This is not meant to be a comprehensive review, just providing my opinions after using the device for a couple of weeks. My focus is to comment relative to some of the biggest concerns and criticisms that I read about before purchasing my Zenphone 2. I spent more than 9 hours reading and watching videos about the zenphone and similar devices before making a decision to buy. Thank you internet & commerical community for these reviews!, as they helped me sort through the pros/cons of this specific device and apply my own set of filters to your opinions. Of course I wanted to like the phone by the time it arrived in my hands, so these views may be slanted in that respect, but I am trying to be objective here. (For some background, my current phone is a Nexus 4 running 4.4 kitkat, and I have previously used iOS and Palm devices).
1) Physical Button location - I do not mind that the power button is located on top. In fact I prefer it there after using the phone, partly because of the double tap wake/sleep feature and partly due to the physical size of the phone. I can palm a basketball, but I still find the phone a handful to hold. The Nexus 4 was the ideal size in comparison, never feeling too large in the hand. But my eyes wanted the larger screen of the Zenphone 2, so I was willing to make that tradeoff. The phone gets switched on/off as it is being picked up/placed down, so using the off hand to press the power button is not a big deal for me and does not interfer with one handed operation. I also like that the volume button is on the back, to eliminate all side buttons which would make the phone harder to use one handed.
2) Volume - Max speaker volume is a louder and richer than the Nexus 4, but it is still not great and radiates away out the back. Extra loud volume is desired when watching videos or listening to podcasts that were recorded too low, or if I want to step into the next room and still hear it playing. The volume goes loud enough for the most situations and should not be a deal breaker for someone considering this phone. Still I would like for it to be able to get extra loud and blast my ears.
3) Display - a) Some say the phone does not go dim enough, which I would agree. It is hard to use the phone in the dark without overpowering your eyes. b) Others say that the display cannot get bright enough, I have not experienced this issue though I generally try to avoid direct sunlight. Except for in-the-dark viewing, I have liked the automatic brightness settings. c) Still other people want a QHD or higher resolution display, but I think that would be a mistake and increase device cost and everyday performance cost with almost no benefit since the PPI is already 403.
4) Case Material - I read many almost apologetic reviews about "build quality" with I interpret as a euphemism for whether the case is made of plastic or not. I prefer plastic because it is cheap, light weight, antenna friendly, comes in multiple colors, provides durability when dropped, allows easier access to the internal slots, etc. I suspect if plastic was expensive and added $50 to the cost, many of the negative reviewers would turn positive and sing about its praises. My glass backed Nexus 4 may feel nice in the hand, but it adds weight and the device must be kept in a case to protect against breaking from accidental drops, making its superior build quality a mute point. I like the etched plastic (metallic looking) case of the Zenphone 2. Its plastic caseback and easy access to the internal SIM/SDXC slots was a very positive selling point for me, and I was not disappointed upon receiving the phone.
5) Asus software bloat - Almost every reviewer who has used a lot of different Android devices gave big negative comments about the pre-installed Asus software, a few even seemed to give this enough weight to recommend an alternate phone. I don't agree with their thinking, especially since these same experts are the very people who are knowledgeable enough to quickly stop, uninstall or ignore applications that they do not like. I do not dismiss their criticisms entirely, but I believe the intention of the pre-installed software is to help those who have less experience with a smartphone; for some people this will be their first Android phone and they may have limited data connection or experience in downloading and choosing Apps. I do prefer a stock Android experience, but I have not found the Asus experience to be a negative. For now, I have moved all the Asus apps to a different window pane, so I came keep them organized as compared to what I have installed. A few of them have came in handy, even though a few of the "helpful" ones like Boost are a little annoying.
6) Intel processor - Before purchasing I was skeptical of the Intel processor, even though no reviewer had posted a negative comment about its software compatibility. Years ago I had a bad experience using a first generation Intel chipset running an older version Android. There were lot of software bugs, most were in Android and some were in the underlying firmware. Thus far I have been pleasantly surprised about how everything just works as expected. No hint that there is an Intel instead of a Qualcomm chipset inside the phone.
7) Camera - This got mixed reviews from others. I have not used it enough to form any real opinion. The few photos I have taken using the automatic settings looked better than my Nexus 4. I expect it to work well enough for travel and everyday activities. I have a digicam for more serious photo taking, but I hope this will replace it for some shots.
8) non-Backlit Capacitive buttons - On screen buttons would be preferable, but I am okay with the capacitive buttons. When I used Android for the first time after iOS one of the things I really liked was the "back" button in addition to the singular home button. Back-lighting would be nice for very low light conditions, but since I know where the buttons are, it is not a significant issue for me. That said, I do think this could be an issue for a new smartphone user and it does detract from the overall polish of the phone.
9) Price - Almost every reviewer gives positive comments about the price relative to its specs. I wavered on whether to buy the 64GB or 16 GB model. I believe the 16 GB model would meet my needs and was offered at a good price, but I also thought Asus was offering some real value with the 64 GB model (not just charging consumers a premium for more Flash) so that is the model I chose. I hope Asus made a little better margin on the 64GB phone as well as providing me more value.
In summary, I am a price sensitive consumer who is looking for performance and value. No doubt that other phones could have meet this criteria with other trade offs, but I am happy with my purchase of a 64GB Asus Zenphone 2 (ZE551ML-23-4G64GN). Application performance and basic phone calls have met my expectations.
1) Physical Button location - I do not mind that the power button is located on top. In fact I prefer it there after using the phone, partly because of the double tap wake/sleep feature and partly due to the physical size of the phone. I can palm a basketball, but I still find the phone a handful to hold. The Nexus 4 was the ideal size in comparison, never feeling too large in the hand. But my eyes wanted the larger screen of the Zenphone 2, so I was willing to make that tradeoff. The phone gets switched on/off as it is being picked up/placed down, so using the off hand to press the power button is not a big deal for me and does not interfer with one handed operation. I also like that the volume button is on the back, to eliminate all side buttons which would make the phone harder to use one handed.
2) Volume - Max speaker volume is a louder and richer than the Nexus 4, but it is still not great and radiates away out the back. Extra loud volume is desired when watching videos or listening to podcasts that were recorded too low, or if I want to step into the next room and still hear it playing. The volume goes loud enough for the most situations and should not be a deal breaker for someone considering this phone. Still I would like for it to be able to get extra loud and blast my ears.
3) Display - a) Some say the phone does not go dim enough, which I would agree. It is hard to use the phone in the dark without overpowering your eyes. b) Others say that the display cannot get bright enough, I have not experienced this issue though I generally try to avoid direct sunlight. Except for in-the-dark viewing, I have liked the automatic brightness settings. c) Still other people want a QHD or higher resolution display, but I think that would be a mistake and increase device cost and everyday performance cost with almost no benefit since the PPI is already 403.
4) Case Material - I read many almost apologetic reviews about "build quality" with I interpret as a euphemism for whether the case is made of plastic or not. I prefer plastic because it is cheap, light weight, antenna friendly, comes in multiple colors, provides durability when dropped, allows easier access to the internal slots, etc. I suspect if plastic was expensive and added $50 to the cost, many of the negative reviewers would turn positive and sing about its praises. My glass backed Nexus 4 may feel nice in the hand, but it adds weight and the device must be kept in a case to protect against breaking from accidental drops, making its superior build quality a mute point. I like the etched plastic (metallic looking) case of the Zenphone 2. Its plastic caseback and easy access to the internal SIM/SDXC slots was a very positive selling point for me, and I was not disappointed upon receiving the phone.
5) Asus software bloat - Almost every reviewer who has used a lot of different Android devices gave big negative comments about the pre-installed Asus software, a few even seemed to give this enough weight to recommend an alternate phone. I don't agree with their thinking, especially since these same experts are the very people who are knowledgeable enough to quickly stop, uninstall or ignore applications that they do not like. I do not dismiss their criticisms entirely, but I believe the intention of the pre-installed software is to help those who have less experience with a smartphone; for some people this will be their first Android phone and they may have limited data connection or experience in downloading and choosing Apps. I do prefer a stock Android experience, but I have not found the Asus experience to be a negative. For now, I have moved all the Asus apps to a different window pane, so I came keep them organized as compared to what I have installed. A few of them have came in handy, even though a few of the "helpful" ones like Boost are a little annoying.
6) Intel processor - Before purchasing I was skeptical of the Intel processor, even though no reviewer had posted a negative comment about its software compatibility. Years ago I had a bad experience using a first generation Intel chipset running an older version Android. There were lot of software bugs, most were in Android and some were in the underlying firmware. Thus far I have been pleasantly surprised about how everything just works as expected. No hint that there is an Intel instead of a Qualcomm chipset inside the phone.
7) Camera - This got mixed reviews from others. I have not used it enough to form any real opinion. The few photos I have taken using the automatic settings looked better than my Nexus 4. I expect it to work well enough for travel and everyday activities. I have a digicam for more serious photo taking, but I hope this will replace it for some shots.
8) non-Backlit Capacitive buttons - On screen buttons would be preferable, but I am okay with the capacitive buttons. When I used Android for the first time after iOS one of the things I really liked was the "back" button in addition to the singular home button. Back-lighting would be nice for very low light conditions, but since I know where the buttons are, it is not a significant issue for me. That said, I do think this could be an issue for a new smartphone user and it does detract from the overall polish of the phone.
9) Price - Almost every reviewer gives positive comments about the price relative to its specs. I wavered on whether to buy the 64GB or 16 GB model. I believe the 16 GB model would meet my needs and was offered at a good price, but I also thought Asus was offering some real value with the 64 GB model (not just charging consumers a premium for more Flash) so that is the model I chose. I hope Asus made a little better margin on the 64GB phone as well as providing me more value.
In summary, I am a price sensitive consumer who is looking for performance and value. No doubt that other phones could have meet this criteria with other trade offs, but I am happy with my purchase of a 64GB Asus Zenphone 2 (ZE551ML-23-4G64GN). Application performance and basic phone calls have met my expectations.
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