Beautiful Budget Phone: ASUS Zenfone 2 Review

[georgespamme]

Beautiful Budget Phone

Hi there! I was selected in a contest to receive a free review unit of the ASUS Zenfone 2 (the highest-end ZE551ML model). These are my thoughts after using this phone for two weeks.
 

Note: I am quite fortunate to have this phone and I'm very thankful -- If I say anything negative, it's not to complain but to write an informative, critical review.


 
Linus' review

First Impressions
After taking the phone out of the box, my first impressions were "Wow, this thing is huge" and "Wow, this thing is beautiful!" I'll speak more to the size later, but the device is an eye-catcher. It certainly doesn't possess the built quality of something like an HTC One, but at less than half the price I didn't expect it to. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at how nice the front glass appears, and while the back plastic piece certainly isn't brushed aluminum, it gives the device a nice aesthetic (especially compared to other plastic-backed smartphones on the market). In my opinion, the phone does a great job of being a "budget" phone without looking like it at all. As soon as I fired her up, my eyes were delighted by the display. At 1080p, this 5.5" display is as pixel-dense as I think I could ever need. I'm no connoisseur of displays, but to my eyes viewing angles, brightness, and colors look good. This phone definitely has an eye-candy factor for me. But there's more to a phone than just looks, so let's get to the user experience.

Size and Button Placement
As I first held the phone, I doubted that I would be able to use the phone effectively with just one hand. It's big -- so big, that I was having trouble reaching the four corners of the touchscreen without stretching quite a bit. The curvature of the back helps a lot; it makes the similarly-sized iPhone 6 Plus feel extremely box-like and unnatural in comparison, but I wasn't sure that the curve would be enough. Having to use the phone two-handed all the time would be a deal breaker for me. This brought me to ask myself, "What is the ideal screen size?" To me (and probably many others), the best screen size is the largest I can get while still being able to effectively use the device one-handed. After using the phone for two weeks, I've gotta say that ASUS has nailed that size! I have pretty average-sized hands, and while it definitely took a little while to get used to a device of this size, I can now comfortably use the device one handed. Yes, that's right -- I get to have my cake and eat it too -- a big, beautiful 5.5" display that I can use one-handed. I found that I was using the same grip-style that I would use for a smaller device with my pinkie finger below the phone. This limited my thumb mobility a lot. Once I adjusted to a more loose, fingers-resting-on-the-back grip it became much easier to reach everything on screen. Because of the curve, the grip is natural and secure. While this may not be the case for ALL users (e.g. my small-handed sister), I think the majority of people would find this device much more usable than they might think.
The size is great for things like videos (obviously), but it's also incredibly helpful in the sheer amount of things that can be seen on screen at once. Every time I see the average Joe's iPhone now, I cringe at the amount of cramped screen elements. The Zenfone makes the tiny-smartphone form factor look plain silly, and I don't think I'll be going back to anything that size again.
A lot of discussion has gone up about the phone's physical buttons. All I have to say is this: they're not where I would put them if I designed the phone, but they're not really an inconvenience to me either. As many have noted, the lock button has a sticky, mushy feel with little tactile response. I hope it's improved with ASUS' future phones, but it's not that big of a deal to me. I use the double-tap to wake/sleep far more than I use the button.

Sound
Now we come to what may be my biggest issue with this phone: sound. As far as I can tell, the phone mic/speakers are good, but the loudspeaker on this phone is just not optimal. The speaker is on the back of the phone, and while it isn't the world's worst speaker, it may be in the world's worst location. When consuming media on this big, beautiful display, you'll either need to wear headphones or listen to the sound of your speaker projecting sound out into the room, bouncing off something, and coming back to your ears. Cupping your hand around the speaker is pretty difficult to do because of its placement. They aren't so bad if you're just listening to music with the phone face down, but for watching videos (especially in a loud environment) they're disappointing. It just comes down to the simple fact that speakers sound better when they are pointed at the listener. I envy the front-facing speakers of something like an HTC One -- the difference is remarkable. I hope ASUS can implement a similar design in the future.

Performance, OS/Skin, and Camera
The phone is snappy. I have noticed very small amounts of lag before certain animations happen on screen, but for the most part it's very smooth and responsive. This is the first time I've ever used an Android device long-term, but I've loved the experience. The back button is great on a phone this size because reaching to the top left corner every time you want to go back is inconvenient. It makes iOS seem stupid for not having it. There's definitely a fair share of pre-installed crapware and irremovable unnecessary apps, but as far as I know they don't impact performance in a major way. I'd like to see the fat here trimmed next time around. Since this is my first android device, I can't really comment on ZenUI versus other skins or stock, but I can say it's mostly good. ASUS has some useful features deep in the settings, too. The cameras are good enough for me, though the included camera app has some quirks and not-so-user-friendly menus. If you want super in-depth analysis on the camera, go read someone else's review, and if you really want a great camera I'd suggest buying a camera instead of a cell phone.

Battery Life and Charging
The Zenfone's battery lasts me all day, and that's all I really need. I haven't tested battery life very extensively, but maybe I can update later with more information. One of the hidden gems of this phone is the fact that it supports ASUS' "Boostmaster" quick charging technology - with the right charger (like the one included), you can go from 0% to 60% battery in less than an hour. This feature is very useful when you're low on juice and you only have a short time before you need to leave the outlet again. I even picked up a quick charger for my car. I still charge my phone at night with a regular, non-quick charge adapter though in hopes to extend the life of the battery over time.

Final Thoughts
While ASUS may have made some "phone market amateur" mistakes with this device, I'm glad they made this phone. I've loved using it, and if I wasn't given this review unit then I'd go buy one. To me, this phone performs as well or better than many phones above its price bracket. With lower-end models even cheaper, ASUS is helping make smartphones much more affordable and making contracts less attractive. If you have any questions about things I missed, let me know and I'd be happy to answer. Thanks for reading!

[Imabigmac]

Have you any experience with a One Plus one to compare the zenfone to? 

[georgespamme]

Have you any experience with a One Plus one to compare the zenfone to? 

No, sorry.  I honestly don't even know anyone that owns a One Plus phone.  Wish I could help, though.

[Imabigmac]

No, sorry.  I honestly don't even know anyone that owns a One Plus phone.  Wish I could help, though.

Ahh, I just thinking they are both budget type Androids. I used one for a week to see if I wanted one as my friend has one still. He is no longer a fan of it, to cheapy feeling. 

[NumLock21]

Just ordered one!

On their global site, they have the fusion series, can't seem to find those. It would be great if Asus just sells the back covers and you can swap them out.

[georgespamme]

Just ordered one!

On their global site, they have the fusion series, can't seem to find those. It would be great if Asus just sells the back covers and you can swap them out.

Sweet!  Hope you like it!

I noticed that as well, and I had the same thought as soon as I first took the back plastic piece off.  I feel like they're missing a lucrative opportunity here - I can see a lot of people buying new, cool designs to put on the back of their phone.