- Sep 9, 2014
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Comprehensive Review of the ZenFone 2
Style
I like the style of the ZenFone 2. It looks expensive and like a flagship device. But over time, you can see where there were compromises. The size is comfortable. I currently use an iPhone 6 Plus, and the ZenFone is more comfortable to hold in the hand. Although, I like the way the curved back feels when holding the device in my hand, I don't like it when it sits on my desk at work. The volume buttons on the back and power button on the top were awkward at first. But I have really gotten used to the having the volume buttons on the back. And I have gotten used to the double tap to unlock and put the phone in sleep mode. Capacitive buttons are ok, but not being illuminated just seems to be a sacrifice Asus shouldn't have made. The back plate is difficult to pry off. And the slot to put your fingernail in to get it open is edged with cheaper plastic so you can cause scratches or indentations when trying to get the back off.
Zen UI
At first, I wasn't sold on the UI, but after using the device non-stop for the weekend and a day at work, I have come to really appreciate it. I like the extra features like tap to wake and sleep, kid mode, being able to easily add icon packs and themes, and pinning pages. It is a light skin so the device flies when navigating. It retains a lot of the material design. The keyboard is easily my favorite. It is very responsive and accurate. And I like the options to adjust the height and change the color of it.
Performance
Again, the device flies. I pinned it against my Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus and it is faster than both in most tasks. The only area that it was not the clear winner is when starting games. The iPhone 6 Plus was faster initiating games. There aren't any stutters or hiccups with this device. Battery life was middle of the road. About 4 hours of on screen time. Screen is good. I have read about issues with the brightness, but I haven't found it to be any more of a problem than with my other devices. When it comes to gaming, the ZenFone 2 is really good. There are some graphically intense games that lose frame rates while playing, but I'm not sure if this is an issue with the ZenFone 2 or the games. Playing Real Racing 3, Modern Combat 5, and GT Racing 2, I have seen some stutters. But I saw them as well and even more with the Note 4. So compared to other Android devices, it is probably the top performer that I have experienced. But, compared to the iPhone 6 Plus, it falls short in this area. Call quality seemed really good. The call volume was a little low, but it was very clear. Bluetooth connectivity was also very good. Didn't have any issues pairing it with Ford SYNC. WiFi connectivity also seems adequate. I didn't have any issues.
Camera
The camera was decent. Nothing really to write home about or complain about either. Going through the settings, it seemed to be the usual features. Nothing really stood out to me. I didn't notice that there isn't a 60 FPS video recording mode. This was a little disappointing. Of course there isn't 4K video recording either. Pics taken in normal conditions were good. The shutter speed was a little slow, so was the focusing. I took a bunch of blurry photos before I realized that the camera wasn't focused just yet. Sometimes it will lock in like it is focused, but it really isn't. But in the end I was able to take decent to very good photos. I don't really take pictures in low light. But it wasn't a bad experience.
Value
This is where this device becomes intriguing. I like to weigh the value of my tech. Sometimes cheaper isn't better. Sometimes I need to pay top dollar for a great experience. This is where I am very interested in this device. I had previously owned a Moto G and it was worth the price, but not worth the sacrifices I was making to have it. The ZenFone 2 does lack some hardware features like heart rate monitor, fingerprint scanner, IR blaster, and optical image stabilization. But, it hasn't really affected my experience with the device. And considering that for the price of my AT&T Note 4 I can get the ZenFone 2 and a nice Chromebook with money to spare. Or, for the price of my 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus, I could get the ZenFone 2, Chromebook, a cheaper tablet, with money to spare. Also considering that you get 100 GB of Drive storage to boot, makes owning this device definitely worth the price and then some.
Bottom line
Anyone purchasing this smartphone for any reason whether it be price or performance, won't be disappointed. I have really enjoyed the device and the value is hard to beat.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Style
I like the style of the ZenFone 2. It looks expensive and like a flagship device. But over time, you can see where there were compromises. The size is comfortable. I currently use an iPhone 6 Plus, and the ZenFone is more comfortable to hold in the hand. Although, I like the way the curved back feels when holding the device in my hand, I don't like it when it sits on my desk at work. The volume buttons on the back and power button on the top were awkward at first. But I have really gotten used to the having the volume buttons on the back. And I have gotten used to the double tap to unlock and put the phone in sleep mode. Capacitive buttons are ok, but not being illuminated just seems to be a sacrifice Asus shouldn't have made. The back plate is difficult to pry off. And the slot to put your fingernail in to get it open is edged with cheaper plastic so you can cause scratches or indentations when trying to get the back off.
Zen UI
At first, I wasn't sold on the UI, but after using the device non-stop for the weekend and a day at work, I have come to really appreciate it. I like the extra features like tap to wake and sleep, kid mode, being able to easily add icon packs and themes, and pinning pages. It is a light skin so the device flies when navigating. It retains a lot of the material design. The keyboard is easily my favorite. It is very responsive and accurate. And I like the options to adjust the height and change the color of it.
Performance
Again, the device flies. I pinned it against my Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus and it is faster than both in most tasks. The only area that it was not the clear winner is when starting games. The iPhone 6 Plus was faster initiating games. There aren't any stutters or hiccups with this device. Battery life was middle of the road. About 4 hours of on screen time. Screen is good. I have read about issues with the brightness, but I haven't found it to be any more of a problem than with my other devices. When it comes to gaming, the ZenFone 2 is really good. There are some graphically intense games that lose frame rates while playing, but I'm not sure if this is an issue with the ZenFone 2 or the games. Playing Real Racing 3, Modern Combat 5, and GT Racing 2, I have seen some stutters. But I saw them as well and even more with the Note 4. So compared to other Android devices, it is probably the top performer that I have experienced. But, compared to the iPhone 6 Plus, it falls short in this area. Call quality seemed really good. The call volume was a little low, but it was very clear. Bluetooth connectivity was also very good. Didn't have any issues pairing it with Ford SYNC. WiFi connectivity also seems adequate. I didn't have any issues.
Camera
The camera was decent. Nothing really to write home about or complain about either. Going through the settings, it seemed to be the usual features. Nothing really stood out to me. I didn't notice that there isn't a 60 FPS video recording mode. This was a little disappointing. Of course there isn't 4K video recording either. Pics taken in normal conditions were good. The shutter speed was a little slow, so was the focusing. I took a bunch of blurry photos before I realized that the camera wasn't focused just yet. Sometimes it will lock in like it is focused, but it really isn't. But in the end I was able to take decent to very good photos. I don't really take pictures in low light. But it wasn't a bad experience.
Value
This is where this device becomes intriguing. I like to weigh the value of my tech. Sometimes cheaper isn't better. Sometimes I need to pay top dollar for a great experience. This is where I am very interested in this device. I had previously owned a Moto G and it was worth the price, but not worth the sacrifices I was making to have it. The ZenFone 2 does lack some hardware features like heart rate monitor, fingerprint scanner, IR blaster, and optical image stabilization. But, it hasn't really affected my experience with the device. And considering that for the price of my AT&T Note 4 I can get the ZenFone 2 and a nice Chromebook with money to spare. Or, for the price of my 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus, I could get the ZenFone 2, Chromebook, a cheaper tablet, with money to spare. Also considering that you get 100 GB of Drive storage to boot, makes owning this device definitely worth the price and then some.
Bottom line
Anyone purchasing this smartphone for any reason whether it be price or performance, won't be disappointed. I have really enjoyed the device and the value is hard to beat.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Last edited:
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