Asus ZenFone Zoom Smartphone Coming With 3x Optical Zoom
Asus is back in Las Vegas tech show to announce that the ZenFone Zoom is finally here. This smartphone was revealed last year at CES, but decided to launch it this year, being even more thinner and equipped with a 3X optical zoom lens. The ZenFone Zoom feels premium compared to the ZenFone 2. Surrounding the edge of the phone is a soft aluminum while it’s only slightly heavier than its cousin at 185g versus 170g. On the right side of the device, you have the volume rocker and power button. Beneath, you have dedicated record and camera buttons. On the bottom of the phone you have a microUSB port, microphone, and strap loop. On the back of the phone, which is covered in a textured leather, you have a speaker and the hump which houses the dual-tone flash, laser auto-focus, and the camera’s multiple lenses. At the top of the phone there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and noise-cancelling mic.
The ZenFone Zoom is covered in Gorilla Glass 4 and measures 5.5", similar to the ZenFone 2 Laser, though the body itself is a bit taller. It’s still FHD at 1920×1080, 403 PPI. Like the ZenFone 2, there is a non-removable 3,000 mAh battery, but where this device differs is instead of a Z3580 CPU clocked at 2.3GHz, the Zoom has a Z3590 processor clocked at 2.5GHz.
But obviously, the ZenFone Zoom gets its name from the 3x optical zoom offered in the housing. Typically Zoom lenses are created in away that extends away from the body. However, in this case, the Asus team worked with optics manufacturer Hoya to create magnification through a double-prism layout and mechanism, much like a periscope.
Asus claims that the ZenFone Zoom shoots better photos than the iPhone 6+, and Samsung Galaxy S6.
The smartphone is launching exclusively at B&H Photo on February 1st at $399.
Zoom in on them specs
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Intel Atom Z3590 Processor 2.5GHz
- 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage w/ microSD card support up to 128GB
- 5.5" FHD IPS (1920×1080) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- 3,000 mAh battery (non-removable)
- 13MP Camera with f/2.7-f/4.8, dual flash, laser auto-focus with 3x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilization
- Single SIM with 2G/3G/4G support
- Dimensions: 158.9 x 78.84 x 5 ~ 11.95mm
- 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, BT 4.0, and NFC