Asus ZenFone 5Z Review: Should You Buy Over OnePlus 6?

Asus unveiled the ZenFone 5Z at MWC 2018 and the company recently launched the flagship smartphone in India and well, it seems like Asus has a winner on its hands. That's because the ZenFone 5Z brings a ton of features, a lot of AI and flagship grade hardware at an astonishing starting price of Rs. 29,999. At this price, the ZenFone 5Z not only disrupts the mid-range smartphone market but too takes on the much loved OnePlus half-dozen. So, how does the ZenFone 5Z fare? Is the ZenFone 5Z as adept as it seems? Permit's find out in our ZenFone 5Z review.

Asus ZenFone 5Z Specs

Outset, let's have a look at what the ZenFone 5Z offers on paper:

Display	6.2-inches Full HD+ (2246 x 1080 pixels), IPS LCD
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
RAM	6GB / 8GB
Storage	64GB / 128GB / 256 GB
Master Camera	Dual: 12 MP (f/1.8, 24 mm, one.iv µm) + viii MP (12mm)
Secondary Camera	8 MP (f/2.0, 24mm)
Battery	Li-Ion iii,300mAh
Operating System	Android eight.0 Oreo with ZenUI five.0
Colors	Midnight Blue, Falling star Silver
Toll	Starts at ₹29,999

What's In the Box

The ZenFone 5Z comes in your standard Asus box but it has some prissy accessories in tow. At that place's the ZenEar Pro earphones and a clear instance along with all the other usual stuff.

• ZenFone 5Z, duh!
• USB-C cable
• Charging Adapter
• Articulate silicon case
• ZenEar Pro Earphones
• SIM ejector tool
• Manuals no one reads

Design and Build Quality

Let's start off with blueprint. The ZenFone 5Z from the front looks like whatever other smartphone these days. It has the notch, it has the mentum, the small bezels on the sides. It's all pretty usual. There is an option to hide the notch but that's something that does non well with IPS displays.

Anyway, flip it over and that'due south when things gets interesting. The back hither is glass with the really cool pattern that Asus likes to call, the iconic Zen-inspired concentric-circle patterning. I don't know where that comes from but it looks pretty cool.

However, information technology's a glass back, which means it tin get hands scratched like our unit hither and also, it's a fingerprint magnet, which means it gets really muddied really soon. The device is also pretty glace, plain but information technology is comfortable to use because of its calorie-free weight and the thick edges.

Autonomously from that, the design hither brings everything you lot await from a flagship. The buttons are tactile, the fingerprint scanner is placed perfectly and it's actually fast, there's the USB-C port, the headphone jack, and the notification LED. I also like the fact that the ZenFone 5Z hither features a hybrid dual SIM bill of fare slot, which means you tin use a microSD card to aggrandize the memory.

Overall, the design on the ZenFone 5Z is great. It looks premium and it's a pleasure to hold but I do have one small problem with information technology and that is the lack of whatever h2o resistance. An IP rating or even a water resistant tag would have made things perfect!

Display

Moving on to the display, the ZenFone 5Z packs in a 6.2-inch Super IPS+ (2246×1080 pixels) display and it's a pretty good looking display. If yous are thinking what exactly does a Super IPS+ display bring over a regular IPS LCD display? Well, to exist honest, this simply seems similar a marketing ploy from Asus because this is your usual IPS LCD display. Having said that, the brandish here is cute.

Yes, I would have liked Gorilla Drinking glass five instead of 3 and ya, information technology'southward not AMOLED but the display on the 5Z is a slap-up ane. It'due south sharp, looks vibrant and the color reproduction is great. Plus, since information technology'due south an IPS LCD display, it gets very bright, which means sunlight legibility is vivid.

The OnePlus 6 was my daily driver earlier the 5Z, so coming from AMOLED, I exercise miss the Ambient brandish and deep blacks only other than that, I really like the display on the ZenFone 5Z.

Plus, there'due south a cool AI-powered auto color temperature feature, which adjusts the colour temperature of the display based on the environment. I did observe the color temperature change just it'southward very subtle, which I'd say is a positive. Withal, at that place was in one case when the color temperature inverse 3 to four times while I was reading an article, which was a bit distracting only that was only once and so that's okay I approximate.

Aye, I would take liked Gorilla Drinking glass five instead of iii and ya, information technology's not AMOLED but the brandish on the 5Z is a great one.

Speakers and Audio

The ZenFone 5Z comes with dual stereo speakers, which is a huge bonus when compared to the OnePlus half-dozen's single speaker. The audio quality is pretty similar to the OnePlus six but ZenFone 5Z gets extremely loud, which is pretty impressive.

Plus, Asus bundles its ZenEar Pro earphones and they are pretty good, as far as in-box earphones are considered. The base gets pretty good and it's loud enough.

There's the AudioWizard characteristic in ZenUI, which lets yous create a personal audio profile and that really does make a difference.

On the audio forepart, the ZenFone 5Z is definitely a 5 on 5, Z!

Cameras

• Rear Cameras

Next up, allow'due south talk about the cameras or should I say, the "AI cameras" on the 5Z. The phone comes with a 12MP f/1.8 plus 8MP f/two.0 dual photographic camera setup and I have been taking a lot of photos with it, so permit's take a look. Equally you tin can come across, when there's ample lighting, the ZenFone 5Z takes some pretty expert pictures. Sure, some photos lack particular and some get oversaturated when AI detection kicks in but I think the 5Z is pretty good in good light. But that's where the proficient ends when it comes to ZenFone 5Z's camera.

In low light, the ZenFone 5Z camera does capture a lot of light merely just look at these photos, nothing is in focus. The lights are overexposed and it'due south just unimpressive. Certain, some photos plow out fine only it'due south more similar an accidental bulls eye.

The aforementioned is the case with portrait way photos too. Certain, these shots in skillful calorie-free expect fine just if we move over to depression low-cal photos, well, things get bad. The edge detection is completely messed up, the groundwork blur is actually unnatural and you can adjust that, only fifty-fifty and so, the problems persist.

Too, every bit you lot guys must know, the secondary photographic camera on the dorsum of the 5Z is a wide angle lens, which is non something nosotros see in many smartphones. That wide angle lens results in some really cool photos. So ya, it's pretty cool but if you look closely, you tin see that the quality of these photos isn't very practiced.

On the video front, the ZenFone 5Z comes with EIS plus OIS with the ability to shoot videos upwardly to 4K@60FPS. In a 4K at 60FPS video shot from the ZenFone 5Z, the video quality is skillful enough but the camera has some problems focusing. In 1080p, the videos are very stable but the focusing problems persist. So, it'south all pretty average. You tin can cheque the videos shot from the ZenFone 5Z at five:50 below:

• Front Camera

On the front, the ZenFone 5Z comes with an 8MP f/ii.0 camera with EIS and similar the rear photographic camera, the day time selfies pretty skillful. In that location'due south Portrait Mode here as well and when in that location's ample lighting, the photos expect pretty good. Even so, as soon equally you move to low light and portrait shots, the telephone starts messing up.

Well, by at present, it's pretty obvious that the ZenFone 5Z has rather average cameras. In fact, barring the mean solar day time photos, the ZenFone 5Z cameras simply fail to impress and mind you, our ZenFone 5Z is on the latest update hither. I approximate, AI however has a lot to learn and if you are wondering how it performs against the OnePlus half dozen. Well, not very good.

You lot can bank check out our camera comparing betwixt the ZenFone 5Z and OnePlus half-dozen merely if you are looking for an respond here, let me tell you that the OnePlus 6 has amend cameras. We have talked to Asus and they have said that they will meliorate the cameras with updates, so things may get meliorate in the hereafter. Fingers crossed.

Information technology'due south pretty obvious that the ZenFone 5Z has rather boilerplate cameras. In fact, barring the 24-hour interval time photos, the ZenFone 5Z cameras just neglect to impress and heed you, our ZenFone 5Z is on the latest update here.

Performance

Under the hood, the ZenFone 5Z comes with the latest and greatest Snapdragon 845 with upwards to 8 gigs of RAM. We have the 6GB RAM variant of the phone and I'd say the functioning on the 5Z is pretty good. Offset, accept a look at the benchmark scores, which show you that the ZenFone 5Z is correct up there with the best flagship phones of today.

The phone performs actually well in existent world usage too. I have been using the phone extensively and it has been performing like a champ. The app launches are fast, switching between apps works like a charm and games are no problem for this phone. I take been playing games like PUBG and Asphalt and they run without any hiccups.

So yes, the ZenFone 5Z is a fast phone only having said that, there have been a few occassions of stutter but I really think that'south because of ZenUI and its animations. Sure, ZenUI v is more streamlined and not a resource hog similar older ZenUI iterations but it's still a pretty heavy peel.

Overall, the ZenFone 5Z definitely brings premium operation but yes, ZenUI tends to spoil the political party at times.

Software

Talking virtually ZenUI v. It'due south based on Android Oreo 8.0 and information technology's a feature packed skin including various AI features. While I have already talked near some AI features, there are some more, similar AI powered app suggestions in the app drawer, which works fine but honestly hasn't been all that useful for me. There's too Optiflex, which keeps your most used apps in memory, then that they load up faster. As I said, the apps do launch fast, so perchance that'south considering of Optiflex.

Other AI features include AI ringtones, which adjusts the ringtone volume based on the racket level. I tested it out and mayhap, it makes a very tiny difference but I did non observe anything. At that place'southward also AI charging, which is supposed to extend the life of the bombardment. At present that'southward something I tin can't actually examination, I estimate we will merely have to have their word for it. There'southward also AI powered Face Unlock, which is really fast.  In fact, it'southward almost as fast as the OnePlus, which is a huge feat.

ZenUI as well brings Zenimojis. Asus did not talk about Zenimojis at the issue and now I know why. The confront tracking is plain bad, the Zenimojis here expect creepy and to be honest, I cannot call back of anything positive to say about it.

Apart from the AI features, the ZenUI, as I said includes almost every feature you can retrieve of, except for full screen gestures, which is something I take come to expect on bezel-less notched phones. Perhaps Asus will bring that in a hereafter software update.Talking about updates, the ZenFone 5Z has Project Treble support and Asus has promised the Android P update for the phone along with 2 years of security patches.

ZenUI 5 is more streamlined yet packs in all the features yous can think of merely it can go a bit overwhelming. Plus, it does not bring navigation gestures.

Battery

Lastly, at that place's the battery. The ZenFone 5Z comes with a 3,300 mAh battery, which is fine just zilch listen blowing. In my every solar day usage, which includes some messaging, some YouTube, a few calls, some social media and some browsing, I concluded the day with around 35% bombardment consistently, starting at 100% which is fine.

In my heavy usage, which included me taking a truck load of pictures and videos, the phone lasted me for around 9 hours, which is decent and quite similar to the OnePlus vi I had been using.

On the charging front end, the ZenFone 5Z supports QuickCharge three.0 and it does accuse pretty fast. Starting from x%, the phone around 50% in half an hour, which is neat. The telephone was full charged in around 90 minutes, which is quite impressive. I know information technology'south not as fast the Dash Charge on OnePlus half dozen but it's however really good.

ZenFone 5Z: Should You Buy?

And then that'southward everything well-nigh the ZenFone 5Z, so coming to the title of the video, should you buy the ZenFone 5Z over the OnePlus 6? Well, to be honest, I can't recommend you to go for the 5Z over the OnePlus half-dozen.

Having used both the phones extensively, I tin can tell you that the OnePlus 6 is the meliorate phone out of the two. Sure, information technology costs 5000 more but for that, you get an AMOLED display, a water resistant blueprint, a better user experience and amend cameras. Having said that, if your budget is really limited to thirty,000, the ZenFone 5Z at Rs. 29,999 tin can exist a good option with its premium blueprint, great speakers and flagship hardware but ya, if the budget is not a trouble for y'all, the OnePlus six is conspicuously the better option hither.

Coming to the title of the video, should y'all buy the ZenFone 5Z over the OnePlus 6? Well, to be honest, I tin can't recommend you to go for the 5Z over the OnePlus half-dozen.

Pros:

• Premium and solid design
• Cracking display
• Flagship-class performance
• Loud stereo speakers
• microSD back up

Cons:

• Average cameras
• ZenUI needs improvements
• No water resistant

Buy ZenFone 5Z on Flipkart: (starts at ₹29,999)

SEE ALSO: You Can Get the Asus ZenFone 5Z at an Effective Price of Rs 26,999

ZenFone 5Z Review: Fails to Impress!

Well, that was our Asus ZenFone 5Z review. Honestly, I was really excited most this telephone due to its astonishing price and flagship specs. Still, the ZenFone 5Z leaves a lot to be desired. Overall, information technology's a great telephone but the rather average cameras kind of ruin the experience.

Well, that'southward what nosotros think but what nigh y'all? Tell us your thoughts on the ZenFone 5Z in the comments downwardly below. Also, tell united states of america if yous have any questions around the phone and nosotros volition make sure to answer them.

Source: https://beebom.com/asus-zenfone-5z-review/

Posted by: dowdywoulty.blogspot.com

Share this post