Got my hands on one of the most promising phones in the market today and I weigh in on whether or not this phone packs a wallop or a whimper. Here’s my Zenfone 5 review, only on thefanboyseo.com!

 

Zenfone 5 Specs

Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 with ASUS AI Boost
Screen	6.2-inch, 19.9, 2246 x 1080, 500 nits, 2.5D Gorilla Glass, all-screen notched display, 90% screen-to-body ratio, DCI-P3 wide color gamut display, AI Display
RAM	4GB/6GB
OS	Android 8.0 with ZenUI 5.0
Rear Camera	Primary: 12MP, Sony IMX363, f/1.8, Night HDR, OIS, EIS PDAF; Secondary: 8MP, 120° wide view; 4K recording, RAW file support
Front Camera	8MP, f/2.0
Storage	64GB expandable via microSD card up to 2TB
Network	Dual-SIM,  4G LTE
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition, USB Type-C
Battery	3,300mAh, BoostMaster, Smart Charging

Unboxing

Here’s what comes along with every Asus Zenfone 5 unit you purchase (which I am still stunned to think sold out 45 minutes after the launch)

Design

Asus surely listened to its fans and core followers because all the good stuff from previous release are back and better than ever. The Zenfone 5 comes with a 6.2 inch screen with a 19:9 aspect ratio that makes everything you do with the smartphone big. So it’s definitely great for people like me who do their gaming and their social media on their phones.

It’s also a plus that the phone is sleek AND light. The curved edges don’t poke you around when you have the phone in your pocket and I gotta say, it’s classier this time around. Just like that old friend who gets a serious makeover and you see each other after a year or two.

The 5’s come with the standard 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass plus an extra dose of protection via screen protector. As always, no need to worry about permanently scratching your phone because you put it in the same pocket as your keys.

Because it’s 2018, every smartphone now should feature a notch design and Asus follows suit. IMHO, Asus has one of the better design and function for their screens. There’s only one front camera for this phone with the opposite side having the indicator light (something I still think is unnecessary for smartphones).

Volumes and power buttons are still on the right side of the phone…

… the SIM card tray is on the left side of the phone.

The top houses the secondary microphone which has a good pickup for audio mind you…

All the action and activities follows the previous design, meaning everything’s at the bottom…

The bottom features the USB Type-C port, the main microphone, the loudspeaker and the 3.5mm audio port.

Two rear cameras are also found on the back, now situated on a more aesthetically pleasing “side”.

The Zenfone 5’s back in general has a more sophisticated look and its impressively designed to look as sleek as possible while hitting a specific price point and a prescribed “look”. I loved the shine that comes along with the phone when the light hits it’s at a certain angle.

The ASUS logo is placed just beneath the fingerprint scanner and does not impede your line of sight when you find yourself staring at the back of your phone.

Closing this segment, I just want to say that at first glance the Zenfone 5 looks like the iPhone X but at closer inspection, you’ll see that it’s an entirely different beast, and this cat has claws.

Display

For the Zenfone 5, Asus tried to do something unique for their phone and the result is the new “Auto Color Temperature”, which you can turn on and off.

 

Watching videos or playing games with the Zenfone 5 isn’t only fun, it’s also interesting how the much-vaunted “notch” doesn’t hamper the viewing experience. The phone is smart enough to deteremine that it needs to re-adjust the screen aspect ratio and you end up with an unhindered look at your favorite YouTube or game.

While the sound for multimedia lacks a bit of “oomph” compared to other smartphones available now, it still works wonderfully for gaming and chills (with Spotify no less). Serviceable but not stellar. I would have wanted equalizer settings especially for music and videos.

 

Camera

• 12 Megapixel + 8 megapixel rear camera
• 8 megapixel front camera
• AI Photography

Let’s break down what you need to know about the Zenfone 5’s camera. Rear Camera has two sets of lenses. The 12 MP main has a Sony IMX363 making almost anything look great from mid-range to close range.

Here are some photos I took using the ZF5’s main camera:

And here are a few shots using the “wide screen”. secondary rear camera:

Meanwhile, the selfie lovers who are interested in getting the Zenfone 5 can call it a day because even at just 8 megapixels, it still delivers lovely selfies. The only downside is that we dont get as much in terms of features for the rear camera.

Selfie time!

Benchmarks

Battery

Another plus point for me for the Zenfone 5 is the fact that its packed neatly especially for the battery that has a capacity of 3,300mAh. The actual battery packs quite a wallop but it still at the same time, makes the smartphone look sexy af. Like other Zenfone models that came before the 5, ASUS lets us choose how we expend the battery’s juice.

According to ASUS, the Zenfone 5 can last for as much as 10 to 12 hours on standby. 10 if you’re a heavy Wi-Fi or Mobile Data user. That’s pretty OK considering all the stuff you can do within that time frame.

What I find lacking with the unit is the lack of fast-charging capabilities. While other brands are already making it a USP for their flagships, the Zenfone 5 does the opposite. That for me is the only bummer especially since its summer and you’ll want a full batt always. Charging time too is a bit of a problem. It’ll take you around 2 hours maximum to go from 0% to 100%.

Lastly, AI also works on charging with the Smart Charging S where in the phone learns your charging behavior and adapts to it. Like when you like to sleep while charging, it learns to eventually stop charging at some point while you sleep, saving energy and the battery’s life as well.

OS, UI and Other Features

• ASUS ZenUI 5.0
• Android 8.0 Oreo

The UI is consistently fast even when you’re switching from one app to another. Notifications and a few other things can be accessed by swiping the phone top to bottom.

Some of the features for the Zenfone 5 that is worth noting in this Zenfone 5 review:

ZeniMoji – swap out your face for an animated character during video calls and/or video recordings.

Game Genie – Easily stream your mobile gaming sessions to YouTube or Twitch

Page Marker –  lets you save entire webpages for offline viewing at a later time. (Something perfect for bloggers like me who’s  always on the go).

Zenfone 5 Review Verdict

In my humble opinion and to lay it down clearly in this Zenfone 5 review, this is one of the top tier smartphones that came out this year. For a mid-ranger under Php 20,000 it does a lot and offers a lot for people with different needs. It’s got a decent battery life, works fast enough thanks to the Qualcomm processors they use, the camera’s really good especially the rear ones.

I love the design for this smartphone as well as how light it is. It’s also easy to hide away in your pocket and it’s less obvious to other people (depends though on what type of pants you wear). The UI is easy to understand and intuitive while the AI photography is such a nice additional function to ASUS’ already venerable photography options.

The Asus Zenfoone 5 is now available for SRP Php19,995