Asus ZenFone 5 Review – Powerful and slim with beautiful colors
The Asus ZenFone 5 is a truly remarkable mobile phone. The 5 “display makes it a larger mobile phone, which provides an excellent area for writing, surfing and applications. Relatively thin and very light for its size, it surprised me after the first switch-on with very nice graphics and features, which I would cover right at the beginning with a decent price below 200 EUR. Asus praises INTEL INSIDE on this device on the back, slightly rounded cover, and let’s face it, which phone can boast something like that? Very nice graphics and sharp colors will please even the most demanding user, the performance will not disappoint and the slots for two micro SIM cards are a surprise. You can use two cards at once, and I will still focus on this mode.
Appearance
The Asus ZenFone 5 is a truly remarkable mobile phone. The 5 “display makes it a larger mobile phone, which provides an excellent area for writing, surfing and applications. Relatively thin and very light for its size, it surprised me after the first switch-on with very nice graphics and features, which I would cover right at the beginning with a decent price below 200 EUR. Asus praises INTEL INSIDE on this device on the back, slightly rounded cover, and let’s face it, which phone can boast something like that? Very nice graphics and sharp colors will please even the most demanding user, the performance will not disappoint and the slots for two micro SIM cards are a surprise. You can use two cards at once, and I will still focus on this mode.
The listed dimensions of 148.2 × 72.8 × 10.3 mm (over 5 mm thick at the edges) along with a weight of 144 grams suggest it’s not a phone that you will only wear without consequences in the cam. It can be held firmly in one hand, but the thin construction will certainly be most secure in a good case. In an effort to maintain a quality display and these colors without any damage, the owner of ZenFone 5 will be forced to think about the case very soon. The black version is glossy, the back slightly rounded side is made of matte plastic, where there is a camera lens with 8 Mpx in the middle upper part. Quite decent, though more challenging, might please even more performance. The 5-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1,280 × 720px is smooth and properly sensitive, and consequently working with it is very fast and responsive. The mobile phone responds to work on the web or with applications quite quickly, so it does not delay the user very much by lengthy loading and illogical actions. Especially during my jump on the rebound, the new phone is much more noticeable. The upper side of the front of the device contains two sensors, one of which is the front camera, the speaker and below it is a small inscription of the ASUS brand. It is not very common among phones in Slovakia, which is a consequence of the long-term absence of this brand and its mobile phones in our country. On the opposite side of the display, at the very bottom, are three buttons that have only a touch function. It is not a physically depressable button. Classic Android features like back – home – options. Charging is from below and is not covered by any blanking plug. Unlike other phones, the port is facing downwards. The left edge is nothing, but on the right there is a button to turn off or activate to active mode, below it is a volume switch. Both of these buttons are quite stiff. You can take your mobile from “off mode” to life with this top button on the right edge. This will activate a screen with a summary of missed calls, messages, time, date, weather and alarm status with all the top indicators in the taskbar.
Working with ZenFone 5
Very nice display enjoys demanding looks and graphics. Device equipped with Android 4.3.3. offers, at least for me, a never-before-seen version of this operating system, which offers a classic Android interface with slight customizations. Very frequent and repeated work with movement in the system, installation of applications and their use did not leave any signs of exhaustion. Most applications in the mobile phone equipment were tested, including small items such as a flashlight, SOS signals, a mirror, various communication tools and the like. There are also other applications within Google Play, such as the game Tapped Out, in which even when activating more than 80 packages of money and a large number of characters, there was no bursting period or problems for the operation of the mobile phone. The Turbo Racing 3D application, which requires a G sensor to run, was also tested. Navigation Waze treads like a watch. The problem with her activation was that she asked to reactivate GPS navigation. This feature had to be turned on in the mobile phone and the message continued even after it was turned on. It is a bit strange that only after activating the second option in the GPS section, whose title reads “Location of Wifi and mobile network”, everything necessary for the navigation to work was started. So it is probably not enough to just start GPS, but it is also necessary to reveal your location. EASY mode is in the settings. However, it is literally EASY, because after activation it will make your phone a very simple and concise, easy-to-use system, ideal for undemanding people who want to activate applications immediately, have only the necessary things and hours available. I only mention EASY as a novelty, as I have not yet encountered this setting and interface change. (This is not a Eurotel / T-mobile / Telekom mobile service, but a type of setup in Asus ZenFone5)
Taking pictures and videos with ZenFone 5
ZenFone 5 is pleasant to the touch, easy to use, and quick to use with apps, software in general, or the camera. In case of insufficient light and fast movement, it does not catch up, but even so, the recording is of decent quality, the sound on the recording as well as in the mobile itself is recorded in the video as excellent. The camera has an auxiliary LED, so it can replace the flash and also has a focus. During recording, you can easily focus by tapping the screen at the place you want to focus in low light conditions. Even in the case of a few minutes of recordings, it was about an hour of video together, it was a surprise how many videos actually fit on the mobile phone, despite not inserting a MicroSD card. The tested model had an internal memory of up to 16 GB, although it can be expanded with the help of microSD cards, some users may not even need the card. Subsequently, when trying to connect the mobile to the computer as a camera there was no problem, Windows XP and Windows 7 without any problems find the device and photos can be downloaded to the computer.
DUAL SIM
The function of two cards at once is a great thing these days, especially for those who do not want to carry more mobile phones, but have more cards. For some reason, in short, not one of us has more than one card, so a DUAL SIM is a good choice for both cards at the same time. ZenFone 5 has two microSIM card slots facing each other when the cover is removed. After starting the phone, it is clear to the user which card is number one and which number two. This information is also in the settings, where the number on the given card is visible. When sending an SMS, it is possible to confirm sending from one or the other. When making a call, it is also possible to choose from which card it is possible to make a call. In the SETTINGS section there is an option “dual SIM card settings” where it is possible to select and define preset values as briefly “from which card to use data services, ie the Internet” and of course such options as from which card to make primary calls.
Technical parameters: 2 GB RAM, Intel Atom Z2560, CPU 2 × 1.6 GHz, GPU – PowerVR SGX544MP4
Shortcomings
Despite the aforementioned qualities, beautiful display and performance, it has its flies. The main thing is the fact that it does not have a removable battery, it is built in and the average user may not be able to replace it. Also, the buttons are not backlit at all, or you do not have physical buttons below the display that could clearly instruct the device to turn off the application or another response even at a slower speed. I draw on my experience with other devices, although this has not led to a slow performance situation. At least the dim backlight wouldn’t hurt. The Mobile Movie Studio app has one major imperfection, and that is that while it boasts video editing, an absolute foundation such as cutting an error, closing a few seconds, or any editing at all is impossible. The camera is really weaker, which is due to the value of only 10 fps.
Why bother? Definitely for performance, appearance, and display quality. It is a brand that has never disappointed me personally and is not yet very proven on mobile phones, so it can be a surprise in the future as well. It has a relatively large space, although it depends on the version of the device. Android 4.3.3 is also listed in a higher version at some vendors, it is possible that the same model has a better OS. There is also a version with LTE abroad, which is not in our country. At the first shooting of the videos, the endurance had no problems with recording for 20 + 25 + 15 minutes and was still usable for email management, record checking and the like. Applications have no problem with it, it also has GPS and the necessary sensors. At a price of up to EUR 200, this is a nice piece.
Working with ZenFone 5
Very nice display enjoys demanding looks and graphics. Device equipped with Android 4.3.3. offers, at least for me, a never-before-seen version of this operating system, which offers a classic Android interface with slight customizations. Very frequent and repeated work with movement in the system, installation of applications and their use did not leave any signs of exhaustion. Most applications in the mobile phone equipment were tested, including small items such as a flashlight, SOS signals, a mirror, various communication tools and the like. There are also other applications within Google Play, such as the game Tapped Out, in which even when activating more than 80 packages of money and a large number of characters, there was no bursting period or problems for the operation of the mobile phone. The Turbo Racing 3D application, which requires a G sensor to run, was also tested. Navigation Waze treads like a watch. The problem with her activation was that she asked to reactivate GPS navigation. This feature had to be turned on in the mobile phone and the message continued even after it was turned on. It is a bit strange that only after activating the second option in the GPS section, whose title reads “Location of Wifi and mobile network”, everything necessary for the navigation to work was started. So it is probably not enough to just start GPS, but it is also necessary to reveal your location. EASY mode is in the settings. However, it is literally EASY, because after activation it will make your phone a very simple and concise, easy-to-use system, ideal for undemanding people who want to activate applications immediately, have only the necessary things and hours available. I only mention EASY as a novelty, as I have not yet encountered this setting and interface change. (This is not a Eurotel / T-mobile / Telekom mobile service, but a type of setup in Asus ZenFone5)
Shooting and shooting with ZenFone 5
ZenFone 5 is pleasant to the touch, easy to use and quick to use with applications, software in general, or a camera. In case of insufficient light and fast movement, it does not catch up, but even so, the recording is of decent quality, the sound on the recording as well as in the mobile itself is recorded in the video as excellent. The camera has an auxiliary LED, so it can replace the flash and also has a focus. During recording, you can easily focus by tapping the screen at the place you want to focus in low light conditions. Even in the case of a few minutes of recordings, it was about an hour of video together, it was a surprise how many videos actually fit on the mobile phone, despite not inserting a MicroSD card. The tested model had an internal memory of up to 16 GB, although it can be expanded with the help of microSD cards, some users may not even need the card. Subsequently, when trying to connect a mobile phone to a computer like a camera, there was no problem, both Windows XP and Windows 7 find the device without any problems and photos can be downloaded to the computer.
DUAL SIM
The function of two cards at once is a great thing these days, especially for those who do not want to carry more mobile phones, but have more cards. For some reason, in short, not one of us has more than one card, so a DUAL SIM is a good choice for both cards at the same time. ZenFone 5 has two microSIM card slots facing each other when the cover is removed. After starting the phone, it is clear to the user which card is number one and which number two. This information is also in the settings, where the number on the given card is visible. When sending an SMS, it is possible to confirm sending from one or the other. When making a call, it is also possible to choose from which card it is possible to make a call. In the SETTINGS section there is an option “dual SIM card settings” where it is possible to select and define preset values as briefly “from which card to use data services, ie the Internet” and of course such options as from which card to make primary calls.
Technical parameters: 2 GB RAM, Intel Atom Z2560, CPU 2 × 1.6 GHz, GPU – PowerVR SGX544MP4
Shortcomings
Despite the aforementioned qualities, beautiful display and performance, it has its flies. The main thing is the fact that it does not have a removable battery, it is built in and the average user may not be able to replace it. Also, the buttons are not backlit at all, or you do not have physical buttons below the display that could clearly instruct the device to turn off the application or another response even at a slower speed. I draw on my experience with other devices, although this has not led to a slow performance situation. At least the dim backlight wouldn’t hurt. The Mobile Movie Studio app has one major imperfection, and that is that while it boasts video editing, an absolute foundation such as cutting an error, closing a few seconds, or any editing at all is impossible. The camera is really weaker, which is due to the value of only 10 fps.
Why bother? Definitely for performance, appearance, and display quality. It is a brand that has never disappointed me personally and is not yet very proven on mobile phones, so it can be a surprise in the future as well. It has a relatively large space, although it depends on the version of the device. Android 4.3.3 is also listed in a higher version at some vendors, it is possible that the same model has a better OS. There is also a version with LTE abroad, which is not in our country. At the first shooting of the videos, the endurance had no problems with recording for 20 + 25 + 15 minutes and was still usable for email management, record checking and the like. Applications have no problem with it, it also has GPS and the necessary sensors. At a price of up to EUR 200, this is a nice piece.
