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Test smartphone ASUS ZenFone 2: a millionaire without elitist frills

A little less than a year has passed since the announcement of the first smartphones ZenFone, and here are the first results: worldwide sales exceeded 10 million units, which is very decent for the debut of a new brand on the mobile market with its stiff competition. Announcing the new ZenFone 2 the other day, ASUS announced its intention to build on its success in a proven way: offering high-performance smartphones on the latest Intel Atom hardware platform and the latest Google Android software platform, with an extremely wide range of relevant features, but without elitist technological frills, at a completely ā€œnot flagshipā€ democratic price.

In addition, sales of new products from the start are accompanied by an impressive list of accessories and very useful related devices under its own brand, with quite humane prices. So, the challenge is laid down, letā€™s proceed.

ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphones in versions ZE551ML and ZE550ML
ASUS ZenFone 2

Features & Specifications

In the store you will find two names of the new smartphones ASUS ZenFone 2 ā€“ ZE551ML and ZE550ML, but in fact behind the first of them hides two modifications, different, among other things, the amount of RAM, the type of processor, and of course, the price. In order not to confuse the simple enough positioning of versions, these models in the following table with a summary of the characteristics for convenience appear as ZE551ML Flagship and ZE551ML with 2 GB of RAM.

ASUS Zenfone 2 version ZE551ML Flagship ZE551ML 2GB ZE550ML
Operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop Android 5.0 Lollipop Android 5.0 Lollipop
Display 5.5-inch, Full HD 1080 Ɨ 1920 , 403 ppi, IPS matrix, 10-point capacitive touch technology, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3 5.5 inches, Full HD 1080 Ɨ 1920 , 403 ppi, IPS sensor, 10-point capacitive touch technology, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection 5.5-inchHD 720 Ɨ 1280 , IPS matrix, 10-point capacitive touch technology, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass
Processor 2.33 GHz 4-core Intel Atom Z3580 1.83 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 1.83 GHz 4-core Intel Atom Z3560
RAM 4 GB of 2-channel LPDDR3 1600 2GB of 2-channel LPDDR3 1600 2GB of 2-channel LPDDR3 1600
GPU 533 MHz 32-bit Imagination Technologies PowerVR Rogue G6430 core 533 MHz 32-bit Imagination Technologies PowerVR Rogue G6430 core 533 MHz 32-bit Imagination Technologies PowerVR Rogue G6430 core
Flash memory 32GB eMMC Flash up to 64GB , free 5GB ASUS WebStorage cloud storage for life 16GB eMMC Flash, lifetime free 5GB ASUS WebStorage cloud storage 16GB eMMC Flash, lifetime free 5GB ASUS WebStorage cloud storage
MicroSD slot Up to 64GB cards Cards up to 64GB Up to 64GB cards
SIM Modems micro-SIM #1: XMM7262 3x Cortex A5 : 4G LTE , 3G WCDMA , 2G GSM

micro-SIM #2: X-GOLD 2230 ARM 1176 : 2G GSM

micro-SIM #1: XMM7262 3x Cortex A5 4G LTE , 3G WCDMA , 2G GSM

micro-SIM #2: X-GOLD 2230 ARM 1176 : 2G GSM

micro-SIM #1: XMM7262 3x Cortex A5 : 4G LTE , 3G WCDMA , 2G GSM

micro-SIM #2: X-GOLD 2230 ARM 1176 : 2G GSM

Cellular standards 2G: EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

3G: DC-HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz

4G: LTE Cat. 4 150 Mbps, 50 Mbps

FDD-LTE 1/2/3/4/7/8/12, TDD-LTE 38/39/40/41

2G: EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

3G: DC-HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz

4G: LTE Cat. 4 150 Mbps, 50 Mbps

FDD-LTE 1/2/3/4/7/8/12, TDD-LTE 38/39/40/41

2G: EDGE/GPRS/GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

3G: DC-HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz

4G: LTE Cat. 4 150Mbit/s, 50Mbit/s

FDD-LTE 1/2/3/4/7/8/12, TDD-LTE 38/39/40/41

Interfaces micro-USB 2.0, 1 x 3.5 mm miniJack audio headset , microSD slot SDHC/SDXC card micro-USB 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm miniJack audio headset , microSD slot SDHC/SDXC card micro-USB 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm miniJack audio headset , microSD slot SDHC/SDXC card
Wireless interfaces Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
Navigation GPS/GLONASS/QZSS/SBAS/BDS GPS/GLONASS/QZSS/SBAS/BDS GPS/GLONASS/QZSS/SBAS/BDS
Sensors Lighting, proximity, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer digital compass Lighting, proximity, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer digital compass Lighting, proximity, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer digital compass
Main Camera 12.6MP 4096 Ɨ 3072 , PixelMaster technology, f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash 12.6MP 4096 Ɨ 3072 , PixelMaster technology, f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash 12.6 MP 4096 Ɨ 3072 , PixelMaster technology, f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash
Front camera 4.9 MP 2560 Ɨ 1920 , no autofocus 4.9 megapixel 2560 Ɨ 1920 , no autofocus 4.9 Megapixel 2560 Ɨ 1920 , not autofocus
Power Built-in lithium polymer battery, 3000 mAh, 3.8V, 11.4Wh Built-in lithium polymer battery, 3000 mAh, 3.8V, 11.4Wh Built-in lithium polymer battery, 3000 mAh, 3.8V, 11.4Wh
Dimensions 77.2 x 152.5 x 3.9/10.9 mm 77.2 x 152.5 x 3.9/10.9 mm 77.2 x 152.5 x 3.9/10.9mm
Weight 170 grams 170 grams 170 grams
GUI ASUS ZenUI ASUS ZenUI ASUS ZenUI
Suggested retail price 19,990 Dollars 17 990 Dollars 14,990 Dollars

On closer inspection, most of the features of the different ZenFone 2 modifications are similar, this includes both cameras, both built-in dual-SIM radio modems, full interface sets, navigation systems, sensors, and of course, operating systems and user interface.

The key difference between both versions of the ZE551ML and the budget ZE550ML is the screen resolution ā€“ Full HD versus HD, and this is the first way to save on costs ā€“ of course, if for you a large resolution is not critical. Iā€™ll say more: thereā€™s hardly any doubt that ASUS is well positioned to release a model with even more resolution, up to 4K/Ultra HD, but itā€™s unlikely that the significantly increased price this way will increase demand. It makes very little sense to me to put 4K resolution on a 5.5-inch diagonal, rather spend the effort and a fraction of the cost on the quality of the built-in cameras.

The next point: a significant difference ZenFone 2 not only by modifications, but also in general from the majority of similar performance of modern smartphones laid in the Intel Atom platform used. ā€œFlagshipā€ model ZE551ML is made on 2.33-GHz processor Atom Z3580, the other models on 1.83-GHz processor Atom Z3560. Both chips are integrated solutions with the latest Silvermont architecture based on four Moorefield 64-bit 4-core cores with 2 MB of distributed cache, SSE4 support.1/4.2, SSSE3, SSE3, SSE2, AES-NI and Intel SpeedStep technologies.

Each chip manufactured with 22nm Tri-Gate transistors in a 14Ɨ14 mm package also includes an integrated dual 32-bit memory controller with up to 12.6 GB/s bandwidth and support for up to 4 GB of LPDDR3-1600 memory, as well as a built-in PowerVR G6430 graphics core. By the way, here lies another key difference: in the flagship model ZenFone 2 installed a record for todayā€™s smartphones 4 GB of RAM, in other models it is 2 GB.

ZenFone 2 CPU-Z

The latest version of the Intel Atom, after overcoming a long evolutionary path, has indeed turned into a rather attractive platform for smartphones and tablets. Chips Atom Z3580/Z3560 using a flexible voltage and clock speeds dynamically combine periods of high load and performance with economical standby modes, so that their four cores look quite advantageous in many respects against many modern ARM solutions with 8-core architecture big.LITTLE from leaders like Qualcomm and Samsung. Below these words will be confirmed by the results of tests, but right now we would like to note that the long-standing cooperation between ASUS and Intel in the development of mobile devices with the release of ZenFone 2 models has really reached a new level of success.

But thatā€™s not all. Note the impressive list of modern wired and wireless interfaces, the simultaneous operation of two SIM cards, excellent performance built-in cameras, a full package of supported navigation tools, high-capacity battery and just an exhaustive list of built-in sensors and. And now ā€“ attention to the last line with indicative retail prices. The ratio of features to price for the new smartphones of the summer season of 2015 is really impressive.

Package and design

ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphones retail in a compact package with a discreet ā€“ one might even say, strict design.

Shipping ASUS ZenFone 2

ASUS ZenFone 2

In addition to the smartphone, the package includes a USB charger with two modes of operation, cable USB ā€“ micro-USB, headphones, with three sets of silicone earpieces in different sizes, as well as warranty card and printed user manual.

The modern mobile user is hard enough to surprise something new, including with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, so the developers ASUS used proven design tricks, and in my opinion ā€“ turned out a really successful combination of ergonomics and functionality. Rounded back cover, thanks to which the thickness of the device ranges from 3.9 to 10.9 mm, the complete absence of buttons on the wide sides, as well as a fairly wide comfortable frame around the screen ā€“ the experience of universal use of devices with similar diagonals, not only as a smartphone, but also a small tablet.

ASUS ZenFone 2
The back side of the ASUS ZenFone 2
ASUS ZenFone 2
ASUS ZenFone 2

On behalf of myself and all left-handed people Iā€™d like to thank the developers for placing the traditional universal button-sway under the camera back of the smartphone, democratically in the center. I canā€™t help emphasizing the goodness of this design feature, ever since I first held the model with such a conveniently located buttons. By the way, similarities with models of LG G series can also be seen in the support of the smartphoneā€™s unlock with a double tap on the screen.

For those who like to show off, the developers of ZenFone 2 also added sophistication by polishing the bottom edge under the screen and the effect of rough sanding on the back cover, which, in addition, can be replaced by options in other colors. It has something to do with the ZE551ML models, the budget variant ZE550ML has a plain back cover.

ZenFone 2 power button is located on the top end, it is flanked by a 3.5 mm audio jack for headset and built-in microphone ā€œeyelet. The lower edge is even more compact: a microUSB jack and a built-in microphone.

ZenFone 2 display has a reliable, time-proven coating of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with polarizing filter and oleophobic coating. The latter is really very effective: even if there are some prints on the screen, they are easily removed with a soft rag. Above the screen, directly across the width of the logo is a built-in speaker with a protective decorative mesh, to the right is the eye of the front 5-megapixel camera.

On the top of the back side there is a built-in combined 2-color LED flash, under it ā€“ slightly protruding above the cover of the rear 12.6-megapixel camera, then the above mentioned button-sway bar. At the bottom of the back of the smartphone there are four rows of finely punched holes. The initial assumption that they were designed to improve the sound of the speaker behind them was also added to the testing process by the suggestion that in a sense they also act as a ventilation grille.

The long ribs of the smartphone, as it was said before, do not bear any interface or switching elements, except that on the right side there is a small notch about 1 cm long to facilitate the removal of the back cover. Letā€™s take it off and look inside.

Besides the expected under the lid two micro-SIM slots and a slot for microSD cards, we would also like to draw your attention to the contact pair near the rocker button: this is one of the interfaces of a rather powerful and sophisticated 5-component 3D antenna with laser structuring. Under the slots we can clearly see the battery of the smartphone, but, alas, it is not removable ā€“ or at least not for self-replacement. Too bad, in my opinion, for the sake of removable design could have been even slightly sacrificed the thickness and weight of the device.

ASUS ZenFone 2 without a lid
ASUS ZenFone 2 without a cover
ASUS ZenFone 2
ASUS ZenFone 2 without a cover

Overall impressions from the design of ASUS ZenFone 2 only positive. For those who like smartphones with 5.5-inch screens, 170 grams is not weight, it can be more, but the curved back surface is very comfortable both in portrait and landscape positioning of the device in the hand.

The screen and its settings

The screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches ā€“ this, in my opinion, almost the ā€œceilingā€ for a smartphone: still fits into most pockets, but still not enough bulky for a comical look when held to the ear during the call, still fits in one hand, but hold and type text with one hand is not convenient for everyone. The physical resolution of the Full HD screen 1080 by 1920 pixels can also be called a practical limit of reasonableness for a 5.5-inch smartphone: in theory, of course, we can admit the existence of users viewing the main page of our website entirely on one screen, or trying to put the entire digitized spread of an A1 newspaper on the screen, but the practical exercise of such exercises with eyes escapes me.

In any case the quality of the picture is very high, it is difficult to see a single pixel with the naked eye, even very small pins of the most intricate fonts are drawn clearly and distinctly readable. Bright IPS-matrix smartphone ASUS ZenFone 2 gives a rich color with a wide viewing angle, quite enough for viewing a small company. Watching photos and movies on this screen ā€“ a real pleasure, especially if the video quality is not less than 720p.

ZenFone 2 display is covered with a special protective glass with oleophobic coating, which prevents dirt accumulation and is easy to clean. For comfortable use in very bright conditions, in addition to the built-in light sensor and a considerable reserve of brightness, the smartphone screen is also equipped with a built-in polarizing filter to suppress stray glare and reflection. Thanks to an excellent modern IPS-matrix smartphone screen ASUS ZenFone 2 provides excellent color reproduction, thanks to a wide range of settings, color gamma adjustment can be changed in a wide range.

The screen of ASUS ZenFone 2
The screen ASUS ZenFone 2

The touchpad smartphone is designed to recognize ten simultaneous touches on the screen, and with this function ZenFone 2 copes flawlessly. The smartphone supports gesture control technology ZenMotion and supports touch control even with gloves, but for this you will have to turn on a special mode for touch recognition.

Connectivity and communications

ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphone has two independent communication modules, allowing the simultaneous use of both SIM-cards on the principle of Dual SIM Dual Active DSDA . What can not be said about most of the modern ā€œtwo-simā€ smartphones, at the same time supporting the active work only one of the SIM-cards. The difference between the two transceivers is supported data transmission modes: one works with all current networks, including 3G/4G/LTE Cat4+ and LTE-A with support for channel aggregation, the second is focused on voice communication and supports 2G networks. In configuring the smartphone itself, the user sets the network support for each of the SIM-cards, while the activity of each card can always be checked in the call log.

ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphone has two independent communication modules

In terms of wireless support, the smartphone ASUS ZenFone 2 is fully equipped and exhaustive: any Wi-Fi networks with protocols 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Wi-Fi Direct support, modern Bluetooth 4.0 and todayā€™s ubiquitous NFC.

Performance test

Numerous experiments and tests conducted with the ZenFone 2 smartphone unequivocally confirm the full maturity of the Intel Atom mobile platform. In a number of tests the flagship smartphone ASUS Zenfone 2 ZE551ML on the older 2.33 GHz 64-bit quad-core processor Intel Atom Z3580 with 2 MBytes of cache memory L2 is on par or equal to the modern 8-core ARM-platforms, and in some tests even ahead of them. Of course, processor manufacturers on ARM-architectures do not slack off either, this year such companies as Qualcomm, Samsung and MediaTek have significantly increased the performance of their senior mobile processors, but the performance progress of the Intel Atom platform is even more impressive ā€“ an increase of almost two times compared to the previous generation!

Graphics testing
GFX OpenGL 3.1
Vellamo Mobile Benchmark
AnTuTu Geekbench 3 testing

Part of the record performance growth is due to the fact that the new Intel Atom chips based on the Merrifield architecture with Tangier cores are produced on the most modern 22nm Intel process using Tri-Gate transistors. Also, donā€™t write off the fact that the new Zenfone 2 ā€“ for the first time in smartphone history ā€“ uses 4 four! Gigabyte of fast DDR3-1600 RAM. This feature is confirmed as a clear advantage of the many different tests: With a large amount of memory, which does not require a constant loading of data from drives, applications run much faster, especially in a multitasking environment.

New Intel Atom mobile processors feature PowerVR Rogue G6430 533-MHz graphics core from Imagination Technologies. The chip has a 4- cluster organization, two texture blocks, supports OpenGL 3.x/4.x and OpenGL ES 3.0. According to Intel, the performance of PowerVR Rogue G6430 about twice as much as the previous PowerVR SGX543MP3, ASUS representatives say about a 7-fold increase in performance of the graphics subsystem in some applications. In practice the GPU does give very good performance ā€“ maybe not record-breaking, but at a very competitive level today.

Battery life, magic fast charging and heating

ZenFone 2 is powered by a 3000 mAh battery with 3.8V operating voltage and 11.4W*h. Unfortunately, the battery is not removable, but judging by the appearance of the construction, it is quite replaceable by a service technician.

Power the ZenFone 2 smartphone
Battery life ASUS ZenFone 2

In my usual smartphone usage mode dozens of calls, half an hour of surfing the Internet, five to seven YouTube videos, about an hour of work with office applications, plus Google Maps, a dozen of photos and shooting one or two videos to discharge ZenFone 2 completely during the day was not possible once, usually by the evening remained about 25-45%. If you purposefully aim to ā€œdrainā€ the battery by playing powerful games and TV shows, and even with Wi-Fi turned on at full screen brightness, the charge lasts for six to seven hours ā€“ like most of the closest competitors, but in normal operating mode it is quite enough for the time from waking up to going to bed.

Our readers have probably already heard about the support of the new smartphones ASUS ZenFone 2 Boost Master technology to accelerate charging ā€“ up to 60% in just 39 minutes. During the test, we conducted experiments with measuring voltage and charging current, which revealed that as soon as you connect the included brand charger to ASUS ZenFone 2 exactly in this and no other combination , the charger voltage, equal to no load of about 5 V, immediately rises to 7.5 V, and the charging current of 1.67 A.

Many users of tablets ASUS remember that a similar trick with increased voltage in the process of charging the company has already done with the devices of Transformer Pad family, but there the process was triggered if you use proprietary multipin cable ASUS. We can rejoice all the owners of the new smartphone: through experiment we found that using original charger, which comes with ASUS ZenFone 2, high voltage and high charging current take place when using any cable USB-microUSB.

That is, you can not worry about the included cable, if you lose or forget it ā€“ no big deal, it can be replaced by any other. The same can not be said about the charger: in our experiments replacement of the complete model with a third-party charger led to a natural voltage drop to a typical 5 V with a charging current of about 1.08 A, which at a simple calculation gives a loss of about 2.5 times.

At the moment, without conducting comparative experiments, it is very difficult to say whether ASUS Boost Master technology is compatible with approximately similar in implementation idea Qualcomm QC 2.0 Quick Charge . But in any case, we must pay tribute to the engineers ASUS for this elegant solution: technology Boost Master works perfectly, no ties to expensive private cables, all would be so.

I have no specific remarks on the heating of ASUS ZenFone 2. Under prolonged strain ā€“ such as downloading and installing multiple apps one after another, while flashing the system with a new OS version or running a particularly ā€œburningā€ test, the smartphone may heat up, with a slight anomaly in the area of the volume control on the back. The temperature at the same time increases uncritically ā€“ observed maximum was 40.7 Ā° C AnTuTu Benchmark . You can feel the difference with your hand, but no more, it does not affect the operation of the device in any way.

Operating system and ZenUI

The software platform of ZenFone 2 smartphone is presented by Android 5 operating system.0 Lollipop with ZenUI user interface designed by ASUS, which has already proven its worth with the previous generation ZenFone range. The customization by ASUS developers is really well done, with a pleasant and easily customizable interface, intuitive layout of components and access to numerous settings that are absent in the basic Android 5 firmware.0 or implemented, for my taste, not very logical , itā€™s all perfectly optimized and works very fast.

ZenFone 2 smartphone Easy mode
ZenFone 2 apps
Operating system and ZenUI
ZenUI
Operating system and ZenUI

ZenUI add-on is designed so that the user gets a ā€œsystem out of the boxā€, ready to work with any office and multimedia formats.

A huge number of pre-installed applications from ASUS and third-party companies covers all your needs in communications, entertainment, photo and video processing, working with documents and communicating with social networks.

The downside of all this splendor is that you canā€™t just feed ZenFone 2 ā€“ all the time trying to download or update something, just like any other Android gadgets. Numerous updates of Windows, of course, they have not yet surpassed, but in the case of preinstalled programs permanent updates are inevitable. Moreover, some preinstalled applications can not be removed if you want to.

For those who like simple user interface with a basic set of features, ZenUI provides a special mode Easy. This layout can also be appreciated by users who are making their first steps in mastering the Android interface, as well as by retirees and those who donā€™t like to put on glasses for a few actions with the phone. By the way, the deep customization of the shell also supports the ability to adjust large fonts, as well as display of high-contrast text on the screen.

For those who like protective cases with a window are now available numerous options for ZenFone 2, in different colors and textures.

SnapView
Kids mode
ASUS Cover mode
ASUS Cover

ZenUI user interface offers a special mode ASUS Cover for a windowed display of the necessary information.

ZenUI user interface allows you to allocate special individual zones in your ZenFone 2 smartphone for different purposes and restrict access to them with a PIN code. Thatā€™s how, for example, the smartphone is implemented ā€œChild modeā€, which provides access only to pre-selected applications, while the child has no access to the payment system and will not be able to accidentally spend money to buy unwanted content without your knowledge.

The Child Mode is also designed to avoid the embarrassment of having to pick up the phone with your boss or dropping it. For this mode is also available to set the timer for the duration of activity.

For those who use their smartphone not only in everyday life, but also for work, the smartphone ZenFone 2 has the new SnapView feature, which allows you to separate the business and personal life, and provide additional protection for personal data. SnapView lets you set up independent privacy and work areas, and toggles between private and business accounts in an instant. An additional plus feature of SnapView can also be called support for cross-notifications between different accounts.

Photo Capture. Video recording. PixelMaster 2

ZenFone 2 built-in rear 13MP camera with f/2 aperture.0 and support complex image processing technology PixelMaster 2.The 0 is an object of particular pride for ASUS at least at the presentation of the smartphone photography was probably the most time devoted to. There was indeed a lot to talk about: dramatically increased image resolution, almost zero shutter lag, and most importantly ā€“ two new shooting modes, high dynamic range HDR Super HDR and low light Low Light . In addition, ZenFone 2ā€™s built-in flash, a combination of two LEDs with different color temperatures, allows for realistic rendering of color tones.

Snapshot
PixelMaster 2

PixelMaster 2 technology.0 can be described as a hardware and software platform developed in-house by ASUS, combining powerful hardware and high-quality optics with unique image-processing algorithms. Particularly impressive is the number of different photo modes supported by ZenFone 2, and each of them really works and allows for unique results.

The most interesting can be called a low-light shooting mode, in which the algorithm of analysis and selective merging of pixels is enabled, at that, according to ASUS, the brightness increases by 400% and for shooting night and poorly lit scenes you do not need to trigger the flash. Super HDR allows you to take photos with saturated color, increasing the number of brightness gradations in dark areas, and eliminating color degradation in areas that are too bright, such as sky fading. According to ASUS, Super HDR mode offers up to 4x better contrast and color. Super HDR mode is also great for backlit scenes.

Another interesting mode ā€“ the ā€œSuper Resolutionā€ Super Resolution , allows you to get great details of the image with minimal noise by taking and combining a series of 13-megapixel photos into a single photo with 4x resolution, ie, 52 megapixel, then the frame is processed and converted to 1:1 pixel ratio. There is also news for selfies lovers: the ZenFone 2 smartphone has a panoramic selfie mode with 140 degrees of field of view. Personally, I really liked the high-contrast monochrome mode, as well as an interesting mode ā€œMiniatureā€, very similar to those available in digital cameras Sony. Some of the more interesting photo examples are shown below.

Sample photo
Sample photo
Example photo
Sample photo
Example of pictures

-ZenFone 2 smartphone shoots great video in full HD quality. This, in principle, is more than enough for todayā€™s amateur needs, but hunting, as they say, more wild than wishing: During the presentation, one of the journalists asked when ZenFone smartphones will support 4K-video recording. Representatives of ASUS with a smile promised that already in the next generation.

Conclusions

Based on the results of testing and using ZenFone 2, we would like to congratulate ASUS company for its powerful claim to be present in the sector of modern high-performance smartphones with a balanced price, and Intel company for the appearance of a really successful modern mobile platform Intel Atom. The performance of ZenFone 2 smartphone powered by Intel Atom Z3580 processor is balanced and very impressive. It really is a full-fledged competitive cost-effective platform that is equally good for a flagship smartphone or tablet. Moreover ā€“ for the first time among smartphones, ZenFone 2 has 4 GB of RAM, which had a very positive impact on the test results.

ZenFone 2 smartphone design may well not please everyone: the device with a 5.5-inch screen by default is quite large and does not fit comfortably in every hand. On behalf of all left-handed people I would like to say thank you again for the location of hardware keys, itā€™s very convenient and practical.

Among the obvious pluses of Zenfone 2 we should also mention the quality display with Full HD resolution: itā€™s very good that ASUS did not experiment with 4K-display, thus driving the price of new items into the prohibitive segment. Moreover, the users will appreciate the simultaneous work of two SIM-cards without switching between them, as well as a comprehensive set of wireless interfaces. Separately we should praise the user interface ASUS ZenUI, which really improves the possibilities Android 5.0. Finally, we can not avoid mentioning in a positive plan a special ā€œchipā€ ASUS ZenFone 2 ā€“ a set of technologies PixelMaster 2.0 for high-quality creative photography, with support for ā€œheavyā€ Super HDR and Low Light modes.

ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphones all announced modifications are already available in the American retail, with the price of even the flagship model ZE551ML, announced at the time of the announcement at 19 990 Dollars, in practice, judging by the proposals of online retail, much lower. In conclusion, it is also worth recalling that for ZenFone 2 right at the start of sales were available numerous accessories, such as protective film, inexpensive cases and ā€œsmart coversā€ View Flip Cover and View Flip Cover Deluxe, external batteries ASUS ZenPower capacity of 10050 mAh, plus unique external flash ZenFlash and LolliFlash.

Accessories for ASUS ZenFone 2

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John Techno

Greetings, everyone! I am John Techno, and my expedition in the realm of household appliances has been a thrilling adventure spanning over 30 years. What began as a curiosity about the mechanics of these everyday marvels transformed into a fulfilling career journey.

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Comments: 1
  1. Levi Grant

    Can this ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphone deliver all the features and functionality of a high-end device without the unnecessary bells and whistles associated with a hefty price tag?

    Reply
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