![]() ![]() Installable theme packs make it easy to change up the software’s appearance (which isn’t awful out of the box but doesn’t mesh well with Google’s own design for Android), and you can choose different transition animations for the home screen. Still, ZenUI has some pretty advanced features that could satisfy power users. It’s a heavy customization of Android by today’s standards, and a different approach from what Alcatel is doing. The ZenFone 2 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, but it’s topped with Asus’ ZenUI skin. Call quality, LTE data reception on T-Mobile, and Wi-Fi performance were all perfectly adequate, as well. The ZenFone 2’s abundance of RAM (4GB in the high-end version) probably helps out, too. If nothing else, this device proves Intel is totally up to the challenge of powering a modern smartphone experience. It felt no different from many existing Android flagships, a notion that may stir some panic inside Qualcomm and Samsung. The ZenFone 2 handled everything with aplomb: multitasking, playing games, and general everyday usage caused no issues whatsoever. This $300 phone breezes through every task you throw at it. There's a gross amount of bloatware hereīut design complaints and camera issues aside, the ZenFone 2 shines when it comes to performance. If camera quality is your most important criteria in selecting a new phone, the ZenFone 2 won’t top that list. While the camera is generally fast and thankfully avoids shutter lag, it can also sometimes take a bit to get you back to the viewfinder between shots. But the camera’s output doesn’t really justify these extravagant software features, and Super Resolution photos don’t look discernibly better or sharper than what you’d get from Auto mode. There are 18 in all, including a decent HDR option and Super Resolution mode that combines four 13-megapixel images into a single 52-megapixel shot. Unfortunately, this option downsizes your shots to just 3 megapixels (a process known as pixel binning), and they also contain a healthy dose of noise.Īsus has included a swath of other shooting modes, too. The resulting images are much brighter and can capture scenes where other modes see nothing but black. There’s no optical image stabilization built in, so low-light shots contain some blur unless you use the ZenFone 2’s low-light mode. Daytime shots are satisfactory, but Asus layers on extra sharpening that can do more harm than good. You're just better off plugging in headphones.Īs for the 13-megapixel camera itself, it’s pretty run-of-the-mill. This isn't really a phone that can double as a music speaker even watching Netflix is questionable. But remove the back case and you'll see the truth: all you're hearing is a pretty measly (and tinny) speaker. Based on looks alone, you'd expect the ZenFone 2 to rival many devices on the market in sound output. One misleading thing about the phone's outer design is the big speaker grill on the rear. These features work well when you remember that they're there, but most of the time I didn’t. "C" launches the camera, and I set up "S" to work with Spotify and a lower-case "e" to trigger Gmail. The software also lets you draw letters on the screen to open your favorite apps. Fortunately, I rarely have to bother with the button: Asus does offer tap-to-wake and tap-to-sleep gestures. I almost always had to adjust my grip to reach it, and even then it requires a firm press. Easily the worst aspect of this phone's design is where Asus decided to put that power button it's centered at the very top of the device. The volume buttons on the ZenFone 2 are way thinner than on any LG smartphone, and there's no power button sandwiched between them. There are mixed opinions on this idea, but at least LG’s version works, which can’t be said for Asus’. And it must be said that other companies have done better at making quality displays for around the same price point Alcatel’s Onetouch Idol 3 has one of the best 1080p screens we’ve come across.Īsus borrows another LG idea on the back of the phone with its rear-mounted volume rocker. The screen fails miserably outdoors on a sunny day, and even in well-lit rooms I found myself cranking the ZenFone 2 up to around 80 percent and above. The only real problem is brightness - or lack thereof. The ZenFone 2’s screen will do fine for gaming, YouTube, and so on. Sure, the ZenFone 2 is outclassed by Apple, Samsung, LG, and HTC, but their devices cost hundreds more. Colors from the 1080p panel are accurate if a bit washed out (a "Vivid" display setting helps boost saturation), and viewing angles leave nothing to be desired. The 5.5-inch display itself is nice, but also pretty dim. ![]()
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