Asus zenfone 3 laser camera review. The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
With the Laser console, Asus has always been a more affordable version of the company's flagships. We remember the previous generation of the series as very good devices with well-balanced characteristics. However, they were never able to compete with devices from Xiaomi, Meizu and other Chinese manufacturers that dominate the mid-price category. Will the situation change now? Read our Asus review ZenFone 3 Laser, in which we will test the new product and analyze its strengths and weaknesses in detail.
Price and main characteristics
Official retail sales of ZenFone 3 Laser (ZC551KL) in Russia have already begun, the cost of the model is 17 thousand rubles.
Specifications:
- display: 5.5”, IPS FHD 1920*1080 px;
- processor: Snapdragon 430 (1.4 GHz) + Adreno 505 video accelerator;
- RAM: 2 GB;
- internal memory: 32 GB + memory cards up to 128 GB;
- camera: main – 13 MP (dual flash, laser autofocus, aperture 2.0), front – 8 MP;
- communication: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, LTE;
- battery: 3000 mAh.
Case dimensions – 149*76*7.9 mm, weight – 150 grams.
Equipment and appearance
The smartphone is packaged in a fairly large box made of white cardboard, on which images of the device and its main characteristics are printed.
The package includes:
- USB-C cable and charging adapter;
- paper clip for card tray;
- wired headset.
The sound quality of the headphones is quite good and undemanding users will be able to use them to listen to music.
ZenFone 3 Laser does not have an unusual appearance; it is similar to many other smartphones with an all-metal body, but the device looks neat and the build quality deserves the highest rating.
The front side of the smartphone is covered with a rounded 2.5D protective glass, under the screen – touch buttons controls, above it is the front camera, speaker and a sensor block. The glass has a good oleophobic coating and is easily wiped off from fingerprints.
On the back side there are 2 inserts for antennas, stylized as a chrome rim (the same frames the front part of the case). The camera module, near which there is a two-tone flash and an autofocus laser rangefinder, protrudes significantly beyond the body.
An unusual solution is a rectangular fingerprint scanner. This form does not affect its performance; the sensor responds quickly and adequately. Problems are observed only in the case of wet hands, but this is a common problem with any fingerprint sensors. In addition to unlocking the phone, you can use the sensor to launch the camera, take pictures and receive calls. It is capable of recognizing up to 5 different fingerprints, each of which can be set to launch the required application.
The layout of the ends of the smartphone is standard. At the top is a 3.5 mm jack.
Bottom – USB-C port, and the main speaker hole.
On the right is the volume key and the power button.
On the left is a slot for a hybrid card tray, which can hold 2 SIM cards or a SIM card and a memory card.
For a screen diagonal of 5.5 inches, the smartphone is quite compact, primarily due to the small thickness of the side frames. However, due to the rounded shape of the ends and the smooth surface of the metal, it slips in the hand and constantly tries to slip out. For comfortable use, ZenFone 3 Laser must be put in a case.
Screen
Display – strong point of this smartphone. Here we use high-quality IPS matrix with FHD resolution, covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3. Color rendering, contrast, color temperature, brightness range - everything is at a very decent level, especially considering the cost of the device.
The cool thing about ZenFone 3 Laser is the presence of a glove control mode, the implementation of which has no complaints. There is also a blue light filtering mode, which makes it easier to read in a dark room, and a fine-tuning function for the screen: you can independently control the white balance, color shades and screen saturation.
Performance
ZenFone 3 Laser is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor operating at a maximum frequency of 1.4 GHz and an Adreno 505 video accelerator. The smartphone has 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, and supports flash cards up to 128 GB.
No interface jitters were noticed during everyday use; the ZenUI shell is perfectly optimized. The device copes with Full HD video playback, surfing heavy websites and any standard tasks without any problems. In the Antutu Benchmark test, ZenFone 3 Laser scores 45 thousand points. The gaming performance of the smartphone is enough to run resource-intensive games, but in the same tanks, to get 50 FPS, you need to reduce the graphics settings to low.
Camera
When it comes to photography, ZenFone 3 Laser is good, it’s not for nothing that it is positioned as affordable smartphone for amateur photographers. When shooting during the day, there is nothing to complain about at all - excellent detail, pleasant colors, wide dynamic range.
When the lighting deteriorates, the picture begins to become slightly blurry, but the quality does not drop catastrophically, and there are no problems with focusing - thanks to laser autofocus, the smartphone correctly captures even fast-moving objects.
The standard camera application offers excellent functionality. In addition to good HDR and many automatic modes there is a mode for different shooting scenarios manual settings allowing, for example, to set the shutter speed to 32 seconds.
Maintains the ZenFone 3 Laser brand when shooting video. He can't shoot in 4K and doesn't have optical stabilization, however, the digital stub copes well with its tasks, and the picture itself in 1080p 60fps is smooth, has good detail and correct color rendition.
Speaker, sound quality
The new product from Asus boasts good sound in headphones. On board the smartphone there is an NXP Smart AMP amplifier, due to which it can drive even high-impedance headphones. Music lovers will like the sound quality - the music plays in detail, you can feel the stage, the elasticity of the bass and clear high frequencies. Not at the level of flagships from Meizu, but very worthy.
The manufacturer focused a lot of attention on the main speaker of the smartphone - it is made using 5 magnets and a special voice coil, which should provide high-quality sound. In practice, things are more modest; it is loud, but we did not notice record clarity and richness of sound. You can compare the speaker with that of Xiaomi Redmi 3S.
Battery
ZenFone 3 Laser is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery. The smartphone confidently survives until the evening even with intensive use; with continuous playback of FHD video, the charge lasts for 7.5 hours; when gaming, the battery is discharged by 18-20% per hour. There is no QuickCharge function; charging takes about 2 hours.
Communication and Internet
The smartphone works with two SIM cards, but has one radio module. The quality of network reception is consistently good, there is support for 3G and LTE. The connection time with navigation satellites on a cold start is 45 seconds; the phone confidently found 25 satellites during the test.
Wireless interfaces include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1. There is also a connection to external devices via USB Type-C.
Video review of Asus ZenFone 3 Laser
Competitors, conclusion
If you need a smartphone for gaming, then ZenFone 3 Laser will definitely be a bad choice - for 17 thousand, the market is full of more powerful solutions (Xiaomi RN3P, ZUK Z2). But in terms of photo capabilities, the hero of our review is one of the best in its class; only the hero can compete with him on an equal footing!
Characteristics
- Case materials: metal, plastic and Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- operating system: Google Android 7.1.1
- Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, FDD-LTE CAT 4 (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20), two SIM cards (nan+micro)
- Processor: 8 cores, 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 1.4 GHz
- RAM: 2GB LPDDR3
- Storage memory: 32 GB eMMC + memory card up to 128 GB
- Interfaces: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
- Screen: capacitive, IPS OGS 5.5"" with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels
- Camera: 13 MP (f=2.0) PixelMaster 3.0 with 1.12 micron pixel size, 1/3 inch Sony IMX214 sensor size, Dual-LED real tone flash; 8 MP (f=2.0) PixelMaster 3.0, 84 degrees viewing angle
- Navigation: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDSS
- Additionally: accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, fingerprint scanner, FM radio
- Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer (Li-Pol) capacity 3000 mAh
- Dimensions: 150x76x7.9 mm
- Weight: 150 g
Contents of delivery
- Smartphone
- Network adapter
- USB cable
- Clip
- Warranty card and waste paper
Introduction
Let me start right away with the fact that the ZenFone 3 Laser model is not new; it has been sold and available on our market for quite a long time. However, on this moment the cost of this smartphone has dropped to 10,600 - 11,000 rubles (yes, if you want, you can find it for this price), and the version software updated to Android 7.1.1! That is, the “life” of the device extended for at least another year, since, for example, the share of Android Nougat 7.0 is about 9%, and 7.1.1 is a measly 0.6% (data as of June).
Except new version system, the ZenUI shell has also been updated. It has become much nicer with translucent menus and submenus, the settings have been accepted appearance clean system. Overall productivity has also increased, time has increased slightly battery life. All this, of course, is not very noticeable, but compared to the OS in ZenFone 3 Laser at the beginning of the year, it’s “heaven and earth.”
The model itself is notable for the fact that it uses laser autofocus, which is necessary for accurate and fast focusing. In addition to the laser, there is a color correction sensor that helps the software correctly determine the white balance.
The price of ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser starts at 10,600 rubles for an official device (I still prefer to call them PCT - short and clear).
Design, dimensions, control elements
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser smartphone has a common concept with this year’s new products, that is, the design of the devices is recognizable: I can’t say that I personally particularly like the appearance of the “Laser,” but you can’t call it tasteless either – it’s simple, but practical.
The front panel is protected by third generation Corning Gorilla Glass with high-quality oleophobic coating. The corners are slightly sloping, it is fashionable to call them 2.5D glass - a convenient implementation for swipe movements. The display frames are visually small, it looks nice.
The corners are smoothed, the side edges are made the same way, so the phone fits well in the hand and does not slip out. The back panel smoothly transitions to the right and left sides. The lid is made of metal. It seemed a little primitive to me, most likely due to a certain alloy: the lid is too thin and feels like an untreated sheet of aluminum. Scratches appear quite quickly.
On the top and bottom of the back of the gadget you can see two plastic inserts - they serve to pass the signal. This once again suggests that the device is in the middle price category, since the flagships are equipped with an all-metal body.
Laser is sold in two colors: silver and gold.
Overall, the design is quite ergonomic, the phone is easy to handle and a pleasure to use.
At the top of the front panel there is a selfie camera, a light and proximity sensor (no complaints - they work correctly and quickly), an indicator of missed events (blinks brightly, visible from any angle), and an earpiece. It is loud, you can hear the interlocutor well.
Below the screen are typical touch Android buttons without backlight.
At the bottom there are a microphone, microUSB and a speakerphone.
The metal power button and volume rocker key are on the right, and on the left is a combined slot for nanoSIM+microSIM or microSD+microSIM.
At the top there is a 3.5 mm audio output and a second microphone with NoiseZero Talk Technology.
On the reverse side: a laser focusing system, a vertically elongated fingerprint scanner, a color correction sensor along with a dual LED flash of cold and warm glow, a main camera lens with a metal frame protruding 1.5 mm above the body.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser and ZenFone 3 Zoom
ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser and HTC U Play
ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser and Apple iPhone 5
Display
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser has a screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. Physical size – 68x121 mm. The frames are relatively narrow: 13 mm at the top, 14 mm at the bottom, and 3.5 mm on the right and left. Of course, there is an effective anti-reflective coating.
The matrix of this smartphone is made using IPS OGS technology, that is, there is no air gap, so the colors are more saturated, and the picture seems to lie on the surface of the screen. The display resolution is FullHD, that is, 1080x1920 pixels, pixelation is completely invisible, since the density is 400 ppi.
The brightness of the backlight changes depending on the lighting level, even when the sensor is turned off: indoors - 250 units, good lighting - 300 units, in the sun - about 350 units. Contrast up to 1500:1 – such an excellent indicator!
The viewing angles are maximum, and, most importantly, there are no purple and yellow tints, that is, signs of a cheap IPS matrix.
Calibrator data
As the brightness of the backlight increases, the glow increases sharply and the gamma becomes smaller. The picture will look unnatural: at minimum brightness the black depth is large, but details are lost in light areas, and at maximum brightness the picture becomes too bright and details are lost in dark areas.
In the settings, you can not only select a color mode, but also adjust color and saturation separately.
Behavior in the light
Behavior in the shadows
Behavior in the sun
Viewing Angles
Light exposure
Battery
IN this device uses a built-in lithium polymer (Li-Pol) battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh.
Our tests showed that the ASUS Zenfone 3 lasts about 15 hours on a single battery charge. At the same time, Wi-Fi is always on, mail is synchronized, WhatsApp, Skype and other applications work. The brightness of the matrix backlight is set to the maximum value, as well as the speaker volume. Calls are made throughout the day with a total duration of up to an hour.
In a more gentle mode, the device can work for up to 2 days. With toys you can count on up to 5 hours, with videos – up to about 8 hours.
The device settings have energy saving modes: maximum performance, balance, smart power saving mode and power saving mode. Each of them is customizable to the user's needs. In addition, you can limit the startup of all applications, which will reduce energy consumption.
Communication capabilities
The device works not only in 2G/3G networks (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz), but also in 4G CAT 4 (both SIM cards), which is supported by all operators in Russia – Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20.
Present Wi-Fi standards b/g/n, Bluetooth version 4.2, there is GPS, Glonass and BDSS. I can’t single out anything special.
Memory
RAM in ZenFone 3 Laser 2 GB LPDDR3 (single-channel) is not much, because there is a slight shortage - many applications are reloaded again. Built-in memory 32 GB eMMC: read speed – 270 MB/s, write speed – 127 MB/s – decent! You can install a memory card up to 128 GB.
Cameras
The ZenFone 3 Laser smartphone is equipped with two camera modules: a 13 MP main camera with an F2.0 aperture (the lens consists of five elements), a Sony IMX214 matrix with a 1/3" sensor size; an 8 MP front camera with an F2.0 aperture. In order to In order to evenly and accurately convey skin tones in low lighting conditions, ASUS equipped the device with a dual LED flash with different LED glow temperatures.
There is laser autofocus (helps you focus not only in good lighting, but also in almost zero light) and a color correction sensor.
The smartphone handles backlight very well, exposure and white balance work well, focus is fast, but not always accurate, especially when taking macro shots against the light. The colors are pleasant and natural. Detail is slightly above average, with minimal blurring in the corners. Oddly enough, on the device’s screen the frames look even a little duller than on the PC monitor screen. Apparently, the ZenFone 3 Laser display matrix cannot convey all the colors and details.
Selfies come out quite good, but you need to keep your arm extended, since the focus is set from about 45 cm. Detailing is also slightly above average.
The smartphone records video in FullHD resolution. I didn’t like the quality: the exposure is adjusted jerkily, the detail is average, the picture has a narrow dynamic range. Video is clearly not the strong point of the ZenFone 3 Laser. Selfie videos are okay.
The device has a lot of settings: from completely manual (shutter speed from 32 s to 1/50000 s, ISO 50 - 3200) to super-resolution (a stupid trick), low light, GIF animation and so on. I won’t list everything; I’ve described everything in detail in reviews of other ASUS.
Sample photos
While professional photographers were figuring out which was better - Nikon or Canon - the world turned upside down. The most popular device for photography has become the smartphone. Many people have long given up their cameras, since the camera on the phone successfully solves everything typical tasks. True, the most advanced technologies first of all end up in top-end devices, which many simply cannot afford, and for those who want an inexpensive device with one pronounced function, the choice is very modest. And from this point of view, ASUS is doing everything right. For fans of huge screens, there's the Zenfone 3 Ultra. For those who believe that there is nothing more important than a capacious battery, there is Zenfone 3 Max. Well, ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser is an affordable phone for those for whom a high-quality camera is especially important.
Of course, about the most advanced module in budget smartphone out of the question, but in general the parameters Zenfone cameras 3 Laser look decent. A little later we will talk in detail about how laser focusing works and why it is needed at all. In the meantime, it’s worth taking a look at the main parameters of the model.
Specifications
| ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser (ZC551KL) | ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE551KL) | Sony Xperia XA Ultra | Huawei Honor 5X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 5.5 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 501 ppi, capacitive multi-touch |
5.5 inches, IPS, |
6.0 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 367 ppi, capacitive multi-touch |
5.5 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 401 ppi, capacitive multi-touch |
| Protective glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3, with oleophobic coating and polarizing filter | Yes, manufacturer unknown | No data | |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937: eight cores (8 × 1.4 GHz) ARM Cortex-A53 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939: eight cores (4 × 1.7 GHz, 4 × 1.0 GHz) ARM Cortex-A53 | Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 (four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.2 GHz + four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 2 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939v2: eight cores (4 × 1.2 GHz, 4 × 1.5 GHz) ARM Cortex-A53 |
| Graphic controller | Adreno 505, 450 MHz | Qualcomm Adreno 405, 550 MHz | ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 700MHz | Adreno 405, 550 MHz |
| Operational memory | 2/4 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 32/64 GB | 16/32 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Connectors | 1 micro-USB | 1 micro-USB | 1 microUSB; | 1 micro-USB 2.0 |
| 1 x 3.5mm headset jack | 1 x 3.5mm headset jack | 1 x 3.5mm headset jack | ||
| 1 micro-SIM | 2 nanoSIM | 2 micro-SIM | ||
| 1 nano-SIM/microSD (universal) | 1 microSD | 1 micro-SIM/microSD (universal) | ||
| Cellular connection 2G | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | |
| Cellular connection 3G | DC-HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz | DC-HSPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz | UMTS/HSPA+ 900 /2100 MHz | |
| Cellular 4G | LTE Cat. 4 (150 Mbit/s, 50 Mbit/s), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41 | LTE Cat. 7 (300 Mbit/s, 150 Mbit/s), bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41 | LTE Cat. 7 (300 Mbit/s, 150 Mbit/s), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41 | |
| WiFi | 802.11 /b/g/n/ 2.4 GHz | 802.11/b/g/n/ 2.4 GHz | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz | 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| NFC | No | No | Eat | No |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS |
| Sensors | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass) | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass) | Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass) | |
| Fingerprint's scanner | Eat | Eat | No | Eat |
| Main camera | 13 MP, f/ 2.0, laser autofocus, dual LED flash | 13 MP, f/2.0, laser autofocus, dual LED flash | 21.2 MP, hybrid autofocus, LED flash | 13 MP, f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash |
| Front-camera | 8 MP, no autofocus, no flash | 5 MP, no autofocus, no flash | 16 MP, autofocus | 5 MP, f/2.4, fixed focus |
| Nutrition | Non-removable battery: 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V) | Removable battery: 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery: 10.2 Wh (2700 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery 11.7 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.9 V) |
| Size | 149 × 76 × 7.9 mm | 152.4 × 77.2 × 10.9 mm | 164 × 79 × 8.4 mm | 151.3 × 76.3 × 8.2 mm |
| Weight | 150 g | 170 g | 202 g | 158 g |
| Water and dust protection | No | No | No | No |
| operating system | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, ASUS ZenUI shell | Android 5.0 Lollipop, ASUS ZenUI shell | Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Sony Xperia shell | Android 5.1 Lollipop, EMUI shell |
| Current price | 16,990 rubles | 12,000 rubles | 27,990 rubles | 14,990 rubles |
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Design, ergonomics, software
The design can be assessed from two sides: either praise the stylistic unity of the entire Zenfone 3 series, or criticize ASUS for its reluctance to add individuality to each smartphone. However, now all smartphones are similar in one way or another - the standards set ten years ago hardly change, only the display diagonals increase and the thickness decreases.
The smartphone is offered in only two colors: silver and gold. The second option looks more interesting, although this is, of course, not for everyone. Here the color is not as saturated as, for example, in the iPhone, but I would still like more choice: where is black, dark gray, or even pink?
The front panel is completely closed tempered glass with a fashionable 2.5D effect. The edges are slightly rounded around the perimeter, which contributes to a smoother transition to the side edge. You are unlikely to notice it by eye, but holding the smartphone will be a little more convenient. Above the display are the front camera lens, voice speaker and proximity sensor, and below the screen are touch control buttons. ASUS Zenfone 3 Max, if you remember, did not have such buttons - only on-screen keys were used, which reduced the effective display area.
On the bottom edge there is only a microphone under a nice grille and a microUSB connector. However, it is worth noting here that the lower and upper sections of the case on the rear panel are not metal, like its main part, but plastic. I don’t think that a potential smartphone buyer will be happy to learn about this feature, but ASUS has an excuse - such inserts contribute to better performance of wireless modules. And indeed, the smartphone is in complete order with this. In addition, the plastic does not give itself away - it is painted the same color and has the same texture as the metal base of the case.
On the left side there is traditionally a tray for SIM cards, on the right there is a power key and a double volume button. It is also used to release the shutter in shooting mode. It’s nice that these elements are located in the upper third of the side edge - it’s easy to press them with your thumb. Recent experiments by Sony, in which the volume key was located at the bottom, still make us think about where it is better to place the volume control. In my opinion, the ASUS option is more convenient.
On the back of the case there is a flash, a protruding camera lens (which, apparently, is easy to scratch), a laser window and a rectangular, elongated fingerprint reader area. In my opinion, this arrangement of the fingerprint scanner is a little less convenient than on Home button or the power key, but these are minor things. The shape seemed a little awkward to me - the square scanner of the ASUS Zenfone 3 Max was more comfortable to handle.
The dimensions of the device are large (149 × 76 × 7.9 mm), but you can hold it with one hand and it does not cause discomfort. You won't be able to reach the top areas of the screen with your thumb, but typing on the go is quite possible. It is worth noting that even among 5.5-inch smartphones, ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser remains one of the most compact, no comparison with the iPhone 7 Plus.
From the front, the phone looks featureless - rounded edges, medium-thick frame, touch buttons under the screen (not backlit, so they’re not even visible at first) and edging along the edges of the front panel. Interestingly, there is even glass slightly curved at the edges (2.5D), but it is curved just a little, just enough to say that this feature is formally implemented in the design of the device. When you look at the front panel, it is not clear what kind of smartphone this is in front of you - their names are legion. Just by turning it, you can see the typical features of this year's Zenfon - textured metal, pair horizontal stripes top and bottom, a rectangular lens (for some reason sticks out from the body) with sensors on the left and right, and a vertically elongated fingerprint scanner. The side ends have convex shapes that are pleasant to the touch, as well as a power key with a volume rocker on the right.
The Asus Zenfone 3 Laser fits well in the palm of your hand thanks to its rounded shape, but it is too large for convenient operation with one hand. Phone dimensions: 149x76x8.1 mm, weight - 145 grams. It has become much more compact than its predecessor and not only, even the Huawei Honor 5X is a little bit, but larger and heavier. Zenfone 3 Laser outperforms the more expensive and premium Zenfone 3 ZE552KL, second only to flagships like OnePlus 3 (and then only in thickness and width).
The Asus Zenfone 3 Laser case is made of metal, so it is non-separable. By the way, during very careless use, we only got one not so noticeable scratch on it. The build quality is high, the smartphone feels solid and durable.
The Asus Zenfone 3 Laser ZC551KL smartphone can be purchased in two colors: gold and silver.
Screen - 4.7
The screen of the new Zenfone 3 Laser can be called high-quality and placed somewhere between the average and top level. It is quite bright, clear, with accurate color reproduction and even a glove mode.
The phone is equipped with a Full HD display (1920×1080 pixels) with an IPS matrix. The pixel density is 401 per inch, similar to the iPhone 7 Plus. The image is very clear, individual dots will not be noticeable. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, which looks a little curious considering that its predecessors, for example, the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser ZE500KL, had the newer Gorilla Glass 4. It creates a strange feeling that stock went into production from dusty warehouses. But by and large, these are our problems, because it is better with protection than without it at all. Indeed, we didn’t like the only viewing angles of the screen; their brothers in the line have wider ones. The range of measured brightness was better than average - from 8 to 488 nits. The minimum value is quite comfortable for the dark, and the maximum should allow you to work with the screen in bright light. But in practice, the display is readable under the sun with minor difficulties, although it is an order of magnitude better than last year’s model. The auto-brightness function is present and works quite adequately, but not so quickly when you need to turn down the brightness. The contrast turned out to be quite good, 980:1, good for a mid-range phone, but it can be higher (up to 1400:1 for the iPhone 7). Color gamut is 97% of the standard, color accuracy turned out to be high, comparable to some TVs. The color temperature is high - in the best traditions of the company, as can be seen from the light bluish tints on the display. This, of course, can be corrected in the screen settings, but you will have to do it yourself, without relying on the manufacturer. Separately, we note such a plus as the mode of operation with gloves, and here it is not for show, but actually works.
Camera
Zenfone 3 Laser received mid-level cameras of 13 and 8 MP. There is nothing special about them, except for a feature in the form of laser focusing, but they are quite suitable for a passing shot and a decent selfie.
The camera parameters are quite typical - a medium-sized sensor (1/3") with a medium aperture (f/2.0), about the same as everyone else's price range. Unusual features include a color correction sensor and laser focusing. This year it works better - predecessors did not always focus correctly the first time, but in this generation we did not encounter such a problem. Although this system still works slower than top models like LG G4 or LG G5. The shooting quality is average for its resolution, at least the camera has become less noisy, which is already pleasing. The level of detail is average, the camera reproduces the captured colors well. True, the sharpness across the frame is not very uniform. In any case, the phone copes well with daytime shots and will replace your budget camera for side-by-side shots. The camera has a simple and intuitive interface, but there are many unnecessary, in our opinion, modes such as “Children”, “Smile”, “Smart Delete” and some others. Unlike Zenfone 3 Max with a weaker camera, here you have access to manual mode. It has the following set of settings:
- focusing - from macro to infinity
- shutter speed - from 32 to 1/1000 seconds
- ISO - from 50 to 3200
- exposure - from −2 to +2
- color temperature - from 2500 to 6500 K in increments of 50 degrees.
Manual mode also shows the level for the horizon. True, in our case he was somewhat mistaken and suggested blocking the horizon; apparently, the gyroscopes in a smartphone work a little incorrectly, incorrectly determining their place in this world.
The front camera with a fairly large aperture (f/2.0) and a high resolution of 8 MP is capable of taking good selfies even indoors. The maximum photo resolution is 3264×2448 pixels. You can shoot Full HD video, panoramas, GIF files and a whole range of facial enhancement filters.
Photo from camera Asus Zenfone 3 Laser ZC551KL - 2.9
Photos from the front camera of Asus Zenfone 3 Laser ZC551KL - 2.9
Working with text - 5.0
Working with text on the Asus Zenfone 3 Laser is convenient and enjoyable thanks to the advanced keyboard. In it you will find support for continuous word input (Swype) and marking of additional characters. Switching between languages occurs either with a separate key or with a “swipe” on the space bar. To edit text, there is a special window with icons for typical actions (like the iPhone 6 Plus in landscape mode). Some unusual features include adjusting the size of the keyboard, moving it around the screen, and setting a long press delay.
Internet - 3.0
Asus Zenfone 3 Laser is initially present Chrome browsers and Puffin. You've probably already encountered the first one; in addition to typical functions, you can synchronize tabs and history with the desktop version and scale the text to the selected size by double-clicking. Puffin turns out to be an unusual browser in terms of its interface and two features - a virtual touchpad and a joystick that pop up on top of the image. It's just not that convenient to use; perhaps it's more suitable for tablets. In addition, if you enable them, the browser begins to noticeably slow down. Don't forget that you are not tied to these browsers, install any other one on your phone Play Market- no problem.
Communications - 2.6
The set of communications on the Asus Zenfone 3 Laser is the most ordinary, or standard for today:
- simple Wi-Fi b/g/n
- LTE support
- Bluetooth 4.2
- A-GPS with GLONASS and BeiDou
- Micro-USB 2.0
- FM radio (needs headphones)
- two SIM cards (Micro format).
There's not much to note here. The USB connector is simple, the radio module is one, the slot for the second SIM card is combined (either communication or additional memory).
Multimedia - 3.6
We can't name Asus smartphone Zenfone 3 Laser is a multimedia model; it supports only the most common audio and video formats, and its sound quality is average. The phone comes with simple, inexpensive headphones.
The phone refused to play AC-3 music, but it copes with high-quality FLAC. TS, RMVB, FLV, WMV videos, as well as some videos in MOV and sometimes MPG formats, were not launched from the video. But it copes well with 2K and 4K video. It’s a bit of a pity, but the phone only has a built-in video and audio player, although the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra uses the proprietary Music application.
Battery - 3.1
The battery life of the phone can be called average, it is lower than that of its predecessor, and many phablets with the same screen diagonal work longer. We easily had enough of a smartphone for a day, in some cases for a day and a half, but no more.
The battery capacity of a smartphone is typical - 3000 mAh, the same amount, for example, in the mid-range Huawei Honor 5C or the flagship Xiaomi Mi 5. In the video test (Airplane mode and maximum brightness), the phone lasted 7.5 hours, slightly more than Huawei P9 or Lenovo Vibe Shot. The result is above average, but not impressive. Its predecessor lasted 10 hours, but this is not at all surprising; its screen brightness and resolution were much lower. The audio player mode turned out to be a more difficult test for the Asus Zenfone 3 Laser - 57 hours, which is not enough, the same iPhone SE worked a little longer, and only the Huawei P9 Lite was noticeably worse. As for games, an hour of racing drained the battery by about 20%, and this is already good result, which means gamers can last the phone for almost 5 hours, which is much better than the typical 3-3.5 hours. At the same time, during the tests it turned out that the smartphone takes an unexpectedly long time to charge - it took almost three hours.
Performance - 2.9
The performance of the smartphone cannot be called high, but it is sufficient for most telephone tasks.
The solution used as a chipset is entry level— Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 (eight Cortex A-53 cores, frequency up to 1.4 GHz). But the volume random access memory not bad - either 2 or 4 GB of RAM. Four gigabytes at once look disproportionate to the “initial” chipset; it would be better to save on them and choose a more powerful processor. On the one hand, this cannot be called a big minus. But on the other hand, the phone works relatively smoothly, but often slips a little in its intricately twisted, heavy interface. For example, when launching an application you will have to wait half a second or a little more, you will have to wait the same amount when switching between them and many other typical actions. But this will only annoy you if you're used to fast, smooth-running smartphones. In games, the Zenfone 3 Laser performed even slightly worse than the Zenfone 3 Max, apparently due to the higher Full HD resolution. On the one hand, a clear screen is good, on the other hand, again, it looks a little out of place with a not-so-strong processor and graphics. But this does not mean that you will have to limit yourself greatly in games, just to enjoy a smooth game you will have to make do low settings graphics.
We also checked whether the smartphone overheats from such tasks. Half an hour of racing in Asphalt 8 left it cool, without heating the body by more than 37 degrees, it’s not even noticeable to the hands.
If we look at the benchmark results, we can see that the Asus Zenfone 3 Laser receives rather modest scores:
- in GeekBench 4 (processor test) - 1964 points (200 more than the LG Nexus 5 already three years ago, and only because of twice the more cores)
- in AnTuTu (mixed test) - 43871 (twenty thousand lower than Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL)
- in 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited ( graphics test) - up to 9564 (lower than the old Lenovo P70).
Memory - 5.0
The amount of internal memory of the Asus Zenfone 3 Laser can be called respectable - 32 or 64 GB, even quite a lot for a model of this level. If you find that this is not enough, you can add up to 256GB using a memory card. In our 32 GB version, we had 23.8 GB available.
Peculiarities
The Zenfone 3 Laser smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and the company's own interface - ZenUI 3.0. Most likely, an update to Android 7 will be released over time (in any case, the predecessor was updated from five to six).
Features include support for two SIM cards, a metal case and a fingerprint scanner - although today this is, rather, not even a feature, but a general trend. In addition, we note our own functional interface, at the same time quite heavy and clogged various applications, often not the most useful. Well, the most important feature is the laser focusing of the camera. The laser works, but it cannot be said that it changes dramatically overall quality shooting, rather, it's a nice addition to a mid-level camera.
The rear camera of the ZenFone 3 Laser smartphone is equipped with an instant laser focusing system...
The device works with Nano-SIM cards from all GSM operators.
PixelMaster 3.0 technology. Excellent speed and realistic pictures.
PixelMaster 3.0 technology takes the photography capabilities of ZenFone 3 Laser far beyond what is available on regular smartphones. To capture the unique beauty of the world around us...
The device works with Nano-SIM cards from all GSM operators.
PixelMaster 3.0 technology. Excellent speed and realistic pictures.
PixelMaster 3.0 technology takes the photography capabilities of ZenFone 3 Laser far beyond what is available on regular smartphones. To capture the unique beauty of the world around you in its own unique glory, this model is equipped with a 13-megapixel sensor, a fast f/2.0 lens and a highly accurate laser autofocus system that fires in just 0.03 seconds. Combine this with an effective electronic image stabilization system and a color correction sensor, and you can rest assured that clear photos and videos with accurate, rich colors can be achieved with just one touch. PixelMaster 3.0 is a real revolution in mobile photography.
Second generation instant autofocus system.
The rear camera of the ZenFone 3 Laser smartphone is equipped with a second-generation instant laser focusing system that operates in just 0.03 s. To focus, she measures the distance to the object being photographed by firing a laser beam and timing the time it takes for it to reflect back to her sensor. This system helps you take clear pictures even in adverse conditions.
Electronic image stabilization. Video shooting without shaking or vibration.
3-axis electronic stabilization helps you record smooth videos even when shooting handheld or on the move.
For colorful selfies. 8 megapixel front camera.
ZenFone 3 Laser is equipped with an 8-megapixel front camera, and the portrait enhancement function allows you to automatically decorate selfies in real time: remove skin blemishes, correct facial features, etc.
Design. Beautiful metal body.
ZenFone 3 Laser reflects the highest craftsmanship and impeccable taste. A metal case with a carefully polished surface, thoughtful ergonomics, two premium colors (silver and gold) - this is a masterpiece of modern design and innovative technology that you won’t want to let go of.
Protection.Multifunctional fingerprint scanner.
The fingerprint scanner located on the rear panel not only serves to instantly unlock the smartphone, but also supports several other useful functions. For example, swiping down on it will activate front camera to take a selfie, and then take a photo by touching the same scanner, which in this case will act as a backup shutter button. Double-tapping the scanner allows you to receive incoming calls, and the launch of your favorite applications (up to five!) can be linked to touches with different fingers.
High performance in multitasking mode.
ZenFone 3 Laser uses a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, which combines high performance with low power consumption. Its power is enough for fast work of any mobile applications, which is also facilitated by a large amount of RAM - up to 4 GB.
Battery. Long battery life.
ZenFone 3 Laser is designed for people leading a mobile lifestyle, and therefore is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery that provides up to 22 days of battery life in standby mode.
SonicMaster technology.Speaker with 5 magnets.
Using a 5-magnet driver and a metal-framed voice coil, ZenFone 3 Laser delivers rich, clear sound. To configure it, use the AudioWizard utility, which offers you to choose one of several modes, each of which is ideal for a specific type of application (movies, games, music, etc.).
ZenUI 3.0. Improved user interface.
In line ZenFone smartphones 3 implements the ZenUI user interface, designed specifically for ASUS mobile devices.