Asus zenfone 3 zoom camera test

The new ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (ZE553KL) has become, according to the manufacturer, the company's most advanced camera phone with a dual sensor. Excellent photos with amazing light sensitivity, good functionality and a capacious battery for only 29,990 rubles. Sounds good! So let's take a closer look at the device...

Specifications (ZE553KL)

• Display: 5.5" (68 mm x 122 mm), capacitive multi-touch, AMOLED, Full HD resolution (1920x1080), 500 nits, 403 ppi. Protective glass - Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with rounded edges (2.5D)
• operating system: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with ASUS ZenUI 3.0 shell (an update to Android 7.0 is expected soon).
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (8x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 2016MHz) with clock frequency up to 2 GHz, energy saving technology FinFET LPP (Low Power Plus).
• Video processor: Adreno 506.
• Random access memory (RAM): 4 GB.
• Internal memory(ROM): 64 GB.
• Memory card: microSD (card capacity up to 2 TB) - instead of the second Sim.
• SIM: 2 Nano-SIM (alternate operation) or 1 Nano-Sim + microSD.
• Main camera (dual): main sensor(Sony IMX362) - 12 MP, wide-angle lens with a focal length of 25 mm and f/1.7, 6 lenses, support for ASUS SuperPixel technology, minimum focusing distance - 10 cm; additional sensor- 12 MP, focal length - 59 mm, f/2.6, 5 lenses, 2.3x optical zoom; triple autofocus ASUS TriTech+ (improved phase detection Dual Pixel, tracking or laser 2nd generation), dual LED flash, RGB sensor, optical stabilization for photos and electronic stabilization for video. Supports RAW format, 4K/Ultra-HD video.
• Front camera: 13 MP PixelMaster 3.0, 5-element Largan lens with f/2.0 aperture, Sony IMX214 sensor.
• Audio: 5-magnet speaker with Smart AMP, dual microphones with noise-canceling technology, VoLTE, DTS Headphone:X technology with virtual multi-channel stereo sound, support for high-definition audio (Hi-Res Audio) in 192 kHz/24-bit format. Headset included.
• Communications: GSM, 4G LTE Cat7/4, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, access point mode, WCDMA (800/850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz), Bluetooth 4.2.
• Navigation: GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BDSS.
• Ports: micro-USB Type-C 2.0, mini-jack 3.5 mm.
• Sensors: accelerometer, ambient light sensor, e-compass, gyroscope, IR port, proximity sensor.
• Other functions: voice dialing, voice control, flight mode, flashlight.
• Fingerprint scanner: on the back panel.
• Battery: 5,000 mAh (non-removable, lithium-ion) + mobile battery mode for charging other devices.
• Dimensions: 154.3 x 77 x 7.99 mm.
• Weight: 170 g.
• Case materials: metal (anodized aluminum), glass.
• Color: dark blue (black)/ silver / rose gold.
• Contents: smartphone, USB cable – micro-USB Type-C 2.0, network adapter (5V – 2A / 9V – 2A), wired headset, operating instructions and warranty card.
• Cost at the time of testing: from 29,990 rubles.
• Announcement: February 2017 (on sale in the Russian Federation - from March 7).

Equipment

Appearance

The official color of our sample is called “dark blue”, but it is more likely to be perceived as black. Only under certain types of lighting does a blue tint creep in.

The oblong module of the main camera just ends up with one half on the metal and the other on the plastic. The lenses are protected by separate glass, which rises about a millimeter above the surface. Below is the camera and related sensors.

On the left side there is a tray for Sim / microSD. On the left are the power button and volume rocker, gleaming with corrugated metal. On the top edge there is only a point for an additional microphone, on the bottom (from left to right) there is a headphone jack, a conversational microphone, a micro-USB Type-C connector and a speaker grille.

As for the aesthetic component, this smartphone does not catch the eye. The device looks as simple and utilitarian as possible, but any photographer will confirm: it is better for the camera (in our case, a camera phone) not to attract unnecessary attention to itself - this way you can take more lively and natural shots.

Display

The screen brightness can be selected manually, but it is more convenient to rely on the automatic setting - it quickly and adequately responds to changes in illumination. Colors and saturation can also be selected in a separate menu section.

In the “Super Color” mode, the capabilities of AMOLED are maximized: the image is bright, saturated, contrasty - simply super. Here you can rely on automation or set up the necessary color temperature. The “blue filter” allows you to remove radiation harmful to the eyes, making it convenient for reading. The “Standard” mode produces an average image, which after “Super Color” appears faded... but it saves battery. “Custom mode” gives you the greatest freedom of action: you choose temperature, color, saturation. You can even display the image in monochrome.

Cameras

• increased size of individual pixels (1.4 microns) - for better light sensitivity and reduced grain when shooting in low light conditions;
• in fact, the ASUS SuperPixel software and hardware complex itself, which increases the camera’s light sensitivity up to 4 times due to intelligent ISO selection during shooting, as well as noise elimination during post-processing.

The main 12-megapixel camera has a wide-angle lens with a focal length of 25 mm and a large aperture (f/1.7). This design is optimal for shooting everyday scenes (even in low light conditions), as well as for macro photography (minimum focusing distance is 10 cm).

The second camera has a similar resolution (12 MP), but its focal length is 59 mm. The 2.3x optical zoom is designed for close-up photography (portraits). The interface allows you to instantly switch between them, as well as use them in combination: such a combo gives better depth of field and allows you to create a bokeh effect, like on a professional camera.

The dual camera works well in standard mode, adequately selecting settings for specific conditions. By touching the screen with your finger, you can specify the focus point and, if necessary, adjust the exposure using the slider that appears next to the “sight”. Above the shutter there is a zoom icon, which allows you to select 2.3x optical zoom (without loss of quality) and 5x software zoom (it is already noisy and significantly loses sharpness).

Click on the “cubes” icon in the lower left corner and get to the modes menu. The camera's functionality is quite wide and unusual, so most of them may be unfamiliar to the average user.

What else is interesting? Smart Remove is brilliant if you want to take, say, a beautiful view across the road: it combines multiple shots to allow you to remove fast-moving objects. Typically, this effect can be achieved using a tripod and Photoshop. “Children” is a godsend for young parents... and owners of active pets. If you do not have time to press the shutter button in time, the automation will do it for you. This mode also has a selection of funny sounds. Probably to attract the attention of the restless model. The flirtatious “Smile” mode quickly takes a series of 5 photos, allowing you to choose a compromise option where everyone involved likes you. “Selfie” also helps you take a successful group shot blindly (with the main camera): it needs to be set in advance how many people to “catch”, and the automation will click only when it detects everyone in the frame.

Closing the list of modes are “Slow motion” and “Slow motion”. Both are excellent. They mean diametrically opposite things, but because of the consonant names you always get confused: the first mode makes a slow-mo video, the second, on the contrary, reproduces what was shot in high-speed mode.

Slow motion

Slow Motion

In addition to numerous modes, the camera interface has a menu, a settings menu (“gear”), where you can select comfortable shooting parameters.

The functionality of the front camera is quite wide: you can also take panoramas, GIFs and videos of various types. There is no flash here, but instead the smartphone uses screen backlighting. A user-friendly interface allows you to take pictures with a timer.

Portrait enhancement

Photo from ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom

OS and interface

In addition to what it already has, the phone periodically advises expanding its ecosystem. There are some useful suggestions (for example, Share Link).

In general, the ASUS ZenUI 3.0 shell pleases with good functionality and useful applications. The design and decoration, of course, are not for everyone, but otherwise there is nothing to complain about. And as a bonus, Google gives additional gigabytes for 2 years to disk users. Nice.

Iron

The recently released Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom smartphone offers good performance, a durable battery and a dual camera at a price 2-3 times less than its competitors. I tested it for a week and here is my opinion.

There's no style or originality to the design of the ZenFone 3 Zoom - the bezels are wide, there are capacitive Android buttons, and the edges are rounded to emulate the iPhone.

The fingerprint scanner is located on the top of the back of the phone and is difficult to reach with the finger of the hand holding the smartphone. In addition to the two main camera sensors, a strip of flashes and sensors attract attention.

At 77mm wide and almost 8mm thick, the new Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom is roughly the same size as the HTC U11 - but the thicker bezels make the Asus phone feel larger.

What's included

• USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable
• Charger 5V/2A
• Headphones headset
• SIM Card Removal Tool
• User Guide
• Warranty card
• Transparent case

Size Comparison Chart

Average quality screen

U Asus phone ZenFone 3 Zoom has a 5.5-inch colorful AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080p. It's not impressive, although that's normal for a mid-range phone. The contrast here is very high.

The image looks good if you turn on the Super Color function - in normal mode colors are too pale and color rendering is inaccurate. The screen is not bright enough, and what’s even worse is that in manual mode you can’t even set the brightness to maximum.

Screen comparison

Software

Asus has made several changes to the stock Android interface. Particularly interesting is the colorful quick settings panel with many controls and application shortcuts.

Despite the fresh approach to design, the functions of the Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom are standard: changing the theme, clearing RAM, managing gestures. Generally, user interface It’s not bad, but it’s not worth buying a smartphone just for it.

Processor and memory

Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 625 strikes a balance between high performance and economical energy consumption. For testing, I chose a model with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage; there are also Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom configurations with 4/64 GB. In the benchmark test, 3 Zoom showed performance on par with the Moto Z2 Play and BlackBerry KEYone.

Performance tests

Connections and communication

ZenFone 3 Zoom has all the standard connectivity options, including USB connector Type-C and IR port - like most other smartphones. It is surprising that there is an FM receiver for listening to music for free.

ZenFone 3 Zoom Camera

The Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom camera consists of a 12-megapixel main sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2.3x optical zoom - with this ZenFone 3 Zoom lives up to its name.

Asus offers a new TriTech+ system with dual-pixel phase tracking, tracking and laser focusing. The system automatically selects best method focusing. In low light, the main camera's image stabilizer and wide aperture f/1.7 are used, although this does not help in the dark, the quality drops and noise appears.

There are many shooting modes available in the ZenFone 3 Zoom camera app, but they don't work perfectly. If you press the 1.0x button in zoom mode, the value will change to 2.3x - to return to standard you will have to go to 5.0x using optical zoom. But, often the camera application of the Asus smartphone is slow - you can zoom in 2.3 times, but the display will display it at 1.0x.

In video mode, the Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom supports resolutions up to 4K, offering various frame rate and stabilization options. The video seems too dark during the shooting process, you cannot switch between the wide-angle camera and the telephoto lens, you have to select the zoom mode in advance or use digital zoom.

Multimedia and call quality

The speaker in ZenFone 3 Zoom is quite loud, the only problem is with bass reproduction. When you connect headphones, the DTS Headphone:X application automatically opens - the default sound quality is mediocre, but improves slightly after manual settings. Pseudo-volume effects leave much to be desired.

Speaker Volume Comparison Chart

Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom battery

Besides the dual camera, the main feature of the ZenFone 3 Zoom is its impressive 5000 mAh battery. This type of battery is rarely found on phones, especially those with relatively compact bodies.

The combination of a powerful battery and an energy-intensive processor provides at least 12 hours of operation with the screen continuously on. Full recharging takes more than 3 hours, and the included 5V/2A adapter does not support fast charging technology.

Battery life comparison

Bottom line

The dual camera and giant battery were supposed to be the advantage of the Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom, but they were a bit disappointing. Although, if you ignore Asus’ promises and evaluate it overall, this is a good smartphone with decent performance, a good camera and long battery life.

ZenFone 3 Zoom is nothing surprising, and costs about $400 (RUR 23,500), not cheap, but it is well worth its price.

Advantages of Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom

• Very durable battery
• Fair price
• Functional dual camera

Disadvantages of ZenFone 3 Zoom

• Flawed camera app
• Speaker sound is disappointing
• Lack of water resistance
• Unremarkable design

Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom smartphone - video review

If you find an error, the video does not work, please select a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

ASUS is now in full swing looking for its “I” in the smartphone market. The company, which has long been at the forefront of Intel's entry into the world of mobile platforms, is now left to its own devices - and continues to develop the rather nice Zenfone family, which has recently received other “hearts”, Qualcomm. The number of modifications has not decreased because of this: along with the market there is a huge, premium, inexpensive, Zenfone 3 Max with a capacious battery, as well as Zenfone Go - the most budget-friendly of all.

At least there are no questions about the direction of ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom - this is not the first smartphone in the history of the Taiwanese company with optical zoom, but the first with a dual camera. was too bulky, expensive and more like a point-and-shoot camera with smartphone functionality. The new Zoom tried to combine a phone with current characteristics with a capacious battery (5000 mAh) with a very serious camera (dual 12-megapixel module with a 2.3x zoom option). And this time at an affordable price - at the start of sales, Zenfone 3 Zoom is asking 30,000 rubles.

⇡ Technical specifications

⇡ Appearance, ergonomics, software

The third generation of Zenfone turned out to be quite successful overall: the original model with a Snapdragon 625 on board looks very good in its segment “for just twenty thousand rubles.” The rather nice design of the model played a significant role in this. But he nevertheless has one problem that affects the entire family at once. By abandoning the traditional key for the series on the rear panel of the case, ASUS has sharply reduced the recognition of its Zenphones.

Here comes the Zenfone 3 Zoom - on the one hand, it really looks like a regular “three”, but on the other hand, to notice this, you need to look at them side by side and notice the similarities. The series has lost its family features in favor of the classic ergonomics of a modern Android smartphone: an inseparable pair of keys (power and volume control) on the right edge and a fingerprint scanner recessed into the body on the rear panel. To this in Zoom are added the extremely relevant two lenses of the main camera, combined into a block in the upper left corner of the same rear panel. To decorate the Zenfone 3 Zoom, very pleasant colors are used - dim, but also non-standard: along with silver, these are dark blue (like our test) and soft pink.

It’s difficult to say what exactly was the reason for this - the characteristics of the optics or the stabilizer built into the wide-angle lens, but the camera block protrudes slightly above the body, which is already not too thin (8 mm). There's nothing scary about this - just be careful with your phone when you put it on its back. However, the lenses are still covered with protective glass; they are not easy to scratch.

ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom, rear panel: in the upper left corner there is a block with two lenses protruding above the body, below it there is a dual LED flash and a laser autofocus assistant; below is a fingerprint scanner

The body is made of metal, and the front panel is completely covered tempered glass Gorilla Glass 5 - more resistant to falls from heights than its predecessors, but collects small scratches. Carrying a smartphone in your pocket along with coins and keys is definitely not worth it. The build quality is respectable - everything is smooth and neat.

ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom, bottom edge: mono speaker, microphone, USB Type-C port and mini-jack

ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom weighs 170 grams - quite normal for a device with a 5.5-inch display and a battery of five thousand milliamp-hours. But it doesn’t have ultra-thin bezels around the screen - I couldn’t use the smartphone with one hand; I had to shift it in my hand every now and then.

ZF3 Zoom is a potential hit in the mid-price segment. This is a smartphone in which the main emphasis is placed on what many brands seem to have begun to forget about - photo quality and battery life.

You can find out whether this device is really that good in comparison with others and whether it’s worth buying by reading our review of Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom.

Price and main characteristics

Zenfone 3 Zoom went on official sale at the beginning of March. The device is available in various modifications with 3/4 RAM and 32/64/128 GB of main memory; the current cost of the Rostest smartphone in version 64/4 is 30 thousand rubles.

There are three color versions of the device – black, pink and silver.

Specifications

• display: 5.5”, Super-AMOLED FHD 1920*1080 px;
• processor: Snapdragon 625 + Adreno 510 graphics accelerator;
• RAM: 3/4 GB;
• internal memory: 32/64/128 GB expandable with micro SD cards up to 2 TB;
• camera: main – dual module 12+12 MP (Sony IMX362, f/1.7, hybrid autofocus, 4K video, optical zoom), front – 13 MP (Sony IMX214, f/2.0);
• communication: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, LTE, USB-C;
• battery: 5000 mAh.

The characteristics are decent even taking into account the obviously inflated price at the start of sales.

Equipment and appearance

Zenfone 3 Zoom comes in a nice, hard cardboard box. Together with the smartphone we receive a charging adapter, a USB-C cable, a wired headset (vacuum headphones of very good quality) and a USB-OTG adapter, with which you can not only connect a variety of external devices to the phone, but also use it as a power bank to recharge other electronics.

The Zenfone 3 Zoom case is made in the corporate style of Asus, the front panel of the smartphone can be confused with the ZF3 Max and Laser - the same rounded corners, sloping edges due to 2.5D glass, touch control keys under the screen.

The build quality is first class. The device feels monolithic, it has no creaks, no backlashes and pleases with the excellent fit of the body parts to each other. The main part of the rear panel is made of metal, but there are plastic inserts for antennas at the top and bottom. Plastic has the same color and texture as metal, and at first glance it is not even obvious that the materials are somehow different.

The back cover of the smartphone is matte, in its upper part there is the main feature of the Zenfone 3 Zoom - a dual camera, the design approach to which is clearly borrowed from the iPhone 7 Plus. Next to the camera there is a block of dual LED flash, which shines very brightly, and a laser autofocus rangefinder.

The fingerprint scanner works correctly, but not record-breakingly fast: pressing and unlocking the screen are separated by noticeable fractions of a second, but the accuracy of the responses reaches 100%.

The arrangement of buttons and functional elements is standard. On the right is a paired volume rocker and power button, on the left is a hybrid card tray, at the bottom is a 3.5 mm jack, a USB-C port and an acoustic speaker grille.

With an impressive battery capacity of 5000 mAh, the Zenfone 3 Zoom is only 8 mm thick and weighs 160 grams. The ergonomics of the smartphone are excellent; due to the rounded edges of the body, it is comfortable to hold in your hand, and the matte back cover is very pleasant tactilely.

Screen

The 5.5’’ Super-AMOLED screen with Full HD resolution has a standard pixel density of 401 ppi. The picture is sharp and clear, with detail, as well as color rendition, everything is excellent. Viewing angles are maximum. The Zenfone 3 Zoom screen may not be liked only by those who prefer academically correct color reproduction - the colors here are oversaturated, but you should understand that this is a characteristic feature of all AMOLED-type matrices.

The maximum screen brightness level is 500 nits, along with the presence of a good anti-glare coating, this ensures excellent readability of the display in bright conditions. sunlight. There is an oleophobic layer, of very decent quality - your finger glides across the screen much better than on budget devices, and the display itself is practically not covered with greasy stains.

The quality of the Zenfone 3 Zoom screen can be compared with older devices from the Galaxy A line - it is not amazing, but overall it is good and does not cause any complaints even among demanding users.

Performance

The performance of the smartphone is driven by the Snapdragon 625 processor paired with the Adreno 506 video accelerator. The hardware platform is the same as the standard version of Zenfone 3, and it does not present any surprises - the smartphone works quickly, has no problems with multitasking, FHD/4K playback videos and heavy games. Games like NBA 2017, Asphalt 8 and Modern Combat with comfortable fps run on high graphics settings.

Everything is fine with heating; after half an hour of gaming, the smartphone remains barely warm. You can only complain about the occasional not-so-smooth interface rendering, but this is already a question of optimizing the proprietary Zen UI shell.

Camera

On paper, the Zenfone 3 Zoom's camera specifications are impressive. The smartphone is equipped with a paired SONY IMX362 module with f/1.7 aperture: one camera has wide-angle optics with a focal length of 25 mm, the second has a telescopic lens (56 mm), which performs the function of 2.3x optical zoom. Add here optical 4-axis stabilization, hybrid autofocus (laser + phase detection), powerful dual flash, the ability to shoot in RAW and record video in 4K and you will potentially get one of the best cameras among mobile devices.

The functionality of the standard camera application is also pleasing. In addition to a variety of shooting scenarios, it has an advanced manual mode in which you can adjust shutter speed (up to 32 seconds), ISO (up to 3200), adjust exposure and much more.

It is worth recognizing that Zenfone 3 Zoom lives up to the expectations placed on it. During the day he issues excellent quality shots, the optical zoom really works without any degradation of the image, and the laser focusing is amazing in its speed. In terms of picture quality, this smartphone is on par with most flagships of 2016, and due to the high-aperture optics, bokeh effects in the pictures are obtained without any software blur.

The front camera is flawless, the pictures are clear and pleasant in color, no worse than those taken with the main cameras of most middle-class Chinese.

In terms of video recording, the Zenfone 3 Zoom is also very decent - excellent detail and high-quality optical stabilization. When shooting at 4k/30fps and FHD/60 fps, there is slight twitching, but FHD/30fps records perfectly smoothly.

Speaker, sound quality

Lovers of high-quality sound will definitely be pleased with the Zenfone 3 Zoom. Despite the lack of stereo, the multimedia speaker produces very high-quality and surround sound with a high maximum volume level.

But the beauty of the ZF3 lies elsewhere. This is one of the few smartphones that hardware supports Hi-Res Audio 192 kHz / 24 bit playback. The device sounds just great in headphones, the sound is an order of magnitude cleaner, more detailed and more accurate than that of 80% of smartphones on the market.

Battery

Zenfone 3 Zoom has one of the thickest batteries in its class. 5000 mAh battery, paired with an energy efficient AMOLED display and a not particularly power-hungry processor provide a total of 2 days of operation in active load mode. In the Work 2.0 Battery Life test, we managed to achieve almost 16 hours of screen activity, which is a very impressive figure.

The smartphone supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology, but due to the large battery capacity, it cannot be called particularly fast. The included charger fully charges the battery in about 3 hours.

Communication and Internet

The smartphone has no problems with the quality of operator network reception and operation in 3G/LTE. Via Bluetooth 4.2, it works well with the Xiaomi MiBand 2 fitness tracker, and with the included USB-OTG adapter from Zenfone 3 Zoom, you can charge other portable devices.

Video review of Zenfone 3 Zoom

Competitors, conclusion

Zenfone 3 Zoom is an excellent smartphone in all respects. It is definitely worth considering for purchase if gaming performance is not what you care about first.

Advantages of ZF3 Zoom:

• excellent build quality and nice design;
• photo-video capabilities;
• impressive autonomy;
• sound in headphones and quality of the main speaker.

The only disadvantages include a slightly oversaturated screen and the proprietary Zen UI shell, which has good functionality, but its design, to put it mildly, is not for everyone.

It is difficult to find a direct competitor to the Zenfone 3 Zoom; smartphones with a camera of comparable quality will be inferior to it in terms of autonomy, and gadgets with a thick battery will be inferior to it in terms of camera performance. The only alternative is seen in the face, which can be purchased for 20-25 thousand rubles. If you sacrifice optical zoom and a little battery life, then it makes sense to pay attention to - also high-quality photos, an AMOLED screen and comparable performance. Price – from 25 thousand.

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Gadget Reviews

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It's time to consider ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (ZE553KL) - a smartphone with two main and one front cameras.

Yes, it’s the cameras (or rather, their quality, properties and abilities) - main feature device, making it a real camera phone.

The gadget was also equipped with bright, powerful hardware, a long-lasting 5,000 mAh battery... and other impressive parameters.

• Diagonal : 5.5 inches.
• Screen technology : AMOLED.
• Screen resolution : FHD (1920x1080).
• CPU : Qualcomm Snapdragon 625.
• Number of cores : 8 pcs.
• operating system : Android 6.0 with ASUS ZenUI 3.0.
• RAM : 4 GB.
• Built-in memory : 64 GB/128 GB + Google Drive 100GB free space (2 years).
• Memory card support : MicroSD (up to 2 TB) instead of a second SIM.
• SIM quantity : 2 SIM.
• Wireless technologies : 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi direct.
• Net : 2G, 3G (HSPA+, up to 42 Mbps), 4G LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150/50 Mbit/s); LTE-FDD: band 1/2/3/5/7/8/20.
• Main camera : 12 MP, f/1.7 aperture, SONY IMX362 sensor, 4-axis optical image stabilization (4 stops), 3-axis electronic image stabilization for shaky videos. 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 30fps video recording. ASUS Exclusive TriTech+ autofocus system with 0.03 instant focus.
• ZOOM camera : 12 MP, 12x total zoom, 2.3x optical zoom, focal length - 59 mm.
• Front camera : 13 MP, SONY IMX214 sensor, f/2.0 aperture, screen flash.
• Navigation : GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDSS.
• Battery : lithium-ion, non-removable, 5,000 mAh. It is possible to charge other devices via an OTG adapter.
• Dimensions : 154.3x77x8 mm.
• Weight : 170 gr.

Scope of delivery

At the top is the name of the device, on the left side and bottom there is nothing, on the top there is the manufacturer’s logo, on the right side there is a sticker showing the color of the gadget.

On the back there are various useful and not so useful barcodes, numbers and other information in Chinese and English.

• The smartphone itself.
• Cable for charging and synchronization.
• Network adapter with output current and voltage 5V 2A.
• A key-clip with the brand logo for removing the slot for SIM cards/memory cards.
• Warranty card.
• User's Guide.

In general, it’s always nice when, in addition to the standard set, there are some other useful things. And here there are two of them at once (and both are really necessary), for which we give the manufacturer a like.

Design, materials

Externally highlight the smartphone:

• Two rear cameras with a flash located below, an RGB sensor and , creating the appearance of a minion from a cartoon or some kind of robot.
• Frames separating the plastic inserts for antennas, located on the upper and lower parts of the back side (they look especially beautiful on the other two color schemes - “glacial silver” and “rose gold”, in our case the color is black).
• Fingerprint scanner.
• Branded ribbed keys on the right panel.

All side edges are rounded, as is the protective 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which completely covers the entire front part of the device.

Dimensions - 154.3x77x8 mm. The device is thin... fits perfectly and is located in all standard clothing pockets, and can also be easily removed from there.

The cover is non-removable, the assembly is very good, so there are no squeaks, crunches, chattering or other troubles associated with this.

On the front side there is an LED indicator at the top left, a little to the right is the selfie camera, a little more to the right of it - and, even more to the right - the earpiece (also known as the receiver).

Below is a display with three main functional menu buttons: “Home”, “Open applications” and “Back”. They are highlighted with silver paint, so they are clearly visible and do not get lost when using the device.

A little lower in the middle is , and even lower is the brand logo.

Screen

And this is much better than the same IPS, since the image is more contrasty, and the battery charge is “eaten up” much more slowly.

Thanks to excellent color rendition, the image looks very realistic.

By the way, the manufacturer has provided several color modes, right up to creating your own custom one, where you can choose any color scheme and set the saturation level.

There is also a " " to protect your eyes from harmful radiation, as well as “Super Color”, which makes the picture brighter and more saturated, but slightly increases battery consumption.

There is also an automatic setting that adjusts the brightness values ​​depending on various conditions (lighting).

Yes, supports up to 10 touches. This is the maximum result, since we will not be able to type or play with three hands, for example.

But even though this is glass with increased strength, you should not deliberately test it and try to break it.

Applied, which allows you to leave fewer greasy fingerprints on the glass, it is easier to remove dirt, and it is also more comfortable for your fingers to contact the screen (improved gliding).

Cameras

The second also has a resolution of 12 megapixels + optical zoom of 2.3 times for quick receipt high-quality images close up.

The cameras switch between each other instantly and automatically at 2.3x optical zoom and vice versa. If this is not enough, you can digitally enlarge the object up to 12x size. Obviously, in this case the quality suffers.

The ZenFone 3 Zoom camera is based on a Sony IMX362 sensor with large pixels (1.4 microns) and has a six-element lens. Paired with ASUS SuperPixel technology, which significantly increases light sensitivity, night shots are very decent.

In addition, the camera supports electronic and optical stabilization images, which minimally blurs photos or videos when shooting, and also uses a special color correction sensor to improve color reproduction and make it possible to shoot videos in 4K/Ultra-HD format with a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels.

It also features the ASUS TriTech+ triple autofocus system, which includes two-pixel phase detection autofocus, similar to that used in SLR lenses.

In addition, ASUS TriTech+ includes laser autofocus that responds in just 0.03 seconds. and tracking autofocus.

It should also be noted the excellent capabilities of the selfie camera, which has a Sony IMX214 sensor, 13 megapixel resolution, ASUS SuperPixel and aperture (f/2.0).

There is no flash here, but it is replaced by the smartphone screen itself, which becomes bright white in low light conditions and plays the role of a flash.

There are many different shooting modes, let's highlight the main ones:

1. The simplest and most everyday - auto .
2. HDR Pro . Increases the brightness and color parameters of photos in low light.
3. Portrait enhancement . Smoothes out and hides all unevenness and redness on the face with automatic settings; if you adjust manually, you can powder yourself or add blush, widen or narrow your eyes and the shape of your face.
4. Super resolution . Combines multiple photos to create an image with better detail.
5. Children . Automatically capture a photo of your baby when he stops moving.
6. Depth of field . Shoots an object in the foreground, blurring everything in the background. Bokeh effect.
7. Selfie . You need to indicate the number of faces in the frame, point the smartphone at yourself, after which the camera itself will make an identification and take a photo without pressing the shutter button.

The last two are for creating slow-motion and, conversely, accelerated video.

In general, in a nutshell... the cameras and the ability to control them are at the highest level. ASUS focused on this and definitely made the right decision.

We will upload several small-sized photographs below for a general understanding of the quality of the photos; we will upload all the rest, unaltered and uncorrected, to our official group VK (https://vk.com/mob_mobile), you can watch it at the link: https://vk.com/album-33806736_246613150 (not clickable, you need to copy and paste into the browser line), the video is there in the video section.

Battery

This charge lasts for about two weeks in standby mode, about two days of active work (2 hours of talking, 3 hours of browsing websites, 1 hour of gaming) and 20 hours of super-voracious game mode or watching a video.

In addition, the manufacturer has provided several different battery modes (for example, “Energy Saving”: networks are temporarily turned off when going into sleep mode; “Ultra Saving”: only phone, SMS and signal functions are active, networks are turned off; “Performance”: works at high brightness and maximizes consumption; “Normal” with automatic adjustment of performance and brightness; “Custom”: allows you to manually specify parameters), as well as automatic switching between these modes (for example, when the charge level drops to 30-10%, you can turn on the “Energy Saving” mode) or “Super Energy Saving”... or do one of these modes during sleep (say from 22.00 pm to 6.00 am) daily).

With the right settings, a smartphone can stay put for a very long time; the manufacturer has done everything for this - equipped the gadget with a powerful battery and added energy-saving modes.

Software

Yes, it’s not the TOP processor at the moment, but you also need to remember about the cost of the gadget... it’s also not the TOP one. For balance, this is what you need.

The smartphone “flies” very quickly, the response is instantaneous. All powerful ones on basic settings start up and are used without glitches and brakes, without overheating the device.

- 4 GB, - 64/128 GB (in our case the first option), it is possible to expand up to 2 TB using a MicroSD card, which can take the place of one of the SIM cards.

Here it’s also worth remembering about the OTG adapter, where you can insert a regular flash drive and, if necessary, quickly dump all the accumulated content onto it.

Android 7.1.1 with proprietary ASUS ZenUI 3.0 shell. It differs from the standard one in almost everything. There are a lot of interesting utilities and a lot of user assistants. Note several noteworthy:

In general, we can talk a lot about the ASUS ZenUI 3.0 shell; we will talk about it in detail a little later in a separate article.

One thing is worth saying - it’s cool, bright and provides a lot of opportunities for the user, although you need to get used to it and get used to it.

A few words about the fingerprint scanner. He's absolutely perfect! It works very quickly and absolutely without misfires. Why ASUS engineers give it a special thumbs up.

The location is controversial and, rather, a matter of habit, but personally we like the placement of this sensor on the back of the device.

Antutu:

No rattling, wheezing or crackling.

I would immediately like to note the convenient location of the speaker - on the bottom end, slightly to the right of the charging and synchronization connector.

They are often placed on the back side, and when the user, during operation, places the device on a standard surface with its back side, the speaker is covered, and “audio complications” arise, significantly reducing the volume of the reproduced sound.

The sound in the original ZenEar stereo headphones provided in the kit is spacious, clear... you can hear good bass. Many music lovers will certainly appreciate it!

There is no own player here, Play Music replaces it.

There is a radio that, when started, immediately finds a huge variety of stations. It only works with headphones used as an antenna.

Those. Depending on the application you are using or your location, you can use one of these modes.

Conclusion

For those who like to take photographs and not carry bulky DSLRs with them, this device will be simply ideal and one of the TOP solutions.

For the pros, there is a manual mode where you can adjust a bunch of different photography parameters, such as exposure value, white balance, ISO level, focal length and shutter speed.

For the average user automatic mode Enough head-on to get great pictures and good video content.

Well, this is backed up by a capacious battery with energy saving modes and not bad internal storage with the ability to expand memory up to 2TB.

You just need to have time to take bright pictures without worrying that the device will soon run out of charge or run out of space for photos.

• Great cameras;
• Powerful battery;
• Own Android OS shell - ASUS ZenUI 3.0;
• Loud speaker and DTS Headphone:X 5.1 support;
• Metal body and minimalistic modern design;
• Fingerprint scanner;
• 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with oleophobic coating;
• Expanded package with branded ZenEar stereo headphones and OTG adapter;
• ... and others.

But if you start digging deeper and find something to cling to, it will be the NFC interface, or rather, the lack thereof.

For a price of 30 thousand rubles, it has almost everything that the modern average user and not only needs, and in many respects it outperforms smartphones and camera phones costing an order of magnitude higher.

And it’s not for nothing that more than 90% of reviews about this gadget online are positive.

To us, the editors website, I would like to highlight it six awards:

1. "Photo Master" - for wonderful cameras that create great photos.
2. "Tireless" - for a powerful battery.
3. "Narcissus" - for the outstanding capabilities of the selfie camera.
4. "Bright shell" - for its own interesting operating system shell.
5. "No overpayments!" - for a gadget that meets the definition of "price-quality".
6. "Guardian of Balance" - for balance.