I can sense it in the air, trends are changing. First, it was big screen smartphones, then “ I want more RAM”. Slowly, the trend shifted to smartphone cameras and then came the big revolution...
...THE SELFIE!
Smartphone makers like Oppo and Vivo have a firm foothold in this market with the likes of their dual selfie camera series like the Oppo F3 Plus and Vivo V5 Plus. Now, ASUS is another Taiwanese player jumping into this space with their own dual selfie camera phone the ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro.
Specifications
- Display: 5.5-inch FHD AMOLED
- Weight: 147 gms
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Processor: Snapdragon 625 octa-core
- RAM: 4GB RAM
- Storage: 64GB (Expandable)
- Rear camera: 16-megapixel
- Front camera: Dual 12+5-megapixel
- Battery: 3000mAh non-removable
- Price: Rs 23,999
So I used the device for a couple of days to see what ASUS had done special with this one, and here’s what I think of this selfie satiating smartphone.
Pros
- Good display
- Front camera is great
- Good battery back-up
Cons
- Keyboard not user-friendly
- Rear camera disappoints
What’s Good?
Its metal body gives it a very sturdy feel. It’s comfortable to hold and operate in one hand. The 2.5D contoured Corning Gorilla glass adds to the sturdiness.
The AMOLED display outputs brilliant colours and works well even under direct sunlight. Texts are crisp and crystal clear. The phone isn’t packed with copious bloat like what we see on other ASUS phones. This one has relatively very few additional apps. Thank god!
It runs on a Snapdragon 625 processor, which handles very well. This might not be a workhorse but it can get basic jobs done.
A very good addition in the phone is that it comes with expandable storage incase the in-built 64GB isn’t enough.
The front sports a dual-camera setup comprising of a 12+5-megapixel camera that clicks very good selfies. Even in low light pictures come out well. Got more friends to accommodate? The front camera comes with a 120-degree field of view for wider selfies. A very good setup.
Here are the selfie samples
Captured under controlled lighting
(Photo: The Quint)
I was really impressed with the phones’s battery management capabilities considering it only comes with a 3000mAh battery. Apart from hardcore gaming and watch videos for long hours the phone is capable of giving you decent back-up.
Despite an AMOLED display and a Snapdragon 625 to compensate for you will easily get 7-8 hours of back up with intense use.
What’s Bad?
High definition gaming and running heavy apps takes a toll on the processor and it does heat up. The phone’s rear camera I felt is not up to the mark and doesn’t really compliment the front camera’s prowess.
Check out these rear camera samples
Captured indoors in low light
(Photo: The Quint)
Again not a big fan of the ZenUI 4.0 inside the phone. A lot of gimmicky additions and extra apps make the phone an overkill.
ASUS could have done without these extras. Example: the keyboard bundled with the phone is a pain in the ***. I’d recommend downloading another keyboard for your daily typing ( just be careful and don’t download a spam).
Verdict
ASUS is really playing hardball here. At one end is tough competition from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, and on the other hand ASUS is hoping that is market value can really help push the Selfie Pro forward.
The sub Rs 25,000 market is the most competitive and the Selfie Pro doesn’t have the right amount of hardware to ‘Selfie’ its way out of this one.
You are getting options like the OnePlus 3T a workhorse, the Oppo F3 Plus (the so called selfie expert) and also the Vivo V7+ camera phone under Rs 23,000 which means big trouble for ASUS. Options people! Options!
If taking selfies all day is your thing and you can compromise a bit on utility then only go for the ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro.
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