecessors. We got to spend a few days with the phone and here’s what we think about it. Read on to find out Asus ZenFone 3 review entailing details on its design, camera, hardware specs, performance and more.
Asus ZenFone 3 Review:
Here is Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) review:
Design
The Asus ZenFone 3 flaunts its glass and metal design which looks very elegant. The phone features 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 panels at the front as well as on the back which are complimented by a striking metal frame around the edges. The smartphone has a multi-dimensional design that’s finished with a diamond-cut chamfer. It has a concentric circle pattern at the back which looks splendid.
On the front, it features a full HD display with thin bezels. Above the display, there lies an earpiece along with an 8 mega pixel front shooter and sensor. There are three touch capacitive buttons below the display, for back, home and menu functions.
The right edge of the phone houses volume rockers and power button which offer great feedback.
Hybrid SIM slot is located on the left edge.
On the bottom, you will find a USB Type-C port along with microphone and speaker grill.
The 3.5mm audio jack is placed at the top.
Most interesting element of ZenFone 3’s design is the captivating concentric pattern at the back. On the rear, there is a primary camera alongside laser autofocus and LED flash. Below the camera module, you will find fingerprint sensor and Asus branding.
It has side profile of 7.7mm thickness and feels very comfortable to hold. This aesthetically pleasing phone impresses us with its stunning design and how comfortable it feels to hold. Luxurious design is certainly one of the strong points of this phone.
Display
It features a 5.5-inch full HD display with 1080p resolution and Corning Gorilla glass protection. The screen is sharp and bright and the viewing angles and sunlight legibility of display are also great. The screen is sharp and crisp and it is a pleasure to read and watch videos.
Camera
Optics include a 16 mega pixel rear camera and an 8 mega pixel front facing camera. The primary camera of the ZenFone 3 is accompanied by dual LED flash, laser auto focus, Phase detection Auto Focus, OIS and EIS. Both OIS and EIS features ensure blur-free shots and videos. It comes with Sony IMX298 sensor, six-element Largan lens with a large f/2.0 aperture. All this is protected against scratches and damage by sapphire glass. It features Tri-tech or three focus technologies for variable distance and lighting that achieve fast focus in just 0.03 seconds. It also features PixelMaster 3.0 and comes with plethora of modes like beautification mode, super resolution mode, advanced light mode, selfie panorama mode, HDR and more.
With the Super Resolution Mode, users can create a super-high resolution 64 mega pixel photos with exceptional clarity and detailing and less noise. The low light mode comes for aid in dim and dark conditions by producing impressively clear shots.
Another talking point of ZenFone 3 optics is Sony DTI or Deep Trench Isolation technology that produces very fine and clear photo details. Also onboard is Color Correction sensor that produces images with natural and accurate colors. The primary camera of the ZenFone 3 supports 4K video recording and the front camera has 1080p video recording capabilities.
As for camera quality and clarity, the ZenFone 3 takes good shots in well lit as well as low lighting conditions. The color reproduction as well as detailing of the images taken with both front and rear cameras are great. It produces very detailed and crisp images. Here are some samples taken with the ZenFone 3:
Hardware & Performance
It packs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor paired with Adreno 506 GPU and 4GB of RAM. It houses 64GB of internal storage and supports expandable storage using microSD card. We tested the ZenFone 3 and got score of around 61500 points.
Navigating through the home screen, launching apps, everything feels very smooth on this device. It handles moderate to heavy gaming with ease and there were no signs of lags, stutters or heating issues that we noticed. The multitasking and gaming performance of the ZenFone 3 is very impressive. If you are a light user or a heavy user, this phone will manage to handle everything you throw at it.
Software
On software front, it runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system wrapped under Zen UI 3.0. It comes with some pre-installed bloatware. There is a Mobile Manager feature onboard, which clears the RAM and provides other features as well to maintain a proper balance of power efficiency and performance.
Besides there are a lot of modes and features that ZenUI 3.0 offers. It is loaded with tonnes of themes and customization options. It comes with Easy mode which provides intuitive interface with simplified layout and core functions and Kids mode that provides a safe interface during the use of the phone by kids.
There is a Theme store that has a collection of hundreds of themes. Users can also create their own theme. The Zen UI 3.0 also offers parallax motion effect that constructs wallpaper in multiple layers for vivid visual experience. The booster feature allows users broadcast their game-play live via YouTube or Twitch. It also comes with numerous gesture based sensors or ZenMotion gestures like double tap to turn off screen, double tap to wake up screen, draw alphabets to open different apps and more. All in all, the interface of the phone is clean, intuitive and user friendly.
Battery & Connectivity
Powering the phone is a 3000mAh battery which easily lasts for a day on moderate usage. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type-C.
Fingerprint Sensor
It comes with a very fast and accurate fingerprint sensors on the back for additional security.
Price
It carries a price tag of Rs. 27,999.
Verdict
The Asus ZenFone 3 is a great flagship smartphone that offer premium design, rich display, great camera combination, long lasting battery and more. It is has all the ingredients of a high-end smartphone. If you are looking for a an aesthetically appealing smartphone with powerful specs, intuitive UI and good camera combination, then the ZenFone 3 is worth putting your stake on.
Also Read: Asus ZenFone 3 vs OnePlus 3 Comparison
