Taiwanese giant, Asus shook the world with their blazing fast Zenfone 2 series smartphone running on Intel processors. The company continues its legacy by unveiling the Zenfone 5 series smartphones. The devices have bee announced at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona.
The company announced the Zenfone 5, 5Z, Lite and the all-new Zenfone Max (M1) as a part of the Zenfone series of smartphones. The smartphones are powered by the latest Snapdragon 845 and 636 processors. All of the smartphones feature a very new 19:9 resolution display. Also, these devices pack various AI features with Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence Engine to make one's life easier.
Asus ZenFone 5
The Asus ZenFone 5 features an all display design. With a body ratio of 90%, the smartphone is truly unique. The smartphone features a 6.2-inch Full HD+ IPS display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. The device is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 636. This is coupled with 4/6GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. All of this is powered by a 3,300mAh battery.
For the optics, the Zenfone 5 sports a dual camera setup at the back. The primary rear camera is a 12-megapixel f/1.8 aperture sensor. While the secondary sensor on the back is also a 12-megapixel but with a f/2.2 aperture. The secondary rear sensor is a wide-angle sensor. For the selfies, the Zenfone 5 packs an 8-megapixel f/2.0 aperture sensor. Both of these cameras are AI enabled making using to AI to improve the photos. The company claims that the smartphone has 16 different tuning options. These options will be fine-tuned as the user uses the device. This also paves way for features like Face Unlock and more. Also, the company claims that both the rear cameras support 4 was OIS for stable photos in an unstable environment.
However, while all this is good, the smartphone does come with an iPhone X styled notch on the front. This might be not a problem for some, but definitely a bummer for other. Unlike iPhone X, it retains a fingerprint sensor at the back.
Asus Zenfone 5Z
The Asus ZenFone 5Z is more of a power-packed version of the Zenfone 5. It can be best described as the Zenfone 5 on steroids. It sports the same 6.2-inch FULL HD+ IPS display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. However, where the differences arrive is the processor. The Zenfone 5Z is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. This is coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. This makes the Zenfone 5Z truly a flagship. All of this is powered by a 3,300mAH battery.
For the optics, the Zenfone 5Z the same setup as the Zenfone 5. The device sports a dual camera setup at the back. The primary rear camera is a 12-megapixel f/1.8 aperture sensor. While the secondary sensor on the back is also a 12-megapixel but with a f/2.2 aperture. The secondary rear sensor is a wide-angle sensor. For the selfies, the 5Z packs the same 8-megapixel f/2.0 aperture sensor. Both of these cameras are AI enabled making using to AI to improve the photos. The company claims that the smartphone has 16 different tuning options. These options will be fine-tuned as the user uses the device. This also paves way for features like Face Unlock and more. Also, the company claims that both the rear cameras support 4 was OIS for stable photos in an unstable environment.
However, the design of the Zenfone 5Z and the less powerful Zenfone 5 is identical. This makes the Zenfone 5Z a plus or pro model to the Zenfone 5 instead of a different smartphone.
Asus ZenFone 5 Lite
The Asus ZenFone 5 Lite as the name suggests is a toned down version of the Zenfone 5. The Zenfone 5 Lite sports a 6-inch Full HD+ (2160x1080) IPS display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630. This is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage of 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, depending on which variant you get. You can also buy a cheaper Snapdragon 430 powered variant of the device. All of this is powered by a 3,300mAh Battery.
For the optics, the Zenfone 5 Lite sports a dual camera setup at the back and front. The primary rear camera is a 16-megapixel f/2.2 aperture sensor. While the secondary sensor on the back is also a 16-megapixel f/2.2 aperture sensor on the back. However, the secondary rear camera is a wide-angle camera. For the selfies, the Zenfone 5 Lite packs normal telephoto sensor and a wide-angle sensor. Both the sensors are 20-megapixel f/2.0 aperture sensors.
The company claims it to be the world's first true 4 camera smartphone. The Zenfone 5 Lite also packs the AI features backed into the camera enabling Face Unlock and more.
ZenFone Max (M1)
The company unveiled the Zenfone Max (M1) last year with the Zenfone 4 series of smartphones. The Zenfone Max name has always been attached to the company's high battery backup smartphones. The latest ZenFone Max (M1) is the latest iteration the Zenfone Max lineup.
The ZenFone Max sports a 5.5-inch HD+ (1440 x 720) IPS display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425/430. This will vary with the region. This is coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. All of this is powered by a massive 4,000mAh Battery.
For the optics, the Zenfone Max sports a dual camera setup at the back. The primary rear camera is a 13-megapixel f/2.0 aperture sensor. While the secondary sensor on the back is an 8-megapixel with the same f/2.2 aperture. The secondary rear sensor is a wide-angle sensor. For the selfies, the smartphone packs the same 8-megapixel with f/2.2 aperture sensor.
The Zenfone Max also boasts features like AI assisted charging and Zenfone power management suite to extend the battery life. However, this claims will only be tested once we get our hands on a retail unit.
