ASUS’s Zenfone 3 Zoom is a midrange, photography-focused smartphone. This puts the handset in ASUS’s already populated sub-flagship line-up, with popular options like the Zenfone 3 Laser and the Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 already in play. If you’re still holding out for a new ASUS midranger to spend on, then here’s the comparative low-down between all three.
You can read our hands-on of the Zenfone 3 Zoom here.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser Review: The True Mid-range Zenfone 3?
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 Review: Mid-range Dilemma
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max ZC553KL specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor
- Adreno 505
- 3GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, 2.5D glass, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 32GB of expandable storage
- 16-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, laser AF
- 8-megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner
- Android Marshmallow 6.0, ZenUI 3.0
- 4100mAh battery
ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser specs
- 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor
- Adreno 505 GPU
- 4GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, 2.5D glass, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 32GB of expandable storage
- 13-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX214 sensor, EIS, 2nd generation laser AF, LED flash
- 8-megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner
- Android 6.0, ZenUI 3.0
- 3000mAh battery
ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor
- 3GB/4GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch, full HD Super AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 32GB/64GB expandable storage
- Twin 12-megapixel rear cameras, Sony IMX362 image sensor, f/1.7 aperture, 1x, 2.3x optical zoom, laser AF, PDAF, EIS, OIS, 4K video recording
- 13-megapixel front camera, Sony IMX214, f/2.0 aperture
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C
- 5000mAh battery
- Android 6 Marshmallow, ZenUI
The Zenfone 3 Zoom sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, superior to the Laser and the Max 5.5’s Snapdragon 430. Alongside the new CPU, the Adreno 506 will play the role as the Zoom 3’s GPU.
The Zoom comes in different RAM and storage variants – options missing from the other two handsets. The Zoom also comes with a new Super AMOLED display, which is a shiny upgrade over the standard IPS panel. ASUS is still adamant in retaining FHD resolution for the Zoom, which may be a good or bad thing depending on your personal preference.
The camera department is where the Zoom outshoots the other ASUS midrangers, due to its dual rear snapper setup. The twin 12-megapixel rear camera set on different zoom levels give mobile photographers a bunch of shiny new tools that a single camera can’t deliver. You can read our initial hands-on of the Zenfone 3 Zoom to see what the phone is capable of.
The Zoom’s beefy 4850mAh battery far outstrips the Laser’s and the Max’s, and will be a much-welcomed improvement for users wanting heavy use out of the dual camera handset. The phone also comes with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge tech, an improvement coming from the SD 625 SoC.
Physically, all the three smartphones share the same ASUS design philosophy, with only the backplates differing in terms of sensor count and layout. All three phones come with full metal bodies.
The Zenfone 3 Laser came out locally with a price of Php 11,995, while the arguably superior Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 debuted at a cheaper Php 10,990. No word yet from ASUS or from leaksters on the Zenfone 3 Zoom’s price tag, though we have a strong feeling that the phone will slot right around the Zenfone 3’s original SRP.
