Asus is one of the OEMs that took part in this year’s MWC and it unveiled a number of smartphones among which is the Asus Zenfone 5Z flagship. Also in the list of smartphones released is the Asus Zenfone 5 and 5 Lite. With the number of high-end flagships from the likes of Sony, Samsung, Nokia and so on already announced, the Asus Zenfone 5Z has a fierce competition in its wake. Let’s have a look at the smartphone to see if it really is a force to reckon with.
Asus Zenfone 5Z Key Specs and Features
- 6.2-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1080 X 2246 pixels (403 ppi)
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- Octa-core Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 845 CPU with 8GB RAM
- 256GB built-in storage and supports memory card up to 400GB
- Dual 12MP rear camera and 8MP front camera
- 4G LTE
- Fingerprint sensor (rear)
- 3, 300mAh non removable Li-ion battery
Design and Display
The most apparent thing on the Asus Zenfone 5Z at first glance is it’s striking similarity with the iPhone X. This is largely due to the presence of the notched display featured here. However, the result is a smartphone with about 90% screen to body ratio which is definitely a good sight to behold. Like other flagships the bezels on the smartphone is greatly reduced and the back panel is also covered with glass. Unlike the iPhone X the bottom bezels are still present but only slightly.
One of the perks of the smartphone is its large display and how it manages to fit into the smartphone. The Asus Zenfone 5Z has a display of about 6.2-inch which is massive with a 19:9 aspect ratio. In addition to the large size, it is also quite colourful boasting of a 2246 X 1080 pixels and a 403 ppi pixel density.
Battery and Camera
While high-end flagships are not the type to pack a lot of battery power, the Asus Zenfone 5Z has just enough for a decent usage time. The smartphone packs a 3, 300mAh battery capacity in addition to the list of features it has. Even though there’s no wireless charging like you have in other flagships despite being made of glass. The smartphone supports the quick charge feature.
Camera-wise, the Asus Zenfone 5Z is well equipped for taking nice pictures. It also joins the league of dual rear camera devices as it features a dual 12MP snapper with features like the bokeh effect, beautification, scene detection to mention a few. For selfies, you’ve got an 8MP front camera for clearer pictures.
Hardware and Software
Moving on to the brains behind the smooth performance, the Asus Zenfone 5Z also makes use of the latest Qualcomm chipset same as the likes of Samsung Galaxy S9 and LG V30S ThinQ smartphone. Talking about the Octa-core Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 845 chipset alongside an Adreno 630 GPU.
The good run continues with a mouth watering 8GB RAM and a built-in storage of about 256GB which is about the most you can ask of a smartphone. It also supports a memory card up to 400GB if you wish to have more space which I doubt if most people would want that. Like most flagships launched this year, it has Android 8.0 Oreo pre-installed.
Asus Zenfone 5Z Price and Availability
After its announcement in this year’s MWC, the smartphone is scheduled to roll out later this in June with a price tag of $499 which is approximately 180, 000 Naira.
Asus Zenfone 5Z Specs
Here are a few specs of the Asus Zenfone 5Z:
General Features
- Platform: Android 8.0 Oreo
- Processor: Octa-core 4 x 2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver (Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 845)
- GPU: Adreno 630
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Colours: Midnight Blue, Meteor Silver
- Dimension: –
- Weight: 155g
- SIM Type: Nano Sim
- SIM Count: Dual Sim
Display
- Display: 6.2-inch IOS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1080 X 2246 pixels (403 ppi)
- Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass
Camera
- Rear Camera: Dual 12MP camera, 2160p Video@60fps, 1080p Video@30/60fps
- Rear Camera Features: –
- Front Camera: 8MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 256GB
- Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 400GB
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: Yes
- 2G CDMA 1X: Yes
- 3G WCDMA: Yes
- 3G CDMA EVDO: Yes
- 4G LTE: Yes
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: Yes, HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes, LTE-A (5CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes, v5.0 with A2DP, LE
- NFC: –
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player
- Video Player: MP4/H.264 player
- FM Radio: Yee
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: Yes
Navigation
- Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: –
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: –
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, (rear)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: –
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: –
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: –
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Wireless Charging: –
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: –
- Dust Resistant: –
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: Yes
- Document Editor: Yes
Battery
- Battery: 3, 300mAh non removable Li-ion battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: Yes
