With the general decline in Internet prices and the advent of smartphones, some companies that made a name for themselves in the production of computer components switched some of the capacity to the production of smart phones, in the hope of conquering this sector. The well-known Asus brand went the same way. Smartphone 5, or ZenFone 5, as it was called by the developers - the representative of the first line, while 5 in the title indicates the diagonal of the screen. The first generation of Asus smartphones has only 3 models - with a screen of 4, 5, 6 inches. Accordingly, the ZenFone 4 models are ZenFone 6.
Distinctive features of Zen ...
Any smartphone user will say that "Android" "weighs" about 2 gigabytes, and if the device has a player and a camera (and which modern device does not have them?), You can’t do without a memory card. The Asus smartphone did not argue with this - there is support for memory cards up to 64 GB in any model, but in addition, there are 16 (!!!) GB of internal memory on board - 4 of them are occupied by system applications, and the user has access to the rest of the space. If for comparison we take a DVD disc, then the user will be able to throw about 3 full music discs. This is if we consider model 5, with which we began this review. In the second generation rulers, the size of the declared memory becomes only larger. And although the first generation is labeled as a budget option - the appearance of ZenFone 5 looks very stylish.
The quality of Asus played an important role here. A tight fit of parts, a good selection of colors - all this can be attributed to the merits. It should be noted that the “fingers” on the phone still remain, but are easily removed. From Zen design, the device also received a decorative metal cover at the bottom of the front panel, which has a relief pattern of circles. The lock and volume buttons on the left side panel repeat this pattern. The volume button - as in most modern models - is one-piece, acts on the principle of a rocker.
"Two" is not a diagonal. This generation
The Asus 2 generation smartphone didn't get 2 inches, as you would expect. The screen still has 5 inches, but the resolution, memory and some other characteristics have grown even more than 2 times. The new Zen has 4 GB of RAM, 32 (and in older versions and 64) GB of user memory, while you can use external cards. In place there was a socket in the lower part of the front cover, a lock button, on which, as in the first generations, a pattern of circles was applied. But the rocker button was ... on the rear panel. Thus, the rear panel has a slightly recessed camera (13 megapixels), a slightly lower flash (it became two-color), and even lower - a standard rocker.
Below them, as with the first models, the Asus, Intel logos, and the model name. The new model received a 4-core processor and a screen supporting up to FullHD up to 1920x1080. Android 5 is already included in the software filling, on top of which ZenUI's own development is installed.
External data and equipment
Asus smartphone, that of the first generation, that of the second, despite the increase in performance, characteristics and other parameters, it still remains a "heavyweight" in the physical plane. The 5-inch screen, as some reviews write, occupies only 70% of the front side. At the same time, the body, made in the form of a boat, does not reduce the phone when viewed from the side. In the widest part, the thickness reaches 11 mm. And the most serious minus that can push away the buyer - the Asus smartphone does not have a removable battery. And this drawback of the first generation is not fixed in the second. It has a removable back cover, slots for microsymbol (reduced SIM) and memory cards, but there is no possibility to replace the battery. Also the minuses include the weight of the device. Similar models from other brands win by weight.
The complete set of the device is completely in Asus style - there are even headphones in the box with the phone. As in other smarts, the cable for connecting to a computer is standard - on the one hand MicroUSB, on the other standard 2.0. The charger is a separate unit that connects to the same 2.0. One of the chips of phones from this brand is the ability to quickly charge, and a proprietary device is able to charge the battery up to 60% in less than an hour.
User opinions
What do users say about Asus smartphones? Reviews are generally positive. Of course, the weight of the device is often mentioned. An obvious plus is called the camera, which is the first model, that the second generation. Interesting opinions about the price. The quality is not worse than the top models, while the price is much lower. An obvious plus is the ability to find a cover. Although opinions on the need for it were divided - someone notes the “brushed metal” of the back cover, which does not respond to the “fingers”, but at the same time there is a general mark.
The opinions of the beautiful half of humanity about Asus smartphones are interesting. The reviews are all positive as one, however, sometimes a non-removable battery and one or two days of work without charging are noted.
Photo above - to close the topic of reviews. As written in the recall, filmed "in low light conditions" night mode. Pictures of this quality will not be obtained on every digital soap dish.
Conclusion
Unlike many other “smart” phones, the Asus smartphone, despite some flaws, is able to give odds to many top versions of other brands. And at a lower price it has such characteristics that famous brands can reach for a long time.