At Computex, which is the biggest tech fair in Asia, Asus took the wraps off three new shiny Zenfones. The rest of the smartphone market better take notice. Why? Because these devices pack an awesome lot of power, and (to borrow an observation from Engadget) sport the kind of elegance that used to be the domain of flagship phones costing twice as much.
1. Zenfone 3 Deluxe
First to be unveiled was the Zenfone Deluxe. Like a lot of new phones coming out right now, this handset has an aluminum unibody and rounded edges. But you also need to give credit to Asus for adding a bit of their touch to this now familiar look.
While other phones still show antenna bands around the back, Asus was able to hide the antenna on its new Zenfones, thus giving them a cleaner and more elegant feel. One glance at this handset lets you know that this phone is clearly aiming for the higher end of the market. And yet it’s price of just US$499, or roughly P24,000, is just almost just half the price of major flagship phones.
Zenfone 3 Deluxe Specs
Screen: 5.7 in, 1080x1920, Super AMOLED
Platfrom: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, Android Marshmallow
Memory: Max of 6GB
Camera: Main - 23MP, f2.0, 4K video
Front - 8MP, f2.0, 1080p video
Connectivity: LTE, HSPA
Battery: 3000mAh non-removable
Other Features: USB type C, Fingerprint scanner, up to 256GB storage
Colors: Silver, Gray, Gold
Announced price: Starts at US$499
Asus also made some significant upgrades to the screen. The Zenfone Deluxe sports a 5.7-inch Super Amoled Full HD screen. The screen is gorgeous, with colors and contrasts that hang in there with the best that the Koreans, Japanese and Cupertino have to offer.
The design may look familiar, but the phone’s guts definitely push the envelope. The top-end Zenfone Deluxe boasts of a monstrous 6GB of RAM. That is probably more RAM than you’ll ever need for day to day tasks, and effectively future-proofs your phone against whatever memory-hogging app that may arrive in Google Play. Console-level gaming, video-editing, professional photo-editing all become possible on this phone.
Speaking of photos, Asus also leveled up the camera of the Zenfone Deluxe. My main complaint with the previous generation of Zenfones was that they took photos that were just OK -- not exceptional or bad, but just OK. The Zenfone Deluxe aims to change all that.
Asus has placed a huge 23MP Sony sensor into the camera of the Zenfone Deluxe. To keep images blur-free, Asus also put a 4-axis optical image stabilization into the Deluxe and complemented this with electronic image stabilization. Strangely though, Asus kept an f2.0 lens on the primary camera of the Zenfone Deluxe. This seems odd given that other high- end smartphones are already using much more superior f1.8 and f1.7 lenses.
The Zenfone Deluxe also packs in a slew of other technologies like phase detection and continuous autofocus into its camera. Llike a lot of high end smartphones right now, the Deluxe can also shoot smooth 4K video thanks to all the other hardware enhancements.
Some of the pictures and videos taken with the Deluxe during the demo at Computex were pretty impressive, but it remains to be seen whether Asus’ foray into the higher end category can keep up with the best phone cameras right now. I can’t wait to get my hands on a review unit and see if the hype lives up to the reality.
Other hardware improvements include a fingerprint sensor, quick charging capabilities, and a USB 3.0 Type-C connector for faster charging and file transfers. And if you really like shooting 4K video, you’re not likely to run out of space as the top end Deluxe will give you 256GB of stage.
2. Zenfone 3
Next to be introduced was the Zenfone 3, the heir to the very successful Zenfone 2 from last year.
This variant does not have the aluminum unibody construction of the Deluxe. Instead it uses Gorilla Glass 2.5D in the front and rear. The glass also gently curves to edges of the phone, giving it a very refined look. Make no mistake about it, this phone feels very premium despite its US$299 or P14,000 tag, which is almost ridiculous.
Zenfone 3 Specs
Screen: 5.5 in, 1080x1920, Super IPS+
Platfrom: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Android Marshmallow
Memory: Max of 4GB
Camera: Main - 16MP, f2.0, 4K video
Front - 8MP, f2.0, 1080p video
Connectivity: LTE, HSPA
Battery: 3000mAh non-removable
Other Features: USB Type C, Fingerprint scanner
Colors: Silver, Black, Blue, Gold
Announced price: Starts at US$299
It also uses the same camera technologies found in the Deluxe, but with a smaller 16MP sensor. Other than that, the Zenfone 3 shares virtually the same specs with the Deluxe, except for the processor and the RAM which has been bumped down to just 4GB to make it more affordable for the mid-end market.
3. Zenfone 3 Ultra
Last to be introduced at Computex was the Zenfone Ultra, a 6.8-inch “phone.” Based on the size alone, you could surmise that this phablet is more tablet than phone, and unless you have palms as big asShaq’s, you will need both hands to use it.
Zenfone Ultra Specs
Screen: 6.8 in, IPS, 1080x1920
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, Android Marshmallow
Memory: Max of 4GB
Camera: Main - 23MP, f2.0, 4K video
Front - 8MP, f2.0, 1080p video
Connectivity: LTE, HSPA
Battery: 4600 mAh
Other Features: 7.1 DTS Surround Sound, Powerbank function, USB Type C, Fingerprint scanner
Colors: Silver, Gray, Pink
Personally, I am not a big fan of Godzilla phones. But Asus says that it is not aiming the Ultra for casual users like me, but for multimedia lovers, or people who want to watch movies and play games on the go.
Like the Deluxe, the Ultra also sports a sleek aluminum unibody design. It also has a 23MP camera and most of the hardware specs of the Deluxe except for the processor and the RAM, which was also bumped down to a max of 4GB.
But Asus also gave the Ultra a lot of enhancements that make it veritable multimedia workhorse.
They made the Ultra’s full HD screen extra bright. The company claims that the Ultra’s images remain clear and bright even under direct sunlight. At the Computex demo, the Ultra sat next to an iPhone 6s Plus and both phones placed under a bright white LED light. The Zenfone Ultra’s screen remained clear and bright while the iPhone could barely be seen. It will be interesting to get hold of this phone and test its claims in real world conditions when it comes out.
The Ultra also boasts of really good audio. I was able to try it using Skullcandy headphones at the Asus booth in Computex, and they weren’t kidding when they said the Ultra could pump out excellent 7.1 surround sound to your eardrums. If you like watching movies on the go, this is one phablet you definitely need to consider. And this monster phablet starts at just US$479 or around P22,000.
Gadget aficionados, however, will have to wait a few more weeks to get their hands on these new models. Asus expects to bring these new Zenfones into the Philippine market around August.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
