It’s time to analyze the Asus ZenFone 3, a very balanced smartphone that boasts design, performance and camera, is it worth buying?
A smartphone without complexes
The third generation ZenFone from Asus seeks to prove that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have one of the most complete mobiles on the market in your pocket. The Taiwanese brand, very established in our country in the field of computers, wants to make a hole in the segment of smartphones with terminals with high specifications and adjusted price, will it be enough to seduce the general public?
In this analysis of Zenfone 3 we will examine the reference unit for Asus, the ZE552KL model, which is already on sale in stores for 399 euros. However, it is not the only model that has put the company on the line, which proposes a version with the fastest Android processor of 2016 and another that equips a long battery: it is the Zenfone 3 Deluxe and Zenfone 3 Max respectively.
Asus moves away from inexpensive phones with this new range, which aims to offer solutions for all types of users. And in particular, this Asus ZenFone 3, is shaping up as one of the most balanced mobiles of 2016 and one of the most attractive in terms of price, so it is a tough rival for the OnePlus 3, The Honor 8 or the ZTE Axon 7.
A design that seduces
The design is undoubtedly one of the strengths of this Asus ZenFone 3, a very elegant terminal that according to the company is inspired by the Zen philosophy. We are talking about a phone made of high quality materials, which is evident both on the front and at the back, both metal and protected with Corning Gorilla Glass.
ZenFone 3 is a very particular mobile and different from the rest of its rivals, something that is quite appreciated. In fact, during our testing time with this smartphone there are many who have shown their curiosity to see and hold the phone closely, which somehow underlines the success of Asus in this section.
All of this is by no means a coincidence, because Asus seems to have left nothing to chance as far as design is concerned. The pampering of the finishes and details is worth admiring, especially in the spectacular 0.18 mm diamond cut bezel that greatly stylizes the look of the terminal, which by the way is available in four colors: black sapphire, turquoise, shiny gold and moon white, the version we received for this analysis of ZenFone 3.
The dimensions of ZenFone 3 also stand out from part of the competition. For starters, we’re talking about a fairly thin smartphone, with a thickness of 7.69 millimetres that falls below the Moto G4 Plus, ZTE Axon 7, Huawei Mate 9 or Google Pixel XL, even though they all have a 5.5-inch screen.
However, it is not the finest in its segment as both the Huawei P9 Plus and OnePlus 3 improve its numbers and, in addition, its thickness hides a small secret: the rear camera protrudes slightly from the body, even causing the terminal to osscite minimally when placed on a flat surface like a table.
What doesn’t allow for doubt is the scale. The Asus Zenfone 3 weighs 155 grams, identical to the Moto G4 Plus figure and below the other phones mentioned so far. That makes the east mobile a very ergonomic and comfortable to operate device even with one hand. And, despite having glass on the front and back, it’s not slippery.
The screen reigns at the front thanks to minimal edges that have a positive impact on the multimedia experience. Above the panel we find LED notifier, the speaker for calls, the ambient light sensor and the front camera for selfies. Underneath the screen, taking full advantage of the lower frame of the terminal, the three physical buttons that – yes – are not backlit.
The metal dominates on the side frames, with also very good finishes. The buttons are located on the right and have a texture to make it easy to find them quickly during the night. On the left side we have the removable tray to insert two cards: a SIM and a microSD or, well, two SIM cards (micro and nano).
Antenna bands are visible at the upper and lower edges. In the first we only find the minijack for the headphones, while on the bottom edge we have the USB Type-C connector and the main speaker, which we will talk about later.
The back stands out again for the simplicity and orderly arrangement of its elements. Next to the sensor we find the laser focus and the LED flash. Below is the fingerprint reader, which instead of having a square shape looks rectangular, and at the bottom the Asus logo.
In short, it is a very interesting smartphone in terms of design, recommended for those looking to get away from what most manufacturers propose, being also quite manageable to have a 5.5 inch screen, the desirable limit for many. Of course, not everything is good news: it’s a magnet for footprints, so we’ll have to clean it often so that it shines with its own light.
Screen with very bright colors
The screen of the Asus ZenFone 3 arrives on this ZE552KL model up to 5.5 inches thanks to an IPS panel with Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). If we opt for the other model, the Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL, we will enjoy a slightly smaller screen (5.2 inches) but with identical resolution.
Either version is recommended for those users who tend to consume multimedia content, especially for those who use the phone to play series and movies or for the most juicy.
On the most tangible level the experience is quite positive. First by reducing the bezels of the screen, which raise the ratio between the screen and the body of the device above 77%, a figure that does not reach some of the high-end terminals.
While the Deluxe version bets on AMOLED technology in this Asus Zenfone 3 we have in front of us a Super IPS+ panel that offers a very positive experience in everyday use even though in our tests it falls below the best mobiles of 2016 both in the gamut (95.6% sRGB) and at the contrast level (1:393,9).
Something similar happens in the brightness level, enough for the bulk of the audience but below what is expected in our tests (295.43 nits) compared to some of its more direct rivals like the aforementioned OnePlus 3.
Outdoor visibility is good although in this case it stays below high-end terminals such as the iPhone 7 Plus, which is worth more than double. On the other hand we have a blue light filter so that the view rests as much as possible when using the phone at night.
The color reproduction of the screen is quite good, albeit with nuances. The defaults may seduce some users, but they are by no less the most respectful of reality. Fortunately we can manually calibrate the colors of the screen through various modes in the settings menu, being able to modify the color temperature, hue and saturation, something that is not much less common.
The response of the touch panel is outstanding, with rates that are around 60 milliseconds as Explained by Asus versus 80-100ms of the competition, which can be a differential factor for the most juicy that are usually the most demanding in this section.
More than enough performance
The third generation of Asus ZenFone leaves behind Intel technology to resolutely embrace Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, a more than justified decision over the abandonment of the US company based in Santa Clara, California.
The Asus ZenFone 3 that we take to analysis in these lines hides under its shell the Snapdragon 625, a model of eight cores less powerful than the 820 and its 821 variant that equips the ZenFone 3 Deluxe. However, after testing the phone, it seems a more than justified decision.