Along with a lot of consumer devices, computer PCs and laptops, Asus didn’t only launch the augmented reality ZenFone AR at CES 2017, but the company also launched a camera centric smartphone ZenFone 3 Zoom.
Zoom Camera
Like its predecessor, ZenFone 3 Zoom also features optical zoom but this time Asus goes with the dual-camera setup just like Apple did in iPhone 7 Plus. The dual-camera configuration on ZenFone 3 Zoom comprises with two 12 megapixel cameras, one with a f/1.7 aperture lens that is 25mm wide-angle lens for normal captures. The second camera tops with the a 59mm telephoto lens.
To go zooming, users can instantly switch from the wide-angle mode to telephoto mode in camera, that actually gives a 2.3x optical zoom which is usually perfect for portraits and capturing distant subjects. Dual-camera setup is also used to simulate shallow depth of field (aka bokeh effect)
Underneath, Sony IMX362 image sensor is 1/2.55″ with 1.4µm pixel size. The camera features Asus’s TriTech+ autofocus system that automatically chooses among three autofocus modes – dual-pixel phase-detect AF, subject tracking autofocus, and 2nd-gen laser focus – depending on the situation to achieve accurate focus in just 0.03 seconds, even when photographing moving subjects.
The phone also features the proprietary SuperPixel camera technology that enables it to focus incredibly quickly and capture clear photos at night or in low-light environments.
“SuperPixel technology enables the camera on ZenFone 3 Zoom to have 2.5 times greater light sensitivity than Apple® iPhone® 7 Plus camera’s f/1.8 aperture and 1.22µm pixel size and 10 times that of an average smartphone.”
On the front there is 13 megapixel camera with Sony IMX214 image sensor and f/2.0 aperture lens.
Other Features
ZenFone 3 Zoom has 7.9mm thin profile and features a 5.5-inch AMOLED display. Like the ZenFone AR, the ZenFone 3 Zoom also weighs 170 grams. The phone is powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz coupled with 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB/128GB of internal storage. MicroSD card supported up to 2TB and the phone will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow unlike Android 7 in ZenFone AR.
The phone comes with a large 5000mAh battery that provides users with up to 42 days of standby time. The large battery also intends to allow users perform uninterrupted power-intensive operations with camera like time-lapse photography. It allows to capture up to 6.4 hours of continuous 4K UHD video on a single charge. ZenFone 3 Zoom can also double as a high-speed power bank for charging other devices.
Just like the ZenFone AR, Asus has not revealed the price of ZenFone 3 Zoom. The phone will be available in February.
