ASUS Zenfone 2: With 4GB of RAM challenge the high-end

Last updated Nov 30, 2018 550

The new Zenfone 2 is one of the first smartphones to integrate 4 GB of RAM, and a list price of $299 has the ambitious goal to challenge on the technical front the top of the range more famous. With a list price of about half of the latter, ASUS offers performance comparable to more powerful devices in circulation, although it is due to compromise that not everyone could tolerate.

Asus Zenfone 2 – Introduction and Technical Specifications

Thirty million units. These are the ambitions for 2015 for the smartphone division of ASUS, and move that number will be three models of the family Asus Zenfone 2. The target for the Taiwanese is to offer the best technical features to price more attractive as possible, and it is so who managed to enter 4 GB of RAM inside a smartphone.. After a wait of several months after the official presentation at CES 2015, the new smartphones are finally publicly available, and we took the opportunity of canvassing every secret within our usual in-depth analysis.

We said that there are three models. We have an entry-level variant known as ZE550CL with 5-inch display with HD resolution and an Intel Atom Z2560 1.6GHz with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of integrated storage. Coast $199 and offers from 8:02 megapixel camera and support for 4G LTE networks.

The intermediate model ZE550ML is proposed for $239 and has a slightly larger display with a diagonal of 5.5 “. The video resolution is unchanged, while the integrated processor is an Intel Atom Z3560 1.8GHz quad-core supported 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. But it is certainly more interesting than the top model in the range ZE551ML.

ASUS aims to provide a device which technically has nothing to envy to the proposed high-end of the current generation. It is clear that to achieve this result has had to compromise on some aspects, but in terms of concreteness that Zenfone two top of the line should meet the expectations of fans.

It is actually a phone that delivers everything it promises, and has features of clear impact on the list of specifications: the processor chosen by the Taiwanese is again a quad-core Intel Atom, model Z3580, and can reach the maximum operating frequency of 2.3GHz.

ASUS Zenfone 2	ZE550CL	ZE550ML	ZE551ML
OS	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Processor	Intel Atom Z2560 1.6 GHz dual-core	Intel Atom Z3560 1.8 GHz quad-core	Intel Atom Z3580 2.3 GHz quad-core
RAM	2 GB LPDDR2	2 GB LPDDR3	4 GB LPDDR3
Display	5-inch IPS LCD	5.5 inch IPS LCD	5.5 inch IPS LCD
Resolution	1,280 x 720	1,280 x 720	1,920 x 1,080
Pixel density	294 PPI	267 PPI	401 PPI
Storage	16 GB expandable via microSD		16/32/64 GB expandable via microSD
Rear camera	8 MP auto-focus LED Flash Lens F / 2.0 to 5 units	13 MP auto-focus pixelmaster
Front Camera	2 MP Lens F / 2.0	5 MP Wide pixelmaster
Cellular network	4G LTE Cat. 3 (100/50)	4G LTE Cat. 4 (150/50)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n USB 2.0 Bluetooth 4.0 microSIM GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / ac USB 2.0 Bluetooth 4.0 Dual microSIM GPS
Motion sensors	Accelerometer Compass Near Brightness environment	Accelerometer Compass Near Brightness environment	Accelerometer Compass Gyroscope Proximity Brightness environment
Battery	2,500 mAh Not removable	3,000 mAh Not removable
Dimensions	148.1 x 71.5 x 10.9 mm	152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 mm
Weight	155 g	170 g
Colors	Black White Red	Black White	Black Red Grey

But is the amount of system memory to astound: 4 GB of RAM on a device that should occupy the mid-range. It is certainly a courageous choice to ASUS, because the benefits of such an important quantity of system memory may not be apparent to all types of users, and may occur only with the extreme use of the multitasking capabilities of Android.

The version of the green robot is naturally Lollipop version 5.0, with a little customization intrusive by ASUS that has changed only slightly appearance and added some applications and native functionality.

Inside the terminal, there is a GPU PowerVR Rogue G6430 series with support for OpenGL 3.0 and 32GB of inbuilt storage expandable via microSD slot. The battery is 3,000 mAh, then in line with other solutions of the same market: it will be interesting to see the behavior of the new Intel Atom in terms of energy consumption, measuring the operational autonomy that new Asus Zenfone 2 will get in our traditional suite test.

The smartphone with LCD display IPS 5.5 ” Full HD Gorilla Glass protected by a sheet 3 and complete list of technical specifications of the two cameras: one rear 13-megapixel camera with auto-focus and dual LED flash, the front 5-megapixel fixed focus.

With new Asus Zenfone 2, ASUS is part of an approach that many Asian manufacturers have already taken some time. It is clear that for several brands now, the trend is to keep as low as possible the list price of its solutions, trying at the same time to offer the least number of compromises.

And Asus Zenfone 2 compromises on paper it has few, if any unless you count the plastic shell still removable. But the ” paper ” to reality the differences could be many, and will be our goal in the analysis discover that you read the following pages.

Simple design with polycarbonate shell

If we had to define in one word the design features of ASUS Zenfone 2 we could use the word ” sober “. It is perhaps the most sacrificed Taiwanese device especially for materials used. The rear bodywork is entirely made of polycarbonate with a finish that simulates a bit badly brushed aluminum.

To touch the plastic is instantly recognizable, and the feeling during use is not to be faced with a ” premium ” product. As we will see just below, the rear shroud can be removed completely leaving the cell completely naked on the back, but the battery is not removable if not putting hands to the screwdriver (which will still not be recommended for beginners).

The back is slightly curved, useful feature to make it more comfortable grip and give a feeling of slenderness to the device when we use it. However, this is a design choice debatable, for the use of the smartphone becomes frustrating if resting on a horizontal plane, with a tendency to swing when interacting with the display.

Along the body are, from top to bottom and all stacked in the middle: dual LED flash camera, camera lens with chrome frame, button for controlling the volume of the external speaker or headset, ASUS logo, Intel Inside and Zenfone, and finally at the bottom of the big grid of a built-in speakers.

Everything is arranged along the back surface, while the sides do not find anything, except the microUSB port for charging (expected rapid charge with the included charger 2A or 5 to 9V), a microphone, the inevitable audio jack 3.5 mm and the key to power on / off. The latter is essentially useless for everyday use, since only serves to turn on or turn off the device.

To unlock it from stand-by can simply tap twice on the display off while rerunning the procedure from the launcher or from the lock-screen, device will set the mode again idle. During our tests, the software has always shown very ready to receive input from the user and the functionality altogether very comfortable.

On the front surface, the smartphone is simple and retains its simple style, with the typical characterization of the family of smartphones from ASUS. The lower frame has three capacitive keys, unfortunately not backlit, which saves space on the display at all times, while above are the traditional capsule with speaker for phone calls, a front camera and two sensors, respectively, proximity and ambient light partially invisible to the eye.

A little further down emblazoned with the ASUS, with a gray color in stark contrast with the rest of the dark surface of glass. Good, although not excellent, the screen ratio / frames, which is around 70%.

As we wrote above, the rear bodywork is completely removable: the operation is simple even if the plastic may be too rigid. Two rubber seals seek to minimize the possibility of unpleasant creaks over time, making it more soft contact between the back of the frame and the cover itself.

By accessing inside the smartphone you can insert two SIM cards and a microSD to expand the capacity of integrated storage, but you cannot interact in any way with the battery if you do not void the warranty. In the lower part, we find a speaker very generous in terms of dimensions covered by a light protection film in plastic.

Display of excellent quality

For the smartphone industry, the trend of the current generation is to reach the Quad HD resolution. In this way, on a diagonal of 5.5 inches, the single pixel becomes inaudible also approaching of the very look at the display, even if in practice the differences between the Full and Quad HD are definitely limited on such small screens.

In contrast, the only HD we see on many economic phablet would have been inconsistent on a terminal that wants to be a ” kill the top of the range “. The choice of ASUS fall on the Full HD seems the wisest in the report definition and production costs.

In addition, having a number of pixels substantially smaller than, the resolution weighs much less on the rendering of the graphical interface and three-dimensional environments in video games, theoretically helping in achieving higher performance and operating autonomy.

ASUS chooses for his Zenfone 2 LCD panel IPS of a good caliber (as we shall see in the tests below) shows that as early as the first power rather vibrant colors and contrasting. We are not facing a SuperAMOLED over defined, but the panel phablet Taiwanese doing his job in a satisfactory manner even if the maximum luminance can be improved.

We have analyzed the display ASUS Zenfone 2 also with regard to the viewing angles through a more empirical than scientific evidence. The image that we propose shows the behavior of the display at various angles when viewed from a fixed point of view.

Text and images remain readable even to the most extreme corners, while varying slightly perceived brightness and contrast. The display behavior in this specific test is still at good levels even when compared to much more expensive devices. By far, the screen is taken by ASUS of a good caliber, with that result in the maximum luminance that unfortunately can only affect a final judgment that would otherwise have been very positive.

Analysis CPU performance similar to the top of the range

The heart of the new ASUS Zenfone 2 is a processor of Intel product with 22nm lithography. Specifically, we talk about the model Atom Z3580, compatible instruction set to 64-bits as required by the current fashion. On the new Taiwanese smartphone, the 64-bit are justified by the huge amount of memory integrated RAM, a 4 GB. It has physical 4 cores arriving at a maximum operating frequency of 2.33 GHz in the most costly in terms of computing.

The decision to integrate an Intel, and not a derivative of ARM, is somewhat atypical of smartphones. It is interesting to assess not only its overall performance, but also that these have repercussions in the calculation of the operational device.

Previously, the Atom family processors have not shown themselves up to face the challenge of ultra-mobile devices, but with the new processors released late last year Intel wants to make peremptory reaffirm his time in the field with proprietary solutions valid.

For now, concern ourselves of the benefits as well. We have analyzed, as usual, the performance of ASUS Zenfone 2 version with 4 GB of RAM with our suite of tests, both in terms of computing power unlined hardware integrated the performance benefits of the native web browsers. We provocatively placed in high-end graphics devices of the current and previous generations, since ASUS wants to set up its new device as a ” kill top of the range “. Here are the charts with test results.

Do not forget that Asus Zenfone 2 integrates 4 GB of RAM, a unique feature in a market where even the top of the range more famous stop to 3. There are very few models that claim, which is absent, or nearly so, on our market. Thanks to the generous amount of system memory, Asus Zenfone 2 provides a response to input more particularly reactive, not forcing the user to expectations unpleasant.

This is a phenomenon that we already saw on other Android smartphone (such as Nexus 6) that integrate 3 GB of RAM or less. The crash of the app in the background is done very sporadically, as well as with the tab open on the browser, but the differences with other Android devices are not as great, for a feature that still makes Asus Zenfone 2 ready to face future challenges in the industry.

Battery

The phablet batteries are often characterized by more substantial than traditional smartphone. A unit from 3,000 mAh is the practice in this segment of the market, so the choice made by ASUS for their Zenfone two tops of the range are the norm. In the case of the Taiwanese smartphone, the battery needs to manage a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with full HD resolution and, perhaps most interestingly, an Intel Atom processor quad-core 2.33 GHz maximum. In the preceding pages, we have sung the praises of the CPU integrated in the processor, but how will it Asus Zenfone 2 in terms of operational autonomy on a single charge?

To evaluate the autonomy of the device, we have performed the usual tests of automatic navigation, developed internally, ranging simulate a browsing session WiFi and 3G on a package of websites with an interaction in the pages variable and a residence time of between 5/2 up to a maximum of 2 minutes.

Besides this, we measured autonomy in another scenario, the continuous playback of video in standard definition. All tests are conducted by setting the luminance of the display to the value of 200 cd/m² and connecting a pair of headphones with the volume set to the maximum possible.

ASUS Zenfone 2 is charging from 0 to 100% in 111 minutes, just under two hours. You can get several hours of battery life on a charge of a few minutes, being able to load a good 20% in no time. The feature makes it a little less frustrating lack operational autonomy of the smartphone, even if we have to consider that too many charging cycles can eventually compromise the efficiency of the built-in battery which, remember, is not removable.

Camera: 13 MP with dual LED flash

For its anti flagship, ASUS has chosen a form photo pixelmaster 13 Mega-Pixel with auto-focus and dual LED flash. Unlike many high-end devices, we find no support in technologies of optical image stabilization, characteristic of not simple production from the hardware point of view and would consequently impacted on the final cost. From the front, we find a 5 megapixel camera, always pixelmaster with fixed focus and wide angle lens.

It is a configuration of many devices that are economic in nature that, though at first glance may surprise because of high-sounding numbers, the proof of facts could not deliver the quality shots so exciting. The computation of megapixels is not the only metric to determine the quality of a photo sensor, to a number that acquires the sense, especially in those cases in which we must fulfill crop pushed, or when it is necessary to make prints of large dimensions. In many cases a large number of pixels brings with it the possibility of increasing defects of the same sensor, especially when the latter is not of the highest quality.

The management of the flash of the camera is precisely the weak point of the subcategory of the device, especially as regards the exposure times. The system continues to maintain exposure times are too long with active flash that lead to shots heavily overexposed in the case of macro or objects close together or as in our case, the occurrence of a shake-hardly avoidable.

In these cases, you must manually set the values most suitable in the software of the camera, but it is a maneuver that smartphones often prefer to avoid. The 5-megapixel front camera allows for selfie of above average quality of the category, as well as the trend of the moment requires.

Conclusions: Asus Zenfone 2 kills the top of the range?

With ASUS Zenfone 2 has set ambitions precise. With the smartphone, the goal of the Taiwanese is the big challenge the industry with a device that is unmatched in terms of performance and that, indeed, should overcome the opposing solutions with technical specifications still difficult to find on top of the range competition.

Where terminal’s Android popular stop for 3 GB of RAM, for example, ASUS dares installing more than 4 GB. Data in hand, Asus Zenfone 2 actually is unmatched, but only the list of technical specifications certainly cannot define what then is the user experience true that you have with the terminal.

Because of it, draw conclusions on this Asus Zenfone 2 is not easy, because on one hand, we have a list of technical specifications very pompous, the other user experience that convinces only occasionally.

The Intel Atom integrated, for example, achieves performance comparable to high-end of the last generation, but the excellent results obtained are almost completely obscured by the lack of autonomy made a record in our tests. The battery allows 3,000mAh well in stand-by, but a few hours use of the terminal must already be charged.

The wait is made less frustrating proposed by the charger supplied, allowing a quick charge from 0 to 100 in less than two hours and among the fastest to take the unit integrated and not removable around the 80% threshold. But not enough. Especially at a time like this where all the terminals of the competition must be in the opposite direction, raising the bar autonomy in almost two days.

With Zenfone 2, you have to sip the use of the device to arrive at night (and sometimes not even enough for that), and the quick charge seems a patch to hide the most serious defect of the device.

The Asus Zenfone 2, which are in any event good quality in many areas, even without going to the excellence of other terminals of price higher. The display for example: is a Full HD IPS LCD with a good contrast ratio and very faithful color reproduction, while the camera can make shots of decent quality, without, represent the industry benchmark. Some doubt we expose also on the software front, in some cases poorly optimized to take advantage of the size and the maximum resolution of the panel 5.5″ integrated.

A similar argument could be made on the smartphone design, sober but with nothing particularly prominent. The curvature on the back provides a more effective grip, especially if one considers the important dimensions of the terminal, also it causes a slight waving of the device when used on a horizontal plane.

Asus Zenfone 2 makes an abundant use of plastic for the rear bodywork, obvious choice to keep costs of production and, consequently, the list price. Removing the solid back cover, though, you can install two SIM cards and a microSD even when the device turned on.