ASUS ZenFone 6: smartphone review

ASUS ZenFone 6: smartphone review
Technical specifications ASUS ZenFone 6
ASUS ZenFone 6 photo review
ASUS ZenFone 6. Conclusions

ASUS from year to year makes us happy with all kinds of mobile solutions. So, at one time we got an excellent flagship ASUS ZenFone 5Z , and in the lineup of the brand were almost ideal in price and features ASUS ZenFone Max M2 and M2 Pro. The company did not forget about gamers, releasing a real gaming flagship ASUS ROG Phone. Despite the fact that ASUS is not the engine of the market, their smartphones are interesting, expected, famous for their outstanding engineering ideas and finds. Ask for price ASUS ZenFone 6 ASUS ZenFone 6 has become just such an innovative solution on the market. Flagship smartphone with a large display and battery, without any hacks and openings for the front camera. Everything is very simple: ASUS engineers came up with FLIP Camera - a special rotary mechanism with which the main camera rotates 180 degrees and becomes frontal. Moreover, it is possible to rotate it at any angle (45, 90 or 120 degrees) at your discretion. At the same time, the solution looks more reliable than in the Samsung Galaxy A80 , since it uses only one rotary mechanism and there are no drawers. The second camera here is super wide angle. ASUS chose this particular scenario, not the zoom lens. Its resolution is 13 megapixels. The equivalent focal length of the lens is 11 mm and the aperture is F2.4.

Technical specifications ASUS ZenFone 6
Screen	6.4 ?, IPS, 1080 × 2340 pixels, 19.5: 9, 403 ppi
CPU	eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 7 nm, 2.8 GHz
RAM	6 GB
Built-in memory	64 GB
Memory card	microSD, separate slot
SIM	dual SIM support
Main camera	Flip Camera: 48 MP, 1/2 ?, F1.8, 26 mm (eq.) Laser + PDAF, LED flash + 13 MP, F2.4, 11 mm (eq.)
Front-camera	Flip Camera: 48 MP, 1/2 ?, F1.8, 26 mm (eq.) Laser + PDAF, LED flash + 13 MP, F2.4, 11 mm (eq.)
The fingerprint scanner	behind
Communications	Support for 4G networks LTE Cat.18 (1200/150 Mb / s), Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, FM Radio, USB-C; geolocation: A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo, QZSS
Audio jack	there is
Battery	5000 mAh, non-removable, supports fast charging (18 W)

ASUS ZenFone 6 photo review

ZS630KL Installation: ISO 34, F2.4, 1/514 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

According to our good tradition, the test begins with the simplest conditions for a smartphone - with shooting in good light on the street. In this scenario, both cameras of the device feel great: natural color reproduction, accurate focus and white balance, high detail. However, we have questions about the processing algorithms - the level of oversharp in the pictures is quite high and very noticeable with one hundred percent crop.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 39, F1.8, 1/383 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 36, F2.4, 1/394 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 25, F1.8, 1/781 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 60, F1.8, 1/120 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installation: ISO 25, F2.4, 1/755 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

It is worth noting that despite the equivalent focal length of 11 mm, geometric distortions and a “barrel” are not noticeable on an ultra-wide-angle camera. In this sense, it is perfect for shooting landscapes.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 43, F2.4, 1/50 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

In rooms with artificial lighting, the ASUS ZenFone also feels comfortable. However, it is impossible not to note the increasing level of processing and, as a result, over-sharpening. Apparently, the lack of optical image stabilization also affects.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 138, F2.4, 1/50 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 137, F1.8, 1/50 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 91, F2.4, 1/50 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 131, F2.4, 1/33 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 38, F1.8, 1/50 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 158, F2.4, 1/20 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 95, F1.8, 1/50 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

Interestingly, we noted the absence of distortion when shooting with an ultra-wide-angle camera on the street. Most likely, this is due to the fact that we shot landscapes. In the rooms you can sometimes notice a “barrel”, and geometric distortions.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 111, F1.8, 1/50 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 78, F2.4, 1/33 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

Above, we noted the lack of optical image stabilization, which makes shooting in the dark problematic. We began to check this in rooms with insufficient lighting and immediately found the night mode in the smartphone’s camera. It allows you to get high-quality and highly detailed images. However, resharp is still quite large. It is worth noting that the resolution of the ultra-wide-angle camera is noticeably lower. And if on the street and indoors this is not too striking, then in the dark the quality of the super wide sags even with the use of the night mode.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 1067, F1.8, 1/14 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 1600, F2.4, 1/10 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

After shooting in low-light rooms, we continued to test the camera at night in the city, where it performed well in our standard scenarios.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 246, F1.8, 1/50 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 230, F2.4, 1/20 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 140, F1.8, 1/50 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

In night mode, it is noticeable that the camera takes a lot of pictures and combines them. This can be seen in the luminous inscription, which looks bluish.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 92, F1.8, 1/14 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 124, F1.8, 1/14 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

Due to the fact that the camera is rotary, ASUS engineers have endowed the smartphone with one interesting and unusual function - auto-panorama. However, in our opinion, this function is not very necessary. The smartphone, although it makes a 180-degree image, can capture your hand in the frame. And to make wiring, holding the smartphone vertically, you can only do it by hand, without using a rotary mechanism and automation. But the presence of the manual mode we were very pleased. Thanks to him, we were able to make a high-quality and beautiful shot, because in manual mode you can precisely adjust the focus and at the same time calmly look at the screen, as in the viewfinder. At the same time, we used the opportunity to rotate the camera at any angle and put the smartphone directly on the floor.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 66, F2.4, 1/50 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 39, F1.8, 1/100 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

The camera in ASUS ZenFone 6 did not please us in all scenarios, although it proved to be universal and interesting. But what you can’t take away from her is one of the best selfie cameras on the market, dual and with an ultra-wide angle lens. It allows you to take really worthy selfies.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 43, F1.8, 1/302 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installation: ISO 43, F2.4, 1/184 s, 2.1 mm equiv.

In addition, you can make high-quality portraits with blurring the background with this camera. In this mode, you can turn on beautification, as well as adjust the blur.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 49, F1.8, 1/340 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ZS630KL Installations: ISO 50, F1.8, 1/412 s, 4.7 mm equiv.

ASUS ZenFone 6. Conclusions

ASUS ZenFone 6 has its own unique chip, its own WOW factor. During testing, we often caught surprised looks at the moments of switching the selfie and the main camera. It really amazes many. The ASUS ZenFone 6 has many advantages. This is today's top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, and 6 GB of RAM, and a large high-quality 6.4-inch IPS display. Among the undoubted advantages, it is also worth noting the huge 5000 mAh battery. If we talk about ASUS ZenFone 6 as a camera, there is a twofold feeling. On the one hand, before us is really one of the best selfie cameras on the market, on the other hand, the main camera is frankly weak. For all its versatility, the level of oversharpening surges in places. Also, there is a lack of optical image stabilization, which affects the quality of the picture. In night mode, the device works well. We noted the difference in resolution of the main and ultra-wide-angle cameras. Pros: