Not everyone can afford flagship smartphones, the cost of which increases every year, so mid-price models are becoming more and more popular. As a rule, when you buy them, you get almost the same opportunities that flagships provide, but they only cost much less. The main thing here is to strike a balance in order to offer an inexpensive, but at the same time good phone. Each manufacturer follows certain principles, and ASUS tries to install the highest possible hardware for its price, offering a high-quality processor, cameras and autonomy. The ASUS ZenFone 5 review makes it clear that we are being offered just such a smartphone, which differs from the flagship 5Z only in slightly more modest hardware. At the same time, the body assembly materials were left unchanged, as was the stunning FullHD+ display with a 19:9 ratio. Let's see what Zenfon is and how good the updated line of Asus phones is.
Specifications:
- Screen: 6.2″ Full HD+ (2246x1080) Super IPS+
- Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (8x Kryo 260 up to 1.8 GHz)
- Graphics accelerator: Adreno 509
- Operating system: Android 8.0 + ZenUI5
- RAM: 4 GB
- Built-in memory: 64 GB
- Memory card support: microSD up to 2 TB
- Communication: GSM/GPRS/EDGE; WCDMA/HSPA+/DC-HSPA+; TD-SCDMA; CDMA 2000; FDD-LTE; TD-LTE
- SIM: nano-SIM + nano-SIM (combined slot), Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS)
- Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
- Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
- Cameras: main - 12 MP (f/1.8) + 8 MP (f/2.2), front - 8 MP (f/2.0)
- Sensors: light, proximity, gravity, microgyroscope, compass, fingerprint sensor
- Battery: 3300 mAh
- Dimensions: 153×75.7×7.9 mm
- Weight: 155 grams
Equipment Asus ZenFon 5
The box is devoid of logos and bright images; it is made in a simple but effective design. It is rough tactile and painted dark gray. But despite the simplicity of its design, a rich package awaits us inside, which includes everything you need to work with the Asus ZenFon 5 phone:
- USB-C cable;
- Charger with parameters 5V/2A;
- A paperclip for quick access to the SIM card tray;
- Transparent silicone bumper, which does not spoil the design of the smartphone, but at the same time protects it from scratches;
- Not bad headphones.
Design
I traditionally start the ASUS ZenFone 5 review with its design, which turned out to be successful, except for the bangs on the front panel, which surprisingly almost all manufacturers now copy from Apple. The body is a monolithic structure, qualitatively assembled from glass. Metal was used only to make the side frame, which makes the case more rigid and saves it in the event of a fall. The smartphone looks quite premium - strict lines and beautifully shimmering glass on the back panel, which looks unusual and very attractive. There is only one drawback and it applies to all devices with a glass body - it quickly gets dirty and tends to slip out of your hands. When the case becomes covered with stains, it quickly loses its attractiveness, so it is better to immediately place it in the silicone bumper included with the device.
When you start using the phone, you immediately notice its feature, which can be classified as a shortcoming - a thin recess on the top, into which a speaker is built, a front-facing lens, as well as a standard list of sensors. In an inactive state, it is impossible to see, but under the speaker grille there is an LED event indicator, thanks to which you will not miss anything important.
The remaining frames are minimal; the 6.2-inch screen occupies almost the entire area of the front panel. This solution looks great; the frameless fashion is already in full use in the budget segment. A minimal margin was left at the bottom. It is slightly larger than the others, but does not contain any functional elements; the navigation keys are on the screen. Its presence provides a comfortable hand grip in landscape orientation.
A review of ASUS ZenFone 5 2020 shows that there is a dual main camera on the back side, in addition to which there is a bright flash. A fingerprint scanner is located a little lower in the center and I must say they chose a good place for it. The finger rests on it itself, the operation occurs quickly and accurately.
The left side is occupied by a hybrid tray, into which you can install two Nano SIM cards or one, but paired with microSD.
On the right is the power button and a rocker to control the volume level.
ASUS ZenFone 5 ze620kl review moves to the bottom edge, which is pleasantly surprising. The fact is that the manufacturer has retained a 3.5 mm audio jack, to which you can connect your wired headset. It is located close to the USB Type-C port, main speaker and microphone.
Thanks to the elongated screen and minimal frames around its perimeter, it was possible to fit it into a fairly compact body. And the successful shape of the side edges provides a comfortable hand grip. But the 6.2-inch display simply won’t allow you to comfortably operate it with one hand - you won’t be able to reach the top of the screen without grabbing the body, so it will be easier to connect a second hand.
But so that this does not cause any discomfort in everyday life, the manufacturer has offered several convenient functions. So, double tapping on the “Home” key activates the one-handed control mode, in which the working area of the screen becomes smaller, so you no longer have to reach for its top point. You can set the size of the work area at your discretion. As the review of the ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone showed, there is another, no less useful feature - if you swipe your finger over the fingerprint scanner, the notification panel will open. Due to this, you don’t have to reach for the top curtain, which is much more convenient.
By the way, the fingerprint sensor copes with its task perfectly, but not as quickly as we would like and as we are accustomed to in terms of the best flagships. It works much longer than the 0.3 seconds stated by the manufacturer, at least on the current firmware version. Although there are no problems with recognition accuracy. The scanner's shortcomings do not end there - it was not installed in the most successful way. The fact is that it is placed in a small recess, which is why it practically merges with the body. Because of this, at first it is quite difficult to find it by touch.
In good lighting, you can use a more modern method - face unlocking. The technology is implemented using a front camera; the quality of recognition is highly dependent on lighting conditions. In the dark, recognition will be erroneous and you will be asked to enter a password or use a fingerprint scanner. But the recognition accuracy is at the highest level; the system cannot be fooled by a photo of the owner. In addition, artificial intelligence helps her.
ASUS ZenFone 5 ze620kl 64gb review showed that the case is assembled perfectly. There are no backlashes or gaps, the smartphone feels high-quality and solid.
operating system
The ASUS Zenfone 5 LTE 16Gb we described runs on Android OS version 4.3 (it was a current modification at the time the smartphone was released). Today, apparently, version 6.0 is available, and you can upgrade to it using a Wi-Fi connection.
The graphical shell here is developed individually for this model - this is ZenUI, which in the future will also be present on the second generation line mentioned above. It included, for example, ASUS Zenfone 2 Lazer 16Gb. The 5th version is its “predecessor” in the model range.
The new interface looks, in our opinion, more attractive than the standard Android “shell”. The functions that are offered to the smartphone user are presented here in a more convenient form. In addition, of course, new icons, graphic backgrounds and transitions between different phone menus have been developed, which also gives some kind of visual “freshness” for those who are used to working with “bare” Android.
Display Asus ZenFon 5
The device has a high-quality IPS matrix with FullHD+ resolution (1080x2246 pixels). With a diagonal of 6.2 inches, this gives a juicy and well-detailed picture; a higher resolution would come at the expense of performance and battery life, and the difference would not be noticeable to the eye. The only thing that doesn’t please me is the unibrow on top, although you gradually get used to it and stop paying attention to it. For the same reason, there is not enough space at the top for notifications, battery percentage and other important information. But otherwise, using the smartphone is comfortable; it clearly benefits from minimal frames.
As shown by the Asus ZenFon 5 2020 review in Russian, the picture looks beautiful and realistic; even if you try, you won’t be able to see individual pixels (403 ppi). The color reproduction turned out to be very rich, in this the screen is very reminiscent of the OLED panels that are installed in the best flagships of 2020. In the settings, you can customize the color temperature or turn on the blue filter, which significantly reduces eye strain. Asus ZenFon 5 can adjust the color temperature of the screen depending on the conditions in which you are currently located. When changing the viewing angle, the display behaves perfectly, except that the white color begins to slightly reddish.
The screen is covered with Corning Gorilla protective glass, and during testing of the ASUS ZenFone 5 it performed very well - there was not a single scratch left. A high-quality oleophobic coating is applied to its surface. You can feel it - the prints are removed in one movement of the hand.
No. 2 – ASUS Zenfone 6
Price: 40,000 rubles
According to many, Zenfone 6 is still one of the best camera phones. In this matter, he is able to compete with the latest innovations. The fact is that a pair of sensors (48+13 MP) are located on the rotating mechanism, so with their help you can also take selfies. The footage is detailed, sharp, clear and looks realistic. If you like to make your own, be sure to pay attention to Zenfone 6. The camera concept also influenced the design - the absence of cutouts in the 6.4-inch display will allow you to focus on the content. True, the panel here is not AMOLED, as we would like in a device for such a price.
Otherwise, the model is a typical flagship. It has top-end communications equipment, a Snapdragon 855 processor under the hood, 6 GB of RAM and a 5000 mAh battery with support for fast charging, which replenishes the battery in an hour and a half. There are also stereo speakers.
ASUS Zenfone 6
Performance
The technical characteristics of the Asus ZenFon 5 2020 are based on the best processor in the mid-budget price category, the Snapdragon 636, which includes 8 cores with a frequency of around 1.8 GHz. In games, it is helped by the Adreno 509 graphics accelerator. On top of that, there is 64 GB of user memory, which will be enough for most users. But if this is not enough for you, then it is possible to install microSD with a capacity of up to 2 TB. The only thing is that when installing it you will have to give up the second SIM card.
The characteristics of ASUS ZenFone 5 easily cope with everyday tasks. 4 GB of RAM ensures good multitasking - you can open many tabs in the browser and easily switch between them without reloading.
Test in Antutu and Geekbench
Games also do not become a serious obstacle to the phone's hardware. You can comfortably play Tanks on maximum graphics, getting an average of 58 FPS. Even the system-demanding Injustice 2 goes with a bang, delivering an average of 30 FPS. As the ASUS ZenFone 5 ze620kl 64gb review showed, it can easily handle any task, be it gaming, watching movies in high quality, or multitasking.
Battery
Another key factor that shows the level of comfort when interacting with a phone is the ability of the smartphone to operate on a single charge. This is the autonomy of the model, its “endurance”.
In the case of ASUS Zenfone 5 16Gb A501CG, there is no need to worry about how long the device will work. The latter is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 2110 mAh. This means that with “normal” use of the device (which consists of performing everyday tasks), the battery charge will last for one day. If desired, you can use the economical operating mode, which is expressed in disabling the data exchange mode when it is not needed. This will make it possible to “stretch” work with the device for a couple of days. Another alternative solution may be to purchase a portable battery (Power bank).
It’s best to ask the buyers themselves—those who were directly involved in “testing” the smartphone—about how the battery behaves in practice. We will present their opinion at the end of the article, and also propose a simple but effective way to save battery.
Sound
The sound quality from the multimedia speaker is close to ideal and, without exaggeration, is one of the best in its segment. The speaker pleasantly surprises with its impressive volume reserve and clear sound, even when you listen to music at maximum. Even low frequencies, which many phone models have difficulty with, are clearly visible. In addition, a review of the frameless Asus ZenFone 5 showed that the sound is reproduced in stereo format. The effect is achieved due to the fact that the main speaker plays in tandem with the conversational speaker. The difference compared to mono sound is clearly noticeable under any conditions of use - when playing, listening to music or watching a movie. This is a very positive point with which the manufacturer wants to attract music lovers.
The sound in the headphones is not disappointing either. It is good even with the initial settings, allowing you to enjoy your favorite musical compositions, but if you wish, you can always use the equalizer and customize it for yourself and your type of headset.
Screen
The display of the device has a diagonal of 5 inches - this is the normal size for a smartphone of this class. According to reviews related to ASUS Zenfone 5 (2) 16Gb, such a screen makes the phone quite convenient for working with basic functions and at the same time is not too bulky in terms of mobility.
The quality of the picture shown on the display can also be called high. The resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels contributes to the screen density being around 290 ppi. In practice, this means that if you want, you can see the “grain” effect, but to do this you will need to really carefully concentrate your vision on one point.
With other indicators, the ASUS Zenfone 5 16Gb screen is doing well - there are decent viewing angles (thanks to which the image does not lose its color and saturation as a result of rotating the device), capacitive multi-touch (capable of reading up to 10 simultaneous clicks).
You can also praise the display taking into account the characteristics of the glass that covers it. According to the technical data, it is made of material that can withstand impacts and scratches. In addition, there is a high-quality oleophobic coating, thanks to which fingerprints of the user do not remain on the screen.
Autonomy of the ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone
The brand's smartphones have always been famous for their good battery life, but how will ASUS ZenFone 5, which has a built-in 3300 mAh battery, perform? Initially it seems that this is not enough, because a 6.2-inch display must be very power-hungry. But real testing showed more than decent results - 5 hours of screen activity with fairly active use. In FullHD video playback mode on YouTube video hosting, the battery lasted 8 hours. A review of the Asus ZenFon 5 2018 smartphone showed that everything is fine in games - it sat down only after 6 hours of active play.
In difficult situations, proprietary energy saving modes come to the rescue, which can operate in several modes:
- Productive, which is indispensable in games;
- Standard;
- Energy saving;
- Super energy saving.
The last two use cases reduce system performance and suppress background activity, which significantly extends battery life. The model supports BoostMaster fast charging technology, which is carried out using artificial intelligence. This is necessary so that the phone not only charges quickly, but also its battery lasts as long as possible.
#4 – Asus ZenFone Max Pro (M2)
Price: 13,000 rubles
Popular model in Russia. In reviews, buyers praise the Snapdragon 660 processor. The chipset is still relevant and easily runs modern games in FHD+ resolution. The 6.3-inch display itself also deserves praise. It has realistic color reproduction and maximum viewing angles. In addition, there is an LED event indicator, which many brands neglect. The main camera 12+5 MP (main sensor + wide) will allow you to take detailed and sharp photos. True, both modules are sensitive to lighting.
The battery deserves special attention - its capacity is 5000 mAh, which makes ZenFone Max Pro (M2) one of the best gadgets at this price in terms of autonomy. The model can easily survive a day during active use. To be less wasteful, you should count on all three days of battery life. The brand didn’t skimp on NFC, but the port here is old – microUSB.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro (M2)
Wireless communications
As the review of the Asus ZenFon 5 phone showed, it has one radio module installed, so SIM cards operate in alternating mode. There is support for 4G frequencies, which gives a data reception speed of 600 Mbit/s and an upload speed of 100 Mbit/s. But what the manufacturer was really able to surprise was the presence of an NFC chip, which is convenient to use to pay for your purchases in the store. Wi-Fi works in all bands and frequencies, and in addition to it, Bluetooth 5th generation, GPS and GLONASS are available. Alas, the recognition accuracy has become a weakness; at best, the location error was determined with an accuracy of up to 7 meters. And this despite the fact that it connects to satellites quickly and finds them in large numbers - up to 40 pieces in open areas.
ASUS ZenFone 5 camera review
The main camera includes two lenses with very good characteristics. The main one received a resolution of 12 megapixels and an f/1.8 aperture, as well as 1.4 micron pixels and a 4-axis optical stabilization system. The feature of the additional sensor is an expanded viewing angle of 120 degrees. This is an 8 megapixel module with f/2.2 aperture. The pixel size is 1 micron. ASUS ZenFone 5 camera review shows that the additional sensor is not at all suitable for shooting in low light, but it helps to photograph a large company or place an entire building in the frame.
The Camera application has a simple and intuitive interface, in which all the main modes are located on the main screen. Particularly pleasing is the manual mode, in which you can manually aim at an object, adjust ISO, shutter time, exposure, and white balance. It opens up full-fledged camera control capabilities and is ideal for those who are interested in mobile photography and want to get the highest quality results.
But most users rely on automatic mode, so we’ll look at it in more detail. A review of the ASUS ZenFone 5 2018 camera introduces the fact that this is the manufacturer’s first smartphone to receive an artificial intelligence system that is involved in the process of taking photos. It analyzes the current conditions in front of the camera lens and selects the ideal settings based on this to get the best result. Additionally, the quality of the AI will improve as you use the phone as it learns itself. Consequently, each new photo will turn out better than the previous one.
The quality of daytime images is, as expected, at the highest level. The photo boasts good detail and natural color reproduction.
In difficult conditions, HDR comes to the rescue, an example of which you can see below. It draws out detail and normalizes color rendition. The good news is that the mode does not work too aggressively, maintaining the realism of the image.
C HDR
Oddly enough, the Asus ZenFon 5 camera performed well even when shooting at night. This is thanks to software algorithms and good aperture, which allows you to get a decent shot even at night. Considering the price category of the smartphone, the result looks more than decent - the exposure is set correctly, which preserves the detail of objects in the frame. Of course there are noises, but they are minimal and until you enlarge the photo they are not noticeable. Also helpful in night photography is the two-color flash, which effectively illuminates nearby objects.
When shooting indoors, we get high-quality shots.
The ASUS ZenFone 5 takes panoramas well, with only a slightly distorted perspective to complain about.
To capture more objects in the frame, you can rely on an additional module, examples of which you can find below.
The same photos, but without using the wide-angle module
The Camera app has a unique mode that allows you to take super-resolution photos. In this case, several pictures are taken at once, which are combined into one with a resolution of 49 megapixels in the case of shooting with the main module and 21 megapixels in the case of an additional one. This allows you to get a usable frame with no noise even with significant scaling.
There was also the Bokeh effect, which we can’t live without now. The algorithms work quite well.
The front camera is represented by an 8 megapixel sensor and it is not as good as the main cameras of the Asus ZenFon 5. Even despite this, in good lighting you can get excellent shots with it. The user has access to various filters and facial skin enhancement mode.
The device can shoot video in 4K at 30 frames per second or FullHD at 30, 60 or 120 FPS. the result is more than worthy, as you can see by watching the example video below. Another interesting feature is the function of recording short videos in GIF format.
Conclusion
The ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone really surprised us, because for its price it offers excellent features. Although you can’t call it absolutely perfect. First of all, we are talking about borrowing details, and when there is absolutely no need for this - there was no point in copying the unibrow from Apple, without it the design would have been much more beautiful. But the back side looks beautiful, and the materials of the case provide a pleasant tactile sensation.
Despite the use of a 6.2-inch display, the case has thoughtful ergonomics and will be comfortable to use. The power of its hardware is sufficient even for modern games that are demanding on the system, and its camera takes good pictures not only during the day, but also at night. As a result, we are offered an excellent phone in the mid-price category, which is good in almost everything.
Advantages:
- Good display;
- High-quality stereo sound;
- Availability of NFC chip and aptX HD codecs;
- A decent main camera that takes good pictures in any conditions;
- Self-learning artificial intelligence that helps when taking photos and speeds up the phone;
- Good autonomy.
Flaws:
- The back is slippery and quickly becomes covered with fingerprints;
- The quality of the photo taken with the front camera greatly depends on the lighting conditions.
Comments for the Cackl e
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Cameras
Like ZenFone 4, the fifth model received a dual main camera with sensors with regular and wide-angle optics. Moreover, the smartphone cameras are actually similar to their predecessor, because they have the same basic characteristics and even the sensor number differs by just one digit - it was Sony IMX362, now it is IMX363 (1/2.55″, 1.4µm).
Based on this 12 MP sensor, a main camera with an F1.8 aperture value, an equivalent focal length of 24 mm, a 6-lens lens with optical stabilization and a viewing angle of 83° is built. An additional 8 MP module (1/4″, 1.12 µm) does not have autofocus and has the following characteristics: 120°, 12 mm, f/2.0.
Video examples: ,
There were no fundamental changes in the quality of shooting compared to ZenFone 4. The previous model took first place in a “blind” test, where we compared mid-segment devices with dual cameras. The new product also takes decent pictures, even in relatively difficult conditions - worse than flagships, but noticeably better than many mid-segment devices.
The 8 MP front camera (f/2.0, 24 mm, 1/4″, 1.12 µm) will not disappoint fans of the selfie genre.
Among the software features of the camera, we note the presence of AutoHDR, manual settings mode, “super resolution” for creating 49 megapixel images, various beauty settings available when shooting portraits and the presence of slow motion.
4.5
ITC.UA rating
Pros: excellent screen; productive platform and memory capacity; availability of all necessary wireless modules and connectors, support for current standards; good cameras; stereo speakers; price-quality ratio
Cons: some secondary design; the presence of a cutout in the screen reduces the number of notification icons in the status bar; YouTube videos don't play in full screen yet, and ZeniMoji's performance leaves much to be desired
Conclusion: ASUS ZenFone 5 pleasantly surprised us. Of course, it can be accused of copying individual Apple solutions, but overall the device turned out to be very balanced and in many nuances it is ready to offer more than its closest competitors. It received a very productive platform, good amounts of memory, decent cameras and battery life. “Bonus” are the features that are found in flagships - high-quality stereo speakers, the ability to unlock by face and AI. The price of 13 thousand hryvnia looks quite justified, so we deservedly award it with the “Best Buy” award.
Specifications
| ASUS Zenfone 5 ZE620KL 4/64GB Blue (ZE620KL-1A012WW) 5,399 − 5,939 UAH Compare prices | |
| Type | Smartphone |
| Pre-installed OS | Android 8.0 + ASUS ZenUI 5 |
| RAM, GB | 4 |
| Built-in memory, GB | 64 |
| Expansion slot | + |
| SIM card type | Nano-SIM |
| Number of SIM cards | 2 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 + GPU Adreno 509 |
| Number of Cores | 8 |
| Frequency, GHz | 1,8 |
| Battery | Li-Pol, 3300 mAh (non-removable) |
| Diagonal, inches | 6,2 |
| Permission | 2246×1080 |
| Matrix type | IPS |
| PPI | 402 |
| Dimming sensor | + |
| Display Features | 90% screen-to-body ratio, 96% NTSC color gamut, supports DCI-P3, Corning Gorilla Glass, Bluelight eye filter |
| Main camera, MP | 12 + 8 (f/1.8 + f/2.0) |
| Video shooting | 3840x2160 60 s/k |
| Flash | LED |
| Front camera, MP | 8 (f/2.0) |
| Camera Features | 12+8 MP (Sony IMX363, focal length 24 mm, 1/2.55, 1.4 µm, PDAF), 6p lens, 83 degree field of view, 0.03 second autofocus, 4-axis, 4x optical image stabilization, LED flash + 8 MP: focal length 12 mm, 1/4, 1.12 µm), AI Scene Detection; AI Photo Learning; decoration in real time; auto (with night HDR and portrait); Pro (RAW file support/exposure up to 32 seconds); Super Resolution; GIF animation; panorama; Time Lapse; 8 different filters; video recording: 4K UHD (3840×2160) 30 fps; 1080p FHD video recording at 30/60 fps; 720p/30 fps; Slow Motion video (1080p 120 fps/720p 240 fps); ZeniMoji: Live Emoji), 8 MP (focal length 24 mm, 1/4, 1.12 µm), 84 degree field of view, auto (with night HDR and portrait), Beauty mode, self-portrait, GIF animation, 8 different filters) |
| Communication standards | GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/HSPA+/DC-HSPA+/TD-SCDMA/CDMA 2000/FDD-LTE/TD-LTE Cat13 UL up to 150 Mbps, Cat12 DL up to 600 Mbps, DC-HSPA+ UL 5.76, DL 42 Mbps |
| WiFi | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | + |
| IrDA | — |
| FM radio | + |
| Audio jack | + |
| NFC | + |
| Interface connector | USB Type-C |
| Height, mm | 153 |
| Width, mm | 75,65 |
| Thickness, mm | 7,7 |
| Weight, g | 155 |
| Protection from dust and moisture | — |
| Type of shell | monoblock (non-separable) |
| Housing material | metal |
| Keyboard type | screen input |
| More | Fingerprint scanner (0.2 second unlock, supports 5 fingerprints), facial recognition, ASUS BoostMaster fast charging technology, ZeniMoji - an exclusive feature that allows users to bring cute avatars to life using their own voice, facial expressions and head movements, dual speakers (with dual NXP Smart AMP), Hi-Res audio, DTS (X 7.1 virtual surround sound for headphones), AudioWizard |
