A new dawn of the ASUS ZenFone has come; the ASUS ZenFone 5 is now official. Announced in MWC 2018, the ZenFone 5 is a mark that ASUS is returning to its roots by offering great specifications in a reasonably priced package; the reason why the original ZenFone series were such a hit. We’re lucky enough to one of the first media outlets to get a first-hand a look at the new ZenFone 5. So let’s not tarry, let’s get on with our preview of the ASUS ZenFone 5.
Disclaimer: What we saw was pre-production unit. The focus of this preview is more about its design choices rather than actual performance. We’ll be doing performance testing once we get a hold of an actual review unit.
ASUS ZenFone 5
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 with ASUS AI Boost |
| Screen | 6.2-inch, 19.9, 2246 x 1080, 500 nits, 2.5D Gorilla Glass, all-screen notched display, 90% screen-to-body ratio, DCI-P3 wide color gamut display, AI Display |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB |
| OS | Android 8.0 with ZenUI 5.0 |
| Rear Camera | Primary: 12MP, Sony IMX363, f/1.8, Night HDR, OIS, EIS PDAF; Secondary: 8MP, 120° wide view; 4K recording, RAW file support |
| Front Camera | 8MP. f/2.0 |
| Storage | 64GB expandable via microSD card up to 2TB |
| Network | Dual-SIM, 4G LTE |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition, USB Type-C |
| Battery | 3,300mAh, BoostMaster, Smart Charging S |
ASUS goes by the way of the notched screen with the ZenFone 5
As you can probably tell by the photos, ASUS has gone by the way of the notched screen with the ZenFone 5. They have also ditched the 18:9 aspect ratio with a taller 19:9 screen. The 6.2-inch screen has a 2246 x 1080 resolution encased in a 5.5-inch body. The display is also able to deliver 500nits of brightness so you can rest easy that the smartphone will be usable even in bright conditions.
The screen has a 90% screen-to-body ratio that’s capable of displaying DCI-P3 wide color gamut, which means that colors better compared to other iterations of the ZenFone. ASUS has thrown in their AI Display capabilities on the screen so that aside from the brightness, you can also set the screen on auto color so you won’t need to worry about manually setting your colors to get an optimized experience.
AI-based photography
Some of us just don’t have an eye for photography. If you’re such a person or just looking a way to quickly improve your photos, the ZenFone 5 now has AI implemented on its camera. Aside from dual camera setup composed of a 12MP f/1.8 with Night HDR, OIS, EIS, and PDAF primary camera; and an 8MP 120° wide view secondary camera, the ZenFone 5 can now recognize 16 different scenes.
Based on what you’re shooting, the smartphone can now adjust the colors, saturation, and white balance dynamically for better image quality. It will also learn what your preferred setting are and automatically apply it to your photos.
It has also been announced that the ASUS ZenFone 5 will have what they call the ZenEmojis. Like what its name suggests, these smartphones will gave their own animojis like a certain fruit smartphone .
Charge fast or safe, the ZenFone 5 chooses for you
Fast charging, despite its advantages, usually results with batteries having a shorter battery life due to high temperatures. In order to get around this, the AI in the ZenFone 5 now applies Smart Charging depending on your usage. If say, its morning and you need to get your smartphone charged quickly, the ZenFone 5 will speed up the charging speed. If it’s nighttime and you’re at home, then the battery will be charged slowly; which will extend its life.
This is only a sneak-peek of the ASUS ZenFone 5. We’ve had such as short time with it that it’s hard to make a definitive conclusion on how the latest iteration of the ZenFone will fare against its contemporaries. But based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s clear that ASUS is stepping up its game on the smartphone market. Hopefully, the ZenFone 5 will be a return to its original glory as a smartphone with great performance and a price of around USD 400. There’s no official price yet for the Philippines, however, it has been said that the ZenFone 5 has been priced competitively against its contemporaries.
