Hi all! I've been using the Asus Zenfone 2 for over 3 weeks now, and I gotta say, it's pretty amazing...especially for the price. Maybe part of it has to do with the fact that my previous phone was a first gen Moto G. But even then, I know in my heart that there is still room for improvement!
What brings me joy:
1) Speed - It's so fast...from turning on, turning off, to rebooting. No issues whatsoever. I also like how there's a boost option on the dropdown menu to help clear out some space.
2) Appearance -I love how the back is curved, making it easy to hold in my hand. The chrome-style hairline chassis gives it a classy look despite the fact that it is indeed plastic. I've read mixed reviews about the display, but I think it's beeeautiful. It may not be some LED looking device, but the colors are vivid and game graphics look great.
3) The boost-charging works as advertised - For a smartphone battery, I'd say this one dies quickly. I was stuck in jury duty the other week for about 5 hours. By hour 3 I was struggling to keep it alive. Yeah, I did play Mortal Kombat for a good bit (like an hour or so) , but still... it went down to about 10%, and I needed the GPS to take me home. When I got home, it was at 3%. So I stuck it in the charger for 30 minutes and Bam! 40%. It was magic.
4) The camera works very well in broad daylight. The colors aren't washed out, but are actually nicely exaggerated.
View attachment 183123
View attachment 183124
5) The Built-in weather widget - This may not wow any of you, but I love how it tells me the UV rating for the day. Being Asian, I don't tan very well at all. And I have to be extra careful when going outside and wearing sunscreen or I'll start sizzling..
6) PC link - For a while, I couldn't think of any reason this would be beneficial to me. But I really like to use it when I'm doing work on the computer and you want respond to texts at the same time. This way, you don't have to keep grabbing your phone every second. You just reply right on the computer screen.
What I think Asus can improve on for the next gen:
1) The power and volume buttons placement - feels totally awkward. For phablet this size, I would definitely prefer side buttons.
2) Battery life - it discharges quickly. Would like to see if they can make it where you don't have to charge it every day. I personally have to charge twice a day just from periodically checking social media, emails, and web browsing.
3) The Low light Camera Setting turned out to NOT be the answer to my prayers. I tried..really hard to make it work, but to me it simply brightens the image, and the quality is not presentable at all.
Here is a picture of my sushi dinner where the table was lit by a single candle
View attachment 183131
Here, the cheesecake is visible, but not super vivid.
View attachment 183132
I guess I got hyped over it because that was their main ball pitch. And unfortunately, it did not deliver for me
For $299, you can't beat this phone. However, if I were to glance at one that is comparable, I would say the Sony Xperia Z2 packs a punch. For ~$70 more, you get better battery life, better display, and a 20 mp back-facing camera, with the only sacrifice being the 2.2 mp front-facing camera. Overall, I'm very happy with the Zenfone 2, and I want to thank Android Central and Asus immensely for this amazing opportunity!
What brings me joy:
1) Speed - It's so fast...from turning on, turning off, to rebooting. No issues whatsoever. I also like how there's a boost option on the dropdown menu to help clear out some space.
2) Appearance -I love how the back is curved, making it easy to hold in my hand. The chrome-style hairline chassis gives it a classy look despite the fact that it is indeed plastic. I've read mixed reviews about the display, but I think it's beeeautiful. It may not be some LED looking device, but the colors are vivid and game graphics look great.
3) The boost-charging works as advertised - For a smartphone battery, I'd say this one dies quickly. I was stuck in jury duty the other week for about 5 hours. By hour 3 I was struggling to keep it alive. Yeah, I did play Mortal Kombat for a good bit (like an hour or so) , but still... it went down to about 10%, and I needed the GPS to take me home. When I got home, it was at 3%. So I stuck it in the charger for 30 minutes and Bam! 40%. It was magic.
4) The camera works very well in broad daylight. The colors aren't washed out, but are actually nicely exaggerated.
View attachment 183123
View attachment 183124
5) The Built-in weather widget - This may not wow any of you, but I love how it tells me the UV rating for the day. Being Asian, I don't tan very well at all. And I have to be extra careful when going outside and wearing sunscreen or I'll start sizzling..
6) PC link - For a while, I couldn't think of any reason this would be beneficial to me. But I really like to use it when I'm doing work on the computer and you want respond to texts at the same time. This way, you don't have to keep grabbing your phone every second. You just reply right on the computer screen.
What I think Asus can improve on for the next gen:
1) The power and volume buttons placement - feels totally awkward. For phablet this size, I would definitely prefer side buttons.
2) Battery life - it discharges quickly. Would like to see if they can make it where you don't have to charge it every day. I personally have to charge twice a day just from periodically checking social media, emails, and web browsing.
3) The Low light Camera Setting turned out to NOT be the answer to my prayers. I tried..really hard to make it work, but to me it simply brightens the image, and the quality is not presentable at all.
Here is a picture of my sushi dinner where the table was lit by a single candle
View attachment 183131
Here, the cheesecake is visible, but not super vivid.
View attachment 183132
I guess I got hyped over it because that was their main ball pitch. And unfortunately, it did not deliver for me
For $299, you can't beat this phone. However, if I were to glance at one that is comparable, I would say the Sony Xperia Z2 packs a punch. For ~$70 more, you get better battery life, better display, and a 20 mp back-facing camera, with the only sacrifice being the 2.2 mp front-facing camera. Overall, I'm very happy with the Zenfone 2, and I want to thank Android Central and Asus immensely for this amazing opportunity!
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