Asus, Zenfone 5z, first impression, hands-on, review India, launch, price, specs
Asus Zenfone 5Z comes with trademark concentric glass design, which was first seen in Zenfone 3 series.KVN Rohit/IBTimes India

As promised, Asus released the much-awaited Zenfone 5Z in India exclusively on Flipkart with exciting launch offers.

Touted as the flagship killer phone, the Zenfone 5Z comes with a truckload of the features, including premium build quality, excellent Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras both front and the back, long-lasting battery with smart charging capabilities, clutter-free user interface with less pre-loaded apps. Snapdragon 845 octa-core, Qualcomm's latest and most powerful CPU to date and yet costs much less than compared to similar flagships such as OnePlus 6 and Samsung Galaxy S9 series, among others.

I had the opportunity to check out the Zenfone 5Z before the official launch and have to say, Asus phone truly lives to its tagline 'Flagship Redefined'.

The highlight of the Asus phone is the camera hardware. It boasts 12MP+8MP dual-camera with super 0.03 second Tri-tech autofocus, dual-tone LED flash and Artificial Intelligence(AI)-powered photography system with AI Scene Detection in 16 types: food, sky, green field, plant, ocean, sunset, snow, flower, stage, dog, cat, people, text, tripod, QR code, night view, AI photo learning for grouping albums, Real-time Portrait, real-time Beautification and more. Additionally, it boasts Pixel 3 Master system with Super Resolution (48MP) image taking ability and more

On the front too, it houses equally impressive 8MP sensor with F2.0 aperture, OV8856 sensor, 83-degree wide-angle lens, PixelMaster camera modes: Auto (with Night HDR and Portrait), Beauty, GIF, Animation, 8 various filters.

Asus, Zenfone 5z, first impression, hands-on, review India, launch, price, specs
Asus Zenfone 5Z launched in India with prices starting at Rs 29,999.KVN Rohit/IBTimes India

Other stipulated features include 6.2-inch full HD+ screen, Adreno 630 graphics engine, Android Oreo OS, 4GB/64GB/8GB RAM, 64GB/128GB/256GB storage and a 3,300mAh battery, which is enough to keep the phone running for more than a day under mixed usage.

Asus Zenfone 5Z launch offers:

Asus Zenfone 5Z is available exclusively on Flipkart and come in three options --6GB RAM +64GB storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM+256GB storage-- for Rs 29,999, 32,999 and Rs 36,999 from 9 July onwards.

As part of the launch offer, Asus is giving Rs 3,000 instant cash back for ICICI debit/credit card holders, No Cost EMI offer with prices starting Rs 3,000 per month and 100GB extra data for Reliance Jio.

Additionally, Flipkart is offering Rs 499 Complete Damage Protection, which entitles users the door-step pick-up service and device swap in the service centre.

Asus, Zenfone 5z, first impression, hands-on, review India, launch, price, specs
Asus Zenfone 5z comes in Meteor Silver and Midnight Blue colour options.KVN Rohit/IBTimes India

Key specifications of Asus Zenfone 5Z launch:

Model Asus Zenfone 5Z
Display 6.2-inch full HD+ (24460x1080p) 2.5D curved glass super IPS+ LCD screen with Corning Glass protection, glove touch support
  • Brightness: 550 nits
  • Colour Gamut: 95.4% NTSC, DCI-PC 3
  • Contrast ratio: 1500:1
  • Aspect ratio: 19:9
  • Screen-to-body ratio: 90%
  • Blue-light filter for eye care
  • Auto Colour Temperature
  • Smart Screen On
  • Capacitive touch panel with 10 points multi-touch (supports glove touch)
OS Android Oreo with ZenUI 5.0 (guaranteed to get Android P)
Processor 10nm class 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core with AI Boost
GPU Adreno 630
RAM 4GB/6GB/ 8GB
Storage 64GB/128GB/256GB, + up to 2TB via microSD
Camera
  • Main dual-cameras: 12MP (with Sony IMX363 sensor, 1.4µm pixel size, F1.8 aperture, 0.03s Tri-Tech auto-focus/dual-Pixel, Phase Shift Auto Focus (PDAF), 4-axis OIS Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), Electrical Image Stabilisation (EIS), Pro mode with RAW support) + 8MP (with OV8856 sensor, 120-degree wide-angle lens and F2.2 aperture), dual-tone LED flash with AI Photography: AI Scene Detection in 16 types: food, sky, green field, plant, ocean, sunset, snow, flower, stage, dog, cat, people, text, tripod, QR code, night view, AI Photo Learning, Real-time Portrait, Real-time Beautification, Pixel 3 Master (main camera) modes: Auto (with Night HDR and Portrait), Beauty, Super Resolution (48MP), GIF Animation, Time Lapse (with power saving mode), 8 various filters
  • Front: 8MP sensor with F2.0 aperture, OV8856 sensor, 83-degree wide-angle lens, PixelMaster camera modes: Auto (with Night HDR and Portrait), Beauty, GIF, Animation, 8 various filters
Video recording
  • 4K UHD (3840 by 2160) video at 60 fps for main rear camera
  • 1080p FHD video recording at 30 / 60 fps
  • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • 3-axis electronic image stabilization for rear cameras
  • Take the still photo while recording video
  • Slow Motion video (1080p at 240 fps / 720p at 240 fps)
  • ZeniMoji: Live Emoji
Audio Speaker
  • Dual speakers
  • 5-magnet speaker with dual NXP Smart Amp for louder, deeper and less distorted sound effect

Audio Output:

  • Hi-Res audio 192kHz/24-bit standard that is 4 times better than CD quality
  • DTS (Digital Theater System) Headphone: X 7.1 virtual surround sound for headphone support
  • Qualcomm Audio CODEC
  • AudioWizard with listening profile

Microphone:

  • Triple internal microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology;

FM Receiver:

  • FM radio
Battery 3,300mAh battery with Asus BoostMaster fast charging and AI-charging
Network 4G-LTE Cat 12
Sensors Rear fingerprint sensor (0.3 seconds unlock, supports 5 fingerprints), Face recognition, Accelerator, E-Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, RGB sensor
Add-ons Dual-SIM slots (Type hybrid: SIM-1 + SIM 2 or microSD card), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi (with 802.11 ac with 2x2 MIMO-DL 866mbps), Near Field Communication (NFC), A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, ASUS ZenEar Pro Hi-Res earphone with microphone will be part of package, Type C USB port (v2.0). 3.5 mm audio jack port,
Dimensions 153 × 75.65 × 7.85 mm
Weight 155g
Colours Midnight blue and Meteor Silver
Price
  • 6GB RAM +64GB storage: Rs 29,999
  • 6GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs 32,999
  • 8GB RAM+256GB storage: Rs 36,999

Stay tuned. Follow us @IBTimesIN_Tech on Twitter and on Google News for latest updates on Asus.