Things are heating up in the Smart-Phone segment with many manufacturers entering into the sub 15K~ 20K range. The latest to join the bandwagon is ASUS with it’s latest model – ZenFone 2. The much awaited ASUS Zenfone 2 would be launched in India & like other companies, the model would be available exclusively on Flipkart from 23rd April. The phone would be officially launched by the
We have a look at some of the interesting facets of the ASUS ZenFone 2 including it’s price.
Design
ASUS has followed the same design principle used in ZenFone 5. ZenFone 2 has a highly-intuitive control layout, incorporating a physical rear key as part of the new Ergonomic Arc design. The ZenFone 2, with its curved back and thinnest edge measuring just 3.9 mm, is designed to comfortably fit your palm for ultimate comfort without sacrificing style – the back cover features an exquisite hairline design with a metallic finish. The back comes with a metallic cover.
The added rear key helps the user to perform naive functions like changing volume-control etc. using the index finger. Considering that “selfie” has become a part of every smart phone user’s life, the added rear key gives added comfort to take selfie’s 🙂
Though the back-cover is removable, user cannot replace the battery. There are dual-sim slots & a single micro-sd card slot.
Design features in a nut-shell
- Premium Color Options
- Ergonomics Arc Design
- 72% Screen-To-Body Ratio
- Rear Key for Convenient Access
Hardware
The phone is powered by Intel Quad Core 64-bit Atom Z3580 with PowerVR Series 6 G6430 GPU. The device sports 5.5 inch LED backlit IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3 and Anti-Fingerprint Coating. The resolution is 1920*1080 px which makes display very sharp & vivid. It has 4GB LPDDR3 RAM which makes the performance fast & snappy !!!
It comes in 3 variants:16 GB/32 GB/64 GB & has 13MP Rear Camera. It has 5MP Front Camera for selfie lovers. It has WiFi, BT 4.0 & AGPS. The phone has mammoth 3000mAh batery that has support for “Fast-Charging”.
It weighs 170 gm [Dimensions – 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9-3.9mm]
Performance in a nut-shell
- Intel Atom Z3580/Z3560 64-bit Processor
- BoostMaster Fast-Charging Technology
- Dual Active SIM
- LTE Cat 4 connectivity
PixelMaster
- World’s best Low-Light Mode
- World’s Best HDR Mode
- Beautification mode and Panorama Modes
Display & Camera
The ASUS ZenFone 2 packs a Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS display complemented by an ultra-thin bezel. The 403 PPI is more than any phone in its price range and provides for an ultra-sharp viewing experience and a brightness of 400 nits ensures that you can see the screen in even the brightest of days.
Camera is one of the most critical features in any smart phone & ASUS has coined the term “PixelMaster” term to reference the suite of camera features provided with ASUS Smartphones. ASUS provides 16 different built-in picture modes to allow the user the most amount of flexibility in the pursuit of the perfect shot. PixelMaster on the ZenFone 2 include the world’s best low-light and HDR modes.
ASUS ZenFone2 camera has Auto-Suggestion feature that recognizes the current environment & suggests preset’s to capture the best moment. It also has Try-It option. ASUS claims that the ZenFone 2 captures best images in Low-Light mode compared the competitors in the same price segment.
ASUS PixelMaster intelligently adjusts noise-level, color and contrast automatically. Smart Pixel Merging and Pixel Perfecting results in 400% better light sensitivity, 400% noise reduction, and a 400% increase in contrast.
It also has best oriented pictures for capturing the best shots. Super Resolution Mode allows you to maximize your camera’s ability. ASUS PixelMaster makes it possible to use the 13MP rear camera in order to take images with up to 4X more clarity, up to 52MP, by extracting a high-resolution image from multiple lower-resolution images of the same subject.
ASUS ZenFone 2 Variants
The ZenFone 2 comes with two variants – ZE500CL & ZE550ML. ZE500CL is tagged as an “entry level” ZenFone 2 & would come with a price-tag of Rs. 12,000. ZenFone 2 ZE551ML is tagged as “top-end” model & would come with a promotional price of Rs. 20,100.
Zen UI & Zen Motion
ASUS has optimized the Android experience through its custom ZenUI to provide a simple, direct, and unique look that can be modified to each user’s liking. It has made an excellent attempt to follow the “Material Design” principles and same is visible from it’s UI.
Double tapping on the phone takes the device out of suspend-mode. ASUS has focused a lot on usability side & Zen Motion ensures that the user’s reach to their favorite apps using Gesture Control shortcuts [C – Launch Camera, B – Launch Browser, e – Launch Email]. The phone comes with a Kids-Mode [where user can manage app list for kids, control time they spend on phone etc.]. Like other phones, like comes with an Easy-Mode that would come in handy when the device is running out of battery !!!
Verdict & Availability
ASUS Zenfone 2 is a superb phone in the price segment where it competes with the Moto G, Huawei Honor 6 Plus amongst others. But given that it sports 4GB RAM & 64 bit CPU, that would definitely add a great amount of juice to the performance. Definitely a phone that every user would be eager to buy !!!
ASUS ZenFone 2 would be launched on 23rd April & would be available exclusively on Flipkart.
To know more about the device, please visit the ASUS India FB Fan Page or visit ASUS ZenFone 2 link
