Asus ZenFone 5Z first impressions: A worthy competitor to OnePlus 6

Asus ZenFone 5Z is finally launched in India, a direct competitor to flagships like the OnePlus 6 and the Honor 10. The specifications of the smartphone include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor along with a 6.2-inch display. The device packs a dual camera setup on the rear featuring a 12-megapixel f/1.8 aperture primary sensor along with an 8-megapixel f/2.0 secondary sensor. For selfies, the smartphone sports an 8-megapixel f/2.0 aperture sensor up front. It comes with 6GB RAM along with 64GB of internal storage. You can also get it with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage or 256GB internal storage. All of this is backed by a 3,300mAh battery.

Asus Zenfone 5Z: Design

The Zenfone 5Z boasts a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The company claims a near bezel-less display but that comes with a cost of a display notch. The display is amazing, however, the viewing angles were not looking great. Effect of that in daily usage is difficult to say at this moment. Stay tuned for a full review for that. The overall build quality is great. The smartphone comes with a glass back. The glass back is really reflective and scratch prone. Also, that makes the smartphone a bit slippery in hand.

The smartphone comes with nifty features such as Face Unlock which works as advertised. There is also an iPhone X's Animoji ripoff. It is nowhere as good as that on iPhone X but still usable. The fingerprint sensor is really fast and responsive. Overall, the smartphone lives up to the mark the company claims. One thing that the smartphone misses is the gesture-based navigation. However, that can easily be added via a future software update.

Asus Zenfone 5Z: Price

The smartphone starts at Rs 29,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant. The 128GB variant costs Rs 3,000 extra(Rs 32,999). The Top of the line 8GB and 256GB storage variant costs Rs 36,999. With features like Face Unlock, Snapdragon 845 and 18.7:9 aspect ratio display. The smartphone packs a lot of power and features for that price point. However, the features like the Face Unlock if implemented badly can be more of a negative point than a plus point. Those features need to be tested. Also, the device felt slippery in hand. With an initial look, we firmly believe that the Zenfone 5Z offers a fair competition to the OnePlus 6. The smartphone will be available starting 9th July and you will get Rs 3,000 cashback on ICICI credit and debit cards.