Asus, judging by the success of their tablets in the mobile market, is able to produce high-quality electronic devices. They pay due attention to the design of the device, its technical filling, while optimizing all processes to the maximum level.
It is not surprising that now the company is trying to extend the sphere of its influence to the relatively new industry for itself - smartphones. This can be confirmed by the development of the Zenfone line, as well as preparations for the launch of three second-generation models of this series as a whole.
In today's review, we’ll talk about one of three versions of devices that the company prepares for its fans. Meet the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML. Reviews of the model, its characteristics, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the device, we will try to fit as compactly as possible into this article. And thus, you yourself, based on the information received, will be able to draw the appropriate conclusions. So let's get started.
Positioning
The presentation of the model took place in 2015. On this occasion, Asus held a large-scale conference, during which three models were presented at once - ZE551ML, ZE550ML, ZE500CL. The marked phones differ in technical capabilities and a set of characteristics. As for appearance, all three are identical to each other.
From the specified Zenfone 2 line, the smartphone, which is the main character of our review, is positioned as the flagship. The result is a corresponding price for the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML. The reviews that we were able to analyze in preparation for writing the article claim that, in general, the model’s capabilities cover its cost, and thus, the phone is worth the money. And is it really so, let's make sure by reading this review.
About price and features
In order not to think or guess how much money is needed to buy the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML (reviews characterize it as an affordable device), we immediately note that at the time the device entered the market, its price was about 350 euros. For this cost, the user receives a powerful processor from Intel, an attractive design, a colorful screen, a large number of functions and technological capabilities. Does it feel like you are using a compromise? No, not at all. Reviews describing the work with Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML prove that the phone is made at the highest level and justifies the image of the development company in full. So we will begin the description directly of our model.
Appearance
Traditionally, such reviews need to start with the appearance of the device in question. Therefore, given this, I immediately want to note that the design of the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 32Gb phone, the reviews of which we are considering, received the iF Design award. Of course, few of us are generally familiar with how such prizes are awarded and what they are. Just this fact can be stated as a recognition of the quality development of the company at the global level.
And it is worth agreeing, there is something to see here. The smartphone has a special, in some ways even unique (compared to the bulk of the “bricks”) form, which is expressed by the faceted back of the device, which is presented in one of five colors (gray, golden, red, black and white). The back cover is made of plastic, although it externally casts a special, metallic sheen. By the way, he gives the thin case of the smartphone (only 1.09 cm) special elegance. By the way, the shape of the apparatus is such that closer to the corners there is a noticeable decrease in its thickness (up to 3.9 mm).
An interesting decision of the developers is the fact of transferring all navigation elements from the side panels. So, the key to turn on the screen has moved to the upper edge, and the “swing” for adjusting the sound level has moved to the rear panel, directly under the camera’s eye. Owner reviews describing the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 32Gb cannot give a definite answer to the question of whether such a configuration of controls is convenient or not. On the one hand, the solution is unusual and, of course, innovative; on the other hand, it is possible that the usual layout of these buttons on the side panel is more convenient. This is such a peculiar field for discussion.
In addition to the above, there are also physical buttons under the phone screen. They include the standard “Back”, “Options”, “Home”. Below them is an attractive shiny panel that shimmers in the light.
Display
The screen on the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 16 GB, reviews of which we were able to find exclusively positive, has a diagonal of 5.5 inches. This can be said to be slightly larger than the classic size of a smartphone. Despite this fact, the device is more than comfortable in the hand.
The display operates on the basis of IPS technology, which is distinguished by brightness, saturation of transmitted colors and picture depth. The screen resolution is 1920 by 1080 pixels, which with this physical size gives a good indicator of image density. Also with a 5.5 ”diagonal, the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML smartphone (reviews confirm this) has excellent color reproduction when tilting the device, changing the viewing angle (the screen does not fade and does not darken). The frames here are quite thick, but visually dark color hides them, giving the impression of a full coverage of the front of the device with a display.
CPU
Model Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 32Gb Ram, reviews of which we are primarily interested, operates on the basis of a processor from Intel. To be more precise, here the 64-bit version of the Atom 3580 is preinstalled - a chip with a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz. Paired with it is the Power VR G6430 GPU. The tests in Antutu that we conducted during the writing of the review testify to the high performance of the smartphone and, accordingly, the wide possibilities for working with mobile games that absorb a large amount of resources. However, this is not scary for the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 32 GB. The reviews of people working with this device claim that the smartphone really reproduces even the most top-end games at maximum parameters smoothly and smoothly.
Also, the amount of RAM plays an important role in this. According to the technical specifications, the latter is 4 GB.
operating system
On the device, released, as already noted, in 2015, the most current (at the time of the presentation) version of the Android OS was preinstalled - 5.0 Lollipop. It is possible that now the next update was released, during which the smartphone received a 6.0 version of the firmware. However, as noted by the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 6A176RU reviews, this is not so important in practice, since the phone still operates on the basis of an individual graphical interface from the manufacturer - ZenUI. This set of graphics has a lot of positive reviews from device owners and is generally considered a worthy solution for a smartphone. Obviously, it differs visually from the “bare” Android and, in terms of some menu panels, also in structure. However, even if you have never dealt with this shell, you will get used to it very quickly.
Sensors
Since the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML smartphone, the reviews of which are recommended to be studied before purchase, is a fairly strong product, a powerful high-tech solution, it is not surprising that it also has a large number of recognition and reaction systems that make working with it more comfortable.
For example, these include light and proximity sensors, a compass, and a built-in gyroscope. These modules are standard, and you can find them on many smartphones; on the ZE551ML they are also supplemented by a magnetometer and a large number of supported navigation systems (GLONASS, GPS, SBAS, BDS, QZSS).
Camera
The smartphone, as it has become familiar, is equipped with two cameras located on the front and rear panels. The latter (which can also be called the main one) has a matrix resolution of 13 megapixels. Paired with Asus PixelMaster's unique image stabilization and focusing system, this camera is capable of taking high-quality images in any lighting conditions. The presence of 5 lenses also contributes to this.
Of particular note is the shooting mode called HDR. The essence of its action is to take several (3-5) pictures at a time, using different lighting settings. After that, the system combines the received images so that in the end the user receives the highest quality photo. HDR mode is not something new or unique; you can find it on many devices besides Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 32Gb Gold (reviews about any other model of the same class will confirm this). The presence of a flash also helps to take cool photos in the dark.
Customer reviews note that the front camera (the one that serves to create a selfie) also makes good photos. Given the built-in system for program stabilization of the picture, as well as the resolution of the matrix of 5 megapixels, we can safely say that this is true.
Battery
The battery, built into any smartphone, directly determines the duration of a particular device. In the case of the ZE551ML, the battery has a capacity of 3000 mAh, which is a good enough indicator for a smartphone. For example, some 7-inch tablets are offered with batteries of this level and have excellent battery life.
Speaking about this model, I would also like to mention a special function of fast charging. It is described superficially on the phone’s promotional page, where it is indicated that with this option (called Asus BoostMaster) the smartphone is capable of gaining about 60% of the charge in just 39 minutes.
Communication
For more convenient communication, the phone supports two SIM cards. They are located in special sockets directly above the battery. The network formats supported by the device can be called classic - this is GSM communication, as well as work in 2G / 3G / 4G networks (this can be judged by the name Asus Zenfone 2 32Gb ZE551ML LTE). Reviews of information about some failures or malfunctions when working with the network, as is often the case with budget smartphones, are not noted. Therefore, we can conclude that the telephone communication modules are stable.
In addition to these options, support for working with other Bluetooth devices (or a wireless headset) is also available here. To establish a connection to the wireless Internet, the phone has a Wi-Fi access function.
Accessories
It is noteworthy that during the presentation of the described device, accessories for it were also demonstrated. These include, for example, a book cover that protects the phone from shock. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that its front part has a rounded hole designed to view information on the display. The original design, quality materials make it a great addition to the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 32Gb Silver.
Reviews also report a photo accessory - a dedicated Zenflash flash. It is compact, works with minimal charge consumption, but has increased brightness. With its help, the user has the opportunity to shoot colorful photos even in dark rooms.
Another interesting addition to the smartphone can be a portable charger. In essence, this is an analogue of Powerbank, developed exclusively for the Zenfone line. Its capacity allows you to fully charge the device twice while on the road, for example.
Reviews
During the writing of the review, we were able to find several reviews on this device. They are mostly positive: people who bought a smartphone are satisfied with its service and leave the best ratings for ZE551ML. In particular, they note the same advantages that we wrote about earlier: a colorful display, a powerful camera, a fast processor and a capacious battery. Design and good ergonomics can also be attributed to the list of advantages that the model has.
As for the negative sides of the device, they can be identified just with the help of reviews. That's exactly what we did as part of writing the article - we started looking for information about what specifically does not suit smartphone users.
One of the drawbacks is common to Android devices. It's about the battery. Despite the fact that it is quite capacious and, as a result, should have been supposed to provide the phone with the ability to work for a long time, reviews say the opposite. They note that the smartphone is not always able to work as long as required, so an accessory like ZenPower with its 10,500 mAh will be welcome.
The second point that I would like to draw attention to is the placement of the camera’s eye. We managed to identify reviews in which it is noted that the glass of the main camera is highly susceptible to external factors. In particular, when you put the phone on the back, the glass comes in contact with the surface of a table or other object, and as a result scratches form on it. Only a protective cover can deal with this. Probably, developers could fix this problem by simply drowning the camera on a level with the body.
Even in the reviews, there is an imbalance in the weight of the model. In particular, this refers to the problem that the top of the phone is heavier than its lower part, which is why during the conversation the device tries to fall out of hand. Additional precautions are needed to avoid this.
Among users who criticize the model, there were also many who mention the original form of the phone as its lack. Like, because of its unevenness, putting a smartphone on a flat hard surface is somewhat problematic, since it is not stable enough.
Of course, there can be many shortcomings in any phone. Some of them are really relevant, while others may be far-fetched. Therefore, we recommend that you do not trust such information to the fullest, but check how the phone is in your hand, and is it true that calling on it is so inconvenient.
Device Conclusions
The model at Asus really turned out to be attractive. At an affordable price, this smartphone offers the buyer much more than some even more recognizable and expensive models. This is an indicator that the manufacturer of Asus, obviously, deserved special attention to each device.
Therefore, given the negative and positive reviews we found about the phone, and also once again looking at the characteristics of the device, we can conclude that this model is the optimal, golden mean between top-end devices and affordable gadgets that do not work so productively.
Our smartphone Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 32Gb, reviews of which you are now aware of, can be called reliable, high-quality assembled, functional and attractive in appearance. This is our final verdict to the apparatus.