Technary

Are you in love for clicking pictures and want a faster smartphone? We have been using Asus Zenfone 3 since a long time. You will be amazed to know about very two important features of this smartphone which we have explored a lot. So sharing our analysis with our readers about the lightning Processor and the stunning camera on the Zenfone 3.

Lightning Processor

This phone uses a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa core processor with 4GB of RAM. This is a power combination for this phone. The phone has an internal storage of 64GB. This is sufficient for many people, also there is a hybrid sim slot where the user can use a microSD card of upto 128GB.

The phone`s processor is helpful for the fast multi tasking between the apps. This processor is the first 14nm processor. The processor is accompanied by Adreno 506 GPU.

Camera

Well there are many modes and features in the camera of this smartphone. The great news is that we have explored all these modes in depth and detail. This phone has a 16MP of rear camera with LED Flash. This camera has a Sony IMX298 sensor. There is also a front camera of 8MP.

So let us have a look at the various modes in this camera. You will be amazed to know about various features of this camera in depth.

When you open the Camera App you see loads of icons on both the side. Let us talk what are these icons and what can you do with them.

There is a settings icon in the top left, then HDR Mode, Camera Swap, Flash ON/OFF on the other side there are Modes Menu, Record Button, Button to capture pictures, quick Manual/Auto mode switch and the icon to check out the latest photo clicked from the Gallery.

Camera Settings

Well, there are loads of settings which you can tweak in this menu. In the Image section you can tweak the White Balance, ISO, Exposure Value, Optimization, Camera Resolution. The interesting fact is that the phone is by default setup to 12MP to click photos.

If you want better resolution images you can keep it 16M(4:3). Though the File Size is large. There is Image Quality, Timestamp, Touch Shutter, Self timer. Below that you can make changes in the Focus Mode, Metering Mode, Touch Auto-Exposure and Face Detection. These are no less than a Digital Camera for sure.

In the Video section settings mainly there is a Video Quality option. The maximum is 4K(3840x1080pixels). Though by default it is set to Full HD which is 1920 x 1080p. There is also a Video Preference Mode. There are Smart Brightness, Guidelines, Info, Review Duration, Burst Review and Shutter Animation options.

The other settings include Camera Sound, Location Services, Anti-Flicker, Power Saving Mode, Set Volume Key As(You can customize the functions of the Volume Key for the Camera), Save to. If at all you make changes and are not happy with it, then you can easily click on the “Restore Default Settings” settings with ease to restore.

Apart from that if you want to get Tutorial, Feedback & Help, Report Issue, Encourage as and Version. These were the enormous amount of settings which the user can tweak for their comfort.

Camera Modes

Auto Mode

This is the favourite and by default mode. Amateur users use this feature to get the best out of the image. So according to the situations the camera clicks the best image using the best settings. When you tap on the screen where you want to focus(anywhere on the screen) you will get to see the quick settings of the brightness.

Manual Mode

In the manual mode there are a lot of settings which the user can tweak. The most enjoyable is clicking the long exposure shots using the slow shutter speeds. The Auto Focus mode, Shutter Speed, ISO, EV and WB are the modes wherein the user can tweak while clicking the photos.

HDR Pro Mode

HDR Mode helps you at times for getting that perfect shot, though you have to wait for a bit after the photo is clicked to get it processed. But in Auto Mode it takes fraction of a second to click the photo and process.

Beautification Mode

This will be your favourite mode while clicking selfies. The selfies look good indeed when used this mode.

Super Resolution

In this mode the photos clicked are having resolution of 6984 x 9312 pixels. These are very high resolution images captured.

There are other modes like Children Mode, Low Light Mode, QR Code, Night Mode, Depth of Field, Effect, Selfie, GIF Animation, Panorama, Miniature, Time Rewind, Smart Remove, All Smiles, Slow Motion and Time Lapse. Out of these QR Mode is interesting as there is no need for you to install another app and you can just use the camera to scan the QR code. I also liked the GIF Animation mode and Smart Remove Mode as well.

Photos clicked using the Depth of Field look very nice. They have that feel of photos clicked using DSLR. Photos clicked from the camera are great. We did feel that the camera of this phone is stunning indeed.

The camera is also capable of capturing 4K videos with ease. We also captured a timelapse video from this smartphone. If you are a photographer or an Amateur camera enthusiast you will love to explore the camera.

Our Verdict

These are the two features of this handset which we liked the most, you can check the detailed review here. The stunning camera works proficiently with the lightning processor which is useful for superior multi-tasking and high end gaming. There are 2 variants with 5.5 inch display having 4GB RAM and 5.2 inch display with 3GB RAM. Choice is yours!

Image Credits: Nimit Nigam

Finally, we have reviewed the latest smartphone from Asus which is the Asus Zenfone 3. This smartphone is a premium device and comes in the mid-range segment. It seems that the giant is now focused into getting a market share into the premium devices too. So do you have a budget in between Rs.20K-25K? If yes then you may be reading the right article for your needs.

In this Asus Zenfone 3 review we have covered a lot of aspects and we have extensively used this smartphone over a week. So we are sharing our in-depth analysis and opinion about this smartphone.

Asus ZenFone 3 Review

Design

This phone has a very attractive design. It is like a complete make over from its predecessors. This phone does look elegant and gives you a premium feel when you hold it in your hands. This is an all metal design. On front, we can see the shining metallic body and screen to body ratio is high too. On top we can see the earphone, sensor and front camera. Below screen there are touch buttons which include: Back, Home and Recent Apps.

On the left side there is a hybrid slot of 2 SIMs or one SIM and one microSD card. We like to use 2 SIMs at a time as Reliance Jio SIM is now with everyone, so no place for microSD card if you are using 2 SIMs. There is a 3.5mm jack above. On right-hand side there are volume rocker buttons and there is also a power/lock button.

At the rear you can see the shining body of the device. Therein you can see the sensor, Rear camera, Flash and below that is the Fingerprint sensor. Below the rear you can see the ASUS Branding. At the bottom of the phone there is charging point(USB Type-C Port), Speakers and also Mic.

This device has a thickness of 7.69mm and the weight of the smartphone is 155g. The phone has 77.3% screen to body ratio.

Though the grip of the phone is not up to the par. The phone slips down at times. So hold it tight while using it. Even if you are having wet hands or sweaty hands, be careful while handling the device. Overall attractive design.

Also read : Asus Zenfone Max Review – Mega Battery and large internal memory

Display

It has a 5.5 inch Full HD IPS display with 1080 x 1920 pixels of screen resolution. It accounts to approximately 401PPI. We used the display for a long time and we felt that it is sharp and its enjoyable to use it for reading, watching videos and even for playing games.

We used the phone in sunlight and also tried different viewing angles and the phone did responded well. There is a blue light filter which can be used at night for interesting experience to use the phone at night.

You can also use your gloves and use the smartphone using the touch recognition. There is a glove mode as well. There is an app named as Asus’s Splendid which can be used for tweaking the Display Settings of the smartphone. Overall satisfactory display!

Memory

The phone has in built memory of 64 GB out of which 52GB is available to the user. The user can also use the microSD card of upto 2TB (Yes that is a huge size). Though there is a hybrid slot so either you can use 2 SIMs at once or 1 SIM and one microSD card at once. There is also 100GB free cloud storage from Google given to the Asus Zenfone 3 Users.

This is a huge memory and atleast this phone will be sufficient for your memory requirements for sure.

Performance

This phone is equipped by a 64 bit Octa Core 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Processor. It is accompanied by Adreno 506 GPU. The phone has 4GB of RAM. We used  the device for long time and we did a lot of multi-tasking between the apps. Gone are the days if you have a phone with good RAM and decent processor, no point of lag. Though a better processor would have been great but for normal user it does not matter much indeed.

We played many games which are heavy in graphics and still the phone responded well. The gaming experience was great on this phone. Video watching experience was great too. Overall good performance of the phone.

Fingerprint sensor

We liked the quick response of the fingerprint sensor of the phone. The device unlocks fast and also we tried it using wet finger and it still responds quite well. Impressed with quick fingerprint sensor activity on the device. So unlock the phone with ease using this feature.

Also read : Getting Exam Ready with Asus ZenPad 7.0

Camera

This feature is where we love to explore more and more with the modes of the camera of the smartphone. It has a 16MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and 6P largan lens. The phone has tri-tech auto-focus technology which uses continuous autofocus, phase detection and laser. There are features like the EIS(Electronic Image Stabilisation) and OIS(Optical Image Stabilisation).

We took a lot of pictures with this smartphone. Even when you zoom the photos they look nice. So good detailing. We tried various modes and enjoyed clicking long exposure shots too. There are many camera modes which include Auto, Manual, HDR Pro, Beautification, Super Resolution, Children, Low Light, QR Code, Night, Depth of Field, Effect, Selfie, GIF Animation, Panorama, Miniature, Time Rewind, Smart Remove, All Smiles, Slow Motion and Time Lapse.

Photos clicked in Depth of Field, Auto Mode are just amazing. Though the Low light photos are not that satisfactory. The phone`s rear camera is a bliss in daylight photographs. Also the front camera of 8MP helps you to take clearer and amazing selfies.

Also read : Asus Zenfone 2 Laser Review – 13MP Camera with laser AF

Battery

This phone has a 3000mAh non-removable battery. It does support fast charging using the USB Type C.

Accessories

Now with this there comes few accessories. So when you open the box, you will see the handset itself, USB cable, Charger, Earphones, silicon tips for the earphones and a User Guide. It was surprise to see earphones with this device as Zenfone series smartphone in the sub Rs.10K budget lack the earphones. So users will be happy to get earphones with the phone too!

Final Verdict

The phone has a good internal memory and camera of the device is impressive. Even we liked the quick response from the fingerprint sensor. An attractive premium android phone is up for your grabs.