A week has passed since the eventual release of the famed ASUS Zenfone 3 smartphones. The event was jam-packed and was highly regarded due to the attendance of ASUS executives. But the star of the show was obviously the smartphones. The ASUS Zenfone 3 is the third (woah!) iteration of a stellar product, and much was expected before it was unveiled. Aiming to increas their market, ASUS in total, announced five versions of Zenfone 3. It might be confusing to those who are not familiar with them and with that, we appended some recommendations.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe — World’s First Full-Metal Smartphone with Invisible Antenna Design
The ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe is ASUS’ flagship for this generation of Zenfones. It is outfitted with all the bells and whistles befitting of a first rate. It is incredibly thin and its body is made of light aluminum alloy.
The ZenFone 3 Deluxe features a 5.7-inch Full HD (1920 by 1080), high-contrast Super AMOLED display with a wide color gamut of over 100% NTSC for rich, vibrant colors, even in harsh, outdoor lighting. An ultra-thin bezel gives ZenFone 3 Deluxe a 79% screen-to-body ratio for a maximized display in a compact package. Inside, ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the world’s first smartphone to use the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 821 processor, Adreno™ 530 GPU, integrated X12 LTE modem, as well as up to 6GB RAM and 256GB ROM to deliver the best performance and capacity for demanding apps, games, and media.
The ZenFone 3 Deluxe also excels at audio with its powerful five-magnet speaker and NXP smart amplifier that provides loud, clear, defined sound and also protects the speakers from damage. When listening over certified headphones, users can enjoy Hi-Res Audio (HRA) that provides up four-times-better sound quality than CDs. The finely-tuned ZenEar S earphones are also bundled with ZenFone 3 Deluxe which has a value of PHP 2,995.
*With all that said, the ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe is ASUS’ first rate in its fleet. It has all the guns, the bells and whistles, and the style, to make it the grandest phone in the line-up. This is a phone that promises to do it all without faltering or falling to its knees. Knowing that, it is also the most expensive as it costs Php34,995 for the Standard Edition and Php44,995 for the Special Edition (a bit faster with more storage capacity).
ASUS ZenFone 3: Agility. Beauty. Clarity.
Winner of the Computex 2016 d&i Award, the ASUS ZenFone 3 is a feature-packed smartphone that brings premium design and empowering performance to everyone. Built around a gorgeous 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 by 1080) Super IPS+ display with up to 500cd/m2 brightness, the ZenFone 3 delivers an incredible visual experience that makes apps, videos, and games look their best. With a narrow bezel, ZenFone 3 provides a 77.3% screen-to-body ratio for a maximized viewing area in a slim and compact body. The front and rear of the phone are encased with scratch-resistant, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D contoured edges that gently curve to make the sides of the phone completely smooth.
The ZenFone 3 is the first smartphone worldwide to be powered by the new Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 625 octa-core processor — the first Snapdragon 600 Series processor with 14nm FinFET process technology, which has 35% better power consumption — and an integrated X9 LTE modem. Dual SIM 3G+4G Standby and 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi connectivity. It also has PC-grade graphics and up to 4GB RAM that together deliver outstanding mobile performance with improved efficiency and battery life.
*The ASUS Zenfone 3 is the vanilla version. It has the basic specifications and is the foundation of the other phones. The most evident upgrade from the ASUS Zenfone 2 is its physical dimensions and appearance. We see a product that exudes more elegance similar to the brand’s Zen laptop. While basic might have a negative connotation, this phone doesn’t as the hardware (specifically, battery life) can speak for itself. The price was also upgraded to a staggering Php18,995, a far cry from Zenfone 2’s (ZE551ML) Php 14,995 price tag.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra: Unleashed. Unlimited. Unrivaled.
Winner of a Computex 2016 Best Choice Golden Award, ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is a smartphone designed for multimedia lovers, featuring a 6.8-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display with a 95% NTSC color gamut for rich, vibrant images even outdoors in harsh lighting. It is the world’s first smartphone to have ASUS-exclusive Tru2Life+ video-enhancement technology, which harnesses a high-end 4K UHD TV-grade image processor to optimize every pixel in each frame before it is displayed, resulting in superior contrast and clarity.
ZenFone 3 Ultra is equipped with the same high-resolution 23MP camera with the same ASUS TriTech autofocus system as ZenFone 3 Deluxe. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor, Adreno 510 graphics, and up to 4GB of RAM, ZenFone 3 Ultra delivers outstanding mobile performance. A built-in fingerprint sensor is perfectly positioned on the front of the phone beneath the display for the user’s finger to unlock it in just a fraction of a second.
The ZenFone 3 Ultra also has a high-capacity 4600mAh battery for long-lasting performance and Quick Charge 3.0 technology for rapid recharge times, 2 minutes of Quick Charging can provide 1 hour of 3G talking time. ZenFone 3 Ultra even works as a power bank with 1.5A output for quickly charging other mobile devices.
*The ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra can be considered as the entertainment powerhouse among the flock. It’s also the largest thereby making it a solid choice for those pampered with large screens. It comes with a price though as it has a Php32,995 price tag.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser: The smartphone for photography enthusiasts
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser has an ultra-fast 0.03-second laser auto focus and advanced backlight (HDR) modes to give users stunning photos. It has a 13MP camera with a Sony IMX214 sensor and color correction for superb natural-looking images even in low-light or indoor environments. Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) detects movement across three axes (yaw, pitch, and roll) and compensates for movement accordingly to provide smooth video recording.
The ZenFone 3 Laser has a stunning metallic design that’s just 7.9mm thin. A hyperfine sandblasting technique provides a gorgeous finish available in Glacier Silver and Sand Gold. It has a Corning Gorilla Glass-covered display with 2.5D contoured edges that fuse perfectly with its matching curved rear panel to give users a natural grip. It has a 5.5-inch Full HD display with wide viewing angles and a high 77% screen-to-body ratio. Super-quick fingerprint security with ZenMotion integration means ZenFone 3 Laser unlocks in just 0.2 seconds, and gives users access to various functions or apps with just a swipe or a tap of a finger.
*The Zenfone 3 Laser is considered as the more affordable ASUS Zenfone 3 option without sacrificing much in terms of performance. Common consensus it that you can experience a fast phone without breaking the bank with the Laser. Also, it is good to know that it has finally caught up with the 4GB RAM hardware trend. And yeah, the housing looks sublime. The Zenfone 3 Laser is priced at Php11,995.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Max: A premium smartphone with maximum battery life
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max is designed to help users get through the day, and features a 4100mAh battery with an incredible standby time of up to 30 days. It also allows users to do more, giving them up to 20 hours of 3G talk time, 18 hours of web browsing with Wi-Fi turned on, 87 hours of music playback, and up to 15 hours of video playback. The ZenFone 3 Max can also double up as a power bank to charge other mobile devices.
The 5.2-inch ZenFone 3 Max has an IPS display, and a glass cover with 2.5D contoured edges that fuse perfectly into its premium metal body to give a comfortable grip. It even features a rear fingerprint scanner and 360-degree recognition for up to five sets of fingerprints. It unlocks in just 0.2 seconds to give users quick access to its various functions.
*If you’re not that particular with performance, and would just like something to last longer than your poor romantic relationship, this phone is for you. The previous version was an ugly paperweight and this new iteration resembles nothing of the former. It’s thinner, lighter, and all the more better. It’s not as fast as the other Zenfone 3’s but the battery life and the price are all worth considering. It is priced at Php8,995.
