Asus has been making ZenFones since 2014. Each year, it ups its game, just by a little to not be left out in the ever-expanding smartphone universe. There’s one thing that has remained constant. These ZenFones have largely focused on bringing value for money to consumers. Here discussing some of the aspects of ZenFone 3.
Design and build quality
The ZenFone 3 is a gorgeous piece of technology. Last time I saw such a thing — at its price point — I was marvelling at the cute and comfy monster called the Xiaomi Mi 5. It’s safe to say my loyalties have changed and the ZenFone 3 has a lot to do with it. It is unlike any other ZenFone you’ve seen before. For one, it’s all metal and glass. Secondly, it looks like Asus has finally given design much-needed afterthought.
The phone is essentially two slabs of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 joined together by a metal frame. The glass on both sides kind of curves (2.5D) into the frame, enhancing both looks and feel. The design may not be the most original — in fact, the phone has heavy undertones of a Samsung Galaxy — but the phone has just the right amount of Asus-esque elements to ensure it’s not a copycat. You get the company’s signature concentric-circle pattern all along its glass body, which reflects light in distinct ways, when you hold and observe it from different angles. And you get bezels: thick, chunky bezels. Asus has tried to cut some flab here, but, seriously, there’s still so much more to cut.
Display
The ZenFone 3 comes with a 5.5-inch FullHD Super IPS+ display with a 1080×1920 pixel resolution roughly translating into 401 ppi pixel density. Now, the ZenFones, in the past, have left me wanting in the display department. They’ve been just mediocre with mostly washed out colours and average viewing angles. The ZenFone 3 is different. It is, in fact, the best display toting phone that Asus has ever built.
Camera
The ZenFone 3 sports a 16-megapixel camera on the rear with f/2.0 aperture, laser auto-focus, 4-axis Optical Image Stabilisation and dual-LED (real tone) flash. On the front, there is an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture.
The ZenFone 3 is easily among the best camera phones at its price point right now, and a huge upgrade over last year’s ZenFone 2. Heck, it even hits the ZenFone Zoom — supposedly a camera-centric phone — straight out of the ball park in this regard. It even records 4K video, unlike the Zoom that maxed out at 1080p.
Photos clicked using its rear camera in good lighting come out well, with lots of detail and colours which are mostly true to source. Dynamic range is good, but sometimes, there can be some overexposure issues here and there. It’s mostly smooth sailing though. The phone’s rear sensor really surprises you in tricky and low light situations though. The ZenFone 3, in such conditions, manages to capture enough detail that suffice for fairly good-looking photos. The photos come out even better using the phone’s built-in low light mode. Speaking of which the ZenFone 3 is practically overloaded with different photo modes. There’s a depth of field mode for bokeh shots and a GIF animator, to make, GIFs. Time lapse and slow-motion are also supported. Thanks to the 4-axis OIS, shake is minimal (or altogether absent) in videos and the 4K clips shot with the phone also look fantastic.
New Android with the improved UI
The ZenFone 3 Laser runs Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) which is fairly new OS compared to the Android 5.0 (Lollipop) version running in both its predecessor. There are improvements to Asus’ proprietary custom ZenUI running over Android as well, with lesser preloaded apps, better grouping of features and general snappiness in response. However, visually, the differences are initially hard to spot.
Our Verdict : At Rs 27,999, Asus ZenFone 3 has brought in tough competition for OnePlus 3 which has received rave reviews in the Indian market. ZenFone 3, however, is your choice if you are looking for luxury, display and better performance — all packed in one.
