ASUS Zenfone Zoom Review

Before the ASUS Zenfone Zoom even got launched here in the Philippines, I was able to try this smartphone out. It’s the most premium Zenfone out there thanks to its premium build and also a camera that features optical zooming. Do you want to know more about it? Well, continue reading my review.

According to ASUS, the Zenfone Zoom is the thinnest smartphone with optical zoom. This is also the only ASUS Zenfone to pack a solid metal frame and a leather back that gives you the impression that the ASUS Zenfone Zoom is really a premium smartphone.

Compared to the other Zenfones that we’ve reviewed before, the ASUS Zenfone Zoom doesn’t have the volume buttons placed at the back to give way to the camera at the back. Again, this smartphone packs optical zoom that’s why the camera needs to take a lot of space from the smartphone.

There’s a leather back cover and it feels better than most leather back covers that I’ve seen and tried on a smartphone. Inside the back cover is where you can find the non-removable battery, MicroSD card slot and also a single sim card slot. Yep, the ASUS Zenfone Zoom only opt for a single sim card slot compared to its Zenfone brothers.

Another cool feature of the ASUS Zenfone Zoom is its physical buttons for the shutter button and record button and by holding these buttons, it will redirect you to the camera app. The ASUS Zenfone Zoom also comes with a camera strap which can be also tied into the smartphone so you won’t drop the smartphone in case you’re planning to take a video or a photo.

The ASUS Zenfone Zoom still sports the same display from its Zenfone brothers. The ASUS Zenfone Zoom has a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display. Yes, the display looks great just like the other Zenfones and the colors were pretty spot on. I got no problems with it but there was also no improvement from the other Zenfones.

The ASUS Zenfone Zoom has almost the same specifications of the ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition. Both smartphones are powered by a Quad-Core Intel Atom Z3590 processor which is faster than the original Zenfone and then there’s the 4GB of RAM. Yes, the chipset is powerful and the 4GB of RAM is more than enough for most people. Navigating over the ZenUI is pretty much the same, it’s fast, fluid and I had no problems with it.

For those who aren’t familiar with the Intel Atom Processor inside the ASUS Zenfone Zoom, the smartphone is powerful enough to run most of the basic tasks and apps on your smartphones and in case you’re planning on playing heavy games, the ASUS Zenfone Zoom can handle it though, I cannot assure you that you can run most games at full speed.

Some of the games that I’ve tried playing on the ASUS Zenfone Zoom are Minecraft and NBA 2k16. In Minecraft, I didn’t have too many problems playing with it and the game was smooth even if the game already renders too many objects in-game. In NBA 2k16, it is only playable when you set the graphics at the lowest settings. In Antutu, I got a score of 66160 which is not that bad for its hardware.

The main feature and the smartphone’s selling are its cameras. Yes, it is one of the few cameraphones out there with optical zooming and currently, this is the thinnest smartphone with optical zoom. As a vlogger, one of my biggest feature on its camera is the OIS. This feature lets you have a smoother and more stabilize videos even with a shaky recording. So how does the 13-megapixel rear camera perform?

Well, it isn’t as good as the best cameras out there but with its manual mode, you could have more options and you can even shoot better photos. With the Manual mode of the ASUS Zenfone Zoom, you’ll be able to control the focus, shutter speed, ISO, Exposure value and the white balance. When using auto mode, most of the shots that I took are a little bit overexposed that’s why I have to set a lower exposure value.

Focusing on the ASUS Zenfone Zoom isn’t a problem thanks to its laser autofocus, however, it tends to be slower in low-light conditions. Most of the shots that I took were detailed and a bit sharp an when it comes to optical zoom, the ASUS Zenfone Zoom can really amaze you. No details are lost and the images tend to be clear with the 3x optical zoom of the ASUS Zenfone Zoom. Check out the photos that I took using the ASUS Zenfone Zoom.

The ASUS Zenfone Zoom has a 3000mAh battery. It’s non-removable and in my use, I notice that you have to bring a powerbank with you all of the time. The ASUS Zenfone Zoom was able to last more than half a day in my usage but it isn’t enough for me for a whole day of use. So again, Better bring your powerbank or your chargers with you all of the time.

The ASUS Zenfone Zoom is really a premium smartphone compared to its Zenfone brothers due to its better hardware and a better build quality that comprise of leather and metal. Its camera is its biggest feature but it falls short of my expectations but I really applaud the smartphone’s ability to do 3x optical zooming even without taking too much space from the smartphone.

So for who do I recommend it? Well, if you’re looking for a camera smartphone then there are only a few that’ll be on your list and that includes the ASUS Zenfone Zoom. This smartphone may not be the best in the camera department but you can shoot in manual mode and it does have an optical zooming that you might love. Oh and don’t worry about its performance because the ASUS Zenfone Zoom is pretty good too.

The ASUS Zenfone Zoom is now available for P26,995