New smartphone Asus Zenfon. Category “Review of All ASUS ZenFone Models. Battery life

Perhaps the most interesting representative of the budget line of smartphones from the Taiwanese company

The world community has learned about the upcoming release of Asus Zenfone smartphones quite a long time ago - a new line by the Taiwanese company at the very beginning of the year, during CES exhibitions 2014 in Las Vegas. In the Asian region, sales of these devices have already begun, but smartphones have only just reached our market. Today the Russian premiere will take place in Moscow, during which the head of the company, Jonney Shih, who specially came to the capital for this purpose, will personally present his new smartphones in Russia.

We, thanks to the efficiency of the Russian office of Asus, already now, directly on the day of the premiere, have the opportunity to talk in detail about perhaps the most interesting representative of the new series - the “central” smartphone in the line, the five-inch Asus Zenfone 5. This smartphone even before its release Many people liked the sale - this is evidenced by numerous responses on the Internet, people are discussing the model with interest and are waiting for the start of sales. In principle, it is not surprising that it is the “five” in this series that arouses the greatest interest among users: perhaps, this is the most balanced device of the entire trio in every sense.

Zenfone 5 does not belong to the category of top-end smartphones, like its entire line, however, the device has several qualities that attract buyers. First of all, this is the ratio of good declared hardware characteristics with a low price for such characteristics. And, of course, the popularity of the brand makes itself felt. At this point, it is worth immediately noting that model “number five” itself is represented by a whole series of smartphones, because in nature there are simultaneously several completely different modifications of the device called Asus Zenfone 5. In particular, the developers have repeatedly mentioned that the model can be equipped with not only one, but also two gigabytes of RAM, and this is a quite noticeable difference. Not to mention the fact that the hardware platform itself may be different: while most official presentations feature SoC Intel Atom The Z2580, the smartphone we tested, runs on a different Intel SoC model - the Atom Z2560, with a lower frequency of processor cores (1.6 GHz versus 2.0 GHz for the Atom Z2580). However, that's not all. It is also reported that a modification of the Asus Zenfone 5 will be made with support for LTE networks, and that device will not be built on Intel platform Atom, but on SoC Qualcomm, because Intel systems we still haven’t made friends with 4G networks. However, little is known about this modification of Asus Zenfone 5, and it was presented much later - during the Computex 2014 exhibition in Taiwan.

Be that as it may, one of the basic versions of the Asus Zenfone 5 smartphone arrived at our editorial office and has already been properly tested in our laboratory. So today, readers will be able to evaluate for themselves whether the new product, so loudly praised by the Taiwanese, is really interesting, or whether their hopes were in vain - we present to your attention one of the first detailed test reviews of a smartphone called Asus Zenfone 5 in Russia.

Main characteristics of Asus Zenfone 5 (model T00J)

• SoC Intel Atom Z2560, 1.6 GHz, 2 cores
• GPU PowerVR SGX 544MP
• Operating system Android 4.3
• Sensory IPS display, 5″, 1280×720, 294 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 1 GB*, inner memory 16 GB
• Map support microSD memory up to 64 GB
• Communication GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• HSPA+ data transfer speed up to 42 Mbps
• Supports two SIM cards in Micro-SIM format
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS/Glonass
• Camera 8 MP, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 2 MP (front)
• Battery 2110 mAh
• Dimensions 148.2×72.8×10.3 mm
• Weight 145 g

*It should be noted that the retail version of the Asus Zenfone 5 is available with the same model number T00J, but with 2 GB random access memory.

Contents of delivery

Asus Zenfone 5 goes on sale in a small package of classic dimensions, sufficient to accommodate only one smartphone and a small set of necessary accessories. The box is made of hard smooth cardboard, the packaging is neat and of high quality. The lid is a cover made of thin cardboard stretched over the box, in which several holes are cut, matching the pictures on the box itself. Everything looks quite fresh and stylish together.

In the internal compartments, of which there are three, there is a sparse set of accessories: a large charger (output current 1.35 A), headphones with a thin round wire and vacuum-type gel ear pads, as well as a USB connecting cable and a user manual. , made in the form of a thin paper book.

Appearance and ease of use

In design and shape, the Asus Zenfone 5 smartphone surprisingly resembles smartphones from Taiwanese HTC - with the exception that the materials used here are simpler. If the body of the smartphone were made of aluminum, it would be difficult to distinguish it from the smartphones in the series HTC One, both front and rear. At the same time, the creators themselves believe that they gave their new smartphones a fresh and unconventional design, and even gave it their own name: Zen Design. Although, if you look at it objectively, the appearance of the smartphones in the new Zenphone series does not show any general parallels with the company’s previous products, including those belonging to the Zen family. True, the developers added a small metal strip with concentric “Zen circles” printed on it to the front panel, but that’s all. It’s surprising that for this generally secondary design, in which there is nothing special, the Zenfone line managed to receive one of the most prestigious awards in the field of design - reddot award 2014.

The entire body, except for the front glass, is entirely covered with a solid plastic casing that fits not only the back panel, but also all the side edges. The lid has a sloping back and rounded corners and edges - it is streamlined on all sides and very simple in shape. The cover is traditionally attached to plastic latches and can be removed with great difficulty - you have to put in a lot of effort, and sometimes even use additional tools. All side buttons are mounted directly on the cover, so it is impossible to control the smartphone when the cover is removed.

There are practically no fingerprints left on the matte surface of the plastic, so the body of the Asus Zenfone 5, due to the lack of gloss, is non-marking and non-slip. The smartphone is quite large in size, and there is nothing you can do about it - such a device will hardly fit in a trouser pocket or breast pocket of a shirt. In general, the issue of saving space, apparently, did not bother the developers at all in this case, because with such a large screen with a diagonal of five inches, the frames around it were made very thick. On the sides, the thickness of the frames is no less than 5 mm, but in reality it looks even worse. And this is at a time when all manufacturers are striving to minimize these figures as much as possible. Everything is completely different here, and Asus Zenfone 5 cannot boast thin frames- and elegant dimensions in general.

On the back of the smartphone, all the elements are arranged in the usual order. Here you can find a round camera window without any frame, a single LED flash peephole, as well as a ring speaker grille made in the form of an array of small round holes. The speaker grille partially fits the bevel of the back surface, so the sound is not too noticeably muffled by the table surface. The flash, controlled by preinstalled software, can function as a flashlight, including in alarm mode with blinking.

Under the cover you can find three card slots: two for SIM cards and one for a microSD memory card. Both SIM cards here are used in the “Micro” format; All cards are easily inserted and removed from their slots due to spring-loaded grip mechanisms. The slots for SIM cards are equivalent in their capabilities; you just need to remember that two cards will not work in 3G mode at the same time - one of them will have to be switched to 2G.

The SIM card slots are located in an unusual way, stretched in one line along the vertical, and the battery under them is tightly closed with an additional protective casing and is inaccessible for user manipulation. The memory card slot is embedded in the side end on the right side of the device.

Not the entire front panel is covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3 - there is quite a lot of free space left under it, and it is not occupied by anything. This sector is covered with a thin metal plate with “Zen” concentric circles, traditional for Asus mobile products, applied to it. Why was this left here? extra space, it’s not entirely clear: there are no elements on it - touch buttons located higher, and they also take up a lot of space on the front panel. It is very sad that these buttons do not have any backlighting and in the twilight they become completely invisible.

But in the upper part above the screen, in addition to the usual sensor eyes and front camera, as well as the recessed speaker grille, you can observe such a useful element as an LED event indicator. This is a fairly large and noticeable round dot, constantly shining with a dim light while the smartphone is charging.

There are only two mechanical hardware keys on the sides of the device, and both of them are located next to each other on the same right side. It is not very convenient that the lock key is located above the volume key: it is pressed much more often, and reaching for it is not so convenient. For most manufacturers, with this arrangement, the lock key is in the middle, and the volume key is raised higher.

The buttons are metallized and quite large, but they do not protrude too noticeably beyond the body to make them easy to feel blindly. In addition, they are perhaps too stiff, but this may be a problem with a particular test sample. In any case, such things must be checked individually at the time of purchase - someone may not attach any importance to this at all.

The Micro-USB connector here has a standard location at the bottom, but why were Asus engineers greedy to add support for connection mode external devices To USB port(OTG), remains a mystery - all Padfone series smartphones, for example, have such support. The headphone jack (3.5 mm) is located opposite - on the top end, next to the second, additional microphone.

There are no plugs or additional covers on the device’s connectors, since the Asus Zenfone 5 smartphone is not protected from moisture and dust. There is no strap mount on its body either.

The product goes on sale in several color options at once, and this is one of the most noticeable moments when positioning the new line. The color palette of the Asus Zenfone series is full of variety, and here everyone can choose a color to their liking. Zenfone 5 alone has been released as many as five options: as interpreted by the creators themselves, these are charcoal black, pearl white, cherry red, dark purple, and creamy gold.

Screen

The Asus Zenfone 5 smartphone is equipped with an IPS touch matrix. The physical dimensions of the display are 62x110 mm, diagonal - 5 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 1280x720, the dots per inch density reaches 294 ppi.

The display brightness has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches.

The smartphone screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which is scratch-resistant. In the special settings section, you can enable the mode of working with the screen while wearing gloves (GloveTouch), then the display becomes more sensitive to touch and actually responds to gloved fingers. However, the screen, contrary to expectations, does not respond to touches of other objects, such as the tip of a lead pencil.

Results of a detailed examination of the Asus Zenfone 5 display using measuring instruments We will present it a little later, when our specialist Alexey Kudryavtsev returns from vacation.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Asus Zenfone 5, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Asus Zenfone 5 is even a little darker (brightness according to photographs is 106 versus 108 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Asus Zenfone 5 screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

At manual control brightness and when displaying a white field in full screen maximum value brightness was about 320 cd/m², the minimum was 19 cd/m². The maximum brightness is not very high, but given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be quite good. At the same time, using third-party utilities, the maximum brightness can be increased to 395 cd/m², which somewhat improves the situation. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (located to the left of the front speaker slot). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 25 cd/m² (normal), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 120 cd/m² (just right), very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight- 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to a maximum of 395 cd/m² (which is what is required). Brightness slider at 50% - the values ​​are as follows: 19, 50 and 340 cd/m², at 0% - 19, 26 and 215 cd/m². It turns out that the automatic brightness adjustment function works adequately. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

This smartphone uses an IPS type matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large deviations of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen and without inversion (except for the very darkest when the gaze is deviated to the left) shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Asus Zenfone 5 and Nexus 7, with the screen brightness initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field across the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K . White field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

Color reproduction is good and colors are rich on both screens, but the color balance is slightly different. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the Asus Zenfone 5 the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the strong brightening of black, and the blue has increased somewhat (on the other diagonal the color shift is slightly less). And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), and decreased approximately equally. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly and acquires a violet or red-violet hue. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):

And from another angle:

At perpendicular view The uniformity of the black field is very good:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is quite high - about 870:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 25 ms (15 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 38 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The index of the approximating power function is 2.86, which is noticeably higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve strongly deviates from the power-law dependence:

Due to the aggressive dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the output image (without identifying a clear pattern), the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray by almost whole screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a consistently average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen. In general, such brightness correction, which cannot be switched off, does nothing but harm, since constantly changing the screen brightness can at least cause some discomfort. However, the manufacturer, represented by Asus, continues to implement this function in its mobile devices ah with a screen (exception - Google Nexus 7 2013).

The color gamut from a practical point of view is equal to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

IN this device By default, there is a special utility that allows you to manually adjust the color balance by adjusting color temperature, saturation and hue (and turning on the Vivid Mode).

The graphs above show the result (data labeled as C.t.=+7), obtained after our attempt to correct the color temperature, for which we had to resort to several iterations, as a result we settled on the value +7 (which corresponded to approximately 6500 K on a white field). And a visual representation:

It cannot be said that there is a particular need for such a correction; moreover, as a result, ΔE has grown slightly. That is, given the already good balance, use this utility there's no point. Note that the correction does not work in case of hardware video playback. But what happens if you turn on the mode Vivid Mode:

Saturation (color contrast) is pushed to the limit, there is no trace left of the naturalness of the image - another useless function.

Let's summarize. The screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can most likely be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of air gaps in the layers of the screen and flickering, excellent uniformity of the black field, as well as the sRGB color gamut and good color balance. Significant disadvantages include low black stability in response to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane and aggressive, non-disabled dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality can be considered high.

Sound

In terms of sound, the Asus Zenfone doesn't get 5 stars from heaven. The sound remains clear across the entire frequency spectrum, but compared to real top-end smartphones, the sound is still quite faded, and the maximum volume is not up to par. During a telephone conversation, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable.

The device uses proprietary SonicMaster technology - a set of hardware and software to improve sound quality. You can independently configure and select modes using the pre-installed AudioWizard utility.

The smartphone comes with a pre-installed voice recorder, which is used for creating audio notes. It is also possible to record using standard means telephone conversations off the line. To do this, just press the special “rec” button in the lower right corner of the phone application screen during a call, and the conversation will automatically be recorded in the device’s memory. The smartphone also has an FM radio; it does not have the ability to record broadcasts.

The main rear camera is equipped with an 8-megapixel module; the developers also mention the proprietary Asus PixelMaster technology, which is currently implemented in the new Zenfone and Padfone smartphones. Judging by the description, the technology can automatically increase the pixel size up to 400% and includes a set of functions and modes such as Low-light Mode, the ability to shoot up to 20 frames per second, intelligent smile detection, and the ability to remove unwanted images. objects from the frame and much more.

The camera can shoot video with a maximum resolution of 1080p (30 fps), an example of a test video is presented below.

• Video No. 1 (60 MB, 1920×1080)

The main camera shoots at a maximum resolution of 3264×2448. When controlling shooting while the camera is activated, the volume key can be used as a shutter button. Below are test images taken with the Asus Zenfone 5 camera, with our comments on quality.

	The sharpness is not bad, the foliage blends together only in the background. But the camera has problems with color.
	Significant overexposure and strange colors indicate weak firmware.
	The macro is quite sharp, and across the entire field of the frame.
	Good sharpness in the focusing area. However, the program handles small details in a strange way.
	The camera does the text well.

The camera shots are disconcerting. The efforts of good optics are negated either by the sensor or software processing. It's possible that the camera driver itself is misinterpreting the signal from the sensor, but something is clearly wrong. The camera copes well with close-ups, but in long shots something difficult to explain is happening. Most likely, this problem can be solved by updating the firmware, and since the hardware of the camera is quite good, there is hope that it will be able to shoot quite well. For close-ups, the camera is suitable in its current state.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern networks 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA; network support fourth generation(LTE) no. Data transfer speed is limited to HSPA+ mode to 42 Mbps. The communication capabilities of the device are implemented without frills: neither the 5 GHz Wi-Fi range nor NFC technology are supported here. Unlike Padfone series smartphones, the mode for connecting external devices to the USB port (USB Host, OTG) is not supported here. You can standardly organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi channels or Bluetooth. The navigation module can work with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system.

There were no spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing, as well as system slowdowns or freezes. Drawing letters and numbers virtual keyboards quite comfortable to drive. The layout and location of the keys is standard: switching languages ​​here is done by pressing a special button, there is also a dedicated row with numbers - very convenient, there is no need to switch the layout every time. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. It is also possible to enter text by continuously sliding your finger from button to button (Swype).

The smartphone supports working with two SIM cards, and in general, working with them in the menu is organized according to a familiar principle: you can designate any of the SIM cards as the main one for organizing voice calls, transferring data or sending SMS messages; When dialing a number, you can also select the desired card in the context submenu. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G networks, but only one of the cards can work in this mode at the same time (the second will only work in 2G). To change the assignment of slots, cards do not need to be swapped - this can be done directly from the phone menu. Work with two SIM cards is organized according to the familiar Dual standard SIM Dual Standby, when both cards can be in active standby mode, but cannot work at the same time - there is only one radio module.

OS and software

Asus Zenfone 5 works in this moment on software platform Google Android is no longer the latest version 4.3, but the developers firmly promise an update to 4.4. The standard system interface was replaced with a proprietary one, and it was even given its own name - of course, ZenUI.

Major changes have affected the notification panel: it has been completely redrawn externally, a quick access menu has been added, here you can quickly change the screen brightness, turn on the flashlight, etc. The program menu has been supplemented with sorting capabilities, a separate section for managing two SIM cards has been added to the settings menu, Miracast support, camera software interface and sound effects have been improved. In addition, a special section called “Individual” has been added to the settings. Asus settings" It contains additional settings, which were not present in the original Android OS.

Performance

The Asus Zenfone 5 hardware platform is based on a dual-core CPU Intel Atom Z2560 with a frequency of 1.6 GHz. The device has 1 GB of RAM, and the storage available to the user for downloading their own files is about 10 GB of the nominally designated 16 GB - the rest is spent on the system itself and applications. The memory can be increased using microSD cards, but connecting a flash drive via an OTG adapter will not work - the device this mode do not support.

To get an idea of ​​the performance of the platform of the smartphone under test, we will conduct a standard set of tests.

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that at one time they passed their “obstacle courses” on previous versions test programs.

Test results showed that the two Intel Atom Z2560 cores of the Asus Zenfone 5 were quite able to withstand on equal terms the four ARM Cortex-A7 cores with a frequency of 1.4 GHz in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 ( Asus configuration Padfone E). The results turned out to be similar, and in general, in terms of hardware performance, the new product looks quite decent. We would say - unexpectedly worthy for the price at which the smartphone is offered for sale.

In general, according to the results of all tests, the Asus Zenfone 5 smartphone can be safely classified as a device with average (even slightly above average) performance. At the moment, the hardware performance of this smartphone should be enough to perform most tasks that can be performed by any games or other applications from Google Play Store.

Test results in MobileXPRT, as well as the latest versions of AnTuTu 4.x and GeekBench 3:

When testing the graphics subsystem in the cross-platform 3DMark test for the most powerful smartphones, it is now possible to run 3DMark in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Results of testing the graphics subsystem in the Epic Citadel gaming test, as well as Basemark X and Bonsai Benchmark:

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the results Asus testing Zenfone 5 was not equipped with all the necessary decoders, in this case audio, which are necessary for full playback of most of the most common files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, even in it you will first have to change the settings, switching from hardware decoding to software or to a new mode called Hardware+(not supported by all smartphones) - only then will sound appear. All results are summarized in a single table.

¹ MX Video Player only played sound after switching to software decoding or a new mode Hardware+; The standard player does not have this setting

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

In general, in terms of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is very high, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one, exactly along the border of the screen. Clarity (with hardware playback) in the vertical direction (of course, in landscape orientation) is equal to the original, but in the horizontal direction the clarity decreases to such an extent that the world with vertical stripes merges through the pixel into a gray field. However, such a decrease in clarity is difficult to notice in real images. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all shade gradations are displayed in shadows and highlights - which is what is required for correct playback of typical video files.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Asus Zenfone 5 is small for modern smartphone 2110 mAh. According to the test results, the subject demonstrated very poor performance in terms of battery life, unfortunately, the new Asus smartphone has absolutely nothing to brag about here.

Continuous reading in FBReader program(with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) it took 8.5 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When continuously watching YouTube videos in high quality(HQ) with the same brightness level through home network The device lasted about 5 hours in Wi-Fi mode, and almost 3 hours in 3D gaming mode.

Bottom line

As for the cost of Asus Zenfone 5, in our market it is now about 7 thousand rubles or even a little less. The money, in general, is not that big, but the smartphone, as it turns out, has few obvious advantages. The hardware platform, built on the basis of the Intel Atom SoC, really turned out to be very appropriate, showed itself at its best, and as a result, there are no complaints about the performance of the Asus Zenfone 5 - especially considering the price of this smartphone (of course, you need to understand that this far from flagship performance). In addition, we tested a simplified version of the device - a configuration with more powerful Intel Atom Z2580, which has a higher frequency of processor cores and also a larger amount of RAM.

However, that's practically all. The design of the device is secondary (although it can be considered attractive without any stretch), the body materials cannot be called premium, the screen and camera are far from the top level, and the battery life is not great. Such negative little things as wide frames around the display and a rather harsh block of mechanical controls are also not among the advantages of the device. In addition, there is no need to talk about support for LTE, NFC, USB OTG, Wi-Fi (5 GHz). The smartphone is very simple, and its only really strong trump card, in addition to a successful hardware platform, is the good opinion about the manufacturer that has recently developed not only in the Asian market, but also here. Perhaps this factor will help sales, but it’s still a little unfortunate that in its new line Asus has not put as much soul and effort into smartphones as it did into the Padfone series, which we really liked at the time.

In conclusion, we invite you to watch our video review of the Asus Zenfone 5 smartphone.

Today at MWC 2018, ASUS held its presentation and announced three smartphones at once: complete stuffing and powerful, a clone of the iPhone X in all its glory - ZenFone 5 and a light version of ZenFone 5 Lite (5Q in some countries). All three handsets are built on Qualcomm chips, and the company has decided to finally say goodbye to its original design. It follows the tactic of offering customers “iPhone-like” smartphones. Whether users will like this is a very controversial question. From now on, she ceases to be an ideologist to offer something of her own, but starts flirting and cloning.

ASUS ZenFone 5z

As befits a 2018 flagship, it has a top-end Snapdragon 845 processor and an impressive amount of memory - as much as 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of ROM. Why is a rhetorical question. Most likely, in order not to be worse than others. For those who have so much memory in abundance, there are 2 simpler versions: 4/64 GB and 6/128 GB. Ninety percent of the front side is given over to a 6.2-inch display with a resolution of 2246x1080 pixels with an aspect ratio of 19:9 and a “monobrow” at the top from the iPhone X. The new product was given a wide-angle front 8 MP camera, a dual 12 MP rear camera with Sony IMX363 sensors, aperture f /1.8, PDAF, 3300 mAh battery, a couple of stereo speakers and USB port Type-C. There is support for NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, fast charging, proprietary ZenUI 5 shell on Android based 8.0 Oreo, facial recognition system and this season's fashionable emoji, called ZeniMoji. The rear camera received an artificial intelligence system AI Photo Learning, which allows you to recognize objects in the frame and automatically select a mode to create the best photos. The new product will reach store shelves only in June, and will be sold at a price starting from 479 euros.

ASUS ZenFone 5

This is a basic device model range and potentially a bestseller. He has quite good characteristics, but the price will decide everything, and it has not been announced at the moment and the smartphone will go on sale in April. It has a similar screen as the flagship, and the hardware base is Snapdragon 636. The device was given 4/6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of flash memory. All other specifications are identical to ZenFone 5z.

ASUS ZenFone 5 Lite

And this is the simplest smartphone presented today. It has a 6-inch screen with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels, a 3300 mAh battery, a dual front camera with a 20 MP Sony IMX376 main sensor, and a 16 MP dual rear module. There are two modifications depending on the hardware platform - Snapdragon 430 or Snapdragon 630. There is 3/4 GB of RAM, 32/64 GB of internal memory, face unlock, Android 8.0 Oreo OS with ZenUI 5.0 add-on and NFC modem. Sales of the smartphone are planned to begin in March.

Characteristics

• Case materials: metal and Corning Gorilla Glass
• Operating system: Google Android 7.1.1
• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, FDD-LTE CAT 12/13 (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32), two SIM cards (nan+nano)
• Processor: 8 cores, 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 630/660
• RAM: 4/6 GB
• Data storage memory: 64 GB + memory card up to 2 TB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac with MIMO technology, Bluetooth 5, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
• Screen: capacitive, Super IPS OGS 5.5"" with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels
• Camera: 12 MP (f=1.8); 8 MP (f=2.2) 120 degrees viewing angle; front 8 MP (f=2.0), 84 degrees viewing angle
• Navigation: GPS, AGPS, GLO, BDS, GAL
• Sound: 2 stereo speakers, 192 kHz/24-bit audio support, DTS Headphone:X technology and FM radio
• Additionally: NFC, fingerprint scanner (unlock in 0.3 s, supports 5 fingerprints), acceleration sensor, electronic compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, Hall sensor
• Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer (Li-Pol) capacity 3300 mAh
• Dimensions: 155x75x7.5 mm
• Weight: 165 g

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone ZenFone 4
• ASUS headset
• USB Type-C cable
• SIM card tray removal pin
• Charger with USB connector (S630 / 10 W)
• Documentation (user manual, warranty card)
• Silicone Case

Introduction

ASUS must be given its due: the team prepared thoroughly for the presentation of the new product. About two months before the event date, ASUS employees contacted observers and told them about where and how the event would take place, and what documents needed to be prepared for this important matter.

Global presentation took place in the ancient “city on seven hills” of Rome, which is located on the left bank of the Tiber River. The Eternal City is home to historical sights such as the Colosseum, Capitoline Hill, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and many other amazing buildings.

Our group of 27 people was accommodated at the Sheraton Roma Hotel, located in an urban area called the “World Exhibition of Rome”. This is a large complex of business buildings, built by order of Benito Mussolini in 1935-1943 in the southwest of Rome in preparation for the World Exhibition. By the way, it never took place... unlike the ASUS presentation!

The meeting place chosen was grandiose: the impressively sized building of the Roma Convention Center, located between the National Ethnographic Museum of Luigi Pigorini and the Pala Lottomatica Sports Palace.

Immediately before the main event, a mini press conference on the topic was held for journalists and IT specialists mobile cameras. We were told about the technical intricacies of the ZenFone 4 and 4 Pro cameras.

And an hour later, the main presentation of the entire line of ZenFone smartphones began on the main stage of ROC. They spoke to the point, and therefore the event passed quite quickly, but fruitfully: many major publications (including Mobile-Review) were invited for interviews with ASUS top executives, where they discussed the present and future of technologies in the world of wearable devices.

Returning to the topic of the review. I was able to use the ZenFone 4 smartphone before all other Russian journalists and bloggers, so a “First Look” was published on our website, as well as a fairly detailed video about the device. I've been using the gadget for more than three weeks now, so there's a lot to tell about the fourth version of ZenFone.

In short, the device is positioned as a camera phone in the mid-high price category with good technical characteristics. Judge for yourself: two cameras - regular (f/1.8 aperture and optical stabilization) and wide-angle, 4/64 GB of memory, Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth version 5.0, fingerprint scanner, NFC chip, two speakers for stereo sound output, Google Android 7.1.1 updated to Android 8.

Current price ASUS ZenFone 4 is 33,000 rubles.

Design, dimensions, control elements

ABOUT appearance devices has become increasingly difficult to talk about lately, since almost all smartphones are similar to each other. The ASUS ZenFone 4 is not exactly a copy of some “handset,” but its design does not bring anything new: a durable metal edge, Corning glass on the front and back panels. The only feature is the branded “pattern” (in the form of rays emanating from the center of the “ASUS” inscription) on the back of the gadget, which plays nicely in the light.

Another issue is quality. With the new product from ASUS, everything is super in this regard: after almost a month of testing, there were no chips or scratches left on either the glass or the metal. Of course, there are small problems, but this manifestation is quite normal.

There will be three colors on sale: “star black”, “moon white” and “mint green”. I would choose something brighter, that is, the last two color solutions, since fingerprints will be less visible on them, and the palette is somehow more cheerful. There is an oleophobic coating on both the front and back.

The body shape is rectangular, the corners are sloping, the edges are rounded. It fits well in the hand due to its not very wide width (75 mm) and quite comfortable thickness (7.5 mm). ZenFone 4 weighs 165 grams. The gadget is non-slip, but easily fits and can be taken out of jeans or jacket pockets.

The metal frame is semi-matte, the edges are polished, smoothly transitioning to the glass. At the top and bottom you can see two antenna partitions.

Top on front panel There is a front camera, light and proximity sensors, an indicator of missed events, and a speech speaker. It is loud, the interlocutor can be heard clearly and legibly, the timbre is pleasant, closer to the mid and low frequencies. Echo and others extraneous sounds did not appear. By the way, it should be noted that the speech speaker is also a speakerphone speaker, and to be more precise, it transmits high frequencies, and the speaker at the bottom end – mid and low frequencies.

Under the display there are two touch buttons “Back” and “Menu” (various actions can be assigned to this button), and a fingerprint sensor (also known as “Home”). The response speed is slightly above average.

At the bottom there is a standard 3.5 mm audio output for headphones, a USB Type-C connector, a microphone and a speakerphone (one of two). An additional microphone for noise reduction and stereo sound recording is on the top.

On the left side there is a combined nano+nano or nano+microSD slot. On the right are the power button and volume rocker.

On the rear area on top there are two camera modules flush with the body (seamless), a flash and a special RGB sensor for accurately determining white balance.

ASUS ZenFone 4 and 4 Max

ASUS 4 and Meizu Pro 7Plus

ASUS 4 and Meizu Pro 7

ASUS 4 and Huawei P10 Plus

Display

The ASUS ZenFone 4 has a screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. Physical size – 68x121 mm. The frames are relatively thin: 16 mm at the top, 17 mm at the bottom, and 3.5 mm on the right and left. Of course, there is an effective anti-reflective coating. The display behaves well under sunlight.

The matrix of this smartphone is made according to Super technology IPS+ OGS, that is, there is no air gap, so the colors are more saturated, and the picture seems to lie on the surface of the screen. The display resolution is FullHD, that is, 1080x1920 pixels, pixelation is invisible (400 ppi), but the picture is clear.

Average brightness – 562 units, black color – 0.36 units, contrast – 1600:1. Very good brightness and contrast!

The viewing angles are maximum, there are no purple or yellow tints - signs of a high-quality IPS matrix. Below are screenshots of the measurements.

Settings

Battery

The ASUS ZenFone 4 smartphone uses a 3300 mAh battery. It's built-in. Official job details:

• up to 23 days standby time
• up to 30 hours talk time
• up to 18 hours when browsing websites over Wi-Fi

If you do not use the device very often, but are constantly in Wi-Fi networks with all social networks, mail and other applications, you should count on 1.5 days. With a fairly active mode - approximately 16 hours, in ultra mode (4G network, photo and video recording, active correspondence in in social networks and so on) – 11-12 hours. On maximum brightness Backlight, the phone lasts 4 – 4.5 hours (screen glow). Approximately 16 hours of talk time.

I consider this operating time to be quite good; most of these devices in my conditions showed values ​​of 3–3.5 hours of glow and 11–12 hours under normal load.

During testing there were no questions regarding energy consumption. Senior model with Snapdragon processor 660 is equipped fast charging(36 minutes and 50%), junior – regular 5B – 2A. Charges ZenFone 4 from stock network adapter about 2.5 hours.

Communication capabilities

The device is equipped with two SIM card slots nano format. The device supports LTE networks (LTE Cat 12 upload – 150 Mbps / Cat 13 receive – 600 Mbps) with bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32 ( version with NFC). Both SIM card slots support 3G WCDMA/4G LTE standards, however, only one of the SIM cards can connect to the 3G WCDMA/4G LTE network, and not two at the same time.

The gadget operates with Wi-Fi ac MIMO, Bluetooth version 5.0, and it has a full-fledged NFC chip. From navigation – GPS, AGPS, GLO, BDS, GAL.

Memory

The younger model is equipped with 4 GB of RAM, and the older one is equipped with 6 GB of RAM. The internal memory is always 64 GB. Read speed – 240 MB/s, write speed – 190 MB/s. There is a slot for a microSD memory card up to 2 TB.

Cameras

In fact, at the presentation in Rome, almost all the time was devoted to cameras, and the slogan of the entire campaign was “We love photos!”, where the word “love” was replaced by two smartphones located relative to each other at an angle of 90 degrees - in the shape of a heart.

The main camera of ZenFone 4 is a Sony IMX362 sensor (the lens consists of six elements, f/1.8 aperture, focal length 25 mm):

• Resolution 12 MP
• Sensor size 1/2.55 inches
• Pixel size 1.4 µm
• Phase detection autofocus with DualPixel technology

In addition, the main module is equipped with optical stabilization (4 steps), and a special RGB sensor is used to adjust the white balance. HTC U11, Moto G5 Plus / Z2 Play and even inexpensive Meizu M6 Note.

Additional module– wide-angle. It has an angle of 120 degrees, that is, 12 mm in terms of 35 mm. Resolution – 8 MP, no autofocus.

Considering that we were in a unique historical place, it was a sin not to photograph the local beauty, but at the same time test the camera’s capabilities. Frankly, I took almost all the photographs at a wide angle for two reasons: first, such sights need to be captured in as much detail as possible, so that all the details of buildings, landscapes, and so on are visible in the frame (try photographing large structures at a “short” angle). corner - nothing good will come of it); the second is picture quality.

I was completely satisfied with the image quality of the main camera: thanks to the high-aperture optics, it is easy to take silent photographs at night, and optical stabilization helps to increase the shutter speed up to 1/8 of a second. As you understand, during the day almost all cameras of this level shoot, plus or minus, the same way. The only caveat is the correct HDR mode, which works just fine: all objects remain evenly illuminated, even at night - this strong point main camera!

The wide picture is nice, although it is a bit narrow dynamic range. The quality is approximately the same as on the LG G6. However, I have not yet seen smartphones with wide-angle cameras, where the quality would be better than ZenFone 4 or the same G6 from LG. The juice is the large coverage of space. While people were clicking a few frames on their Apple iPhone 8 Plus, I took only one frame with ZenFone 4, which included both colleagues and the sights of Rome.

The “shirik” was best revealed in the Vatican Museum: narrow corridors, small halls, a large-scale “map gallery” and luxurious tapestries - all this was given to ZenFone 4 without any problems.

IN new firmware For the device, the distortion was slightly corrected, the image became more natural, with minimal distortion. However, distortion is also present on SLR devices with expensive optics.

ZenFone 4 can record video in maximum UHD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels). The quality is very good. The gadget also “knows” about FullHD 60 fps. In this case, this mode requires a lot of light.

The wide-angle camera records videos in FullHD resolution. The picture is not bad, but the DD is narrow. Electronic stabilization is used. In any case, shooting at a wide angle is cooler than shooting at a regular one. You cannot switch between cameras while shooting.

The front camera is 8 MP (f/2.0) with a wide angle and quite normal photo quality. Writes excellent quality videos in FullHD resolution. There is electronic stabilization.

For those who like background blur, the device has a “Portrait” mode. At this stage, it does not work quite adequately, blurring many details in the frame.

The settings have a “Pro” mode (for both cameras) - these are manual parameters for focus, shutter speed (1/10,000 - 32 seconds), ISO (25 - 3200), exposure and white balance (2750K - 7500K). As you can see, the parameters are impressive, especially ISO from 25 and temperature in increments of 250K. Moreover, while shooting a video, you can choose white balance, ISO value and focus! The shutter speed is set in advance. Of course, there is the RAW format.

Examples of photographs taken with the main lens

Examples of photos taken with a wide-angle lens

Examples of photos taken with the front camera

Greetings to the participants Club of Experts, as well as all the guests who visited this page. Today I want to talk about Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML. This smartphone I was attracted, first of all, by the presence of 4 gigabytes of RAM. But, as it turned out, these are not all the surprises he has. So, let's talk about everything in more detail.

< h2>Specifications h2>

Common parameters
Type: smartphone
Model: Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML
Black color
Case material: plastic

System
Operating system: Android 5.0 Lollipop
Processor: Intel Atom Z3560 1.8 GHz (4 cores)
Video accelerator: PowerVR G6430 MP4
Built-in memory size: 16 GB
RAM size: 4 GB
Memory expansion slot: yes
Memory card form factor: micro SD, micro SDHC (up to 64 GB)
Sensors: proximity, accelerometer, light

Screen
Screen technology: IPS
Screen diagonal: 5.5"
Screen resolution: 1920x1080
Type touch screen: capacitive
Multi-touch: yes

Connection
Bluetooth support: yes
Bluetooth version: 4.0
Wi-Fi support: yes
Wi-Fi standard: 802.11b/g/n/a/ac
Networks: EDGE/GSM/GPRS, HSPA/3G, LTE FDD
Possibility of using two SIM cards: yes
SIM card form factor: micro-SIM
GPS: yes
A-GPS: yes

Camera
Front camera: 5.0 MP
Main camera: 13.0 MP
Flash type: LED

Wired Interfaces
USB connector type: micro USB
Audio Connectors: Headphone/Audio Out
Headphone jack type: mini-jack 3.5 mm

Nutrition
Battery type: Li-pol
Battery capacity: 3000 mAh

Additional Information
OTG support: yes

dimensions
Length: 10.9 mm
Width: 77.2 mm
Height: 152.5 mm
Weight: 170 g

< h2>Packaging h2>

Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML is supplied in a black and white cardboard box. The overall dimensions are small and amount to 162 x 60 x 85 millimeters, while the weight is 379 grams.
The front side shows the smartphone on both sides, as well as the model name and an icon indicating that the case design was awarded the 2015 iFDesign Award.

On the front end there is information about the manufacturer, but there is no Russian language.

On the bottom side there is a sticker with the main characteristics and barcodes.

On the back you can see six icons representing the main advantages of the smartphone.

Manufacturers painted the side edges of the box in the color that matches the color of the model’s body (in my case it’s black).

The packaging itself is made according to the principle of a pencil case: top part extends to the side. An unusual solution, since most of the lids are simply removed upwards. Overall, the packaging turned out great. The design is very stylish, I didn’t expect anything else from ASUS.

< h2>Equipment h2>

The Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML package includes:
- network adapter;
- USB cable- microUSB;
- wired headset;
- 2 pairs of additional ear pads;
- user guide;
- warranty card.

The equipment is quite standard, the only surprise is the absence of an OTG cable - it usually comes with a device in this price category.

< h2>Appearance h2>

Since the display diagonal of the Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML is 5.5 inches, the overall dimensions of the smartphone are quite impressive: 77.2 x 152.5 x 10.9 millimeters, weight - 170 grams.

On the front side at the top there are light and proximity sensors, a speaker, a front camera and an LED indicator. Below is the ASUS logo in silver.

At the bottom there are three touch buttons highlighted with a silver outline. The manufacturers placed a textured plastic insert underneath them.

The edging around the edges is small and amounts to three millimeters.

On the right side, as well as on the left, there are no controls, which is an unusual solution, since manufacturers place most buttons on the sides. But if you look closely, on the right side you can see a recess for removing the back cover.

At the top end, in the center, there is a silver key to lock/turn on the smartphone. On the sides there is a 3.5 mm mini-jack connector for connecting a headset and a microphone hole.

At the bottom end there is a microUSB connector and a microphone hole. A glossy black edging runs along all sides.

The back cover has a rounded shape, while the thickness of the case is 3.9 millimeters at the edges and 10.9 millimeters in the center. The lid itself is made of matte black plastic with a texture that strongly resembles metal.

At the top there is a double LED flash, the main camera, a volume key, and the ASUS logo is printed in the center as usual.

At the bottom you can see a long perforation that serves as a grille for the main speaker, as well as the logo of the processor manufacturer - Intel and the name of the model line - Zenfone.

The inside of the lid has a couple of interesting elements that are worth talking about. 2/3 of the speaker grille is sealed, and from the outside it may seem that the smartphone has two speakers, but in fact there is only one. There is an NFC module in the center of the cover.

The smartphone is equipped with a non-removable lithium polymer battery at 3000 mAh. All slots are located in the center: one for a microSD memory card, and the other two for micro-SIM. Each of the two slots has its own active radio module, thanks to which both SIM cards can work simultaneously. Moreover, the first slot supports networks up to 4G, but the second slot supports only 2G.

The appearance of the Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML turned out to be quite original, despite the fact that all design elements can be found in models from other companies. The assembly of the case does not raise any questions, all parts fit tightly together, there are no gaps.

< h2>Screen h2>

The Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML uses a screen based on an IPS matrix; the display is covered with protective glass on top. The diagonal is 5.5 inches, the resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels. The image quality is excellent, the picture on the display looks excellent, the same goes for viewing angles.

The screen supports simultaneous pressing of up to ten fingers.

< h2>Interface h2>

Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML is powered by operating system Android 5.0 with the proprietary ZenUI shell. After the first turn on, the ASUS proprietary splash screen appears on the display, then standard operations for selecting a language and registering account, after which the smartphone owner receives 100 GB of Google Drive memory for 2 years.

Almost immediately a service message appears indicating an available update. Downloading does not take much time, the same can be said about installation - the updates were installed the first time without any problems.

Initially we have 3 desktops at our disposal.

Applications easily fit on one page, as they are grouped into categories, but the grouping can be changed if desired.

Ten pages of widgets.

The settings menu has a familiar appearance.

As for the file manager, here it is presented in a very colorful form.

The right touch key brings up a list of running applications, here you can pin frequently used ones, as well as close unnecessary ones.

Call curtain quick settings includes all necessary elements.

Here you can change the user and, thus, essentially get a completely different phone, with different settings.

A long press on the main screen brings up a colorful menu with various desktop settings.

Take flipping, for example. Settings allow the user to select one of four swipe effects.

The “One-handed” function is useful for users who cannot comfortably use a smartphone, since the 5.5-inch diagonal screen is quite large.

ASUS offers a large number of themes and icons to suit every taste.

The smartphone application package contains a very useful program ASUS Backup, using this utility you can make backup data from installed and system applications.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML can operate in modem mode.

< h2>Using h2>

Thanks to the beveled shape of the back cover, the smartphone fits comfortably in the hand. For me personally, there were no difficulties during navigation, despite the 5.5-inch screen.

The quality of communication is at a decent level, the interlocutor is perfectly audible at the other end of the line. As for the complete headset, it exceeded all expectations. This is the best headset I've ever seen out of the box. It is enough for making calls, and thanks to the replaceable ear pads, the user can choose exactly the size that suits him. Web surfing is convenient, there are no freezes or slowdowns, which is facilitated by the large screen and powerful hardware.

Personally, I found it inconvenient to control the sound, since this key is located on the back cover of the smartphone, but I think this is a matter of habit. As for the sound quality, there is nothing special to brag about. As I already noted, Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML has only one speaker. The sound is quite passable, but it is very, very far from high-quality, surround sound.
As I already said, the package does not include an OTG cable, but, nevertheless, the smartphone supports connecting various peripheral devices. The action camera, flash drives, and MP3 player connected and were identified by the phone within 4 seconds.

< h2>Camera h2>

Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML is equipped with two cameras. The front one is 5 megapixels and the main one is 13 megapixels. The main camera is equipped with dual LED flash.

Camera interface.

At the same time, a large number of different shooting modes are presented, suitable for the requirements of each user.

Photo taken with the main camera.

Macro photography.

Panorama.

Photos with and without flash.

Photo taken with the front camera.

Autofocus takes no more than one and a half seconds. The quality of photographs taken by both cameras is at a decent level. I was especially pleased with the quality of the front camera; it is perfect for selfie lovers.

Example of daytime shooting

Low light example

An example of shooting at night

< h2>Testing h2>

Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML is equipped with a quad-core Intel processor Atom Z3560 with clock frequency 1800 MHz. The video is processed by the PowerVR G6430 accelerator with support for DirectX 10. The smartphone has 4 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory (11.31 GB available).
If desired, you can expand the memory up to 64 GB using a microSD flash card.

At MWC 2018 Asus

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (Chinese: 華碩電腦股份有限公司 Huáshuò Diànnǎo Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī, usually called ASUS (/eɪˈsuːs/)) is a company located in the Republic of China that produces a variety of computer equipment(both components and finished products). Name trademark Asus comes from the word Pegasus (Pegasus). Wikipedia

Brought a new addition to the ZenFone line of mobile phones: ZenFone 5 Lite, ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 5z.

ZenFone 5 Lite ZenFone 5 Lite received a 6-inch display (2160×1080, 18:9), Snapdragon 430/630 processors, a 3300 mAh battery and four cameras: a 16 MP main camera and a 20 MP front camera with a Sony sensor

Sony Corporation, "Sony" (Japanese: ソニー株式会社 Sony: kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, founded on May 7, 1946. Specializes in the production of home and professional electronics, game consoles and other high-tech products. In addition, Sony is one of the world's largest media conglomerates, owning the Sony Music Entertainment record label, the Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures film studios, as well as the complete archive of MGM films (shared with Comcast); provides financial services. Wikipedia

IMX376, each of which is complemented by a wide-angle module. The mobile phone is equipped NFC module and three slots: two SIM cards and one microSD memory card.

ZenFone 5 (2018) is a 6.2-inch mobile phone (2160x1080, 19:9) with a Snapdragon 636 processor, 6 GB of RAM and a 3300 mAh battery. The camera on the back of the device received a Sony IMX 363 sensor and a dual module: 12 MP main (f/1.8) + wide-angle. The front camera resolution is 8 megapixels.

The 19:9 aspect ratio of the display is explained by Asus' desire to avoid image clipping in landscape mode. “Lying on its side,” ZenFone 5 plays video in full 18:9 format.

The flagship position in the line will be taken by ZenFone 5z— a “charged” version of ZenFone 5 with the flagship Snapdragon 845 processor, 4/6/8 GB of RAM, 64/128/256 GB of ROM. Special attention at the presentation was paid to the updated proprietary shell ZenUI 5, many aspects of which were penetrated artificial intelligence. AI can: distinguish between 16 shooting scenarios, selecting camera settings for the user; automatically adjust the ringtone volume based on the noise level in the surrounding area; control the charging of your mobile phone to increase battery life. The last function is to set the threshold for charging the device at night. In other words, AI will allow mobile phone Charge up to 100% just before you wake up.

When will the new ZenFone go on sale?:

• ZenFone 5 Lite – March, price not specified;
• ZenFone April 5, price not specified;
• ZenFone 5z – June, from 479 euros (~33 thousand rubles).