[Review] Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom – Absolutely Zentastic

Earlier this year at Consumer Electronics Show 2017, Asus revealed their next generation camphone dubbed the Zenfone 3 Zoom that integrates the best hardware and optics that they have to offer and crammed them into an 8mm thin casing that almost entirely eliminates the dreaded camera bump save for a tiny raised smidgen in the corner.

The successor to last year’s Zenfone Zoom camera phone, the Zenfone 3 Zoom retains its predecessor’s greatest trait- an optical zoom lens array integrated within the chassis of the casing and expands on it with even better hardware all around while retaining the aesthetics of their Zenfone 3 line. Rather than the original’s single 13-MP camera, the Zenfone 3 Zoom instead revamps the concept to a more contemporary dual camera lens array while offering better depth of field when taking snaps on top of optical zoom.

Both of the Zenfone 3 Zoom’s rear cameras have 12-MP resolution but differ slightly. One camera has a 59mm focal length and an F/2.6 aperture with a 2.3x optical zoom via lenses arrayed  ‘Periscope-style’ in order to keep the chassis slim for distant subjects though slapping on digital zoom means you can get up to 12x combined zoom. This camera combines its imaging data in tandem to provide better depth of field in snaps with the Zenfone 3 Zoom’s other snapper dubbed the Superpixel camera.

The primary Superpixel 12-MP camera handles most of the workload for up-close work and has a Sony IMX 362 imaging sensor of recent vintage that offers up an F/1.7 aperture with a large 1.4um pixel size, optical image stabilisation for judder free snaps and up to 4K video along with the notable addition of Dual Phase Detection Autofocus tech. This feature was first spearheaded by Samsung’s Galaxy S7 series and uses every pixel on the camera sensor for blazing fast subject acquisition.

This is complemented by a revamped, longer ranged infrared laser that ranges out to 1.5 metres for acquiring subjects along with contrast detection for continuous focus The end result: an exceptionally swift 0.03 seconds of autofocus time which was borne out when we field tested it across a variety of scenarios in the scenic confines of Sungai Lembing in Pahang.

Looking pretty Zen

Externally, the Zenfone 3 Zoom bears aesthetic similarities to the rest of the Zenfone 3 line with an aluminium chassis and antenna bands done up in a matte plastic on the top and bottom. Externally, the phone looks suitably premium with curved edges all around and a matte gunmetal gray fingerprint resistant finish. At a casual glance, it’s akin to the Zenfone 3 but the telltale sign that gives it away is its rear dual camera that lies on the upper corner of the phone.

Up front, the phone has a similarly sized 5.5-inch Full HD display though it’s upgraded to an AMOLED display on the new Zenfone 3 Zoom under a sheath of tough Gorilla Glass 5 2.5D curved glass. The side bezels of the display are exceptionally slim at less than 2mm by eyeballing it though the top and bottom bezels are still a wee bit thicker. The top comes with a 13-MP selfie camera with larger 1.12 µm pixel size and an F/2.0 aperture; quite a step up from the original Zenfone Zoom’s 5-MP and F/2.0 aperture camera.

The right side of the phone comes with a volume rocker and power button. The left side of the phone is bare save for a hybrid SIM card slot. The base comes with a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type-C port that juices the phone’s massive 5000mAh battery. It’s also able to reverse charge other devices too and the phone comes with the appropriate dongle to allow it to do so.

In terms of hardware, the Zenfone 3 Zoom goes for a pragmatic approach with a power efficient midrange Snapdragon 625 processor that comes with eight Cortex A53 2.0GHz cores, an Adreno 506 GPU, 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. Out of the box, the Zenfone 3 Zoom runs Android Marshmallow though Asus has confirmed that a Nougat update is in the works. It’s a midrange setup but one that offers amazing endurance and enough performance for day to day usage. In terms of performance, it’s akin to the stock Zenfone 3 as it runs an identical processor. For approximate benchmarking specs, you can refer to the original Zenfone 3 review here.

In general tasks like e-mails, web browsing, social media use, Youtube videos and a smattering of casual gaming, the Zenfone 3 Zoom did a bang-up job without any noticeable lag. Casual games like Clash Royale and Battlestar Galactica: Squadrons ran smoothly. Multiple browser windows opened without a hitch and bar the most demanding games or 4K video capture, the phone ran smoothly without any complications and the casing remained cool throughout though it become somewhat warm with heavy camera use.

What was phenomenal was its endurance. Even with a punishing two day excursion in the wilds with heavy camera and video use along with spurts of email and web browsing at the end of each day, it still managed to hoof it for the better part of two days before requiring a juicing by the end of day two. The phone’s AMOLED screen served up punchy, vibrant hues and good detail though you can also tweak this somewhat in the settings. Of note was the rear fingerprint reader which was exceptionally responsive and unlocked the phone in seconds.

The main quibble with what is otherwise a solid midrange setup is the plethora of bloatware festooning the phone. Asus has pruned it drastically from past incarnations of its Zen UI but plenty still remains so you’ll get a lot of app overlap which requires you to go through and start pruning stuff away unless redundancy is your thing. That aside, the Zenfone 3 Zoom is a highly serviceable workhorse. What makes it stand out from the crowd though is its rear camera that packs impressive performance for what you pay for.

The field test
The Zenfone 3 Zoom is capable of capturing 4K video as well as snaps in your choice of JPEG or even RAW format. This is further complemented by a cornucopia of imaging modes that offer everything from the usual panorama mode to a mode to a Children mode to take pictures of easily distracted tots.

Most users will simply default to capturing pics on its immensely capable auto mode and the Zenfone 3 Zoom has that bit handled down pat as it sports an auto HDR mode that helps to handle shots with high contrast conditions like sunset or under intensely bright lights. Delve a bit deeper and the phone’s manual mode offers the full monty that rewards astute users with exceptional fine control over shots.

Beyond that, things get somewhat confusing with a plethora of modes on offer that occasionally overlap or are for very specific purposes. Accessing these modes is a chore, requiring you to thumb a tiny icon in the corner of the screen and navigating a grid of icons as opposed to Nougat’s broad swipes on the display but it isn’t a major deal breaker.

In field tests at dusk, at the crack of dawn and under challenging conditions, the Zenfone 3 Zoom performed like a champ. When wandering through a sleepy little border town replete with a host of photographic opportunities, the Zenfone 3 Zoom stepped up to the plate and delivered one heck of a curve ball. Depth of field shots were vivid and delightful. A lonely looking gas station lying forlorn in the town centre offered exceptional bokeh shots and the wide empty streets and abandoned buildings offered beautiful hues and textures. A posse of friendly dogs showed that the phone’s autofocus was spot on, managing to keep the pack in focus even though they ran jerkily around in circles.

At dawn the next day, the phone was able to take excellent snaps in the scant light available at a hilltop come daybreak. Even with the little light available, it managed to attain and capture several shareworthy shots illuminated by dawn and the beam lamps of a rumbling trio of four-wheel-drive trucks.

After being tossed into a waterproof bag, the Zenfone 3 Zoom made an ascent up a hill over numerous rivers to capture snaps of the fabled Rainbow Waterfalls. On the way up and at the waterfall itself, it captured stills with plenty of detail and spot-on colours of lush greenery and moss strewn boulders. The Zenfone 3 Zoom managed to capture the fabled rainbow at the waterfalls without undue effort and the phone’s optical zoom at up to 2.3x had minimal to no artifacting though zooming in at up to 12x  which combines digital zoom had some obvious artifacting and smooshed colours though is apparent to only the most ardent pixel peepers.

In the hands of professional photographer Peter M. Tan, the Zenfone 3 Zoom was able to deliver astounding pictures that were impressive to behold when he showcased shots of his recent trip to Japan that solely used the phone to record his travels. For more of his impressive snaps, follow him on Instagram here.

[instagram URL=https://www.instagram.com/p/BSpuUSilhQp/]

[instagram URL=https://www.instagram.com/p/BRN-GNWlsQx/]

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Even so, mere mortals are able to take some darned good shots on the phone but the clunky menus for the camera and its additional modes may cost you precious seconds and have you missing the money shot.

How it Handled
Taken as a whole, the Zenfone 3 Zoom is an improvement over its predecessor in almost every way. A vastly improved camera, radically improved battery life and beefed up overall performance make it a highly appealing proposition along with its asking price as it is one of the most affordable phones that pack OIS, an F/1.7 aperture and Dual Phase Detection autofocus for its intended RM2,099 price tag. The one thing that we missed from the original Zenfone Zoom was the omission of a dedicated shutter release button but this is not a deal breaker.

The other impressive feature: its phenomenal battery life means that you’ll be using this phone more often than not in the field and that means more shots and more actual use in the bargain without having to coddle it by nursing usage just to make it through the end of the day. All in, this is the best phone that Asus has ever made and should be on your shortlist if you are looking for a high-performing camphone that won’t break the bank.

WHAT WE LIKED Excellent rear camera, phenomenal battery life, agreeable price for performance
WHAT WE DIDN’T No dedicated shutter release button, no IP68 water resistance, no wireless charging
WE SAY A superb rear camera and phenomenal battery life along with decent performance make this one of the best phones that Asus has ever made and a potent contender in the running as one of the best camphones of the year.

Specifications
Price RM2,099
Display 5.5-inch AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 401ppi
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
OS Marshmallow 6.0
Camera Dual 12-MP with F/1.7, OIS, Dual PDAF + 2.3x zoom | 13-MP w/ F/2.0 (front)
Memory 4GB RAM / 64GB (expandable)
Battery 5,000mAh
Size/Weight 154.3 x 77 x 8 mm / 170g
*Review unit courtesy of ASUS Malaysia