Asus makes smartphones?
Yes, the Taiwanese manufacturer is typically known for its computers, but for a few years now it has been quietly breaking into the lucrative smartphone market.
Though it doesn’t have quite the reach of big names from the United States, South Korea or China, its innovative approaches could tempt consumers. Its latest effort is the Zenfone 6, sold for around 570 dollars.
With a 6.4-inch screen and weighing in at 190 grams, this phone looks quite chunky at first glance. It also seems to be missing a front camera. But selfie-mad snappers shouldn’t worry: The main camera flips out and sits on top of the screen, where it can rotate 180 degrees.
The “flip camera” is more than just a new selfie toy. It allows for neat 180-degree panorama pictures, with a motor that rotates the camera instead of shaky human hands. The camera can also be shifted into unique picture angles using the volume keys.
The construction seems quite durable: The motor switches off if under pressure and the camera flips back into the phone automatically if it falls to the ground. Asus predicts that it can handle 100,000 flips. Time will tell how durable it really is.
The built-in 48-megapixel primary lens and a rich array of software also make for good quality pictures. The lens calculates four pixels at a time and combines them into one larger photo of 12 megapixels, allowing for better detail, light and less picture noise. You can also take a 48 MP picture if desired.
There is no separate zoom lens like on Samsung’s Galaxy S10, OnePlus 7 or Huawei’s P30 Pro, but there is two-time magnification without a noticeable decline in quality.
The primary lens is complemented by a 13-megapixel, 125-degree wide lens that is a sensible addition not just for group selfies. Typical wide-lens distortions like curvy lines are mostly removed by the phone’s software.
For its operating system, the Zenfone uses a slightly adjusted version of Google’s Android 9 that it calls ZenUI 6. Asus also expects to incorporate the upcoming Android versions Q and R.
ZenUI 6 is good for purists and not unlike Google’s reduced, cleaner version of Android. Yet it still comes with a variety of settings, including night mode and do not disturb mode for games. You can also operate more than one account on apps like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or Twitter.
The Zenfone 6 matches its higher-profile rivals in everyday operation, with a Snapdragon 855 processor that is powerful enough for games, videos and augmented reality uses. It includes up to 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of storage. – dpa
