The ZenFone 3 family consists of three different models: the Asus ZenFone 3, the Asus ZenFone 3 Max and the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe. The one we have tested is the third on that list, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe (model ASUS_Z016D/ZS570KL). which may boast that it was the first mobile on the market to release the Snapdragon 821 processor.
What makes this Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe so special is not just its processor. It is a phone that also incorporates 6 GB of RAM (LPDDR4), 256 GB of internal storage (with microSD slot for cards up to 2TB), a screen of 5.7 inches… we are, in short, in front of a phone that bets on the «gross» features: Asus has chosen the highest possible combinations for (almost) each specification.
But some features of this caliber are paid for. And go if you pay, since this phone is for sale for a price of 849 euros.
Is it an exorbitant price? How do all these specifications translate into everyday use? Those, and many others, are the questions we’re going to solve in this analysis of the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe.
Design: corner-to-corner metal body
Unlike ZenFone 3, which has a glass back shell, the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe features a 100 percent metallic finish. It doesn’t matter where we look: the back, the front -under the glass layer – and of course also the sides are metal, and even the physical buttons also have a metallic finish.
But before we go into personal sensations, let’s make the initial presentations for this review of ZenFone 3 Deluxe first. If we start by analyzing the design in detail from the front, what we will see is that above the screen are the front camera, the speaker and the notification LED, while below we can see the three touch buttons (backlit) corresponding to the Backspace, Start and Menu options.
At the rear we find the main camera, which has a design that protrudes slightly above the thickness of the housing itself. To the left of the camera is the Dual-LED Flash, while on the right we can see the laser autofocus sensor. Below the camera is the fingerprint reader, which has the peculiarity that its design corresponds to a vertical stripe, and not to one of those circular sensors that we are so used to see.
Let’s finish the design review of the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe by saying that on the right side are the volume and power buttons, while on the left side is the Dual-SIM tray that allows us to sacrifice the space of the nanoSIM card in exchange for being able to use a microSD external memory card.
Finally, the USB Type-C charging port is at the bottom (accompanied by one side of the speaker), and the audio output is on top.
Asus boasts that ZenFone 3 Deluxe is one of the first phones on the market to have an invisible antenna design. And it is true, because neither the back nor the side edges are any trace of those traditional stripes that do incorporate mobiles of other brands.
Well, but that’s all very well… and what about the sensations? It’s – and it feels like – a huge phone, but I was surprised to discover that ZenFone 3 Deluxe (which, remember, has a 5.7″ screen») is smaller than the iPhone 6s Plus (5.5o»).
One, two or three centimeters is still a minimal difference on the paper, but if we put one phone in front of the other it shows at first glance that the asus is something more compact (although, let’s not forget, it has a screen that exceeds in size by 0.2 inches to that of the iPhone). That speaks very well of the space optimization work that Asus has done with the screen.
That said, it must be acknowledged that we are dealing with a terminal that handles quite well with one hand. In my case, by grabbing the device with my right hand I have checked that the power button (the one below the volume button) is exactly at the height of my thumb. What I do think is that the touch buttons under the screen are too low, and maybe they should be more centered on the bottom strip.
When adjusting the sound, the disadvantages of a 5.7-inch screen cannot be hidden. Although I did get to press the volume down button with one hand, to raise it I had no choice but to change the position mobile.
Screen: Conservative decision to the Full HD resolution
Asus has decided to go on the safe bet: instead of surprising us with Quad HD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels), the Taiwanese company has made the conservative decision to stay in Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels).
The Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe is a 5.7-inch display that features a Super AMOLED panel with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Given the screen resolution, the pixel density stays at 383 ppi.
Nevertheless, we are looking at a screen that at first glance surprises with the vitality of its colors. The fact that the ZenFone 3 Deluxe comes in the «Supercolor» image mode as standard helps to cause this effect, but even with that it must be admitted that it is a very high quality panel.
The viewing angles are quite generous, and the only thing that can really be recriminate the screen is that it sins of a somewhat low brightness when using the phone outdoors.
The color temperature of the display is customizable. That means that by going into Settings – Display – Screen Color Mode it is possible to set a cooler or warmer color temperature, as well as in this same section the blue light filter option appears (to read from the mobile at night, for example).
It also highlights the good work that Asus has done with the side edges of the screen. They are a thickness of just over two millimetres although, however, it must be said that inside the screen itself there are small black edges that subtract a little spectacularity from the thin thickness of the sides of the housing.
Camera: excellent sensor with improved software
It’s time to talk about the camera of the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe. The main camera incorporates a 23 megapixel sensor (Sony IMX318, with optical image stabilization) accompanied by a Dual-LED Flash, while on the front we have an eight megapixel sensor.
But the important thing is not the figures, but the result of the camera. On a day-to-day basis, what we have seen is that zenFone 3 Deluxe is a high-end camera. Despite the initial reluctance generated by this sensor (it is a Sony model that only brings mobiles such as the Xiaomi Mi Note 2), we have to recognize that the results we have achieved are of remarkable high.
Outdoors we have taken snapshots that could perfectly compete with the camera results of any flagship. Sharp photos, with a good contrast in colors and all by a camera app that moves quickly between menus. At the end of the day, it can be said that at night the photographs did not go as well as we would have liked.
The only problem with the camera of this terminal is its irregular operation. The software that manages the photographs needs a review by Asus, since on more than one occasion we have been forced to shoot two or three times in a row a photograph to achieve a result faithful to reality.
The application is quite confused when deciding whether or not to use HDR mode, and that sometimes results in overexposed colors (especially outdoors).
The camera has a lot of potential, but post-processing doesn’t squeeze half of its possibilities. Let’s hope Asus won’t be long to release an update that puts this phone’s camera to the height it deserves.