Asus has launched its Zenfone 5Z smartphone in India as a Flipkart Exclusive device. As a previous leak revealed, the base model of the smartphone with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage has been priced at Rs 29,999, while its 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant will cost Rs 32,999. The 8GB RAM/ 256GB variant of the handset comes in at Rs 36,999. The handset will be available in two colours, Meteor Silver and Midnight Blue, and will go on sale via Flipkart from July 9. The highlight of the device is its thin-bezel ‘notched’ display. It is also the second smartphone in India to be powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC, after the OnePlus 6.
The company is offering the ZenEar Pro headset as an in-box accessory, along with a Clear Bumper Case. For launch offers, buyers will receive a flat Rs 3,000 discount, if they buy it via an ICICI debit and credit card. Same as the Zenfone Max Pro M1, the company is offering Complete Mobile Protection Plan for the Zenfone 5Z for Rs 499, which is said to be worth 2,299. There is also a no-cost EMI option starting at Rs 3,333 per month. Jio subscribers can avail a Rs 2200 cashback with the device, along with an additional 100GB of 4G data.
The Asus Zenfone 5Z sports a 6.2-inch full-HD+ LCD screen with a 19:9 display aspect ratio. The notch houses the front-facing camera, the earpiece and other sensors. The device also comes with an option to hide the notch while gaming or watching a video. As mentioned earlier, it is powered by the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 SoC and its pricing makes it the cheapest device with the latest Qualcomm chipset.
In terms of optics, the smartphone is equipped with a 12MP + 8MP dual-rear cameras with a f/1.8 and a f/2.2 aperture lens respectively. The company says that the AI-based features on the device come into play while capturing an image. The camera is said to be capable of detecting between 16 different scenes and subjects. The device also comes with an ‘AI Gallery’ feature, which is said to display an image with different filters and it also group photos automatically. On the front, it sports an 8MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture lens and 84-degree field of view. Both the front and rear cameras support EIS as well.
The device runs on Android 8.0, features Face Unlock and comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor as well. It is backed by a 3300mAh battery that supports Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0 for faster charging and the company claims that 60 percent of the battery charges in 38 minutes. For audio, the device is equipped with Dual NXP SmartAMP speakers for delivering better audio and it comes with Qualcomm aptX, Hi-Res Audio and DTS Headphone X technology. It supports digital USB audio output (USB DAC) as well.
You can read our first impressions of the smartphone here.