Smartphone asus zenfone 2 ze551ml 32gb silver

Hello, dear readers.

Today I will present you a review of the Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML smartphone.

It's probably not worth talking about Asus? Any person who has even a little knowledge of computer components knows this company very well. By the way, the name of the company comes from the word Pegasus, or Pegasus in Russian, or, Pegasus Poseidonovich (his father Poseidon), son of the Gorgon Medusa. According to the founders of the company, such a name was supposed to symbolize strength, the spirit of creativity and purity. But in my opinion, they just liked horses and aviation. Now among the computer community, ASUS itself is a mythical hero and the halo of its glory shines brighter than some epic horse with wings.

Characteristics

Common parameters

Type: smartphone;

Model: Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML;

Appearance

Black color;

mobile connection

2G network support: EDGE, GPRS, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GSM 850, GSM 900;

3G network support: DC-HSPA+, HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, WCDMA 1800, WCDMA 2100, WCDMA 850, WCDMA 900;

Support for 4G networks (LTE): there is support for LTE 2300 (B40), LTE 2600 (B7), LTE 2600 TDD (B38), LTE 800 (B20);

SIM card format: Micro-SIM (15x12x0.76 mm);

Support two SIM cards: There is;

Multi-SIM operation mode: simultaneous;

Screen

Screen diagonal: 5.5";

Screen resolution: 1920x1080;

Screen manufacturing technology: IPS;

Number of screen colors: 16.78 million;

Housing and protection

Case material: plastic;

Type of screen protective coating: Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3;

System

operating system: Android 5.0 (Lollipop);

Processor manufacturer: Intel;

Processor model: Atom Z3560;

Number of Cores: 4;

Processor frequency: 1.8 GHz;

Processor Configuration: 4x Moorefield 1.8 GHz;

Graphics accelerator: PowerVR G6430;

Volume random access memory: 4 GB;

Built-in memory capacity: 16 GB;

Types of supported memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC;

Maximum memory card capacity: 64 GB;

Sensors: accelerometer, Hall sensor, compass, light;

FM radio: yes;

Camera

Number of megapixels of the main camera: 13;

Picture resolution: 4096x3072;

Built-in flash: There is;

Flash type: LED;

Camera for video calls (front): There is;

Number of camera megapixels for video calls: 5;

Autofocus: There is;

Additional photography features: Geo-tagging, two-color RealTone flash, F/2.0 aperture, HDR mode, function panoramic photography self-portrait;

Video shooting

Maximum video resolution: 1920x1080;

Number of frames/s during video recording: 30 fps;

Calls and messages

Sending messages: MMS, SMS, Internet messengers;

Communications

WiFi standard: 802.11a, 802.11ac, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n;

Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 4.0;

NFC: yes;

GLONASS: yes;

GPS: yes;

A-GPS: yes;

Wired Interfaces

Interface: micro USB;

MHL support: no;

Headphone Jack: mini jack 3.5 mm;

Additional Information

Wi-Fi Direct, non-removable battery, cloud storage 5 GB ASUS WebStorage data, oleophobic coating, ZenUI user interface;

Nutrition

Battery type: Li-polymer;

Battery capacity: 3000 mAh;

Standby time: 398 h (3G);

Talk time: 28 h;

Dimensions, weight

Width: 77.2 mm;

Height: 152.5 mm;

Thickness: 10.9 mm;

Weight: 170 g;

Safety

Highest FCC SAR value for head device: 0.92 W/kg;

body: 0.87 W\kg;

Highest CE SAR value for head device: 0.351 W\kg;

body: 0.332 W\kg.

Packaging and accessories

The box is made in the form of a pencil case. On the top side is an image of a smartphone.

All information on the box is in English and Chinese. There was only a small sticker in Russian, but opening the box in impatience, I damaged it, so take my word for it.

On one side of the top part of the package there are round slots, through which pictograms indicating the main features of the device are visible.

If you open the box, it turns out that they also have signatures.

On the bottom side there is a sticker with the model designation and an awful lot of barcodes.

Of the negative aspects, I can note that there was something hanging and rattling in the box. I was already starting to sin at the post office - they broke off, I thought, an important part of the device. It turned out that this charger was not secured and moved freely inside. There is nothing terrible about this, but it is undignified.

When I opened the box I found the following:

Smartphone; - USB cable-microUSB; - wired headset; - additional silicone pads for the headset; - mains charger; - user guide; - warranty card; - 3 stickers with serial number and IMEI.

Why do I need three stickers? One is too much for me.

The only thing missing is a USB OTG cable (the smartphone supports USB OTG). Well, it would be nice for someone to see protective film on the screen included.

Design and ergonomics

The body is made entirely of plastic.

The front panel is covered with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3, only there is a small decorative panel below the screen. The manufacturer claims that it has a pattern of concentric circles. I couldn’t see it, but I can actually feel some relief to the touch.

On top there is a speaker slot, barely noticeable sensor windows, a front camera, a manufacturer's logo and an LED that reports missed events. There are three standard buttons at the bottom of the front panel. They are not illuminated, but they are still clearly visible due to the silver pattern that reflects light, and it is difficult to miss by touch.

There are no controls on the side faces. On the right there is a slot for removing the back cover.

At the bottom there is a microUSB connector and a microphone hole.

On top is a headset jack, a power button and a second microphone hole.

Back cover resembles anodized aluminum in texture and color. It looks very impressive, and prints on such a surface are not so clearly visible. On top are a pair of flash LEDs covered with a plastic lens, the main camera peephole and volume control buttons.

The power and volume buttons also have a pattern of concentric circles. Unlike the front panel, it is visible on them quite well.

At the bottom, almost the entire width of the housing, there is a perforation strip for the main speaker.

Remove the back cover. The battery is not removable. This made it possible to place the slots for microSIM and memory cards centrally, directly above the battery. Only the card located in the first slot has access to the Internet.

There is one speaker, bottom left.

The NFC antenna is visible on the back cover.

The location of the power button on top is not very convenient. To press it, you have to reach out and grab your smartphone. In addition, on my copy the button is quite tight and cannot be pressed clearly. The only saving grace in this case is the function of turning the screen off and on by double tapping, which allows you not to use the power button at all. The volume buttons are also not very conveniently located. The standard side position is more convenient. And to take a screenshot, that is, to simultaneously press the power button and the volume down button, you need remarkable finger dexterity, and you also have to hold the smartphone with both hands. True, the software’s ability to take screenshots by shaking the smartphone twice also saves the day, although this automatically records the task in the “Do it later” program. But there is a third way to take a screenshot - by long pressing the lower right button.

If you shake your smartphone, you will hear a quiet strumming sound, this is the volume control buttons dangling. The play of these buttons is also tactile. I thought maybe the screw with which they are attached to the body was loose, no, everything is fine. This is such a “nice” design feature.

The case fits comfortably in the hand due to the rounded and rough back.

The smartphone does not look thin. In the area of the volume control buttons, its thickness is more than 11 millimeters. The thickness of 10.9 mm, stated in the specifications, is something average, measured in the middle, the maximum is about 11.4 mm. However, despite this, the smartphone fits comfortably in a jeans pocket, for example.

The impressions from the design of the device are somewhat funny. From the back it is a very stylish and expensive smartphone, but from the front it is quite ordinary, the kind you can find in stores. That is, the smartphone is suitable for those who want to show off the eyes of others, who will mainly see the most presentable side of your smartphone. And you can even tell blind grandmothers that the smartphone’s body is metal and made from a piece of a starship that fell in 1956 in the Karakum Desert. I have a feeling that the designer simply ran out of energy (or absinthe). He drew the back panel and then a gentle languor struck him down. Look, the manufacturer's logos on the back are made in a very subtle, unobtrusive gray color, and on the front Asus is written in the style of vulgar American cars of the 50s - chrome!

However, the impression of the front panel changes when you turn on the screen.

Screen

Installed in the smartphone IPS matrix size 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The matrix has protective glass Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 and high-quality oleophobic coating. You can use your smartphone quite comfortably in the sun.

There are almost no color distortions when viewed from the side, only, of course, the contrast drops.

Up to 10 simultaneous touches are recognized.

There is customizable display settings.

I don't have a colorimeter, but the screen feels very decent. There is a video in the phone memory. Nothing unusual - exotic birds, landscapes, water shots. But the riot of color and quality of the picture is so mesmerizing! I have a friend who watches nothing on his smartphone except short videos about people falling off bicycles or grandmothers swearing. Well, he watched this video to the end! And then he said good words, which, however, I will not present here.

Software

The smartphone runs on the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. It is stated that there will be an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. However, the release date for the update is unknown. Presumably - in the first quarter of 2016.

A proprietary ZenUI shell is installed, which has more advanced settings for changing the appearance and many of its own programs.

There is a quick call to programs. To do this, when the screen is off, just draw the letter W, for example, and the browser will open.

Applications are grouped into folders.

There are many specific applications installed from the manufacturer and several from third-party developers, more than half of which are not needed. Unfortunately, they cannot be removed that easily.

If you swipe your finger from top to bottom on the screen, the quick access panel opens.

The contents of the panel can be edited; to do this, click on the notepad icon at the top.

If you swipe up from bottom to top, the following menu will open:

Here you can choose, for example, a design theme.

Speed depends on location, time of day, etc. Of course, we are not talking about any 100 Mbit. The most I've seen is this:

Usually much less. And this takes into account that we have a city of millions with a developed network.

The smartphone copes well with navigation. Even indoors, a cold start usually takes less than a minute. First, American GPS satellites are identified, then Russian Glonass, then Chinese and even Japanese.

Sensors

Performance

It's in the smartphone Intel processor® Atom™ Z3560, which has four cores with a frequency of up to 1.83 GHz. The G6430 video adapter operates at a frequency of 533 MHz.

The amount of RAM is 4 GB and 16 GB flash memory.

It's not the most powerful hardware, but it's enough for even the most demanding games.

First, let's see how many "parrots" the benchmarks give us.

AnTuTu Benchmark

There are no problems with games with such powerful hardware.

N.O.V.A. 3: Freedom

Asphalt 8: Take Off

World of Tanks Blitz

Camera

The smartphone is equipped with a main 13-megapixel camera and a front 5-megapixel one.

There are quite detailed settings and several shooting modes.

Maniacs can choose manual mode and independently set shutter speed, focus, white balance, ISO and exposure.

At night the camera takes worse pictures, of course.

The macro turns out pretty good.

Videos can be shot at 1920x1080 resolution and 30 frames per second.

The front camera is nothing special. It is enough for video calls.

You can see the original photo.

In my unprofessional opinion, the camera is quite decent for a smartphone of this class.

Sound

The main speaker is loud enough to not miss a call even in a noisy place. The vibration is quite powerful, and besides, if the smartphone is lying on a flat surface, when it vibrates, due to the rounded body, it jingles and bounces, urging the owner with all his might to pick up the phone.

I was unexpectedly pleased with the headset.

I'm already accustomed to the fact that the included headsets are usually only suitable for playing with a cat, but in this case the headset is of good quality. At first glance it is inconspicuous, black. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that it is made with high quality. The wire is flat, making it less likely to get tangled. In addition to those installed on the headset, there are two more sets of spare silicone tips of various sizes.

Duration of work

This smartphone comes with a regular charger, without BoostMaster technology, thanks to which the smartphone’s battery can be charged up to 60% in just 39 minutes, as the manufacturer assures. Such speed characteristics are achieved by feeding initial stage voltage increased to 9 V. Chargers with this technology are included with smartphones equipped with Intel Atom Z3580 processors and 4 GB of system memory, and I have a model with a Z3560 processor.

Output characteristics charger:

Voltage: 5.2V;

Current up to 1.35 A.

In reality, when charging, the current reaches 1.2 A at a voltage of 5.29 V.

The battery charges from zero to 100% in about 3 hours.

The capacity is indicated quite honestly. Using a simple device connected to USB between the charger and the object being charged (in this case, as you guessed, Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML), I got the following numbers:

Before this smartphone, I had a Highscreen Spade. Also with a 5.5" screen and a battery with a capacity of 2100 mAh. It lasted me for a day. Here it is 3000 mAh, which is almost 30% more, but the difference is minimal. It is also enough for a day. By the evening, 15-10 percent of the charge remains, and then Fine.

In games, the battery is completely discharged in about 4 hours; when watching movies, the smartphone lasted almost 6 hours.

I would like to see wireless charging in such a smartphone, otherwise this daily docking of two micro-USB connectors is starting to get boring, and it won’t take long to break them.

Summary

Asus has made a very successful smartphone with an original design and good internal hardware, an excellent screen and a good camera. In addition, in the future there is an opportunity to upgrade to Android 6.0. We’ll leave some not-so-pleasant assembly features to the conscience of the workers who assembled my particular smartphone. The battery capacity cannot be called a virtue either. I’ve been reading in the news for several years now that the company @#$ has created a battery with outstanding capacity. Unfortunately, the usual lithium-polymer batteries are still used everywhere.

I wrote something so dry and abstruse, right? Sell your last panties and socks and buy Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML!

Yes, I forgot to say, girls started looking at me on the subway. A guy with such a large and beautiful unit is worthy of attention.

Pros:- the prospect of updating the software to Android 6.0; - design; - simultaneous operation of two SIM cards; - quality of workmanship; - 5.5" screen; - good camera; - high performance.

Minuses:- low battery capacity.

Thanks to ASUS and DNS for providing the device for testing.

Reliable communication to you, your Sancheas.

Asus review Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML)

Photos in the interior

Introduction

The famous Taiwanese company Asus, whose name comes from the word Pegasus (Pegasus) - a symbol of inspiration in creativity and science, recently presented Russian market Zenfone 2 smartphone with a large screen diagonal (nowadays it’s fashionable to call them phablets), which boasts a powerful Intel chipset, impressive this moment amount of RAM – 4 GB, a camera with advanced photo capabilities, such as manual adjustment of all parameters, low-light shooting mode using unique PixelMater technology, “Super Resolution”, HDR and much more. The Asus Zenfone 2 also stands out among its peers due to its excellent design ergonomics and pleasing to the eye body colors.

The device is available on our market at a price starting from 19,990 rubles.

Contents of delivery

The smartphone is packed in a nice box. It indicates the color of the gadget you are purchasing. Inside you will find a warranty card, brief instructions instructions for using Zenfone, a USB cable, a headset with a convenient noodle-shaped wire and network adapter at 2 A, allowing you to charge the battery by 60% in 39 minutes.

Characteristics

Case materials: plastic and glass
Operating system: Google Android 5
Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, LTE CAT 4, two SIM cards
Processor: 4 cores, 64-bit, Intel Atom Z3580
RAM: 4 GB
Data storage memory: 16 GB
Interfaces: Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, 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: 13/5 MP, dual flash
Navigation: GPS
Additionally: accelerometer, electronic compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor
Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer (Li-Pol) capacity 3000 mAh
Dimensions: 152x77x3.9 ~ 10.9 mm
Weight: 170 g

Design, dimensions, control elements

The Asus Zenfone 2 phablet has a classic appearance: a rectangular shape and slightly sloping edges. Under the display there is a decorative plastic insert with a recognizable concentric relief - this is typical for Asus devices.

The design is made in such a way that more than 70% of the front part is occupied by the screen. It is protected by durable third-generation glass from the famous Corning company. During the entire period of using Zenfone 2, not a single scratch or chip appeared on the display. We should also praise the high-quality oleophobic coating: fingerprints are not particularly visible, they are erased quickly, and the finger glides over the surface easily and without jerking. Despite big screen, the device does not feel bulky, the gadget fits perfectly in the hand due to the smooth transitions of the rear panel to the side edges.

The arch-shaped rear panel is made of polycarbonate in different colors: white, black, red, gray and even fashionable gold. The design of the lid resembles metal with horizontal grinding.

This not only looks beautiful, but is also convenient from the point of view of a strong grip: the device does not slip out of the palm, even if it is wet.

I liked the assembly: there is no play, no creaking, no crunching when strongly compressed, the reverse side is not pressed down to the battery. Interestingly, the color coating is quite resistant to mechanical damage. Which is a definite plus.

At the top center of the front part there is a speech speaker covered with a metal mesh. Its volume is very high, the interlocutor can be heard not only on a noisy street, but even in public transport and the subway. The timbre is pleasant: both high and low frequencies, the average speaker transmits well.

To the left of the speaker are light and proximity sensors. During testing, none of them glitched, the backlight was adjusted smoothly. On the right is the front camera and an indispensable assistant, an indicator of missed events.

Below the screen are located touch buttons“Back”, “Home”, application menu. They are marked with white translucent paint.

The microUSB connector and the main microphone are on the bottom, and on top there is an additional microphone for noise reduction, a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones and a power button. There are no elements on the left and right.

On the reverse side: a camera eye almost recessed into the body, a double LED flash, original volume control buttons, and a speakerphone.

The Zenfone 2's cover is removable. Under it there are two microSIM connectors (one of which operates in networks fourth generation, that is, LTE) and a card slot microSD memory. On the socket itself you can see an NFC antenna, and on the device body there is a special contact pad.

Display

The new Asus Zenfone 2 has a screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. Physical size – 68x121 mm. The frames are quite large: 13 mm on top, 18 mm on the bottom, and 4.5 mm on the right and left. Of course, there is an effective anti-reflective coating.

The matrix of this phablet 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 screen contrast is as much as 1300:1, so the image is clearly visible even in direct sunlight. The sensor response is only 60 ms.

The colors are natural, the viewing angles are maximum, and, most importantly, there are no purple and yellow tints, that is, signs of a cheap IPS matrix!

Below you can see that even at large tilts the brightness of the image remains virtually unchanged:

The depth of black is excellent, which is why the contrast is so high. The minimum backlight brightness is enough for comfortable reading of information at night.

In the settings, you can not only select the color mode, but also adjust the color and saturation separately.

Behavior in the sun

Settings

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 2 “lives” for a day on a single battery charge. At the same time, Wi-Fi is always on, mail is synchronized, WhatsApp, Skype and other applications are running. The matrix backlight brightness is set to its maximum value, the speaker volume is also turned up to full. Calls are made throughout the day with a total duration of up to 2 hours.

In a more gentle mode, the device can work for up to 3 days. With toys you can count on about 4 hours.

An 18-watt fast charging adapter is included. The average charging time is just under 1.5 hours, but in just 30 minutes you can recharge the battery by 50%.

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, which is supported by all operators in Russia.

Wi-Fi network can function on high speeds thanks to ac standard support. It is worth mentioning separately that Zenfone 2 is equipped with an NFC chip and antenna, and USB 2.0 supports OTG mode, that is, flash drives and other devices can be easily connected to the phablet. Naturally, there is GPS and GLONASS. The accuracy and quality of positioning are excellent; the track is presented below.

Cameras

The Zenfone 2 phablet is equipped with two camera modules: a 13 MP main camera with an F2.0 aperture (the lens consists of 5 elements) and a 5 MP front camera with an F2.0 aperture. In order to evenly and accurately convey skin tones in low lighting conditions, Asus has equipped a dual LED flash with different LED glow temperatures.

Thanks to the excellent camera matrix and fast lens, you get good quality shots in any lighting conditions and artistic bokeh.

It’s worth mentioning several cool camera modes:

Manual settings. One of the coolest features of the device. It's easy to adjust shutter speed settings, ISO values, and even manually select focus.
Ultra high resolution. The camera takes four pictures with a resolution of 13 MP, then combines the frames using a special algorithm, and you get a detailed photo of 52 megapixels
"Low lighting." In low light mode, the camera with PixelMaster technology resizes the image sensor pixels to increase light sensitivity by 400% to minimize color noise and increase contrast
Panoramic selfie. The coolest thing, which, I’m sure, will appeal not only to those who love selfies, but to all those who like to get together with friends and take pictures against the backdrop of landscapes.

Of course, we couldn’t do without HDR, creating a miniature effect, animation and much more.

The front camera is wide-angle, great for portraits. In the settings, it’s easy to select options for smoothing the face, removing wrinkles and other skin defects, enlarging the eyes, blushing, and so on. You can even remove a little cheek.

Video shooting takes place in FullHD resolution at 30 fps. Autofocus is very fast and accurate.

Sample photos

Performance

The Asus Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML) boasts that it runs on a chip from the American corporation Intel. The model is called Atom Z3580. Clock frequency is 2.3 GHz, four cores, 22 nm process technology, the powerful PowerVR G6430 system from Imagination Technologies is used as graphics.

Despite having only four cores, the chip is on par with modern flagship eight-core ARM chips. High performance enough not only for the smooth operation of the user interface and applications, but also for running any toys on maximum settings graphics.

There are several modifications of Zenfone 2 available on our market - 16/32/64 GB of internal memory plus a microSD slot up to 64 GB, that is, you can count on 128 GB of Flash memory. RAM is either 2 GB or 4 GB, as in our sample. This amount of RAM is enough to store dozens of applications or several games.

Performance tests

Screenshots from the games Unkilled and BIA 3

Just a few years ago to buy new smartphone with good performance and filling, a very impressive amount was required. Now the situation has changed, and relatively good devices can be purchased at a very affordable price. An excellent example of this situation is the Asus ZenFone 2, which is characterized by excellent build quality and design, decent performance and a relatively good camera.

Asus ZenFone 2 - Reviews

Appearance of Asus ZenFone 2

At first glance, the Asus ZenFone 2 looks like a typical smartphone in the mid-range or even higher price segment. As usual, the dominant element on the front of the device is the screen, which in this case has a diagonal of 5.5 inches and occupies about 72% of the front of the phone. Above the screen is the Asus logo, a shiny speaker grille, a front-facing camera and an almost invisible light sensor. Below the display you can see three system panel buttons. The back cover is made of plastic, but looks like a convex aluminum part.

If we talk about other elements of the device, everything is quite standard. The case itself may seem massive; its thickness is 10.9 mm. At the bottom of the smartphone there is a MicroUSB port used for charging and transferring data to the device. The top panel is equipped with a lock button and a mini-Jack for headphones. Left and right side devices are completely empty. On the right side of the case you can see a small recess, which is used to remove the back cover.

At first glance, it may seem that the back of the device is covered with brushed aluminum. In fact, this part of the body is also made of plastic, which imitates metal. Here you can also see a camera equipped with a dual LED flash, volume buttons, Asus, Intel, ZenFone logos and speaker holes. Despite the large number of additional elements, the device creates a feeling of minimalism.

Asus ZenFone 2 is a very interesting smartphone. It is strikingly different from competitors located in the same price range. It is worth noting that ZenFone 2 is an Asus design from start to finish. This Taiwanese company is significantly different from classic brands.

ZenFone 2, despite its low price, looks impeccable, reliable, and even very beautiful. This is not surprising because the previous ZenFone also presented a very beautiful design. The company realized faster than many that smartphones in this price category should not only be fast, but also beautiful.

Build quality of Asus ZenFone 2

The Asus ZenFone 2 feels like a smartphone made primarily of aluminum. Prompts such thoughts back panel. But the developers limited themselves to plastic with a very high-quality metal stylization.

Unfortunately, this somewhat affects the quality of the device. It is quite reliable, but can squeak in your hands. This is the fault of a loose and insufficiently rigid back cover. The rest of the equipment is made almost perfectly, its use is a pleasure.

We hope that over time Asus will decide to introduce cases made of other materials, such as aluminum and leather. Thanks to this, the ZenFone 2 smartphone becomes almost ideal in terms of manufacturing and assembly.

There's nothing to complain about here. The display is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which significantly increases the durability of the device. All the buttons are built deep enough, they are moderately hard, and it is quite difficult to press them accidentally. The device is thought out in absolutely every way.

Ergonomics

As mentioned, the Asus ZenFone 2 is a large device with a 5.5-inch screen. With such a large diagonal, it is necessary to use thin frames. Otherwise, the device will seem bulky and create problems when using it with one hand.

Unfortunately, the Asus ZenFone 2 has relatively thick edges around the display. A year or two ago they would have been considered very thin, but now the bar is set much higher. In addition, the Taiwanese company decided to place three touch buttons below the screen, so that there is additional empty space. For these reasons, the ZenFone 2 is even larger than the LG G3 and can be difficult to use.

Fortunately, Asus decided to use a software trick that can help you deal with this problem relatively comfortably. This is a mode that changes the size of the working part of the display.

For the first time such software was used in the series Galaxy Note. You can choose the size of your work area yourself. Of course, this will not solve all problems, since the size of the device will not change. But in general, working with the device is simplified. This mode will be especially useful for people with small hands, such as women or teenagers.

It wasn't a good idea to place the lock button on the top of the phone. This position of the key complicates the quick unlocking process. But this shortcoming is compensated for software solutions. To quickly wake up your smartphone, just double-click on the screen. This is, perhaps, an excellent solution, and most importantly familiar from the LG G3.

Display

Asus ZenFone 2 is available in several variants. ZE550ML models have a 5.5-inch screen with a pixel density of 267 ppi. In turn, the most expensive versions, designated ZE551ML, use a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a density of 401 ppi.

We had the opportunity to evaluate both ZenFone models. They provide excellent color reproduction, excellent viewing angles and quite satisfactory detail on a bright sunny day. The only drawback of the screen is that the grid is noticeable in such conditions.

As for resolution, in the case of a 5.5-inch screen, the HD version could add a few more pixels to the density, although the device is quite comfortable to use without them. Things were even better with the FullHD screen. The picture was extremely sharp, even if you look closely it is impossible to catch the pixelation. But even so, the best Asus ZenFone 2 is not suitable for use with virtual reality glasses.

To appreciate the capabilities of this technology, you must have a smartphone with a screen resolution of 2560x1600 pixels or higher. As for the touch capabilities of the device, it supports the touch of 10 fingers simultaneously. This is much more than is necessary in reality. There were no problems with pressing or recognizing gestures either.

Communication in Asus ZenFone 2

The Asus ZenFone 2 phone has a standard set of ports and connectors. Only the mini-Jack, microUSB 2.0 output is used here; under the protective cover there is also a slot for a MicroSD memory card and two slots for MicroSim, one of which allows operation in 2G, the second in 2G/3G/4G. Both slots are properly labeled so it's easy to tell them apart.

Both SIM cards can be managed from settings. The phone software allows you to select several options for their operation. You can also set parameters in which the smartphone will specify each time which card we want to use.

There's nothing to criticize in a smartphone when it comes to standards wireless communication. Wi-Fi is used here latest standard, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and NFC. They all work great and there were no issues with them. The only thing missing is wireless charging, but it is not used very often.

It is worth noting that many GPS devices cannot function without an Internet connection. Asus ZenFone 2 does not have such a problem; the module easily finds a satellite even without access to the global network. This means that after downloading a map from the Internet, the device can act as a navigator. This opportunity will definitely be useful abroad, where the cost of network access is noticeably higher.

The ZE550ML models have 16 GB of memory, and the ZE551ML - 32 or 64 GB. If this is not enough, you can freely expand it using MicroSD cards with a maximum capacity of 64 GB. When it comes to performance, the Z3000 series has more than enough hardware to run almost anything new. mobile applications and games.

We can add that according to the test results, ZenFone 2 is not very well optimized. The version of the smartphone with 2 GB of RAM may slow down. Although the amount of memory is quite acceptable, it may not be enough when running applications in background. This is likely a problem with the software being underdeveloped because the 4GB RAM version doesn't have this problem.

ZenFone Battery Life

Asus ZenFone 2 is equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. This is absolutely enough to use the phone all day without recharging. The smartphone was used quite intensively. For three hours, web pages were browsed on it, several photos were taken, a conversation was held for an hour, and the device was used for a long time to listen to music offline. But even higher loads on the battery will not be a problem.

The smartphone has a fast charge function that allows you to charge the battery to 60 percent in 39 minutes. This option works very effectively and saves in emergency situations. The main disadvantage is that the battery cannot be replaced. This means that if it breaks, you will need to replace the phone or pay for expensive repairs from a specialist.

Software

Latest smartphones Asus ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop with Asus Zen UI extension. The skin itself is somewhat reminiscent of the interface used in mobile devices ah LG. It uses square icons with rounded corners, which fits well with the aesthetics of Google's latest operating system.

The system is very convenient and also makes it possible to personalize its appearance. This allows you to select apps and widgets, change wallpapers, icon packs, fonts, etc. It's also worth paying attention Special attention to a children's mod, which is characterized by a friendly, colorful interface and allows you to select applications and content to which the child will have access.

Unfortunately, Asus decided to install several applications on its smartphone, which in our case turned out to be absolutely useless, and they cannot be deleted. And there are many such programs. We hope that Asus and the entire mobile industry will start to follow the example of politics Samsung, which has reduced presets to an absolute minimum.

Sound quality

The Asus ZenFone 2 smartphone is equipped with a speaker that is very good quality sound, of course, only in the context of mobile devices. Calls and communications are clear and loud. The speaker also allows you to comfortably play and watch videos. Here they dominate high frequencies, rather than low.

Definitely better than Asus ZenFone 2 when it comes to mobile communications. The microphone quality is excellent. There were no problems with communication not only indoors, but also on noisy streets, and audibility was excellent on both sides.

Camera Asus ZenFone 2

Asus camera ZenFone 2 should be considered as a complement to a successful smartphone. Compared to the other advantages of this device, it looks rather pale. Pictures taken during the day, in sunny weather, look quite natural.

The detail is not at the highest level, but quite decent. The situation worsens with insufficient lighting. Photos are starting to lose detail. When shooting at night or in the evening, unfortunately, they are of low quality. However, the camera is just a matter of priority.

Bottom line

Asus ZenFone 2 is one of the most interesting devices- mobile equipment that I had the opportunity to encounter. He has a very good characteristics, comes with a very good screen that has excellent color reproduction.

It should be noted that the equipment, despite its relatively large size, is very convenient to use. This is thanks to interesting hardware solutions borrowed from competitors, such as installation on back buttons to control volume and programs that can effectively neutralize several physical deficiencies of the smartphone.

Besides, everything software Asus is not only very nice, but also very convenient to use. The system allows you to comfortably use all modern applications and games in general without overheating. The smartphone does not stand out in terms of battery, which allows the standard to have one day of operation without recharging.

Asus ZenFone 2 will not be available in offers from operators, which can then be sold at low prices at auctions. This means that, although now the smartphone is sold at an attractive price, in a few months the LG G4, Huawei P8, and other flagships will be available at the same price, with which the ZenFone 2 will not be able to compete.

But Asus ZenFone 2 will still be there good device for people who need a huge amount of application space, want to use two SIM cards and have an efficient and enjoyable smartphone.

Asus ZenFone 2 is very good smartphone, which I would actually buy, its only major flaw is the camera.

constant updates

Flaws

I don’t know where gorilla glass 3 is, the glass got scratched on the second day of careful use. Of the 4 GB of RAM, approximately 2.2 GB are always occupied by something unknown. (payment for all effects and a beautiful launcher).A comment

I doubted my choice for a long time, but never regretted it. The smartphone is very fast, does not glitch, the battery lasts a day without problems (though I don’t play games), the camera takes great pictures. I advise you not to spare money and stick it right away strained glass or film so as not to be upset by scratches.

14 2

Convenient player

Flaws

of this smartphone

A comment

The overall impression of this smartphone is VERY positive. I don’t know any decent options of this quality for this kind of money. The Internet is full of accessories, at least from China.
I also bought a flip case and an energy bank (24,000 mAh). The case protects from scratches, and the “bank” from an unexpectedly dead battery. By the way: I try to charge the battery more often with an energy bank, with a current of 1A; This will take longer, but I hope to extend the life of the device. I start charging when there is 5-15% left until 90-95%.

Complain Was the review helpful? 10 3

Powerful processor

Flaws

NFC chip

A comment

I've been struggling with the phone for a year, there are already 800 pages on w3bsit3-dns.com about this phone. People's SIM cards fall off, problems with batteries, problems with matrices. A week after the warranty expired, I received phantom clicks and the sensor began to malfunction. For repairs at the official service center they charged me 6k, in the end they installed the left matrix, which turns yellow White color and flickers. Somehow I scraped the money back.

Software is a different matter. Back on July 22, 15, they promised Android 5.1 (the native 5.0.2 is still installed) and that’s coming soon. He never came out, they couldn’t finish him. In 5.0.2 the battery runs out very quickly when idle. The phone lies on the table, you don’t do anything on it, and during the day of non-use 30-35% flies away. Google recognized the problem, said it was fixed in Android 5.1, but it never came to this phone. Android 6 is about to be released, but there are even more bugs and glitches. Pioneers who have already updated to the beta version are running back to 5.0.2 in horror. In general, one disorder, not a telephone. I will NEVER buy anything from ASUS again, although I used to consider them a reliable brand.

Complain Was the review helpful? 16 12

For this money, the machine is 5 plus, Intel 2.4 percent, 4gb RAM, FHD screen is very high quality, 13mp camera (in capable hands), use time 1.5 years. Service 5+. Everything flies, updates are constant, responses to requests from the manufacturer and bug fixes are very prompt. Now Android 6.0 is installed, no problem, unnecessary programs from Asus have already been removed, in short, everything is good, except for the speaker. Rating 4+, not 5 due to poor quality speaker.Flaws

Poor quality speaker, battery could have a larger capacity.A comment

The screen and speaker were replaced under warranty. They changed everything within a week without any questions, although the screen was my fault, either pressed, or due to a fall. A case with an active window, and stains of a different color appeared in it, the protective glass saved it from further damage. The main thing is to choose the right author.service. Tracking the stages of repair on the Internet: testing, receipt of parts, repairs, point of delivery.
* Permission Full screen HD 1920×1080

* Supports memory cards up to 64 GB
I immediately bought such a card and I ended up with a total of 96 GB.

* Operating system version Android 5.0. Version 6 is now officially out.

* Built-in battery capacity 3000 mAh
I have enough for 2-3 days, but this is only when 4G, WiFi and GPS/Glonass are turned on periodically as needed. In standby mode, the battery lasts longer.

* There is an interesting super battery saving mode, when in a given time range, for example at night, you can almost completely turn off all services that consume the battery. But these are probably the advantages of Android, not the device.

* Very convenient function of unlocking the screen with a double tap. I only use the on/off button to turn it off or on. Flaws

In comparison with Samsung, the screen does not seem as rich, although everything is clearly visible in the sun. So I don't consider this a disadvantage.

For the first time, the second generation of ZenFone was presented at CES 2015; in March, the smartphone already began to be sold in various countries, and by mid-May it finally reached Russia. The official presentation of the new product took place literally today, but we have already prepared for you detailed review this device.

Characteristics

Class: flagship
Form factor: monoblock
Case material: plastic
Operating system: Android 5.0 + ZenUI
Network: two SIM cards, two radio modules, GSM/EDGE, WCDMA, LTE (microSIM) supported
Platform: Intel Atom Z3560/Intel Atom Z3580
Processor: quad-core, 1.8/2.33 GHz
RAM: 2/4 GB
Storage memory: 32 GB, microSD memory card slot (128 GB cards supported)
Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/ac), dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP, EDR), microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset,
Screen: 5.5’’, capacitive, IPS matrix, 1280x720 (HD)/1920x1080 pixels (FHD), automatic backlight level adjustment, has an oleophobic coating.
Camera: 13 MP, video recording in 1080p (1920x1080 pixels), dual-tone LED flash
Front camera: 5 MP
Navigation: GPS/GLONASS (A-GPS support)
Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, gyroscope, light sensor
Battery: non-removable, Li-Pol, capacity 3000 mAh, QuickCharge function supported (60% in 40 minutes).

Equipment

Smartphone
Charger
PC cable (also part of the charger)
Wired headset
Documentation

The smartphone comes with a good wired headset and a charger that supports the QuickCharge function.

Appearance, materials, control elements, assembly

On the one hand, from a design point of view, we have a regular candy bar with rounded corners, on the other hand, Asus was able to emphasize that this device belongs to the Zen line. Pay attention to the bottom of the smartphone, the power button and the volume rocker; they are made with a special iridescent pattern, characteristic of all Zen series devices.

In addition, the back cover itself plays beautifully in the light, sometimes you even get the mistaken impression that it is made of metal, but no, the usual slightly glossy plastic is used here. Please note that the pattern on the cover plays not only a design, but also a practical role, thanks to it the device does not slip in the hand.

Most of the front side is occupied by a 5.5-inch display, above it there is a mesh conversational dynamics, peephole front camera, light/proximity sensors, and indicator light.

Below the screen you can see three touch buttons - “Back”, “Home” and “Recent applications”. Holding the center key brings up Google Now.

At the top end there is a power button, a microphone hole and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and at the bottom there is another microphone and a microUSB port. The button has a short press with a characteristic click.

Turning the smartphone over, we see the peephole of the main camera, a dual LED flash, a volume rocker, and just below - the main speaker of the device. The decision to place the rocker on the back side of Asus was clearly taken from LG. However, if in LG devices this is done in order to reduce the thickness of the ends, then in Asus this is more likely simply due to the designer’s intention. Personally, I could not get used to this button location, despite the fact that when holding the smartphone with one hand, your index finger rests directly on it. The fact is that when you take ZenFone 2 at night and want to reduce/increase the volume, then intuitively your fingers still reach for the ends, and not the back cover.

The volume of the main speaker is very good, and it sounds clear even at maximum volume. By the way, if you put the device on a table with the screen facing up, the speaker will still not be muffled, this is due to the sloping edges of the ZenFone 2.

The back cover is removable, hidden underneath are two slots for microSIM SIM cards (one supporting LTE, the other 2G Only), a memory card slot (cards up to 128 GB are supported) and a non-removable lithium-polymer battery. To remove it, you need to pry off a special groove in the lower left corner. By the way, the lid is very difficult to remove.

Despite the removable cover, the device is perfectly assembled, largely thanks to the huge number of latches on it. There are no backlashes, squeaks or other assembly problems.

Dimensions

	Height (mm)	Width (mm)	Thickness (mm)	Weight (gram)
	152.5	77.2	10.9	170
Samsung Galaxy Note 4	153.5	78.6	8.5	176
Huawei Honor 6 Plus	150.5	75.7	7.5	165
Meizu M1 Note	150.7	75.2	8.9	145
Apple iPhone 6Plus	158.1	77.8	7.1	172

I haven’t tested phablets for a long time, and at first ZenFone 2 seemed just huge, healthy, too big. However, comparing its dimensions with the most popular competitors, you can see that the dimensions of this smartphone are comparable to most phablets, only its greater thickness stands out.

You can hold the ZenFone 2, but using it with one hand in standard mode is quite awkward.

And here the one-handed control mode comes to our aid; something similar has long been implemented in the Note line from Samsung. However, Asus is shrinking not just individual applications, but the display itself in principle; this is convenient if you use a third-party dialer, keyboard, etc.

Screen

In terms of characteristics, we have a typical phablet in the mid-price segment, but the devil, as we know, is in the details, so we’ll talk about them.

According to my feelings, in ZenFone 2 there is an air gap between the display and glass, because of this the image is inferior to reference screens (iPhone 6 Plus, Note 4, HTC One M8). When working with the device indoors, its maximum brightness is enough for the eyes, but outdoors sometimes you want to turn it up even more, but there’s nowhere else to go. The same applies to the minimum - in a dark room you want to reduce it a little more, but the minimum has already been reached.

Viewing angles are close to maximum; with a strong deviation, the brightness of the picture only slightly deteriorates.

As for the image quality, it is expectedly good: a clear (thanks to high resolution) picture, natural colors - all these advantages are inherent in high-quality IPS matrices. I didn’t like the automatic brightness adjustment; it sets an uncomfortably low brightness level, but adjusting it manually is quite convenient thanks to the slider in the notification shade.

In the sun, the screen becomes almost completely blind, but the information can still be made out.

If you wish, you can independently adjust the color scheme of your smartphone or enable a special “reading mode” that makes the colors warmer.

In addition, ZenFone 2 has a separate mode for working with gloves; I had no complaints about it.

Wanting to somehow compensate for the ease of use with a large diagonal, the manufacturer added the ability to turn the smartphone on and off by double tapping on the screen. And if there are no problems with turning it on, then the device does not always turn off the first time; here it is important to tap on an empty space. In addition to this feature, in the ZenMotion settings you can assign the launch of a particular program to various gestures.

To summarize: ZenFone 2 has a good display for its price category, but it is still slightly inferior to the screens in flagship devices.

operating system

The smartphone works under Android control 5.0.2 and new version ZenUI. In fact, there aren’t that many changes in appearance, but there are some, so let’s discuss each of them in a little more detail. Those interested in reading a detailed review of ZenUI can follow the link below. I’ll tell you about the innovations that I noticed during three weeks of using the device.

Firstly, the lock screen has been optimized to work with Android 5.0. Pop-up notifications fit harmoniously into the good old Lockscreen with three shortcuts and a weather forecast.

For example, in the "important alerts only" mode, you can configure whether or not to notify about new messages, as well as whose calls you can accept. In addition, it is possible to enable dialing after the second call. I like this feature, I've been using its analogue on iPhone for a long time and I'm very pleased that it has now appeared in ZenUI.

For do not disturb mode, you can enable/disable alarm notifications.

A separate “autorun manager” has appeared, its task is to block the background launch of applications to increase the time battery life.

The notification shade has also changed a bit, now you have to pull it down twice to bring up the toggles. Let me remind you that the location of the switches is customizable.

On desktops, swiping up brings up the menu for working with the launcher. In it you can customize scrolling effects, and also select one of several pre-installed themes or download any theme from Play Store. In addition, you can change the font type.

In addition to the innovations I described, ZenUI has a huge number various functions and settings, so once again I recommend that you read my detailed review of this shell.

Performance

One of the most important features of the device is the presence of 4 GB of RAM. To be honest, this figure looks very impressive, but in fact you will not notice any global difference in performance. Yes, the device can run the most powerful games and switch between them without the slightest problem, but otherwise the performance of ZenFone 2 is not much higher than that of the original ZenFone 5. The device works quickly with both built-in (launcher, settings, browser) and third-party ( any games, instant messengers, etc.) applications.

However, it is important to understand that the Z3580 chipset is still inferior in performance to top solutions from Qualcomm, so some games (like Asphalt 8) will not run at maximum settings.

I would also like to comment on the double numbers in the description of the characteristics. The fact is that there are two versions of ZenFone 2 - “simpler” and “more expensive”. At the time of writing this review, it is unknown whether the budget version will be sold here. This section will be updated after the official announcement.

Autonomous operation

The device shows good results in our battery life tests, but I would like to talk about everyday use. I had one day when the smartphone was used to the limit of its capabilities (LTE, maximum brightness, navigation, synchronization with mail, connected ZenWatch). So, in this mode you can count on 2.5 hours of screen activity. It is important to understand that this is the maximum load mode and your performance will most likely be significantly higher. Actually, the operating time in video mode confirms this.

The smartphone supports QuickCharge technology; it charges 60% in 40 minutes when using a proprietary charger. I have not previously tested devices with QC support, so this technology was a discovery for me. It is very convenient to recharge the device, I specifically checked that in 40 minutes it charges to the promised 60%.

Camera

The smartphone has a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front camera. Below are examples of photography in various modes.

	Apple iPhone 6

“Super resolution” mode, increasing the detail of objects. On the left are regular photographs, on the right are those using “super resolution”.

Ordinary	Super resolution mode

“Night” mode, which increases the brightness of the photo.

An example of “blurring” the background.

I asked Roman Belykh to evaluate the quality of the smartphone’s photographs, and below is his comment:

Positive points of the camera:

High-aperture optics with F2.0 aperture.
Beautifully blurs the background, especially in macro shots.
There is a high resolution function. Yes, it is based on interpolation, but with the help of special algorithms for removing noise and increasing contour contrast, the photographs are actually better compared to frames taken without the VR function.
Accurate focusing.
Almost always accurate white balance.

Negative points of the camera:

Doesn't handle backlight well. Any glare towards the camera is perceived with hostility by the optics: the frame becomes overexposed and contrast is lost.
Not the highest level of detail. Even compared to 8 MP frames on the iPhone 6.

Wireless interfaces

An interesting feature of this device is two separate radio modules. That is, when making calls to one SIM card, the second one still remains available. I specifically tested this function, it works great, with two simultaneous calls you can switch between them without any problems. Perhaps the only drawback of using two SIM cards is that only one of them supports LTE. Otherwise, everything is done on top level: buttons for calling from different SIM cards in the dialer and SMS application, detailed settings, signal display.

Conclusion

There are no complaints about the quality of speech transmission; you and your interlocutor can hear each other perfectly.

There will be three different versions of the smartphone on sale, the first is the ZE550ML with 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, Intel Atom Z3560 chipset and HD resolution. It will cost 15,000 rubles.

The second version is ZE551ML, it also has 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, but is used Intel chipset Atom Z3580 and it has a higher (FHD) display resolution. This model will cost 18,000 rubles.

The third version of the smartphone has the most best characteristics: 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, Intel Atom Z3580 chipset and FHD resolution. Its cost will be 20,000 rubles.

In my opinion, there is no particular point in taking the lower version; you should immediately look towards the top version with 4 GB of RAM. The difference of 2,000 rubles compared to the average configuration is worth the overpayment.

As a result, for 20,000 rubles you get a phablet with a good (albeit inferior to flagships) display, a high-quality and fast shell, 4 GB of RAM, support for two SIM cards (one of them with LTE) and average battery life.

By the way, Asus announced that from May 21 to July 21, users have the opportunity to return the ZenFone 2 you don’t like with a 100% money back guarantee.

For this money you get a phablet with a good (albeit inferior to flagships) display, a high-quality and fast shell, 2 GB of RAM, support for two SIM cards (one of them with LTE) and average battery life. Some might quibble with the display's two hours of battery life at maximum load, but in reality, under similar usage scenarios, most competitors would drain at the same rate. Since we remembered our competitors, let’s talk about them in a little more detail.

Meizu M1 Note. A device with similar characteristics, much better dimensions, but weak LTE support and the absence of a memory card slot. But it also costs less.

Huawei Honor 6 Plus. Another smartphone with similar characteristics, but a higher price (26,000 rubles). Among the advantages, Artem Lutfullin highlighted two radio modules with LTE support and two cameras that allow you to take beautiful shots with blur.

In fact, when choosing between these three models, you should focus on your budget. If you want to save maximum money, take the M1 Note. If you are looking for a balance between price and performance characteristics, look towards ZenFone 2. And if you really want two radio modules and both with LTE support, then you should take Honor 6 Plus.