Machines Sdn Bhd (Machines) just launched a device protection plan for customers in Malaysia. Known as the Machines Protection Plan (MPP), this plan provides protection from accidental damage such as cracked screens and water damage for as low as 42 sen per day.
The Machines Protection Plan
The Machines Protection Plan (MPP) allows customers to enjoy one (1) screen replacement or one (1) full device replacement during the two (2) year coverage period. The MPP price ranges from RM 299 – RM 899 (~US$ 73-219), depending on the model of the protected device, and can be obtained at local Machines stores upon purchase of a new device.
The Machines Protection Plan (MPP) provides coverage for parts and labour cost. For a full device replacement claim, a service fee will be charged on top of the price for the MPP. For example, for an iPhone SE full device replacement, customers will need to pay a service fee of RM299 on top of the iPhone SE MPP cost of RM299.
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A survey by Otterbox Inc. in 2015 stated that 29% of Malaysians accidentally damage their smartphones within the first three months of purchase. The same study also revealed that 75% of Malaysian smartphone users have damaged their devices almost 3 times in the past 5 years.
Machines has selected Aon Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Aon Malaysia) as its insurance broker to offer this device protection plan, underwritten by AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad.
Machines is also working to extend the Machines Protection Plan to include new devices purchased from third parties, including telcos.
The Machines Protection Plan Price List
Device
MPP Price (inc. of GST)
Apple Watch
RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone SE / 6
RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 6s / 6s Plus
RM 599 / ~US$ 146
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
RM 599 / ~US$ 146
iPhone 8 / 8 Plus
RM 599 / ~US$ 146
iPhone X
RM 899 / ~US$ 219
Service Fee Table For Full Device Replacement
This “service fee” is an additional fee that must be paid for a full device replacement, as opposed to a repair or part replacement.
Device
Full Device Replacement Service Fee
(inc. GST)
Apple Watch
RM 249 / ~US$ 61
iPhone SE / 6
RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 6s / 6s Plus
RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 8 / 8 Plus
RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone X
RM 499 / ~US$ 122
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How Much Will You Save?
If you have butter fingers and keep dropping your expensive iPhone, you will stand to save a lot of money.
Device
Regular Price for Screen Replacement
(inc. of GST)
Price for Screen Replacement under MPP
(inc. of GST)
iPhone SE / 6
RM 699 / ~US$ 170
No Charge
iPhone 6s / 7 / 8
RM 799 / ~US$ 195
No Charge
iPhone 6s Plus / 7 Plus / 8 Plus
RM 899 / ~US$ 219
No Charge
iPhone X
RM 1799 / ~US$ 439
No Charge
If you plan to hang onto your iPhone for many, many years, you will also save on the battery replacement cost.
Device
Regular Price for Battery Replacement
(inc. of GST)
Price for Battery Replacement under MPP
(inc. of GST)
iPhone SE
RM 399 / ~US$ 97
RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 6
RM 499 / ~US$ 122
RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 6s / 6s Plus
RM 399 / ~US$ 97
RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
RM 399 / ~US$ 97
RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 8 / 8 Plus
RM 399 / ~US$ 97
RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone X
TBC
RM 49 / ~US$ 12
Please note that they will only replace your battery when it cannot be charged beyond 50% of its original capacity. In addition, you’re only allowed one battery repair or replacement, and that’s subject to the service fee above.
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The Apple iPhone is the smartphone brand to beat, so it’s not surprising to see Huawei throw their hat into the ring. What’s really surprising though is what they are tossing into the same ring as the iPhone 7 Plus – the Huawei nova 2 Plus.
Seriously. That was not a typo. Huawei is indeed pitting the nova 2 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) against the iPhone 7 Plus. Check out this slide for yourself.
While anyone can compare any smartphone against the iPhone 7 Plus, we are pretty sure Apple (and iPhone fans) will strongly disagree that the iPhone 7 Plus is a mid-range device.
Even when we compared the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom to the iPhone 7 Plus, we avoided pegging them at the same level. Heck, the price tag alone puts it in the stratosphere…
Let’s take a closer look at the nova 2 Plus, and see why Huawei thinks it’s a worthy challenger to the vaunted iPhone 7 Plus.
The Huawei nova 2 Plus
The Huawei nova 2 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) is Huawei’s latest mid-range smartphone with a 20 MP front camera, and a dual-lens main camera. Here are some details on its photographic capabilities.
20 MP Selfie Camera
Its 20 MP front camera boasts 3D facial recognition technology, with Huawei’s own ISP and an intelligent portrait algorithm. Huawei claims to be able to achieve “millimeter-level facial data positioning” to deliver more natural portraits.
Dual-Lens Main Camera
The Huawei nova 2 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) has a dual-lens main camera with a 12 MP wide-angle camera, and an 8 MP zoom camera. The two lenses are designed to work in unison, with the second lens serving as an auxiliary lens when the active lens is shooting.
Their Specifications Compared!
Still not convinced? Let’s compare their specifications and see…
Specifications
Huawei nova 2 Plus
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Operating System
Android 7.0 + EMUI 5.1
Apple iOS 10
Display
5.5" IPS display
- 1080 x 1920 pixels
- 400 ppi pixel density
5.5" IPS display
- 1080 x 1920 pixels
- 401 ppi pixel density
System Platform
HiSilicon Kirin 659
Apple A10 Fusion
Processor
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (2.36 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.7 GHz)
2 x Apple Hurricane cores (2.34 GHz)
2 x Apple Zephyr cores
12 MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera
8 MP f/2.4 zoom camera
12 MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera
12 MP f/2.8 zoom camera
Connectivity
WiFi : 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX
USB 2.0
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2
USB 2.0
GPS
GPS, AGPS, GLONASS
GPS, AGPS, GLONASS
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes
Yes
NFC
No
Yes
Water Resistance
No
Yes, IP67
Battery
3,340 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
2,900 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
Launch Price
RM 1,999 / ~US$ 475 (128 GB)
RM 4,299 / ~US$ 1,025 (128 GB)
So what do you think? Is the new Huawei nova 2 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) (priced at just RM 1,999 / US$ 475) a worthy rival to the Apple iPhone 7 Plus (priced at RM 4,299 / ~US$ 1,025)?
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Yes, I Want To Buy The nova 2 Plus!
Great! Here are some direct purchase links on Amazon and Lazada for your convenience :
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Ever since they were announced at Computex 2016, ASUS has churned out a number of ZenFone 3 models, like the ZenFone 3 Ultra phablet and the eponymous ZenFone 3 smartphone. But what mobile photographers have been waiting for was ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (ZE553KL).
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is the photography-focused ZenFone 3 model designed to take on the Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) head-to-head, and beat it in every aspect. Yet it costs only half as much! Don’t believe us? Read on and find out for yourself!
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom vs. The Apple iPhone 7 Plus
We are serious about the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) taking on the Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada). Check out this comparison of their specifications and see how they compare with each other!
Specifications
ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom
Apple iPhone 7 Plus (32 GB)
Display
5.5" Full HD AMOLED display
- 1080 x 1920 pixels
- 500 nits brightness
5.5" Full HD IPS display
- 1080 x 1920 pixels
- 625 nits brightness
192 kHz / 24-bit Hi-Res Audio support
5 magnet speaker with NXP Smart Amp
Dual microphone with noise cancellation
VoLTE support
DTS Headphone:X virtual surround sound technology
No Hi-Res Audio support
Stereo speakers
FM Radio
Yes
No
Battery
5,000 mAh lithium-ion battery
Supports reverse charging
2,900 mAh lithium-ion battery
No reverse charging support
Dimensions
77 mm wide x 154.3 mm tall x 7.99 mm thick
77.9 mm wide x 158.2 mm tall x 7.3 mm thick
Weight
170 grams
188 grams
Colour Options
Navy Black, Glacier Silver, Rose Gold
Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black, Jet Black
Price
US$ 329
US$ 769
We will go into more detail later, but first, let’s unbox the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom!
Unboxing The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is a premium smartphone, so it comes to no surprise that ASUS gave it the full treatment. It even comes with a soft case and a pair of ZenEar earphones!
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Inside the box, you will find the following items :
One ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) smartphone
One ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom soft case
One set of ASUS ZenFone 3 User Guide, Warranty leaflet and IMEI stickers
One 10 W ASUS charger with a 3-pin adaptor
One USB Type C cable
One pair of ASUS ZenEar earphones with four spare earbuds
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The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (ZE553KL)
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom has a 5.5″ display like the iPhone 7 Plus, but it is slightly smaller and lighter. Instead of the usual IPS display though, the ZenFone 3 Zoom uses an AMOLED display that is protected by the latest Gorilla Glass 5 cover with a 2.5D edge, and a full metal unibody chassis.
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC as the ZenFone 3 smartphone. It comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory and 64 GB of internal flash memory. All that is powered by a large 5,000 mAh battery.
The button placements are the same as that of other ZenFone 3 models – the Power and Volume control buttons are on the right side, with the hybrid SIM slot on the left side, and the fingerprint sensor on the back.
Like many thin devices, the audio port on the ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is located at the bottom, next to the bidirectional Type C USB port. But note that it is still using USB 2.0 standard, not the latest USB 3.1 standard.
Hybrid SIM & Fingerprint Sensor
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) has dual SIM, dual standby capability. It has a hybrid SIM tray for two nano SIM cards. The second SIM card tray (SIM2) doubles as a microSD card slot (up to 256 GB). Both SIM1 and SIM2 support 3G and 4G connectivity, but only one SIM card can connect to the 3G / 4G network – the other can only connect to a 2G network.
The ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) has an all-aspect fingerprint sensor located at the back, just under the main cameras. Our tests showed that it requires just 10 finger presses to register a fingerprint, and is very fast and accurate in recognising the registered fingerprint.
The ZenFone 3 Zoom Cameras
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) boasts a 13 MP front camera, built around the Sony IMX214 sensor and a 5-element Largan lens with f/2.0 aperture. It does not have a dedicated LED flash but uses screen flash instead, like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada).
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Like the iPhone 7 Plus, the ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) has a dual camera system, with a main camera and a zoom camera. This is different from the dual-lens camera of the Huawei Mate 9 or the Honor 8 smartphones, which combines images from two cameras with the same focal length.
Its main camera boasts the Sony IMX362 sensor with large 1.4 µm pixels, and Dual Pixel PDAF technology. It is coupled to a 6-element lens with f/1.7 aperture, and boasts 4-axis, 4-stops optical image stabilisation as well as 3-axis electronic image stabilisation capabilities.
The zoom camera has a 12 MP sensor of unknown model, paired with a 59 mm f/2.6 lens. This gives us a 2.3X optical zoom over the main camera. The Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) has a similar zoom camera, with a shorter 2X zoom and an f/2.8 lens.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Setting Up The ZenFone 3 Zoom
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and is very easy to set-up. If you are setting it up as a new device, it should take you only 5 minutes to finish the setup process.
The Ergonomics
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is a 5.5″ smartphone that is 7.7 cm wide, so it is a two-handed device. But because it’s reasonably thick at just under 8 mm, it offers better grip than its thinner rivals. The large display with its full HD resolution is just perfect for watching movies. We also applaud ASUS for using an AMOLED display – it is generally more vivid and power-efficient.
We especially like the satin finish of the anodised aluminium chassis. It is smooth and comfortable to touch, and is resistant to fingerprint smears. Adding on the provided soft case greatly increases grip, but the Power button may be harder to activate.
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Available Memory & Storage
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory, of which 2.2 GB (55%) is free to use. That is more memory than some smartphones ship with! You will never run out of memory with the ZenFone 3 Zoom!
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) also has 64 GB of internal flash memory. Of that, just under 52 GB is available to use. If that’s not enough, you can top it up with a microSD card (up to 256 GB).
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Camera Performance – Photos
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) uses the excellent Sony IMX362 sensor for its main camera, which boasts very advanced optical and electronic image stabilisation and a fast f/1.7 lens. The full 12 MP resolution is attained with the 4:3 aspect ratio. Each picture has a resolution of 3928 × 2944 and a file size of between 4 to 8 MB.
Here are 16 high-resolution samples for you to check out. Click on them to load the full-sized photos, which you can also download to examine.
As the picture show, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) can really produce amazing pictures. The automatic HDR capability worked great too, adding dynamic range whenever the light permits. The final result – very vivid colours, even in low light. For that, we have to thank the Sony IMX362 sensor with its large 1.4 µm pixels, and the fast f/1.7 lens.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Camera Performance – Video Recording
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom’s photographic capability extends beyond just photos. It is capable of recording videos at resolutions of up to 2160p (4K) at 30 fps. It also boasts advanced optical and electronic image stabilisation as well as support for Hi Res Audio. Let’s check out how well it does…
Test #1 : Blues Band (1080p)
The image stabilisation seems to do a very good job, but notice the occasional jerks. We have no idea why it happens, but it seems to only afflict the 1080p video recordings. It did produce very good audio though, and had good control of the bright background.
Test #2 : Blues Band (4K)
Electronic image stabilisation appears to be turned off, so there is more wobbling at 4K, but there’s no sign of the sudden jerks in our 1080p example above. The resolution at 4K is amazing!
Test #3 : Rainbow Waterfall
This is another test of the ZenFone 3 Zoom’s image stabilisation capabilities. Oddly enough – there is no sign of the sudden jerks. This probably means that the jerks we saw in the first video is likely to be software-related. Probably errors in electronic image stabilisation.
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Test #4 : Logging Camp
A 4-wheel drive ride is a great way to test the advanced image stabilisation capabilities of the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom. As you can see, it did a pretty good job on this rugged logging trail. It may not appear so, but we were seated at the back shaking non-stop. 😀
Test #5 : Jungle Ride
Here is another video on the same 4×4 Hilux truck ride through the Pahang jungle. Nice job on the image stabilisation, ASUS!
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Work Performance – PCMark
We tested the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom
ASUS ZenFone 3
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
OPPO F1s
Work Performance Score
(Average)
6655
6405
4954
3884
Web Browsing
7595
8045
5143
3688
Video Playback
4545
3469
4515
3789
Writing
7264
7316
4948
4141
Photo Editing
7824
8246
5243
3933
Both the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) and the original ZenFone 3 smartphone use the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, so it’s no surprise they perform about the same. They both did much better than the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017), and the OPPO F1s in this test.
Battery Life – PCMark
We then tested the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom’s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.
The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is so popular because it has a large 5,000 mAh battery. The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) with a large 5,000 mAh battery as well, even though it’s much smaller in size. But more importantly, it has a much longer battery life of 17.25 hours – 33% longer than the Galaxy A9 Pro!
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Battery Recharging Performance
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) comes with a 10 W charger, instead of more powerful 15-18 W chargers common in other flagship devices. Take a look at how fast it recharged the 5,000 mAh battery.
It took the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) about 160 minutes (2 hours 40 minutes) to recharge its battery from 20% to 100%. This is 20% longer than what the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (with a similar 5,000 mAh battery) took with its 15 W charger. Overall, it has a battery life : recharging ratio of 6.5 : 1, which is good but not exceptional.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Gaming Performance – 3DMark
We tested the ZenFone 3 Zoom’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.
While ASUS may not make a point about it, it is obvious that they are targeting the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) squarely at the Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada). They even eschewed the innovative zoom camera in the original ASUS ZenFone Zoom for the same dual camera system used in the iPhone 7 Plus. However, they were not aiming to copy, as much as beat, the iPhone 7 Plus on as many aspects as possible.
The iPhone 7 Plus has a 7 MP front camera with f/2.2 lens? ASUS gives the ZenFone 3 Zoom a 13 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens!
The iPhone 7 Plus has a 12 MP Sony Exmor RS main camera with f/1.8 lens? ASUS tops that with the latest 12 MP Sony IMX362 sensor with Dual Pixel PDAF technology and a f/1.7 lens!
The iPhone 7 Plus has a 12 MP zoom camera with 2X optical zoom and f/2.8 lens? The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom gives you a 12 MP zoom camera with 2.3X optical zoom and f/2.6 lens!
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This isn’t just about beating the iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) on specifications. The ASUS PixelMaster 3.0 camera on the ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is amazing. It produces some of the best pictures and videos we have ever seen. Its 4K video recording and audio recording quality was especially good.
ASUS didn’t just stop at the ZenFone 3 Zoom’s photographic capability. To make sure the photos and videos look great on the device itself, they opted for an AMOLED display, instead of a regular IPS display. They even packed in a large 5,000 mAh battery, in a form factor that is smaller and lighter than the iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) with its puny 2,900 mAh battery.
But arguably, what’s most impressive about the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is the fact that it delivers its superior capabilities at half the price of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada)! We don’t know how ASUS managed to do that, but we think their efforts deserves no less than our Editor’s Choice Award! Congratulations, ASUS!
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