Review of the smartphone ASUS Zenfone 5 ZE620KL

Recently, an ASUS Zenfone 5 Lite phone was shown, costing about 22,000 rubles. Today, April 19, 2018, saw the light of a full-fledged Zenfone 5, already without the prefix "lite". As you may have guessed, this is the older model, which offers a noticeably greater number of opportunities for a little more cost.

The phone received a large 6.2 inch display with an aspect ratio of 19: 9, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, a camera with four-axis optical stabilization, Google Pay, and face recognition. Previously, such characteristics were available only to expensive smartphones, however, ASUS Zenfone 5 makes them available in the middle segment “up to 30,000 rubles”.

Specifications

Display : 6.2-inch, 2246x1080, Super IPS +, 19: 9, 500 cd / m2 brightness
Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (eight-core, 64-bit)
Graphics : Adreno 509
RAM : 4 GB
Data Storage : 64 GB
Memory card : micro SD up to 2 TB
SIM card : 1 nano-SIM slot + 1 nano-SIM or micro-SD slot
Cameras :

• Front: 8 megapixel, f / 2.0 aperture, focal length 24 mm (viewing angle 84 °).
• Rear main: 12 MP, aperture f / 1.8, focal length 24 mm (viewing angle 83 °), pixel size 1.4 µm, 4-axis optical stabilization (4 steps), HDR, Phase autofocusing in 0.03 s, matrix Photomatrix Sony IMX363.
• Additional rear: Wide-angle lens (viewing angle of 120 °), twice the enlarged frame area, equivalent focal length: 12 mm.

Wireless LTE : Receive - 600 Mbps (Cat13); upload - 100 Mbps (Cat12)
Wireless networks : Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0
NFC : Yes, support Google Pay
Navigation : GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BDS
Sound : Two speakers (5-magnetic, with NXP intelligent amplifiers), DTS Headphone: X
Microphone : Dual built-in noise-canceling microphone
Battery : 3300 mAh, accelerated charging
Operating system : Android 8.0 with ZenUI 5.0 GUI
Dimensions : 153 x 75.65 x 7.7 mm (H x W x T)
Weight : 155 gr.

Design

When creating a body ASUS Zenfone 5 used glass and aluminum. The latter is sandblasted using a zirconia-based abrasive. The front and back panels of the smartphone are covered with 2.5-D glass with curved edges, and the back panel has received an additional layer of lacquer, thanks to which concentric circles have acquired a rich sheen. The phone looks really cool, especially when the lighting is falling right on it.



The process of creating Zenfone 5 consists of more than 200 different technological steps. In the manufacture of the smartphone was taken into account every little thing. For example, its metal keys received a thermoplastic polyurethane seal that provides a soft, pleasant response.



Thanks to the combination of materials and well-thought-out manufacturing procedure, ASUS Zenfone 5 looks spectacular from any side. Its front panel stands out due to the large 6,2-dyumovy frameless screen, and the reverse side due to concentric circles that diverge from the fingerprint scanner.



There is also a dual camera module and a dual LED flash at the back. At the bottom of the smartphone is a USB Type-C connector, next to which is the calling speaker and microphone





On the top panel there is nothing remarkable except the second microphone, which is useful for the noise cancellation system. The SIM card tray is also located in its usual place, on the left side of the smartphone. It allows you to use either two SIM cards or one SIM card and a memory card. In the first case, both SIM cards will provide the ability to receive and make calls, but only one SIM card will be responsible for data transfer. Which one depends on the choice of the user.

Contents of delivery

In the box with ASUS Zenfone 5 there is a silicone bumper case, a headset, a charger, a USB Type-C cable and a “clip” to remove the SIM card tray. The headset of the smartphone belongs to the type of "gag" with good sound quality, and the bumper was pleasant to the touch. The main thing is that it is included and can be used from the moment of purchase. It will not spoil the spectacular appearance of the Zenfone 5 - a transparent case will be almost imperceptible on the smartphone, but will protect it from scratches.

Screen

One of the main distinguishing features of ASUS Zenfone 5 is its screen. The display with the Super IPS + matrix occupies 90% of the front panel area, the resolution is 2246x1080 pixels, and the aspect ratio is 19: 9. This rare resolution - 2246x1080 - is due to two reasons. Firstly, the screen got rounded corners instead of straight lines, and secondly, it has a small cutout in the upper part.



Such cuts have become a new trend, and they are found mainly in expensive flagship devices. In the resulting recess was placed front camera, earpiece and sensors. The rest of the area is given under a large display.



Disputes about the benefits of a notch display, also called a mono-brow, have not subsided for several months. Some of the users like it, and some, on the contrary, are against this approach. Judging by the size of the cutout at the Zenfone 5 screen, the engineers tried to make it as inconspicuous as possible. Therefore, the “monobrow” turned out to be small and will not hide the Android notification panel.

Cameras

Single-camera smartphones on the back have long been supplanted by dual-camera solutions. This is the module installed in ASUS Zenfone 5. The main rear camera has a 6-element lens with a viewing angle of 83 degrees, optical stabilization and a f / 1.8 aperture. The basis of this camera is a Sony IMX363 matrix with a resolution of 12 megapixels. The second rear camera boasts a lens with a viewing angle of 120 degrees, thanks to which you can use it to get widescreen shots. Also, both cameras received a common, dual LED flash, and switching between them happens instantly.

Also, the rear cameras received a manual shooting mode in which you can change the shutter speed, exposure, ISO, white balance and focusing distance. Well, in auto mode, you can manually open or close the aperture. Of course, the mechanical aperture of the Zenfone 5 is not, however, with the most open electronic aperture, the background behind the subject (and in front of it) will be blurred nicely.





The quality of the photo from the main camera can be called good. In many ways, it will depend on the external lighting. The biggest enemy of the Zenfone 5 camera is the same as that of other cameras - a small amount of light, or none at all. However, in a simple “five” the camera is noticeably better than in the light version, which liked to create lighted areas. Here it is minimized, and the light on the photo is unlikely. And if you choose the right focusing place, you will not meet them for sure.

Among the improvements to the camera is also worth noting automatic recognition of the shooting scenario. In total, the camera has 16 profiles, which is enough for all occasions. The developers even provided separate modes for shooting cats and dogs. Well, if you are a fan of sharing lunches and dinners on Instagram, then the world will know what you eat, in all colors!




Shooting video is possible in five resolutions: 640x480, 1280x720, 1920x1080, 2160x1080 and of course in 4K (3840x2160). The lower limit of FPS is 30 frames per second for each resolution, and Full HD provides the ability to shoot video at 60 and 120 FPS. Moreover, if you reduce the resolution to 720p, you can take a slow-mo at a frequency of 240 frames per second.

Soft

ASUS Zenfone 5 is running Android 8.0 Oreo, which is complemented by a beautiful and lightweight branded shell ASUS ZenUI 5.0. In addition to her, he received many other "bonuses". This is a contactless payment system Android Pay, live Emoji ZENIMOJI and support for heterogeneous computing systems, reminiscent of artificial intelligence systems. In any case, the smartphone can learn from the user.



Emoji that has come to life, which can replace the user's face during online broadcasts and video calls, is another pleasant innovation. This option is found in single smartphones. ZENIMOJI technology was developed exclusively for ASUS smartphones, and it copes with its task remarkably.



Another useful feature, which can not be silent, is the automatic control of the ringtone volume. If this option is activated, Zenfone 5 will evaluate the volume level of the environment, and automatically adjust the volume of the ringtone, according to external conditions. Also, Zenfone 5 has the function of active noise cancellation, which is useful during calls from noisy places.

To protect Zenfone 5 from unauthorized access, a fingerprint scanner and face recognition technology is provided. Up to 5 “fingers” can be stored in the scanner’s memory, and the front-facing camera can recognize the owner of the Zenfone 5 even in a dark room.

Iron

ASUS Zenfone 5 received a fresh Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 system-on-chip. Inside it are 8 Kryo 260 processor cores operating at frequencies up to 1800 MHz. The X12 LTE modem can provide data rates of up to 600 Mbps (at reception) and 100 Mbps (at return). The amount of RAM is 4 GB, and a constant - 64 GB. For applications, photos and other files available to the user 51 GB. In general, the platform at ASUS Zenfone 5 is fresh and productive, it will be able to contend with
many smartphones from the middle price segment. For example, in the benchmark AnTuTu ASUS Zenfone 5 scored about 140,000 points - an excellent result, which is significantly higher than that of many smartphones in this price category.


Modern games such as Asphalt 8, World Of Tanks Blitz and PUBG confidently went on with medium graphics settings. There were no noticeable slowdowns or other glitches during the game. They appeared only at high graphics settings.







From a single charge of the built-in battery (3300 mAh), ASUS Zenfone 5 was able to work for about one and a half days with an average load. It included calls, the use of mobile Internet and camera, as well as listening to music. In short, everything that a regular user does during the day. If you add to this list the use of navigation and listening to music from streaming services, then ASUS Zenfone 5 will be able to work until the evening.

Conclusion

The middle segment of smartphones on the Android OS is the most complete. Usually, there are phones equipped with most modern features. But ASUS Zenfone 5 is changing the concept of mid-range smartphones, because it has everything. See for yourself: a large display Super IPS + format 19: 9, Google Pay, NFC, a productive processor, a good camera with an optical stabilizer, a facial recognition system, Android 8.0. Yes, this list is endless. And all this is sold for 27,990 rubles. ASUS Zenfone 5 - a smartphone doomed to become a hit.