Zenfone 5: specifications and reviews

In this article, two modifications of such device as Zenfone 5 will be considered in detail. One of them, under the code A500KL, is built on the basis of the CPU Snapdragon 400, and the second one, A501CG, uses Atom Z2580 from Intel as the computing base. It is their technical parameters and capabilities that will be examined in detail in this review material.

Positioning

Initially, both these modifications of Zenfone 5 were positioned by the manufacturer as smart phones of the middle price range with excellent technical characteristics. At the time these gadgets were released, this approach was justified. But now, a year and a half after the start of sales, these smart phones have fallen into the niche of entry-level devices. This is due to the launch of sales of new gadgets with new generation CPUs. Accordingly, and the price of these smartphones has decreased significantly.

Contents of delivery

Very, very modest bundle of this gadget as for the solution of the once-average price range. It includes such accessories and components except for the smartphone itself and the built-in battery for 2110 mAh:

• An entry-level stereo headset with very low sound quality. More exacting to the quality of sound in the external speaker system, owners are advised to immediately replace it with a better one.
• A typical interface cable for connecting to a computer and for charging the battery.
• Charger with an output current signal of 1.35 A.
• A set of attachments to the headphones.
• A small brochure, which includes a user's manual and, of course, a warranty card.

The back cover of the device is made of plastic, and in addition to purchase a quality cover for Zenfone 5 will be superfluous. This will in the future avoid possible damage to the hull. For the same reason, it is strongly recommended to buy a protective film on the front panel of this unit. Although it is protected by the glass of the "Gorilla Eye" of the third generation, but this will also be superfluous. Another important component that is not included in the package is an external flash drive. In principle, an undemanding user will be able to work without this on this gadget, but in order to maximize its potential, this accessory will have to be purchased additionally.

Design

There are 8 different color options for the design of the case of this smartphone. The most practical of them is Asus Zenfone 5 Black. In this version, fingerprints and dust on the surface of a smart phone are almost invisible. In all other cases, you will have to clean the device much more often. On the front of the device is a 5-inch display, which, as mentioned earlier, is protected by the glass of the "Gorilla Eye" of the third generation. Underneath the control panel of their three buttons is displayed. It is worth noting that they are not equipped with a backlight, and in the dark they will have to look for the first time to touch. Above the display is the manufacturer's logo. Still above there is a peephole of the front camera, an LED event indicator and a talking speaker. On the right edge of the gadget are located buttons to adjust the volume of the device and its lock. On the lower edge of the smartphone there is a wired port "MicroUSB" and a small hole of the spoken microphone. On the upper side of the device, a 3.5-millimeter acoustic port and another small microphone hole are provided, which suppresses external noise during the conversation. On the back cover of the smartphone the eyes of the main camera and its LED lighting are displayed. There is also another manufacturer logo and a loud speaker.

Processor and its capabilities

The Zenfone 5 phone can be built on various processor solutions: Snapdragon 400 from Kualkom (A500KL version) and Atom series from Intel (all other modifications of this gadget). In the first case, this is a 4-core chipset, whose computational modules are capable of overclocking to 1.2 GHz in the mode of maximum load. They are also built on the basis of the architecture, codenamed "Cortex A7". This is a time-proven solution that boasts a high level of reliability. Yes, and with energy efficiency, he is also all right. But performance is poor. Of course, for most problems this will be quite enough, but the most demanding toys on it will certainly not be launched.

But in the second case, as a chip, as noted earlier, there are solutions on Intel Atom. And we are talking about three different modifications of the processor: Z2520, Z2560 and Z2580. The technical specifications are identical: they have 2 computational modules, which are transformed into 4 computational flows using the Hyper-Threading technology at the software level. They are based on 32 nm technology, equipped with a cache of 1 MB. The only difference between the previously mentioned CPU models is the frequency formula. For the Z2520, the operating frequency range is 0.3-1.2 GHz, for the Z2560 - 0.4-1.6 GHz and for the Z2580 - 0.533-2 GHz. As a result, it can be noted that the last modification of the CPU can boast the highest level of performance at a comparable level of power consumption (it is recommended to pay attention to potential customers: at a higher level of performance, its price does not differ significantly with a similar arrangement of the memory subsystem). Well, when choosing this model of the smartphone, you need to specify the model of the processor used in the gadget before purchasing.

Graphic adapter

Two models of graphics accelerators can be found in the devices of this series. In gadgets on the basis of the CPU Snapdragon 400, the video card is Adreno 305. If the calculated chip from Intel is used, then the graphics accelerator PowerVR SGX544MP2 is already used. The level of their productivity is comparable to today. To solve a wide range of everyday tasks, their hardware and software capabilities are enough. But for the most demanding toys this is not enough.

Touch screen

Zenfone 5 is equipped with a touch screen with a diagonal of 5 inches. Its resolution is 1280 x 720, and the matrix underlying it is made using the "IPS" technology. Also, developers did not forget about the protection of the display: almost the entire front panel of the gadget is covered with glass of the "Gorilla Eye" of the 3rd generation with an oleophobic coating applied over it . In addition, there is no air gap between the touch panel and the surface of the matrix. As a result, the quality of the image displayed on the display does not really cause any criticism, and the viewing angles on this device are as close as possible to 180 degrees.

Cameras

A fairly high-quality main camera on the Asus Zenfone 5. It has a sensor at 8 megapixels. There is also a system of LED backlighting, which, with insufficient level of illumination, still allows you to get high-quality images. In addition to this, the camera implements technologies of autofocus, digital zoom and PixelMaster. As a result, the quality of the photos obtained on this gadget does not really cause any complaints. This unit can record video at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The refresh rate of the image will be 30 frames per second. More modest technical parameters for the front camera. Its sensor is based on a 2 Mp matrix. This is clearly not enough for high-quality self, but it's enough for IP-telephony or video calls.

Memory

A very confusing situation with the memory subsystem in Zenfone 5. The review of the models on the market indicates such technical parameters:

• The amount of RAM can be 1 or 2 GB.
• The capacity of the built-in storage device can be of the following sizes: 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB.
• All devices in this series have a slot for installing an external drive. Its maximum capacity can be 64 GB.

The most interesting in terms of purchase is the device of this series with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of integrated storage. In this case, you can even do without a memory card. But the cost of it will be much higher. Therefore, as a golden mean, you can choose a smartphone with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. This is also quite enough for comfortable work with a reasonable approach.

Battery

The Zenfone 5 smartphone has a built-in 2110 mAh battery. On the one hand, such a constructive solution allows to ensure a high quality of assembly of the case of the device. But at the same time, if the battery fails without a specialized center, it is rather difficult to replace this accessory. The indicated capacity of the integrated battery is sufficient for 1 day of average load. If you further reduce the level of use of the device, you will get a maximum of 2 days. Well, when playing or playing video, you can count on 12 hours of battery life.

A special solution to the problems with the autonomy of this gadget is the installation of an external battery. But the battery is charging this smartphone quickly enough. The battery capacity is 2110 mAh, the output current of the charger is 1.35 A. As a result, it will take a little more than an hour and a half to charge. This is an excellent indicator for such a 5-inch smart phone.

Data exchange

The interface kit from Asus Zenfone 5 is as follows:

• Full support for GSM and 3G for devices with a processor from Intel. For solutions with Snapdragon 400, LTE is also added to this list. This is quite enough to exchange information with the World Wide Web, make calls and receive various messages (both multimedia and text).
• Also, the smartphone is equipped with a wifi. This is an important wireless interface, with which you can download data from the Internet in an unlimited amount.
• To connect a wireless headset or to exchange in a small volume with similar smart phones, it's best to use bluetooth. This transmitter is also in this model of the smartphone.
• Navigational functions of the device is carried out using the GPS module.
• "MicroUSB" is indispensable in cases where it is necessary to synchronize the device with a PC or when charging an integrated battery.
• A 3.5-millimetric audio port allows you to output audio from a smartphone to an external speaker system.

Software

Originally on this gadget is preinstalled the 4th version of the "Android". But when you first connect to the World Wide Web, the Zenfone 5 firmware will automatically update to its 5th version. Similar updates became available for download in April 2015. In the rest, the set of system software on this smartphone is standard. There are typical clients for social networks ("Facebook", "Twitter"). Also, programmers and utilities from the search giant ("Chrome", "Jimail +", a mail client) have not forgotten. Finally, you should also note the presence of integrated mini-applications ("Calendar", "Contacts", "Calculator"). All the rest of the newly-made owner will have to be additionally installed on his new device.

Price

Depending on the technical parameters, the cost of Zenfone 5 changes significantly. The price for the most affordable modifications starts at $ 160. For this money you will get 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of integrated disk space and 4-module CPU from "Kualkom". But a more progressive modification of this device with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of built-in storage with a 2-core CPU from Intel costs 235 dollars. Well, for the most advanced version of the gadget, you will have to pay even more - about $ 320.

Reviews

In fact, there are only three significant shortcomings in Zenfone 5. The reviews highlight such disadvantages:

• Small battery capacity. This is solved by purchasing an additional external battery.
• Large body sizes, which are even larger than some models with a diagonal of 5.2 inches. Alas, this disadvantage will have to get used to.
• A low level of maximum screen brightness of 263 cd / m ² . This value is clearly not enough for comfortable work on a bright sunny day.

But the advantages of this smartphone users noticed much more:

• A productive processor.
• Updated and fresh software platform.
• Possibility of flexible device selection depending on the memory subsystem.
• Perfect build quality of the gadget.

Results

Whatever it was, and Zenfone 5 really boasts good technical parameters. At the same time the cost of the basic version of the gadget is only $ 160. In the end, it turns out to be an excellent purchase for those who are looking for an inexpensive smart phone with good parameters for every day.