Well, technically the phone is a mid-range phone, but the muscle it packs can blow away just about anyone even some phones on the “high end” range. By muscle, we mean the 64-bit architecture on the Intel Quad Core Atom (running at 2.3Ghz on our test phone) AND the 4GB RAM. Topped off with the PowerVR G6430 GPU, the Zenfone 2 is a beast.
BODY. The Zenfone 2’s body handles well, with its curved backside resting well in most palms. The faux metal back gives the phone a slick feel to it. Finger smudges are virtually undetectable.
The buttons however, can be worrisome. The power/lock button for one is situated at the top. Turning the phone off or locking it may prove bothersome for people with small hands. Another boo-boo is the volume controls at the back. If you’re into music or movies, adjusting volume can be a pain.
For its price tag, the Zenfone 2 offers almost the same high-end phones do: the 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, the 1080x1920 resolution, and for screen protection, the Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Oh, it also supports dual-sim and microSD cards up to 64GB.
PERFORMANCE. The Zenfone 2’s RAM and CPU is overkill. The test phone we have is the Quad Core 2.3Ghz / 4GB version and to put it simply, opening multiple high-end games at once and shifting between those apps is a breeze. Its GPU also gives smooth frame rates on today’s games and pushing the phone to its limits has been very enjoyable. It’s hard to believe that all that power is packed inside a budget-friendly phone.
The Zenfone 2 comes with Android Lollipop, but it also comes with apps that can pretty much take most of your time trying to figure out. What’s amazing about the Zen UI though is the ability to create separate and secure profiles (work and personal) eliminating the need for two phones. In other words, another person can borrow your phone without you having to worry if they’ll dig up your stuff.
Customization is for the creative and the Zenfone 2 offer users the ability to customize everything—from fonts to icons to overall look. It caters to your style. Period.
With great power comes great… battery consumption and the Zenfone 2, like a lot of today’s phones, can fall prey to its own behemoth specs. In wake of this, the Zenfone 2 has a feature called quick charge. 30 minutes of charging can fill up as much as 60 percent of life to a dead phone. With the battery consumption, we hope Asus will address the issue in its coming updates.
CAMERA. The Asus Zenfone 2 comes with 13MP camera with a dual-tone LED flash. The front cam packs a 5MP camera and it’s not shabby even in low light. The camera however can take its time to process every after shot (in low light) but the results are worth it. Action shots can be troublesome as the HRD proves long to process, resulting in not so sharp images.
The camera app does sport some cool features like beautification and GIF Animation. The options are straightforward that all you have to do is choose and click.
VERDICT. Asus Zenfone 2 has set a new standard in the budget and performance competition in smart phones. Setting aside the battery issue, this phone will be hard to match. You don’t have to second guess should you plan to purchase it given its souped-up specifications. Quality doesn’t have to be expensive and Asus proves just that.
source: philstar.com