Asus Zenfone 2 Review: Amazing performance Amazing price


asus zenfone 2 review

The Asus Zenfone aimed to disrupt the phone market and I believe they’ve done a sterling job. Here is our full review of the Asus Zenfone 2.

Asus knew what was needed to grab headlines when announcing their new flagship phone. First of all they went and gave their new device a whopping 4GB RAM, then they gave it an affordable price and finally great availability with the device already on sale, or launching soon, in markets around the world.

For us at GizChina.com we were excited to get our hands on the Asus Zenfone 2 for a few reasons. We wanted to see what 4GB RAM really means in the real world, and we wanted to see if Asus had finally produced a phone truly worth getting excited about. Keep reading for full details.

Asus Zenfone 2 – First impressions

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – Design

asus zenfone 2

I’m not going to beat around the bush, the Zenfone 2 isn’t the best looking phone on the market today. Going from the luxurious Xiaomi Mi Note to the chunky, plastic Asus certainly felt like a downgrade, but once I got to grips with the device I soon forgot about the looks.

asus zenfone 2

Made of plastic with chunky bezels and a removable rear panel, there is nothing revolutionary about the design of the Zenfone 2. It is clear to me that Asus took inspiration from HTC and LG when designing their device, and while it might not feel as premium as the G3 or M9 it doesn’t feel poorly made either.

There are no creaks or groans from the material when under pressure and everything fits nice and flush.

On the front we have a 5.5-inch FHD display with navigations buttons on a bar above an empty chin area. Removing the chin would greatly reduce the length of the Asus Zenfone 2, and would improve the front end looks no end too, but I suppose these are changes to look forward to in the next-gen model.

An Asus logo on the front isn’t to my taste either and reminds me of phone designs of old, but I suppose Asus are proud of their phone and want to ensure everyone knows who put it together.

asus zenfone 2 review

The sides are very thin thanks to a generous curve to the removable back panel. Even with it’s wider bezels the smooth rear fits in to your hand easily, although I do struggle now and then when reaching across the screen with my thumb.

As Asus have located the power button at the top in the middle and the volume rocker on the rear there are no buttons on either side. The only details we find are the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack at the very top and USB in the base.

asus zenfone 2 review

That brushed metal finish isn’t actually metal but a nice pattern on a plastic panel. Starting at the top we have a very bright dual tone LED flash, then 13 mega-pixel main camera, volume control, another Asus logo, an Intel logo then large speaker grill. It sounds rather busy but actually looks pretty good in real life.

asus zenfone 2 review

Removing the rear panel is harder work than on other phones but that’s fine as it is a nice tight fit. On the inside with have space for dual SIM cards, a micro SD card and we can see the battery but not remove it.

Although I wasn’t taken with the design at first I’ve become quite used to it. It is a well put together phone it feels good in the hand and considering it as a package is a joy to use.

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – Specifications

Specifications are really what make the Asus shine in comparison to the competition. At the current price of around $322 (Coupon code at the end of the review) through resellers there are very few phone that can touch the Zenfone 2. The version of the Asus Zenfone 2 which I have been testing is the ZE551Ml and has a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display, 13 mega-pixel PixelMaster main camera, 1.8Ghz Intel processor, 4GB RAM and 3000mAh battery.

Looking at the specifications a little more closely and we find that the main camera has a F2.0 aperture and 178 degree lens plus dual LED flash. The screen is a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 item with IPS, there is a 5 mega-pixel front facing camera, LED notification light, and ZENUI runs on Android 5.0.

Those are some seriously impressive specifications for a phone of this money and means that the Zenfone 2 is a really great performer.

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – Screen

I’ve been using the Asus Zenfone 2 in some pretty bright outdoor environments and have been pleasantly surprised at just how legible the device is even in intense sunlight. Interestingly, when indoors and turning the screen brightness up the Zenfone 2 isn’t as bright as say the Meizu MX4 Pro, but it is still easy to read in sunny conditions.

asus zenfone 2 review

In the past I have tested great value flagships, the OnePlus One for example, and have found that overtime the screen can sometimes develop ghost touches. Thankfully this isn’t the case with the Asus Zenfone 2 which remains free of hauntings so far.

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – Performance and Benchmarks

With a quad-core, 64bit, 1.8Ghz processor and 4GB RAM you expect blazing performance and that is exactly what you get. In real world situations the Zenfone 2 is lightning fast. Applications open in an instant, the system is fluid, everything just works great. 4GB RAM means that you can multitask to your heart’s content. It might not be a good habit but I’ve had upwards of 20 applications/windows (browser tabs are displayed as a separate card in the multi-tasking window) running before the system has shown any signs of slowing.

As usual I ran a number of benchmarking application of the Asus Zenfone 2, but in all honesty the phone needs to be tried to be believed! It really is a powerhouse of a device!

Asus Zenfone 2 benchmarks

  • Quadrant: 16,861
  • GFXBench Manhattan: 712.0
  • GFXBench Manhattan offscreen: 754.9
  • GFXBench T-Rex: 1,494
  • GFXBench T-Rex offscreen: 1,421
  • Vellamo Metal: 1,076
  • Vellamo Multicore: 1,335
  • Vellamo Browser: 2,645
  • Ice Storm Extreme: 18,328
  • Geekbench Single-core Score: 744
  • Geekbench Multi-core Score: 2,257
  • Antutu: 41,077

Asus Zenfone 2 benchmarks screenshots

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – Camera

The camera on the Asus Zenfone 2 is a real hit and miss unit. Take the phone out on a sunny day and you can really capture some amazing photos. Go out another day in the same conditions and the camera acts like it has a hangover.

asus zenfone 2 review

The 13 megapixel PixelMaster sensor has all the makings of a great unit, F2.0 Aperture, 5 element lens and a feature packed camera application, but so far Asus haven’t been able to optimise it as well as we would have hoped. The camera optimisation issues is another area the Zenfone 2 is comparable to the OPO, and I hope that in future updates we are going to see a vast improvement.

asus zenfone 2 review

Whether the camera performance will bother you though really depends on what you use your camera for. If you just intend to take photos to share through Facebook or Instagram (where their quality will be reduced anyway) the Asus Zenfone 2 is fine. If you want to create larger images to share on your PC then there are certainly better camera phones available, although not at this price.

asus zenfone 2 review

Personally I love a phone with a great camera, it is a feature that I simply cannot live without. So on the one hand I am sometimes a little disappointed with the photos captured, but on the other hand I love the features on offer in the camera application.

Features I have used the most are Auto, HDR, and Selfie. Auto is obviously the default setting, HDR really needs to be worked on but in the right conditions it works well. Selfie mode actually uses the main camera to detect faces and shoot a group photo with the 13 mega-pixel sensor, great for family photos.

asus zenfone 2 review

In addition to those settings I have also used Super Resolution mode (similar to HD photo on the Oppo N3), Low Light mode (for use within 3 meters of a subject) and Night Mode. I’ve not used them much though as I have that they need some serious improvement.

Other camera features include Time Lapse, All Smiles, Smart Remove, Time Rewind, Miniature, Panorama, GIF Animation, Effect and Depth of Field. There probably is enough content here for a review of te Zenfone 2 camera application itself, but for I’ll leave it there for now and post a few photo sample taken with the phone in the gallery below.

Asus Zenfone 2 Photo Samples

Asus Zenfone 2 review Low light photo sample

I used the camera in the Auto setting for these low-light test, when using the “low-light” or “night” mode the quality is actually worse.

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – Audio, Connectivity and Battery

When I first received the Asus Zenfone 2 I had issues with GPS when using Strava, but there have been 2 OTA updates since which have solved the issue. Call reception, LTE, WIFI and Bluetooth have all worked trouble-free from the time of receiving the unit and through the various updates.

The 3000mAh battery in the phone, I feel, is pretty good. Other reports have said that the battery life is poor, but I have not experienced this. Earlier in my time with the phone I managed to get through almost a full day of use with my LG G Watch connected, and WIFI, LTE and GPS on constantly under review conditions. This morning I woke with 15% power left after a full day of use yesterday including over a 2 hour bike ride with Strava running, and music streaming over LTE via Google Music!

Sound quality through the receiver is loud and clear, audio through headphones is very good, but not up to the standard set by Vivo and Oppo, and the rear speaker isn’t bad either too.

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – ZenUI

Asus quite simple cannot make a good-looking operating system. ZenUI is easily the ugliest ROM I have ever used in my life! If it hadn’t been so smooth and feature packed I’m sure I would have stopped using the Zenfone 2 way back.

The developers at Asus quite clearly have some amazing ideas and they have stuffed a lot in to the operating system, but where they fail is on presentation. It doesn’t have the nice flat icons of other ROMs, and the UI doesn’t flow from app to app or menu to menu. A cleaner more polished ROM would greatly improve the user experience, however if you can get past the looks the ROM is some really nice features.

Asus Zenfone 2 Review – Conclusion

asus zenfone 2 review

The Asus Zenfone 2, in my opinion, is the OnePlus One of 2015 (until the OP2 is released). It is a absolute bargain of a phone when you see what the phone has to offer for the money, but has fewer issues than the OnePlus phone.

It might not be the best in terms of looks and camera performance but the building blocks are all there and with continued updates (Asus are rolling them out quite frequently) we are should see improved camera performance and you can always use a launcher if you don’t like the UI.

The only major drawback of the Asus Zenfone 2 I can see is app compatibility. I’ve heard that Here maps won’t work with the Intel chipset for example and never will. This is a downer as I did tend to use Here quite often, but it is the only app that I’ve had to sacrifice so far, and it’s not a huge deal.

Asus were once a brand I simply ignored but after using the Zenfone 2 I cannot wait to see what they have in store for the phone, and what their next devices are going to offer.

We purchased our Asus Zenfone 2 through Flosmall who are offering GizChina readers a $20 discount making the phone just $322. Code: gizenfone

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.

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118 Comments

  1. mohido
    May 11, 2015

    A camera review will not be complete without some low light samples and night shoots. Please do a proper camera review. Most cheap smartphone nowaday can shoot nice daytime picture and macro/close up shoot. What really differentiate a great camera is detail in landscape and low light shoot.

    • May 11, 2015

      the low light samples are there now. I had uploaded them but just missed adding the gallery.

      • balcobomber25
        May 11, 2015

        Andi how is that THL 2015 review coming along? Been a few months since the hands on was done…..

        If you want you can send it to me I’ll do the review for you.

        • May 11, 2015

          I’ll send you an email 😉

          • balcobomber25
            May 11, 2015

            Haha thanks.

      • iKosh
        May 11, 2015

        Do you remember what car is that with the red cylinder head cover?

        • May 11, 2015

          yes, its my Autobianchi A112. I fitted a new rocker cover with better linkage for the twin choke webber 😀

          • iKosh
            May 11, 2015

            I knew it was italian. The black coupe in the junkyard is an Alfa Romeo?

            • May 11, 2015

              There were some Alfas in there but the coupe pictured is actually a Lancia Fulvia. Shocked to see one in the scrap as they are worth quite a bit of money.

          • balcobomber25
            May 11, 2015

            Is that any relation to the Fiat 128? Hate to derail this thread but I love European mini cars.

            • May 11, 2015

              It is what Fiat based the 127 on, which later became the Lancia/Autobianchi Y10 and then the Fiat/Seat Panda 😀

            • balcobomber25
              May 11, 2015

              I mostly have owned Saabs and Volov’s in my life but for a brief time I had an olive green Fiat 126. It makes today’s Mini Cooper look like a big rig haha. Such a peppy and fun little car.

            • May 12, 2015

              I had a late model 126 a few years back. Zero grip on mine and was able to ‘drift’ at around 15mph 😀

            • balcobomber25
              May 12, 2015

              I could hit 15mph if I was going downhill!

  2. realjjj
    May 11, 2015

    Those Geekbench scores are low, in line with the 1.8GHz model so are you sure you are not testing the version with 1.8GHz and 4GB of RAM – they just launched such a version in India.
    The 2.3GHz version should score about 900/2700.

    As for being the OPO of this year, OPO had high end specs at this price last year , this one is upper mid-range this year so it’s quite a lot less than OPO was.
    1 extra GB of RAM is not that much value, it is something that users actually want (more than fingerprint or metal backs) but in the the end Asus pays 8-9$ for 1GB of RAM..

    • May 11, 2015

      Sorry it is the 1.8ghz, I was reading the specs of the one phone while writing about the other…. updated

      • realjjj
        May 11, 2015

        Good that i spotted it then.
        I do have a question, when you say it’s a bargain, is it really if you would compare it with things like the Jiayu S3 3GB and the bunch of others,especially at China prices. At China prices you get a few extras (better GPU, 1GB extra RAM, 16GB more NAND) for 2X the price. At prices for international buyers it gets a bit closer but not that close and at this price you can compare it with the MX4 Pro for example (can be found that cheap with a bit of effort).
        IMO the 2GB 1080p version is much better value.

        • May 11, 2015

          It’s worth buying over the JiaYu S3 for the fact it is already on Lollipop and getting great updates. But yep a lower end Zenfone 2 would be great too I imagine, 4GB RAM is really a must is it.

          • balcobomber25
            May 11, 2015

            The S3 looks so much better though lol.

            • wackenroader
              May 12, 2015

              I agreed, and it is expensive… and x86… the most bloated architecture for mobile.

    • balcobomber25
      May 11, 2015

      Yea I didn’t really agree with the OPO of last year for a few reasons: One the specs like you pointed out but the second is the demand is no where near as high as it was for the OPO. I don’t think the OPO 2 will be the in demand device this year either due to the higher price and lack of CM.

      • realjjj
        May 11, 2015

        Hard to quantify demand for OPO last year since they didn’t had supply. This model and the series will sell plenty (and a lot more than what OPO sold) , Asus is a known brand but they are rather slow in expanding to more markets and when much faster SoCs arrive ,selling this device will be much harder.
        As for OPT (OnePlus Two) , depends on specs and price. CM was a plus to get in the headlines ,for users it was both a plus and a minus since it wasn’t bug free. Now they’ll get enough attention even without it if they got a great device at a great price.
        Earlier today there were those OPPO R7 Plus renders and i was thinking Oneplus should take the R7 Plus, shove a SD618 in it and sell it at 200$, while delaying the Two for a proper high end SoC.Would be rather big at 5.9 inch but other than that it would be great.

        • balcobomber25
          May 11, 2015

          It’s not hard to quantify demand for the OPO at all, just visit anyone of the forums dedicated to cell phones. People were willing to sell their first born child for an invite. This model will sell more than OPO because it is offered in more countries and there is no invite system but the demand is no where near what the OPO had. If the OPO was offered invite free in all of the countries Asus is the sales wouldn’t even be close. And I am not even of OPO, I can just respect what they offered.

    • eddee
      May 11, 2015

      No, the scores are not low, they are for the most part higher than the OPO and the phone overall is more powerful. Sold my OPO, have the Zenfone 2, it’s a more powerful smother device.

      • balcobomber25
        May 11, 2015

        Looking at Geekbench I see scores of over 1100 (single) and 3300 (multi) for the OPO. Having said that benchmark scores don’t reflect real world performance, the Zenfone 2 could very well be a smoother device.

  3. balcobomber25
    May 11, 2015

    Imagine if Asus could design good looking phones? Having held this thing in person it is one of the ugliest devices I have ever used. The Zenfone 2 to me looks like the ugly step sister of the MX4. It’s funny because I have a few Asus laptops and they are all things of beauty.

    • eddee
      May 11, 2015

      Asus already has designed a good looking phone, it’s called the Zenfone 2 and it’s very nice looking.

      • balcobomber25
        May 11, 2015

        In your opinion it is, in my opinion it is one of the ugliest phones I have ever seen. The Zenfone 4 and 5 were decent looking, this is a monstrosity.

    • TheOracle
      May 12, 2015

      You keep on complaining about the looks. Asus isn’t forcing you to buy one and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the looks. So what do you think of the iPhone 6 plus and it’s humongous bezels? That’s an “ugly” phone that’s outselling everything. In addition, people should stop comparing this phone to the OPO or most other phones. This is dual-sim dual active with an sd slot that OPO don’t offer period. Compare it to other dual-sim phones and nothing comes close in this price range.

      • balcobomber25
        May 12, 2015

        I am not allowed to complain about an ugly phone but your allowed to complain about the iPhone and the OPO. No one is forcing you to buy either. Or does that reasoning only work for “The Oracle”?

        • TheOracle
          May 12, 2015

          Complain away. I’m not complaining about the iPhone or the OPO, I’m comparing the looks in the case of the iPhone Plus and stating that the OPO should not be compared to the Zenfone. They are in two different categories, therefore the Zenfone should be compared to other dual-sim phones. It shows how good the Zenfone is if it’s being mentioned along with the most popular phones despite being in a different category (dual-sim).

          • balcobomber25
            May 12, 2015

            Dual Sim phones are only a different category for some not all people. Personally I have never had a need for a dual sim phone (I have a separate work phone) so for me the Zenfone 2 and the OPO are in the same category, flagship phones. For the record I am no fan of the OPO, someone else brought it up as a comparison.

            • TheOracle
              May 12, 2015

              Fair enough but there was a time when one couldn’t find an international dual-sim phone with flagship specs unless you were willing to pay over $900 for Samsungs offerings. In the last two years that has changed and there are quite a few now. For me it’s definitely a different category because it’s a different type of phone.

  4. Guest
    May 11, 2015

    A camera review will not be complete without some low light samples and night shoots. Please do a proper camera review. Most cheap smartphone nowaday can shoot nice daytime picture and macro/close up shoot. What really differentiate a great camera is detail in landscape and low light shoot.

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      the low light samples are there now. I had uploaded them but just missed adding the gallery.

    • balcobomber25
      May 11, 2015

      Andi how is that THL 2015 review coming along? Been a few months since the hands on was done…..

      If you want you can send it to me I’ll do the review for you.

    • iKosh
      May 11, 2015

      Do you remember what car is that with the red cylinder head cover?

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      yes, its my Autobianchi A112. I fitted a new rocker cover with better linkage for the twin choke webber 😀

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      I’ll send you an email 😉

    • balcobomber25
      May 11, 2015

      Haha thanks.

    • iKosh
      May 11, 2015

      I knew it was italian. The black coupe in the junkyard is an Alfa Romeo?

    • iKosh
      May 11, 2015

      I knew it was italian. The black coupe in the junkyard is an Alfa Romeo?

    • balcobomber25
      May 11, 2015

      Is that any relation to the Fiat 128? Hate to derail this thread but I love European mini cars.

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      It is what Fiat based the 127 on, which later became the Lancia/Autobianchi Y10 and then the Fiat/Seat Panda 😀

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      It is what Fiat based the 127 on, which later became the Lancia/Autobianchi Y10 and then the Fiat/Seat Panda 😀

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      There were some Alfas in there but the coupe pictured is actually a Lancia Fulvia. Shocked to see one in the scrap as they are worth quite a bit of money.

    • balcobomber25
      May 12, 2015

      I mostly have owned Saabs and Volov’s in my life but for a brief time I had an olive green Fiat 126. It makes today’s Mini Cooper look like a big rig haha. Such a peppy and fun little car.

    • Andi Sykes
      May 12, 2015

      I had a late model 126 a few years back. Zero grip on mine and was able to ‘drift’ at around 15mph 😀

    • balcobomber25
      May 13, 2015

      I could hit 15mph if I was going downhill!

  5. realjjj
    May 11, 2015

    Those Geekbench scores are low, in line with the 1.8GHz model so are you sure you are not testing the version with 1.8GHz and 4GB of RAM – they just launched such a version in India.
    The 2.3GHz version should score about 900/2700.

    As for being the OPO of this year, OPO had high end specs at this price last year , this one is upper mid-range this year so it’s quite a lot less than OPO was.
    1 extra GB of RAM is not that much value, it is something that users actually want (more than fingerprint or metal backs) but in the the end Asus pays 8-9$ for 1GB of RAM..

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      Sorry it is the 1.8ghz, I was reading the specs of the one phone while writing about the other…. updated

    • balcobomber25
      May 11, 2015

      Yea I didn’t really agree with the OPO of last year for a few reasons: One the specs like you pointed out but the second is the demand is no where near as high as it was for the OPO. I don’t think the OPO 2 will be the in demand device this year either due to the higher price and lack of CM.

    • realjjj
      May 11, 2015

      Good that i spotted it then.
      I do have a question, when you say it’s a bargain, is it really if you would compare it with things like the Jiayu S3 3GB and the bunch of others,especially at China prices. At China prices you get a few extras (better GPU, 1GB extra RAM, 16GB more NAND) for 2X the price. At prices for international buyers it gets a bit closer but not that close and at this price you can compare it with the MX4 Pro for example (can be found that cheap with a bit of effort).
      IMO the 2GB 1080p version is much better value.

    • realjjj
      May 11, 2015

      Hard to quantify demand for OPO last year since they didn’t had supply. This model and the series will sell plenty (and a lot more than what OPO sold) , Asus is a known brand but they are rather slow in expanding to more markets and when much faster SoCs arrive ,selling this device will be much harder.
      As for OPT (OnePlus Two) , depends on specs and price. CM was a plus to get in the headlines ,for users it was both a plus and a minus since it wasn’t bug free. Now they’ll get enough attention even without it if they got a great device at a great price.
      Earlier today there were those OPPO R7 Plus renders and i was thinking Oneplus should take the R7 Plus, shove a SD618 in it and sell it at 200$, while delaying the Two for a proper high end SoC.Would be rather big at 5.9 inch but other than that it would be great.

    • balcobomber25
      May 11, 2015

      It’s not hard to quantify demand for the OPO at all, just visit anyone of the forums dedicated to cell phones. People were willing to sell their first born child for an invite. This model will sell more than OPO because it is offered in more countries and there is no invite system but the demand is no where near what the OPO had. If the OPO was offered invite free in all of the countries Asus is the sales wouldn’t even be close. And I am not even of OPO, I can just respect what they offered.

    • Guest
      May 11, 2015

      No, the scores are not low, they are for the most part higher than the OPO and the phone overall is more powerful. Sold my OPO, have the Zenfone 2, it’s a more powerful smother device.

    • Andi Sykes
      May 11, 2015

      It’s worth buying over the JiaYu S3 for the fact it is already on Lollipop and getting great updates. But yep a lower end Zenfone 2 would be great too I imagine, 4GB RAM is really a must is it.

    • balcobomber25
      May 12, 2015

      Looking at Geekbench I see scores of over 1100 (single) and 3300 (multi) for the OPO. Having said that benchmark scores don’t reflect real world performance, the Zenfone 2 could very well be a smoother device.

    • balcobomber25
      May 12, 2015

      The S3 looks so much better though lol.

    • wackenroader
      May 12, 2015

      I agreed, and it is expensive… and x86… the most bloated architecture for mobile.

  6. balcobomber25
    May 11, 2015

    Imagine if Asus could design good looking phones? Having held this thing in person it is one of the ugliest devices I have ever used. The Zenfone 2 to me looks like the ugly step sister of the MX4. It’s funny because I have a few Asus laptops and they are all things of beauty.

    • Guest
      May 11, 2015

      Asus already has designed a good looking phone, it’s called the Zenfone 2 and it’s very nice looking.

    • balcobomber25
      May 12, 2015

      In your opinion it is, in my opinion it is one of the ugliest phones I have ever seen. The Zenfone 4 and 5 were decent looking, this is a monstrosity.

    • TheOracle
      May 12, 2015

      You keep on complaining about the looks. Asus isn’t forcing you to buy one and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the looks. So what do you think of the iPhone 6 plus and it’s humongous bezels? That’s an “ugly” phone that’s outselling everything. In addition, people should stop comparing this phone to the OPO or most other phones. This is dual-sim dual active with an sd slot that OPO don’t offer period. Compare it to other dual-sim phones and nothing comes close in this price range.

    • balcobomber25
      May 12, 2015

      I am not allowed to complain about an ugly phone but your allowed to complain about the iPhone and the OPO. No one is forcing you to buy either. Or does that reasoning only work for “The Oracle”?

    • TheOracle
      May 12, 2015

      Complain away. I’m not complaining about the iPhone or the OPO, I’m comparing the looks in the case of the iPhone Plus and stating that the OPO should not be compared to the Zenfone. They are in two different categories, therefore the Zenfone should be compared to other dual-sim phones. It shows how good the Zenfone is if it’s being mentioned along with the most popular phones despite being in a different category (dual-sim).

    • balcobomber25
      May 12, 2015

      Dual Sim phones are only a different category for some not all people. Personally I have never had a need for a dual sim phone (I have a separate work phone) so for me the Zenfone 2 and the OPO are in the same category, flagship phones. For the record I am no fan of the OPO, someone else brought it up as a comparison.

    • TheOracle
      May 12, 2015

      Fair enough but there was a time when one couldn’t find an international dual-sim phone with flagship specs unless you were willing to pay over $900 for Samsungs offerings. In the last two years that has changed and there are quite a few now. For me it’s definitely a different category because it’s a different type of phone.

  7. eddee
    May 11, 2015

    Can’t figure out why you think the UI is the ugliest ROM your ever seen. It looks good to me, very clean. The one think I like about the iPhone is the unifomroity of the app icons, and so I like the Zen look too. What I find ugly are most other UI’s where all the apps are not uniform and the home screen it looks messy and odd and out of alignment because of all the different shapes of the icons.

  8. Paap Mrittu
    May 11, 2015

    I don’t find it as an attractive buy over even Jiayu s3. Am I the only one?

  9. P3V4X
    May 11, 2015

    waiting for this phone! expected price here in PH is $245 for ze551ml 2gb 32gb.

  10. Qidamin
    May 11, 2015

    Is it possible to get better pictures with a good camera app?

    • balcobomber25
      May 11, 2015

      It depends on the phone but try FV-5, Lenovo Super Camera (look on XDA for the APK) or Open Camera. I have got better results using those than using several stock camera apps.

  11. Guest
    May 11, 2015

    Can’t figure out why you think the UI is the ugliest ROM your ever seen. It looks good to me, very clean. The one think I like about the iPhone is the unifomroity of the app icons, and so I like the Zen look too. What I find ugly are most other UI’s where all the apps are not uniform and the home screen it looks messy and odd and out of alignment because of all the different shapes of the icons.

  12. fangbanger
    May 11, 2015

    It is ugly. I can’t live with ugliness anymore.

    • May 12, 2015

      you right dude !
      אתה צודק בחור

    • Manos
      May 12, 2015

      Yes it’s ugly but the price is good. For the money the quality is great. I have the 2.3GHz model for that money!

      • Imaginary Friend
        June 2, 2015

        I just bought this one, are you happy with it so far?

  13. Paap Mrittu
    May 11, 2015

    I don’t find it as an attractive buy over even Jiayu s3. Am I the only one?

    • Michael Ogbonnaya
      May 11, 2015

      Seems so

  14. Guest
    May 11, 2015

    waiting for this phone! expected price here in PH is $245 for ze551ml 2gb 32gb.

  15. TheOracle
    May 11, 2015

    Andi, I have the Z3580 model and Here Maps works fine. In the comments on the other thread a couple of people said otherwise and I attempted to correct them. You commented and I expected you to at least test Here Maps but you decided to perpetuate the fallacy. Disappointing.

    • balcobomber25
      May 13, 2015

      I have seen comments from both side of the argument (both readers and reviews) some say Maps works fine, others say it is a mess. Maybe it all depends on where you are as to whether or not it works.

  16. Qidamin
    May 12, 2015

    Is it possible to get better pictures with a good camera app?

    • balcobomber25
      May 12, 2015

      It depends on the phone but try FV-5, Lenovo Super Camera (look on XDA for the APK) or Open Camera. I have got better results using those than using several stock camera apps.

  17. fangbanger
    May 12, 2015

    It is ugly. I can’t live with ugliness anymore.

    • pdayahoo
      May 12, 2015

      you right dude !
      אתה צודק בחור

    • Manos
      May 12, 2015

      Yes it’s ugly but the price is good. For the money the quality is great. I have the 2.3GHz model for that money!

    • Imaginary Friend
      June 2, 2015

      I just bought this one, are you happy with it so far?

  18. TheOracle
    May 12, 2015

    Andi, I have the Z3580 model and Here Maps works fine. In the comments on the other thread a couple of people said otherwise and I attempted to correct them. You commented and I expected you to at least test Here Maps but you decided to perpetuate the fallacy. Disappointing.

    • balcobomber25
      May 13, 2015

      I have seen comments from both side of the argument (both readers and reviews) some say Maps works fine, others say it is a mess. Maybe it all depends on where you are as to whether or not it works.

  19. why12
    May 12, 2015

    so if i buy this from the link provided…out of box will it work in usa.. with LTE and all.. kindly please confirm..

    • TheOracle
      May 12, 2015

      No it won’t. To work in the US you need the Taiwan, Global or USA models. The one in the link is the Chinese/Indian model.

  20. Guest
    May 12, 2015

    so if i buy this from the link provided…out of box will it work in usa.. with LTE and all.. kindly please confirm..

    • TheOracle
      May 12, 2015

      No it won’t. To work in the US you need the Taiwan, Global or USA models. The one in the link is the Chinese/Indian model.

  21. Eliza
    May 12, 2015

    Only $274.99 for ASUS ZenFone 2 ??? Who can tell me that?? http://gearbestreview.blogspot.hk/2015/05/only-27499-for-asus-zenfone-2-ze551ml.html

  22. Guest
    May 13, 2015

    Only $274.99 for ASUS ZenFone 2 ??? Who can tell me that?? http://gearbestreview.blogspot.hk/2015/05/only-27499-for-asus-zenfone-2-ze551ml.html

  23. Steve B
    May 14, 2015

    Would love to know how the 8mp unit in the ZE500 model compares. Sometimes less can be more.

  24. Steve B
    May 14, 2015

    Would love to know how the 8mp unit in the ZE500 model compares. Sometimes less can be more.

  25. Meowman
    May 14, 2015

    Is this not overpriced for what you get? A 13mp “Pixelmaster”, only a 3000mah battery, some Intel processor which is bound to be a hassle for many apps and custom roms.

  26. Meowman
    May 15, 2015

    Is this not overpriced for what you get? A 13mp “Pixelmaster”, only a 3000mah battery, some Intel processor which is bound to be a hassle for many apps and custom roms.

  27. Selenium Glow
    May 15, 2015

    Here maps is working with my zenfone 2…

  28. Selenium Glow
    May 15, 2015

    Here maps is working with my zenfone 2…

  29. Aeonia
    May 15, 2015

    Price should only be a 10/10 when the phone is free…hehe

  30. Boni M.
    May 15, 2015

    Price should only be a 10/10 when the phone is free…hehe

  31. Alpha Bravo
    May 18, 2015

    an ugly phone having all the juice of a good flagship phone

  32. Zeleni
    May 18, 2015

    And what do you think of the versionZE550ML (2GB RAM, 720p screen)?
    Is it worthy comparing to the 4GB RAM?

  33. Alpha Bravo
    May 18, 2015

    an ugly phone having all the juice of a good flagship phone

  34. Zeleni
    May 18, 2015

    And what do you think of the versionZE550ML (2GB RAM, 720p screen)?
    Is it worthy comparing to the 4GB RAM?

  35. Ruby
    May 20, 2015

    The 2GB and 4GB versions just went on sale in the US for $199/$299 respectively.

    In stock now at B&H with same day shipping. Good riddance to unscrupulous Chinese re-sellers!

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1134360-REG/asus_ze551ml_23_4g64gn_sr_zenfone_2_ze551ml_64gb.html

    • Bruce S
      May 22, 2015

      Ruby, thanks for the heads up. Zenfone 2 (4/64GB + 2.3 Ghz) availability is Tuesday 26 May from B&H.

  36. Ruby
    May 20, 2015

    The 2GB and 4GB versions just went on sale in the US for $199/$299 respectively.

    In stock now at B&H with same day shipping. Good riddance to unscrupulous Chinese re-sellers!

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1134360-REG/asus_ze551ml_23_4g64gn_sr_zenfone_2_ze551ml_64gb.html

    • Bruce S
      May 22, 2015

      Ruby, thanks for the heads up. Zenfone 2 (4/64GB + 2.3 Ghz) availability is Tuesday 26 May from B&H.

  37. HumanWorm
    June 2, 2015

    It would be helpful if, when you write ‘there are better camera phones available’, you could be specific.

  38. Guest
    June 2, 2015

    It would be helpful if, when you write ‘there are better camera phones available’, you could be specific.

  39. Paul B
    June 18, 2015

    After the 64GB 2.3GHz version, I’m in the UK. Can anyone recommend anywhere please?

  40. Paul B
    June 18, 2015

    After the 64GB 2.3GHz version, I’m in the UK. Can anyone recommend anywhere please?