ASUS ZenFone Zoom Review: An Android With True 3X Optical Zoom

At a glance, you may assume the phone we're testing here is one you've seen before -- a Nokia Lumia 1020 clone perhaps? Despite having a similar circular camera fixture on the handset's back side, suggesting a strong focus on photography, this is actually a newly released phone produced by ASUS. The ASUS ZenFone Zoom is an interesting beast. Though it was initially released for a more international audience, ASUS has since seen fit to bring the device to North American shores.

It makes sense, though. Other than calling or texting, cameras have long been a key smartphone feature that gets used most frequently and many consumers will tell you that photo image quality is paramount when it comes to choosing a phone. The ZenFone Zoom is a test to see how willing users are to put their money where their mouth is. At $399 unlocked, this phone is certainly more affordable than the newest iPhone or flagship device from HTC, Sony, Samsung or LG. Internally, the Intel Atom-powered phone is very similar to the ZenFone 2 we reviewed last year, save for one major item: the camera.

Let's take you on the nickel video tour first, then we'll dive in deep with more detail...

ASUS ZenFone Zoom Specifications & Features

OS	Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
CPU	64-bit 2.3 GHz Intel Z3580 Quad-Core CPU
GPU	PowerVR G6430
Memory	4GB LPDDR3 RAMM 64GB eMMC Flash 128GB eMCP Flash 5GB free lifetime ASUS WebStorage 64GB eMMC Flash 128GB eMCP Flash 5GB free lifetime ASUS WebStorage 64GB eMMC Flash 128GB eMCP Flash 5GB free lifetime ASUS WebStorage
Display	5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) 403ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Rear Camera	13 MP Rear-facing Camera 3X optical zoom / 12X total zoom 4 Stop OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) 10P HOYA lens 0.03 second laser auto-focus 32 second long exposure Close-up macro photography (5 cm) dual-color Real Tone flash Back Light (HDR) mode with ASUS PixelEnhancing Technology for up to 400% brighter , and evenly exposed photos Low Light mode with ASUS PIxelMaseter Technology for up to 400% brighter photos and videos Manual Mode for DSLR-like camera detail settings Super resolution mode for up to 52 X resolution photos Real Time Beautification Auto Focus LED Flash PixelMaster 10-element lens
Front Camera	5 MP Front-facing camera  Wide View PixelMaster
Network	GSM / HSPA / LTE Cat 6 Capable  WCDMA; nano-SIM card slot
Wireless	NFC, Bluetooth 4.0+EDR, Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz), GPS/GLONASS/QZSS/SBAS/BDS GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700 (AWS),1900, 2100 MHz) CDMA (800, 850, 1900 MHz) 4G LTE† (B1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 25, 26, 38, 41)
Ports & Sensors	3.5 mm stereo audio jack microSD slot Accelerator/E-Compass/Gyroscope/Proximity/Ambient Light Sensor/Hall Sensor
Size	185 grams 159.9 x 78.84 x 5 ~ 11.95 mm
Battery	3000 mAh Li-Polymer (non-removeable)
Price	$399 MSRP unlocked via B&H Photo, $449 at Amazon

We had mostly positive things to say about the ZenFone 2 back in June of last year, particularly when its $299 price tag was taken into account. However, perhaps at this point its internal processing engine might be getting a bit long in tooth for a new product in 2016. What's clear is that this phone is aimed at a very specific niche -- those who want manual camera control and top-notch image quality in a an Android phone that won't break the bank. In the pages ahead, we'll see how close ASUS comes to hitting that mark.