ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser Review: Affordable, Unlocked, Great Camera
ZenFone 2 Laser Intro and Specs
When ASUS released the ZenFone 2 Laser, the company’s goal was to offer a premium smartphone experience with strong camera performance at an affordable price. On the surface the ZenFone 2 Laser has many of the key features of a premium phone, including an octa-core SoC with Adreno graphics, dual active SIM capabilities, a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a 13-megapixel camera, and a removable battery.
Given that many flagship Android phones sell for $599 and up for an unlocked version, ASUS’s price of $249 for the high-end 32GB model of the ZenFone 2 Laser is very reasonable. If you want to save some cash, ASUS is also offering this phone with 16GB of storage for $199. This phone is compatible with GSM Networks such as AT&T and T-Mobile as well as MVNOs that use these networks, such as Straight Talk, Walmart Family Mobile, MetroPCS, Simple Mobile, Brightspot, Net10, h20 Wireless, and Cricket Wireless.
When we reviewed the original ZenFone 2, we felt it had a lot to offer for a modest price. Like its predecessor, the ZenFone 2 Laser also offers quite a bit of power and features for a reasonable cost. There are some hardware differences in the two phones that help set them apart, however. Here’s a look at all the ZenFone 2 Laser has to offer:
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CPU |
64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core (quad-core 1.7 GHz ARM Cortex A53 + quad-core 1.0 GHz ARM Cortex A53) |
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GPU |
Adreno 405 |
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RAM |
3GB RAM |
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Storage |
16GB or 32GB microSDXC (up to 128 GB) |
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Connectivity |
802.11n Wi-Fi, BT 4.1 with AptX, Wi-Fi Direct, Micro-USB (USB OTG), 3.5 mm headphone/microphone jack |
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Network |
Dual Antennas for better signal reception Cat 4 LTE up to 150Mbp, 3G /HSPA+/DC-HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz) WCDMA Band 1/2/4/5/8 FDD-LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/17/20 |
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SIM Card |
Dual Active Micro-SIM Support (Selectable 4G LTE data) |
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Navigation |
GPS, BDS, GLONASS |
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Display |
5.5 inch IPS FHD 1080x1920 with 178 degree wide view angle, 401 PPI ASUS TruVivid Full Screen Lamination Technology Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Ultra-sensitive touch panel with glove touch ASUS ZenMotion touch and motion gestures (Double tap to wake up) |
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Video |
Video Recording MPEG-4 1080 @30fps Playback MPEG-4 up to 1080p |
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Battery |
Removable Lithium-Polymer 3000 mAh |
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Rear Camera |
13 Megapixel laser autofocus F/2.0 aperture, 5 element Largan Lens, dual LED real tone flash |
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Front Camera |
5 Megapixel, F/2.0, 85˚ wide angle |
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Sensor |
Accelerometer/Ambient Light/Proximity/E-Compass/Hall Sensor |
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Audio |
Dual Microphone for Noise Cancellation ASUS SonicMaster for better sound clarity and deeper bass |
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OS |
Android 5.0 + ASUS ZenUI 2.0 |
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Dimensions |
6.00 x 3.04 x 0.43 inches |
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Weight |
6 ounces |
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Price |
$199 (16GB) / $249 (32GB) |
As you can see, the ZenFone 2 Laser is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 with Adreno 405 graphics and 3GB of RAM. The ZenFone 2 utilized a 64-bit 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor along with a 6430 PowerVR 533MHz GPU and 4GB of RAM. Two additional key differences between the ZenFone 2 Laser and the ZenFone 2 are the storage capacity and price. The ZenFone 2 offers 64GB of storage for a slightly higher price of $299. The ZenFone 2 Laser offers your choice of 16GB or 32GB of storage for $199 or $249, respectively. Should you require additional storage, the ZenFone 2 Laser also has a micro SDXC slot that supports up to 128GB cards. The phone includes a removable 3000mAh battery.
