The Asus ZenFone 2 is one of the very pleasant surprises unveiled at CES 2015. Asus really outdid itself in its signature value-for-money territory, outing a phone with 1080p display, 13 MP camera, fast 64-bit processor, and a hearty battery for two Benjamins in starting price.
Design: taking a cue
Taking a little cue from LG, the ZenFone 2 sports a volume rocker placed fair and square on the back of the phone. By the company's own calculations, its phablet has a screen-to-body ratio of 72%, which falls in the middle as far as 2014 devices are concerned, and offers the passable dimensions of 6 x 3.03 x 0.43 in (152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 mm), though nothing extraordinary like the G3, for instance.
The ZenFone 2 has a chassis with a brushed metal texture, which again reminds strongly of the G3, and the dual tone flash on the back does nothing to disperse this impression. Asus is not being unoriginal, though, and promises a number of special Transfusion and Illusion models with rather unique shells – the former line combines two colors, while the latter offers some odd patterns to go with the phone's shell.
Display
The Zenfone 2 display is a Gorilla Glass 3-protected, 5.5-inch panel with a flagship-standard resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, returning an excellent 403 pixels per inch count, and offering 400 nits of brightness. There's really nothing to stand out in the screen specs department here, but for this starting price Asus's offering is more than generous, and will fit most everyone's needs.
Processor and memory: first with 4 GB RAM and 64-bit mobile Atom
Asus has a long history with Intel's mobile processors, and the ZenFone 2 isn't breaking that trend, though it is now a trailblazer for the new 64-bit frugal Atom silicon. Namely, it sticks with the LTE-enabled Intel Atom Z3580 processor with four cores that can reach frequencies of up to 1.8GHz, and a PowerVR G6430 GPU with OpenGL 3.0 support. This processor is proven to be both fast and frugal, so you won't have any issues running the latest and greatest Android software on the ZenFone, including heavy 3D games.
The company's biggest surprise with the handset is left for the memory department, though. The ZenFone 2 might start you off with 2 GB of RAM in the basic version, but the more expensive ones will come with 4 GB of RAM, making it the first smartphone announced with more than 3 GB of RAM, which the native 64-bit Android support, and the new 64-bit processors make possible now. Asus claims seven times faster gaming performance than the previous ZenFone edition, which has to count for something.
Camera
The camera at the back is a 13-megapixel unit with 5 element, f/2.0 aperture lens, complemented by a dual-color Real Tone LED flash. At the front, we are looking at a respectable, 5-megapixel selfie snapper with wide-angle (85-degree) lens, and an option to shoot selfie panoramas.
Asus also made it clear over and over again that its PixelMaster software is available with both cams and offers goodies such as a low light shooting mode that can supposedly snap photos that are up to 400% brighter, though the digital noise at this level will likely be pretty visible, too.
SIM: Dual SIM dual standby-by dual active
Storage: 4GB RAM + 16GB ROM (+ MicroSD)
Support Gravity/Light/Proximity Sensing System
FM/MP3/MP4/Bluetooth/GPS/Wifi Function Supported
You come here, posting 0 deals and you attack a longstanding member with hundreds of posts based on seeing her 2 (very hot) deal posts from the same company?
louiselouise to FoxTwist
10 May 163#20
Eh? I only did a Deal for another ASUS phone about a week ago and that's the only one.
I simply add Deals from finds out shopping, email newsletters, and I take time to add pictures and reviews, and lists (I go into listmania mode if I have time) - simply to be a good Hotukdeals member. There's zero in it for me.
johnnyd57uk
10 May 163#7
There are loads of good phones out there with better specs and lower prices . The review below says it all.
Display
Screen type: Capacitive
Screen size: 5.5 inch
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 (FHD)
Camera
Camera type: Dual cameras (one front one back)
Back-camera: 13.0MP (Dual flashlight)
Front camera: 5.0MP
Media Formats
Picture format: BMP,GIF,JPEG,PNG
Music format: AAC,MP3,WAV
Video format: 3GP,MP4
MS Office format: Excel,PPT,Word
E-book format: PDF,TXT
Live wallpaper support: Yes
Other Features
I/O Interface: 2 x Micro SIM Card Slot,3.5mm Audio Out Port
Sensor: Gesture Sensor,Gravity Sensor,Proximity Sensor
Additional Features: 3G,4G,Bluetooth,Browser,E-book,FM,GPS,MP3,MP4,People,Sound Recorder,Video Call,Wi-Fi
Battery
Battery Capacity (mAh): 3000mAh
Package Contents
Cell Phone: 1
Power Adapter: 1
USB Cable: 1
Dimensions and Weight
Product size: 15.52 x 7.72 x 1.09 cm / 6.11 x 3.04 x 0.43 inches
Package size: 19.00 x 12.00 x 6.00 cm / 7.48 x 4.72 x 2.36 inches
Product weight: 0.170 kg
Package weight: 0.550 kg
louiselouise
10 May 16#2
louiselouise
10 May 16#3
tfish
10 May 16#4
Nice!
AndyRoyd
10 May 161#5
Am I correct in thinking it is missing a UK 4G band?
Boyee to AndyRoyd
10 May 16#12
Doesn't show the 800 band for 02, looks like other providers will work from the looks of it
jacjacatac
10 May 16#6
What's unique about a 3000mhz battery? My 4 year old Note has a 3200mhz bat.
Not liking the spiel but the spec seems excellent for the price.
Am I missing something with the cold votes?
Voted hot anyways.
fishmaster to jacjacatac
10 May 16#18
milliampere hour (mAh) not Megahertz (MHz)
johnnyd57uk
10 May 163#7
There are loads of good phones out there with better specs and lower prices . The review below says it all.
Opening post
Design: taking a cue
Taking a little cue from LG, the ZenFone 2 sports a volume rocker placed fair and square on the back of the phone. By the company's own calculations, its phablet has a screen-to-body ratio of 72%, which falls in the middle as far as 2014 devices are concerned, and offers the passable dimensions of 6 x 3.03 x 0.43 in (152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 mm), though nothing extraordinary like the G3, for instance.
The ZenFone 2 has a chassis with a brushed metal texture, which again reminds strongly of the G3, and the dual tone flash on the back does nothing to disperse this impression. Asus is not being unoriginal, though, and promises a number of special Transfusion and Illusion models with rather unique shells – the former line combines two colors, while the latter offers some odd patterns to go with the phone's shell.
Display
The Zenfone 2 display is a Gorilla Glass 3-protected, 5.5-inch panel with a flagship-standard resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, returning an excellent 403 pixels per inch count, and offering 400 nits of brightness. There's really nothing to stand out in the screen specs department here, but for this starting price Asus's offering is more than generous, and will fit most everyone's needs.
Processor and memory: first with 4 GB RAM and 64-bit mobile Atom
Asus has a long history with Intel's mobile processors, and the ZenFone 2 isn't breaking that trend, though it is now a trailblazer for the new 64-bit frugal Atom silicon. Namely, it sticks with the LTE-enabled Intel Atom Z3580 processor with four cores that can reach frequencies of up to 1.8GHz, and a PowerVR G6430 GPU with OpenGL 3.0 support. This processor is proven to be both fast and frugal, so you won't have any issues running the latest and greatest Android software on the ZenFone, including heavy 3D games.
The company's biggest surprise with the handset is left for the memory department, though. The ZenFone 2 might start you off with 2 GB of RAM in the basic version, but the more expensive ones will come with 4 GB of RAM, making it the first smartphone announced with more than 3 GB of RAM, which the native 64-bit Android support, and the new 64-bit processors make possible now. Asus claims seven times faster gaming performance than the previous ZenFone edition, which has to count for something.
Camera
The camera at the back is a 13-megapixel unit with 5 element, f/2.0 aperture lens, complemented by a dual-color Real Tone LED flash. At the front, we are looking at a respectable, 5-megapixel selfie snapper with wide-angle (85-degree) lens, and an option to shoot selfie panoramas.
Asus also made it clear over and over again that its PixelMaster software is available with both cams and offers goodies such as a low light shooting mode that can supposedly snap photos that are up to 400% brighter, though the digital noise at this level will likely be pretty visible, too.
SIM: Dual SIM dual standby-by dual active
Storage: 4GB RAM + 16GB ROM (+ MicroSD)
Support Gravity/Light/Proximity Sensing System
FM/MP3/MP4/Bluetooth/GPS/Wifi Function Supported
Networks:
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2100MHz
Top comments
You come here, posting 0 deals and you attack a longstanding member with hundreds of posts based on seeing her 2 (very hot) deal posts from the same company?
I simply add Deals from finds out shopping, email newsletters, and I take time to add pictures and reviews, and lists (I go into listmania mode if I have time) - simply to be a good Hotukdeals member. There's zero in it for me.
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/asus-zenfone-2-1279756/review
This one would knock spots off it from here 2 weeks ago.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/xiaomi-redmi-note-3-pro-2gb-ram-16gb-rom-5-5-fhd-metal-body-fingerprint-snapdragon-2428748
All comments (54)
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JupHeBThhU (says this has a non-removable battery at 1:30)
Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML VS Note 4 - Speed & Camera Test! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st0eS2NeLQE
Brand: ASUS
Type: 4G Smartphone
OS: Android 5.0
Service Provide: Unlocked
Language: Japanese, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Afrikaans, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Catala, Cestina, Dansk, Deutsch, Eesti, English, Spanish, Euskara, Filipino, French, Galego, Harvatski, IsiZulu, Italian, Kiswahili, Latviesu, Lietuviu, Magyar, Nederlands, Norsk bokmal, Ozbekcha, Polski, Portuguese, Romana, Rumantsch, Slovenscina, Suomi, Svenska, Vietnamese, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Thai, Korean
SIM Card Slot: Dual SIM,Dual Standby
SIM Card Type: Dual Micro SIM Card
Hardware
CPU: Z3560
Cores: 1.8GHz,Quad Core
GPU: PowerVR G6430
Radio/Modem: Intel 7262 + Intel 2230
RAM: 4GB RAM
ROM: 16GB
External Memory: TF card up to 64GB (not included)
Network
Wireless Connectivity: 3G,4G,Bluetooth,GPS,GSM,WiFi
WIFI: 802.11b/g/n wireless internet
Network type: GSM+WCDMA+LTE-FDD
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2100MHz
Display
Screen type: Capacitive
Screen size: 5.5 inch
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 (FHD)
Camera
Camera type: Dual cameras (one front one back)
Back-camera: 13.0MP (Dual flashlight)
Front camera: 5.0MP
Media Formats
Picture format: BMP,GIF,JPEG,PNG
Music format: AAC,MP3,WAV
Video format: 3GP,MP4
MS Office format: Excel,PPT,Word
E-book format: PDF,TXT
Live wallpaper support: Yes
Other Features
I/O Interface: 2 x Micro SIM Card Slot,3.5mm Audio Out Port
Sensor: Gesture Sensor,Gravity Sensor,Proximity Sensor
Additional Features: 3G,4G,Bluetooth,Browser,E-book,FM,GPS,MP3,MP4,People,Sound Recorder,Video Call,Wi-Fi
Battery
Battery Capacity (mAh): 3000mAh
Package Contents
Cell Phone: 1
Power Adapter: 1
USB Cable: 1
Dimensions and Weight
Product size: 15.52 x 7.72 x 1.09 cm / 6.11 x 3.04 x 0.43 inches
Package size: 19.00 x 12.00 x 6.00 cm / 7.48 x 4.72 x 2.36 inches
Product weight: 0.170 kg
Package weight: 0.550 kg
Not liking the spiel but the spec seems excellent for the price.
Am I missing something with the cold votes?
Voted hot anyways.
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/asus-zenfone-2-1279756/review
This one would knock spots off it from here 2 weeks ago.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/xiaomi-redmi-note-3-pro-2gb-ram-16gb-rom-5-5-fhd-metal-body-fingerprint-snapdragon-2428748