Asus Zenfone 5 Review

Like most bloggers I love internet gadgets and mobile phones.

However recently I have been using my mobile less for internet usage. It has been ok for social media sites but it has even started to struggle with those. When I was asked to review the new Asus Zenfone 5 LTE I was delighted and curious to see what it was capable of. My hubby recently bought the Asus T100 Transformer which we have been really impressed with from the start so I had a feeling that this was going to be a great device.

When I received the phone it was simple to get going. Unlike most other mobile phones there was no large instruction manual to work through. I am sure that I am not the only one who brushes the manuals to one side until I actually need to look. The manual that comes with the Zenfone 5 is so basic. It literally tells you how to get started. For me, this is the most important piece of information that they can give you as the best way to get to know your phone is through playing with it.

My first impressions of the Asus Zenfone 5 LTE were:

• The size is big but the phone is incredibly light weight
• Simple to get going and navigate around
• Apps download extremely quickly
• The screen is crystal clear
• Plenty of camera settings
• Excellent internet capabilities

Now for the technical part.

What makes the Asus Zenfone 5 LTE so good?

I decided to do a bit of research on the phone and this is what I found out...

• The Asus Zenfone 5 LTE is so responsive when using the internet thanks to its powerful quad core processor.
• The dual carrier HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access) enables you to effortlessly stream HD videos.
• The Asus power saving mode and power efficient antenna guarantees a long battery life.
• The Asus Zenfone 5 has a high resolution 1280 x 720 IPS display screen with a pixel density of 294ppi. This improves the visual quality and give vivid colours.
• The Asus Zenfone 5 is fitted with Gorilla glass to provide even more security against scratches, chips and breaks. The Gorilla glass makes the screen 4 times stronger than other screens.
• Incredible touch responsiveness. The screen has been given an anti smudge and finger print coating.
• Asus have developed a technology to make it possible to use the touch screen even when wearing gloves.
• The Asus is fitted with SonicMaster sounds. This is a combination of superior software and hardware to produce the optimum sound.
• The Asus Zenfone 5 is fitted with the PixelMaster. This is unique to Asus. It has been developed using the best software, hardware and optical design to provide the user with incredible image quality. The PixelMaster enables your smartphone to produce professional quality photographs.

The technical information was researched via Asus.com.

My challenge for the Asus Zenfone 5 LTE was to test it's low light camera capabilities. As you will know I love to take pictures and have longed for a mobile phone that can capture better quality pictures as it is not always possible to carry around a large camera. Having a night out gave me the perfect opportunity to put it to the test. As I am a foodie, whenever we go out I love to photograph beautifully presented food. However it is not always possible to capture the best photographs thanks to the low lighting. More often than not the flash is needed which can drown the shot in too much light. The Asus Zenfone 5 has various setting on the camera and low light is the one that I was most excited about. The pictures below were taken during our meal out. No flash was needed even though the light was low.

I have been amazed with the quality of photographs that you are able to get using the Asus Zenfone 5. The detail that it is able to capture is simply outstanding for a mobile phone. Being able to have that capacity at your finger tips means that you are never going to miss a shot.

As well at the low light setting the Asus Zenfone 5 LTE camera also offers:

• Automatic setting
• Time rewind setting which enables you to literally rewind the time that was shot so that you can get the best possible picture. This is a fantastic function for children who cannot stay still for long!
• HDR for perfect clarity
• Panorama which allows you to capture a wide view
• Night which allows you to shoot pictures easily at night
• Selfie mode identifies the number of faces that you wish to snap and counts down for everyone to smile.
• Miniature mode where you can focus on a central line of interest. The central section is crystal clear whilst the top and bottom parts are slightly blurred.
• Depth of field, this mode is perfect for macro shots. You can change the depth of field to give ultimate clarity to the main subject of the picture.
• Smart remove will remove any moving objects that are in the background of the shot. This is perfect for when you are taking photographs in a busy environment.
• All smiles allows you to select the best facial expressions after a succession of 5 photographs have been taken. This is a great setting which will enable you to all have picture perfect smiles!
• Portrait mode gives you the capability of editing pictures with ease. This mode enables you to add blush, enhance eyes, soften skin and even thin out the cheek area.
• Finally the GIF animation mode allows you to captures movement in a picture for example if you were to use this setting whilst your child was blowing bubbles the bubbles would be captured in animation.
• There is a turbo shot setting which allows you to capture the shots even quicker. This is another setting which has proved to be useful when taking pictures of quick moving children!

As well as the different camera settings you can also change the views. You can choose from normal, pencil, LOMO, edge, negative, grayscale, sepia, hue, pixelization and cartoon. We have had a lot of fun playing with these different settings as you can see...

 

 

If, like me, you use your mobile phone more for internet usage than making calls this phone is perfect for you. In my opinion this mobile offers you the technology and capabilities that a tablet offers in a convenient size. It is larger than your average phone, however all of the latest smartphones that are out on the market are equal to and even slightly larger. It may not fit in your pocket but I found that it does still fit in the pockets in my bag and I will be getting a case to protect it even further.

The live wallpapers are fascinating, the clarity of the picture is superb.

This is the first phone that I have ever had which does not need charging before the end of the day. I have found that when I have put the phone on to charge at the end of the day there is still 50% of the battery power remaining. I decided to test the battery life and found that it did not need to be put on charge for 2 days!

Most importantly, unlike other leading smartphones on the market this phone will not break the bank!

If you are looking to upgrade you phone or simply want a phone with outstanding features this is the phone for you!

For more information visit www.asus.com

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Disclosure: I was sent the Asus Zenfone 5 LTE for the purpose of this review and have been compensated for my time. All views and opinions are my own and 100% honest.