With a new smartphone launching every other day, you may start believing it’s getting hard to maintain their distinctiveness. Nope! There are a lot of phones around, but some phones are special… Announced earlier this year at CES 2014 by the Taiwanese consumer electronics giant ASUS, the Zenfone series was destined to up the ante & further intensify the competition. The Zenfone triad features Zenfone 4, Zenfone 5 & Zenfone 6, the suffixed digits are based on the screen size! And, they are here! ASUS launched these smartphones in India this week.
Zenfone 4
Zenfone 4 has two variants, a 4-inch (A400CG) model priced at Rs. 5,999, and a 4.5-inch (A450CG) model for Rs. 6,999. Both feature a dual core 1.2GHz Intel® AtomZ2520 processor (with Quad-Thread Hyper-Threading Technology), making them highly competent. There are two cameras – a full-HD 5MP rear shooter & a basic secondary camera. Apart from the 8 GB internal storage, they support microSD cards upto 64 GB. They are available in five vivacious colors — Pearl White, Charcoal Black,Cherry Red, Sky Blue, Solar Yellow. The 4 inch model comes packs a 1600 mAh battery with a WVGA (480 x 800 Pixels) screen, while the 4.5 incher has a 1750 mAh battery with a FWVGA (854 x 480 Pixels) screen. The battery life should be decent considering the power efficiency of Intel’s processors
ZenFone 5
ZenFone 5 comes with a large 5-inch IPS screen with an excellent resolution of 1280 x 720-pixel (294 ppi). ZenFone 5 has a snappy, energy-efficient Intel Atom Z2580 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz, coupled with a 2 GB RAM and sports a brilliant 8-megapixel camera at the back. Its 2-megapixel front camera should yield great selfies! Features like PenTouch, GloveTouch, PixelMaster, etc (refer to Zen-Tastic features below).
Like Zenfone 4, the 8 GB internal storage can be extended using microSD. The 2110mAh battery makes the runtime decent. Priced at Rs. 9999, Zenfone 5 is a jackpot for sure! It also has a 16 GB variant priced at 12,999 (sweet!)
ZenFone 5 is available in four attractive colors — Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Cherry Red, and Champagne Gold.
Zenfone 6
And now for the biggie! Zenfone 6 boasts a humungous 6 inch screen which is vivid & vibrant, but a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels for a 6 incher (245 ppi) is nothing exceptional. At its heart lies a dual core Intel Atom Z2580 generously clocked at 2 GHz topped with 2 gigs of RAM making the device powerful & robust. The 13 megapixel PixelMaster camera & a front facing 2 MP camera make the device an excellent camera phone! With a capacious battery of 3300mAH the phone shall last long enough. The 16 GB device with expandable storage is power packed with features like ASUS PenTouch, GloveTouch, PixelMaster, etc (refer to Zen-tastic Features below). An exclusive feature is ASUS’ SonicMaster audio technology that enhances user’s music experience.
Priced at only Rs. 16,999, Zenfone 6 is surely a worthy alternative to the expensive flagships!
Zen-tasitic Features: What sets Zenfones apart?
If you were swayed by the pricing and specifications of the Zenfone trio, you will be delighted to know that the best is yet to come! Zenfone’s power is not only in its hardware, but the software that makes it unconventional.
ZenUI:
Zenfones feature a gorgeous new user interface from ASUS — ZenUI. Exclusively for ASUS devices, ZenUI blends extensive functionality with elegant simplicity. ZenFone knows what you need – it tailors itself on your moods & thoughts.
It also includes a free open messenger, powered by Omlet Chat. That lets users share almost any kind of content easily with anyone, on any phone for free. ZenUI also includes enhanced Android apps for ZenFone, making it more productive. The ASUS email app, for example, allows messages to be read by thread, In the web browser, Smart Reader Mode automatically adjusts the background tone to reduce strain on the eyes, while the Gallery has an enhanced online synchronization. The ZenUI completely redefines user experience. The phones come with jellybean on board and are upgradable to KitKat out of the box, the ZenUi has been optimized for the same as well.
PixelMaster:
PixelMaster is a technology developed by ASUS that combines hardware, software and optical design to deliver better quality images in a variety of scenarios. Its includes :
Low Light Mode: Present in Zenfone 5 and 6, Low Light Mode enables you take clear and brighter images in low lighting conditions by combining multiple pixels and using image processing algorithms, to increase the light sensitivity by up to 400% and boost color contrast by up to 200%. Surprisngly, this technology is also available for video recording.
High Quality Imaging Hardware:
The imaging hardware of the smartphones are truly extraordinary. The ZenFone 5 uses a Sony BSI CMOS sensor while the ZenFone 6 utilizes a Panasonic BSI CMOS sensor. Both sensors have a pixel size of 1.12µm which is remarkable for its price category, as premium smartphones such as the Galaxy S5 have similar pixel size.
Zenfone 5 & 6 also carry Largan lens, which are used by the Apple iPhones, are The 5-piece lens will deliver clean, sharp photos while the image sensors aids in color accuracy and uniformity. The deployed lens also has an aperture of f/2.0, which enhances the overall low-light sensitivity.
Depth of Field Mode:
The Depth of Field Mode allows you to capture photos with singled isolated subjects set against a blurred background. Similar to the Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2, etc. where you hold the phone still for the camera to take multiple shots. In the case of the ZenFone, it will take 2 images after you press the shutter button. This feature is available on the all the three Zenfones.
Selfie Mode:
With selfies being the “in thing” these days, ASUS seems pretty much updated. The front camera on the ZenFone (all) will automatically detect when the selected number of people are in the frame & begins a countdown before taking 3 photos. You can then select the best shot to save and share with your friends.
Time Rewind:
Same as the Time Shift on BlackBerry 10, Time Rewind takes multiple pics before & after you press the shutter so that the chances of you getting the perfect shot increases dramatically. To be precise, Time Rewind records two seconds prior and one second after the photo is clicked . During this 3 second period, a total of 31 photographs are taken for you to choose from!
Other features like Panosphere, ClearZoom, Smart Remove, Beutification, GIF recording and many more make Zenfones one of the most efficient camera phones – ever!
ASUS PenTouch & GloveTouch:
This technology increase ZenFone’s (5 & 6) display sensitivity, allowing you to use the device with any stylus or even a gloved hand!
Asus cloud:
The Zenfones come with free 5 GB Lifetime ASUS Web Storage. Which is one of the leading corporate cloud storages services
Conclusion
With budget phone market constantly expanding as giants like Motorola, Nokia, HTC, etc. decide to develop devices for this category, ASUS Zenfones surely seem to have a bright future. With a splendid synthesis of hardware & software, Asus Zenfone is a phone to watch out for.
ASUS Zenfone is available for preorder on Flipkart with attractive pre-order discounts on Zenfone accessories. Since, it’s a well-established company, the phones would also be available in ASUS stores across the country as well, along with other leading mobile stores.
May you find your Zen!
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