New Delhi: After teasing the upcoming Zenfone 2 for over two weeks, Asus decided to give select members of the media an early look at what is touted to be the "world's first 4 GB RAM phone". The company, which is yet to officially launch the three variants of the phone for the Indian market, showcased what it called the high-end model at the media preview on Friday. The phone has a 5.5-inch display, 4 GB RAM with 32 GB of internal storage (expandable). We understand that the 64 GB model is unlikely for India.
As you unbox the phone, you will find a couple of design elements that make the phone different from its last year's Zenfone models. The most noticeable of them is the volume key positioned at the back, something which was until the Zenfone 2 arrival exclusive to LG. LG in 2013 was the first to shift the volume buttons - traditionally found on the sides - to the back of the phone. Also, unlike the matte back panel in the previous Zenfone models, the Zenfone 2's removable plastic rear panel has a brushed-metal finish that gives it a premium look.
Asus has also shifted the power button from the right to the top.
Adorning the phone is the company's signature concentric circle finish at the lower-end block of the front panel. While this was something I had liked in the earlier Zenfones, I feel that the company should now do away with that block as it unnecessary adds to the length of the phone. I have never been a fan of long phones as they somewhat spoil the user experience during long-drawn-out tasks which require much of browsing, navigation and swipes.
While the volume key at the back makes controls easier, it requires a little bit of effort to reach the power button on top. Had the phone been slightly shorter in length, reaching the power button would have been a tad easier.
Nevertheless, the 5.5-inch phone that looked a little wide to me in the first look got along with me pretty well for whatever little time I had to play with it. With a curved back and rounded edges, the phone, that you may otherwise find too wide to rest in your one hand, has been so ergonomically designed that I was comfortable operating it with a single hand. The phone's display is good in terms of colour reproduction, touch response and navigation.
A spate of elements, including a flash, camera lens, volume key and the Asus logo, neatly sit in a queue at the back of the phone and don't make the rear panel look clumsy. Underneath the removable panel are slots for SIM cards (4G and 2G) and a microSD card slot that supports memory card of up to 64 GB.
The rear panel also houses a speaker grill right at the bottom of the back. In an open hall with music playing in the background, the speaker produced audible and clear results, hinting at its effective performance in noisy environments. We are yet to test the phone's speaker in other conditions.
Another feature I got to test during the media preview was its 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. As it was a dimly lit bar, it wasn't possible to test its cameras in all conditions and reach any conclusion. Therefore, I could only test them in low-light conditions. With the phone's low-light mode one, the phone's cameras produced good results in close shots, while the long shots generated more or less grainy pictures. In other words, the Zenfone 2 could be a good companion for capturing group pictures in a bar or other low-light areas. The rear camera's video mode lets you record 1080p (full HD) videos.
Running Android Lollipop with ZenUI atop, the Zenfone 2 has a plethora of Asus' proprietary apps. We are yet to check what all new additions have been made to the interface and the Asus-centric apps.
At its heart is an Intel 64-bit quad-core processor paired with 4 GB of RAM. Of its 32 GB internal storage, around 26 GB is user accessible.
The Zenfone 2 is scheduled to be launched in India on April 23. Slated to be released in three models, the phone will come at different price points, with the high-end model expected to be priced close to Rs 20,000. It will be available in India in five colours - Black, Silver, Red, Gold, White. "The high-end mode, however, will be available in only first four colours," said Asus India country manager Peter Chang.
Apart from the Zenfone 2, the company will also launch a 10000mAh power bank and two other mobile accessories at its April 23 event. While the company has kept under wraps what the two other accessories could be, we assume one of them to be a pair of earphones.
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