It won’t be wrong to label first wave of Asus smartphones a success in India and consequently Asus Zenfone 2 is one of the most awaited devices in India. The new 64 bit smartphone, sports the popular 5.5 Inch display size and offers some powerful devices at reasonable price. It is also the first smartphone to be launched with 4 GB RAM, but there is a lot of confusion regarding which variant the Company will launch in India and in what order.
Asus Zenfone 2 Quick Specs
- Display Size: 5.5 Inch with 720 x 1280 resolution (or 1920 x 1080 ), Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 245 PPI
- Processor: 64 bit Quad Core Intel Atom Z3560 or Z3580 processor running at 1.8 or 2.3GHz with PowerVR G6430 GPU
- RAM: 2 GB/ 4GB
- Software Version: Android 5.0 Lollipop based ZenUI
- Primary Camera: 13 MP AF camera with Dual Tone LED flash, F 2.0 Wide angle lens
- Secondary Camera: 5 MP, With f2.0 Lens
- Internal Storage: 16 GB
- External Storage: MicroSD support upto 64 GB
- Battery: 3000 mAh battery Lithium Ion
- Connectivity: 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
- Others: OTG Support – Yes, Dual SIM – Yes
Asus Zenfone 2 Hands on Review, Features, Comparison, Overview at MWC 2015
Design, Build and Display
Design retains several design elements of the previous zenfone lineup. The ergonomic rear curve and the metallic trim below the display are present in the new Zenfone too. A brushed metal finish, available in several vibrant colors adorns the rear surface.
Button placement is quite odd. Inspired by LG G3, the volume rocker has shifted to the rear surface below the camera sensor, and this might take some getting used to. The power button is even more bizarrely placed on top, which might be inconvenient considering the large form factor.
The display resolution will depend on the variant you choose. Both 720p and 1080p variants exist and what we saw was a very decently made 720p IPS LCD panel, similar to the last generation Zenfone 5. There is Gorilla Glass 3 on top as well, and thus we are pretty happy with what Asus is offering for the price.
Processor and RAM
All Zenfone 2 Models will have 64 bit Quad Core Intel Atom Z3560 or Z3580 processor running at 1.8 or 2.3GHz respectively. Both the chipsets come with powerful PowerVR G6430 GPU (same as iPhone 5s). We had the Z3560 variant which felt faster than last year Zenfone 5. This version comes with 2 GB RAM while the Z3580 variant comes with whopping 4 GB RAM, both of which should be good enough for most people.
Camera and Internal Storage
The 13 MP rear camera comes with dual tone LED flash and 5 element f2.0 lens on top. We liked the Zenfone 5 camera and theoretically everything looks good on Zenfone 2. Initial few shots we clicked were quite good too, but we will reserve our judgment for later. A 5 MP camera sensor with 85 degree wide angle lens with wide f2.0 aperture constitutes the selfies camera which looks very promising.
Internal storage is 16 GB out of which 10.74 GB is available at user end. But there is option for 64 GB MicroSD storage to keep everyone happy.
User Interface and Battery
User Interface is Android 5.0 Lollipop with Zen UI on top. This includes several vibrant colors and animations throughout the UI, which make it very pleasant and addictive. Due importance has been given to Google’s new Material design. Zen UI apps will be updated separately.
Zenfone 2 comes with a massive 3000 mAh battery. Battery is non removable and supports rapid charging. You can go from 0 to 60 percent in 40 minutes. A power saver mode is also present which can help you improve battery backup in critical conditions.
Asus Zenfone 2 Photo Gallery
Conclusion
No matter which way you look at it, Zenfone 2 offers a lot of value for $200 (Approx 12k) it asks. The 4GB RAM variant and other variants will be priced higher, but the difference shouldn’t be too much. On the whole, except for the odd button placement, out first impression of Zenfone 2 was positive.
