When Samsung launched the Galaxy K Zoom series, it was hard to tell whether it’s a phone with a camera or the other way around.
Also, we’ve already got the likes of Microsoft Lumia 1020 that claimed smartphone cameras were as capable as traditional imaging devices.
Now in 2016, we have the Asus ZenFone Zoom that enhances the capability of a smartphone’s camera with optical zoom built into the hardware optics of the snapper.
The phone is priced at Rs 37,999 and if you bundle a selfie stick, ZenFlash with the phone, the price goes up to Rs 39,999. But, as brands like HTC and Sony have figured, it’s not easy to break the stranglehold of a Samsung or an Apple – but Asus is looking to do what others have not been able to.
Key Specifications: Asus ZenFone Zoom
- Display: 5.5-inch Full-HD 1920x1080 pixels with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Operating System: Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Processor: Quad-core Intel Atom
- RAM: 2/4GB
- Rear Camera: 13-MP with 3X optical zoom
- Front Camera: 5-MP
- Battery: 3000mAh
- Price: Rs 37,999 (Rs 39,999 with selfie bundle)
What’s Good?
Asus ZenFone Zoom was first showcased at the CES in 2015 and it’s taken the Taiwanese brand more than a year to officially launch the product. The company claims to have made some refinements that have improved the camera prowess of the phone even further.
To its credit, Asus ZenFone Zoom is probably the slimmest phone with big-size camera unit that you can buy in the market. It also feels a lot lighter than the bulging Samsung Galaxy K Zoom.
The phone is equipped with 4GB RAM that ably supports the Intel quad-core processor and guarantees performance that poses no issues.
Also, it’s hard to ignore the prospect of having a phone with built-in 128GB storage which no matter what anyone says, is a lot of space to play around with.
The 13-megapixel back camera may not be out of the ordinary for users these days, but for Rs 37,999 Asus is hoping to attract shutterbugs with the add-on ability of 3X optical zoom. What we managed to get out of the snapper was a mixed bag; the pictures clicked in daylight had depth and detail – and even the tints were prominent.
The fact that Asus opted for a full-HD display resolution, seems to have helped its cause on the battery front. The 3000mAh unit is capable of averaging around 10-12 hours with moderate usage, which primarily implies that normal users shouldn’t be bothered with their phone dying during work hours.
What’s Bad?
It’s hard for any phone to sell at a price point that reaches the higher side of 35K and for Asus, the task is even more challenging. The faux-pas leather back panel could have been outdone with metallic body construction, which – as most Chinese brands have made clear – is not hard or expensive to offer.
Also, when you’re hitting the heights of a premium brand, there’s got to be more than just the camera that you can offer. The design of the Zoom is fairly reminiscent of the Zenfone 2 models that we’ve come across in recent times.
We’re not sure if the back panel can last for a long duration, and that could explain the reason behind Asus offering multiple back panel covers just to hide the deficiency.
Our concerns on the camera front lie with the low-light capability of the ZenFone Zoom, especially since the brand had pitted itself against the might of a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 or an Apple iPhone 6S.
However, we felt the images clicked in low light delivered more noise than we expected with detailing that gets overshadowed for obvious reasons.
Why Buy It?
Asus ZenFone Zoom has been a long time coming and in the end, the brand has delivered on the imaging front to some extent. However, you need to figure out whether you want to splurge big money on an Asus phone (despite the fact that it has a 3X optical zoom option.)
However, if you end up buying it, we’ll back the device in terms of its performance, battery life and camera capability – in daylight conditions.
All things said, Asus ZenFone Zoom is a phone that commands attention but definitely not at this price.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)