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The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (SM-C900F) Phablet Review

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The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro was the sleeper hit of 2016. It was a large 6″ phablet that saw limited release and lacked a stylus, but proved to be highly popular. Samsung now attempts to replicate that success with the new Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (SM-C900F) phablet. Let’s see how well they did!

The Galaxy C9 Pro vs. Galaxy A9 Pro Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) appears to be a direct evolution of the Galaxy A9 Pro phablet. Here is a specification comparison of those two phablets.

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro	Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
Model	SM-C900F	SM-A910F
Display	6.0" Super AMOLED - 1080 x 1920 pixels (369 ppi)	6.0" Super AMOLED - 1080 x 1920 pixels (367 ppi)
Protection	Gorilla Glass with 2.5D edge	Gorilla Glass 4
Operating System	Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow	Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976)
Processor	4 x ARM Cortex-A72 cores (1.95 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.4 GHz)	4 x ARM Cortex-A72 cores (1.8 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.4 GHz)
Graphics Processor	Qualcomm Adreno 510 (621 MHz)	Qualcomm Adreno 510 (621 MHz)
Memory	6 GB LPDDR3 (933 MHz)	4 GB LPDDR3 (933 MHz)
Storage	64 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (up to 256 GB)	32 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (up to 256 GB)
Front Camera	16 MP Samsung S5K4H5YC sensor with f/1.9 lens	8 MP Samsung S5K4H5YC sensor with f/1.9 lens
Main Camera	16 MP Samsung S5K3L2 sensor with f/1.9 lens, dual LED flash and PDAF capability	16 MP Samsung S5K3L2 sensor with f/1.9 lens and single LED flash
Connectivity	4G : LTE Cat6 WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz) Bluetooth : 4.2	WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz) Bluetooth : 4.2
SIM Capability	Dual SIM, Dual Standby	Dual SIM, Dual Standby
GPS Support	GPS, GLONASS, Beidou	GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, integrated with Home button	Yes, integrated with Home button
Other Sensors	Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, Light, Gyro	Accelerometer, Proximity, Geomagnetic, Light, Gyro
Battery	4,000 mAh lithium ion battery (non-removable) - Supports fast charging	5,000 mAh lithium ion battery (non-removable) - Supports fast charging
USB Port	USB Type C (USB 2.0)	micro USB 2.0
Dimensions	80.7 mm wide 162.9 mm tall 6.9 mm thick	80.9 mm wide 161.7 mm tall 7.9 mm thick
Weight	188 g	210 g

Unboxing The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) comes in the usual white cardboard box that Samsung uses for their mid-range devices. The only difference is the size – it’s quite a bit larger. Let’s take a look inside!

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Inside the box, you will find the following items :

One Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) phablet
One set of Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro documents
One 15 W Samsung adaptive fast charger
One USB Type C cable
One micro USB to USB Type C adaptor
One pair of Samsung earphones
One SIM card tray ejector pin

Next Page > The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro, Card Trays & Fingerprint Sensor, Front & Rear Cameras

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The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro Phablet

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) is a 6″ phablet with Samsung’s signature Super AMOLED display. It is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass (unspecified version) with a 2.5D edge, and a full metal unibody chassis.

The Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) runs on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC as the Galaxy A9 Pro. But the Cortex-A72 CPU cluster has a small clock speed boost from 1.8 GHz to 1.95 GHz. Samsung also gave the Galaxy C9 Pro 50% more memory and twice the internal storage.

The Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) maintains the standard Samsung button placement of the Power button on the right, and the Volume buttons on the left. The separate SIM and microSD card trays are located on the right side, just under the Power button.

Like many thin devices, the audio port on the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) is located at the bottom, next to the bidirectional Type C USB port. The package includes a micro USB to USB Type C adaptor, so you can reuse your old cables and OTG drives. But note that it is still using USB 2.0 standard, not the latest USB 3.1 standard.

Card Trays & Fingerprint Sensor

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) has dual SIM, dual standby capability. It has a dedicated tray for two nano SIM cards, and a separate tray for the microSD card (up to 256 GB). Both card trays are located on the right side, just under the Power button.

The Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) has an all-aspect fingerprint sensor that is integrated into the Home button. Our tests showed that it requires about 20 finger presses to register a fingerprint. However, it is very fast and accurate in recognising the registered fingerprint.

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Front & Rear Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) boasts a 8 MP front camera that uses Samsung’s own S5K4H5YC BSI sensor. It is capable of recording 1080p videos at 30 fps. Thanks to its f/1.9 lens, it will have great low-light capability equivalent to that of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) smartphone. It will come in handy since the front camera does not have flash support, not even screen flash.

The main camera uses the same 16 MP Samsung S5K3L2 sensor from the Galaxy A9 Pro, paired this time with a dual-tone LED flash. It boasts the same fast f/1.9 lens, which allows for better low-light performance. We will take a look at sample pictures and videos later in the review.

Next Page > The Initial Setup, Ergonomics, Memory & Storage

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Setting Up The Galaxy C9 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (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 Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) is a large 6″ phablet that is just over 8 cm wide, so this is definitely a two-handed device. The Super AMOLED display is excellent as always, and the large screen with its full HD resolution is just perfect for watching movies.

The anodised aluminium chassis is smooth to the touch, with a nice satin finish that imparts a nice shine and yet is resistant to fingerprint smears. It actually feels easier to grip than the Galaxy A9 Pro, probably because it’s thinner and lighter.

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Available Memory & Storage

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) comes with a whopping 6 GB of LPDDR3 memory, of which 3.8 GB (63.3%) is available for use. That is more memory than many smartphones actually ship with! Needless to say – you will never run out of memory with the Galaxy C9 Pro.

The Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) also has 64 GB of internal flash storage. Of that, 51.9 GB is available to use, which is just awesome. If that’s not enough, you can top it up with a microSD card (up to 256 GB).

Next Page > Camera Performance – Photos & Videos

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Camera Performance – Photos

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) uses the same excellent Samsung ISOCELL camera as the Galaxy A9 Pro, just upgraded with a dual-tone LED flash. The full 16 MP resolution is attained with the 4:3 aspect ratio. Each picture has a resolution of 4608 x 3456 and a file size of between 4.5 to 5.5 MB.

Here are 6 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 pictures show, the Galaxy C9 Pro’s main camera performs best in natural light. It occasionally has white balance problems (see the Dala horse sample) under artificial lighting. The camera isn’t the sharpest we have seen, but the noise level is low, even in low light conditions. With suitable distance, you can even get a pretty nice bokeh (see the flower sample).

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Camera Performance – Video Recording

Despite sporting a 16 MP sensor, the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) is only capable of recording videos of up to 1080p in resolution. This is likely Samsung’s way of differentiating the Galaxy C9 Pro from their more premium models like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Let’s take a look at some sample videos.

Test #1 : Piano Recital

The first thing you will notice is how jerky the video appears. It is readily apparent that the Galaxy C9 Pro’s camera lacks both optical image stabilisation (OIS) and electronic image stabilisation (EIS). Noise cancellation was also sub-par. However, it showed pretty good control of the highlights in the background.

Test #2 : Food Trucks

We did this short take of some food trucks to test out the image stabilisation capability. Obviously, the Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) didn’t do well in this test, because it lacks OIS or even EIS capability.

Test #3 : Night Dancing

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) performed well in this test of its low-light capability. Its wide f/1.9 lens had no problem handling the low-light situation. It continued to exhibit good control of the highlights – the much brighter background was not completely washed out, as we have seen in many other smartphones.

Next Page > Work Performance, Battery Life & Recharging Speed

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Work Performance – PCMark

We tested the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

	Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro	ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)	OPPO F1s
Work Performance Score (Average)	5180	6313	4954	3884
Web Browsing	4539	6257	5143	3688
Video Playback	3989	4287	4515	3789
Writing	5689	7166	4948	4141
Photo Editing	6991	8262	5243	3933

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) did well in this test, coming in just ahead of the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017).

Battery Life – PCMark

We then tested the Galaxy C9 Pro’s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.

One of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro‘s main attraction was its large 5,000 mAh battery. To make the Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) thinner though, Samsung reduced the battery capacity to 4,000 mAh. However, we are glad to note that it only reduced the battery life by 11.5% to 11.5 hours.

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Battery Recharging Performance

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) comes with an adaptive fast charger with a power output of 15 W. Take a look at how fast it recharged the 4,000 mAh battery.

It took the Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) just 74.5 minutes (1 hour 14.5 minutes) to recharge its battery from 19% to 100%. That is 80% faster recharging than the Galaxy A9 Pro, and a battery life : recharging ratio of about 9.4 : 1 – a truly amazing performance.

Next Page > Gaming & Overall Performance, Our Verdict & Award

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Gaming Performance – 3DMark

We tested the Galaxy C9 Pro’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.

	Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro	ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)	OPPO F1s
Gaming Score	17587	17719	13540	7666
Graphics	22940	21124	13548	7511
Physics	9680	11328	13510	8265
Graphics Test 1	127.4 fps	115.2 fps	81.1 fps	49.4 fps
Graphics Test 2	81.9 fps	76.3 fps	46.2 fps	24.4 fps
Physics Test	30.7 fps	36.0 fps	42.9 fps	26.2 fps

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) did well in this test, matching the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra in performance, and beating even the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017).

Overall Performance

AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.

	Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro	ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)	OPPO F1s
TOTAL SCORE	84892	76096	56431	41486
3D SCORE	20812	18816	15458	4868
– 3D (Marooned)	12069	10861	10511	3188
– 3D (Garden)	8743	7952	4947	1679
UX SCORE	33130	26794	18496	17640
– UX Data Secure	6684	5077	5295	4885
– UX Data Process	4290	4198	2612	2542
– UX Strategy Games	8163	7503	3671	2829
– UX Image Process	9626	6879	3373	3885
– UX I/O Performance	4367	3137	3545	3499
CPU SCORE	23253	23689	16459	14336
– CPU Mathematics	8083	6950	3132	3142
– CPU Common Use	6787	6311	5199	4805
– CPU Multi-Core	8383	10428	8128	6389
RAM	7697	6797	6018	4643

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) did well in this test, beating the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra by 11.6%, and the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) by a full 50%!

Our Verdict & Award

If you liked the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro, you will love the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada). It is literally an improved Galaxy A9 Pro, with a faster processor and a lot more RAM and storage. Samsung also upgraded the front camera with a 16 MP sensor, and gave the main 16 MP camera a dual-tone LED flash.

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) also features a thinner, curvier design that fits better in the hand. The only downside – it has a 20% smaller battery, with a 11.5% shorter battery life. The good news – it takes just under 1 hour 15 minutes to fully recharge the Galaxy C9 Pro!

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro’s cameras lack stabilisation, so if you are taking videos, it’s best to use a tripod or a gimbal. But both front and back cameras have great resolution and low-light capability, thanks to their wide f/1.9 lenses.

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If you wish to use two SIM cards and a microSD card simultaneously, you will be glad to know that the Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) has dedicated trays for two nano SIM cards and a microSD card.

Arguably, the main attractions are its large beautiful Super AMOLED display, coupled with its performance and large memory and storage capacities. They make the Galaxy C9 Pro a truly excellent entertainment / gaming device. Whether you like to watch movies or play 3D games, the Galaxy C9 Pro is well-suited to the task.

The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (Amazon | Lazada) is a great option for those who want a large phablet, and do not need a stylus. We like it so much, we think it deserves no less than our Reviewer’s Choice Award. Congratulations, Samsung!

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The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) Phablet Review

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The ASUS ZenFone 2 family of smartphones and phablets was notable for its use of Intel Atom processors, as well as their ambidextrous design. While the Intel Atom processors were powerful, they guzzled power and had trouble gaining traction in the smartphone market.

Hence, it comes as no surprise when ASUS revealed in Computex 2016 that the new ZenFone 3 series would be powered by Qualcomm processors instead. That decision probably contributed to Intel’s decision to quit the smartphone market for good.

You may have already seen our sneak peek of the new ASUS ZenFone 3 models at Computex 2016. Today, we are going to take a look at the big daddy of the ZenFone 3 series – the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) phablet!

ASUS ZenFone 3 Specifications Comparison

Here is how the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra compares against the other two ZenFone 3 models :

Specifications	ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL)‏	ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL)	ZenFone 3 ‏(ZE552KL)‏
Display	5.7" Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080 pixels, 386 ppi) 79% screen-to-body ratio 3,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio ASUS TruVivid technology Bluelight Filter	6.8" IPS display full-screen lamination (1920 x 1080 pixels, 324 ppi) 79% screen-to-body ratio 178˚wide-viewing angle ASUS TruVivid technology Bluelight Filter	5.5" Super IPS+ display (1920 x 1080 pixels, 401 ppi) 500 nits brightness 77.3% screen-to-body ratio 2.1mm slim bezel
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	2.5D contoured Corning Gorilla Glass
Operating System	Android 6.0 Marshmallow ASUS ZenUI 3.0	Android 6.0 Marshmallow ASUS ZenUI 3.0	Android 6.0 Marshmallow ASUS ZenUI 3.0
SoC Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (MSM8953)
Processor	Quad-core Kyro (2.15 GHz)	4 x ARM Cortex-A72 (1.8 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.4 GHz)	4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (2.0 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.4 GHz)
Graphics Processor	Qualcomm Adreno 530 (624 MHz)	Qualcomm Adreno 510	Qualcomm Adreno 506
Memory	Up to 6 GB	Up to 4 GB LPDDR3	Up to 4 GB LPDDR3
Storage	Up to 128 GB (UFS 2.0) internal flash storage microSD slot (Supports up to 2 TB)	Up to 128 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (Supports up to 2 TB)	Up to 64 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (Supports up to 2 TB)
Front Camera	8 MP, f/2.0 aperture 85˚ wide-viewing angle, Auto Focus	8 MP, f/2.0 aperture 85˚ wide-viewing angle, Auto Focus	8 MP, f/2.0 aperture, Fixed Focus
Rear Camera	23 MP Sony IMX318 sensor 0.03 second TriTech auto-focus 6P Largan f/2.0 aperture lens 4 Stop OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) 3-Axis EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) Dual-LED real tone flash Sapphire lens protection	23 MP Sony IMX318 sensor 0.03 second TriTech auto-focus 6P Largan f/2.0 aperture lens 32 second long exposure 4 Stop OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) 3-Axis EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) Dual-LED real tone flash	16 MP Sony IMX298 sensor 0.03 second TriTech auto-focus 6P Largan f/2.0 aperture lens 32 second long exposure 4 Stop OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) 3-Axis EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) Dual-LED real tone flash Sapphire lens protection
Connectivity	FDD Band 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 12 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 / 29 / 30 LTE Cat. 13 (600 Mbps / 150 Mbps) UMTS: Band: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Type-C, BT4.2 + A2DP + EDR GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS	FDD Band 1 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 LTE Cat. 6 (300 Mbps / 50 Mbps) UMTS: B1/B2/B5/B6/B8/B19 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 2.0 Type-C, BT4.2 + A2DP + EDR GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS	FDD Band 1 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 20 LTE Cat. 6 (300 Mbps / 50 Mbps) UMTS: B1/B2/B5/B8 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Wi-Fi 802.11ac/USB 2.0 Type-C BT4.2/GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS
Dual SIM capability	Dual SIM Dual Standby	Dual SIM Dual Standby	Dual SIM Dual Standby
Sensors	Accelerator / E-Compass / Gyroscope / Proximity sensor / Hall sensor / Ambient light sensor / RGB sensor / IR sensor	Accelerator / E-Compass / Gyroscope / Proximity sensor / Hall sensor / Ambient light sensor / RGB sensor / IR sensor	Accelerator / E-Compass / Gyroscope / Proximity sensor / Hall sensor / Ambient light sensor / RGB sensor / IR sensor
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, rear mounted below camera bump	Yes, integrated with Home button	Yes, rear mounted below camera bump
Audio Capability	5 magnet speaker ASUS SonicMaster 3.0	Dual 5 magnet speakers ASUS SonicMaster 3.0 FM Radio	5 magnet speaker ASUS SonicMaster 3.0
Battery	3000 mAh	4600 mAh Talk time: 34 hrs (3G) Wi-Fi browsing (14.5 hrs) Video Playback (12.5 hrs)	3000 mAh
Fast Charging	18 W (9V, 2A) Adapter Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology BoostMaster Fast Charging : 60% battery capacity in 39 minutes	18 W (9V, 2A) Adapter Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology BoostMaster Fast Charging : 60% battery capacity in 45 minutes	10 W (5V, 2A) Adapter
Size	156.4 mm tall x 77.4 mm wide x 4.2 ~ 7.5 mm thick	186.4 mm tall x 93.9 mm wide x 6.8 mm thick	152.59 mm tall x 77.38 mm wide x 7.69 mm thick
Weight	170 g	233 g	155 g
Available Colours	Metal finish: Glacier Silver Titanium Gray Shimmer Gold	Metal finish: Glacier Silver Titanium Gray Metallic Pink	Glass finish: Sapphire Black Moonlight White Shimmer Gold Aqua Blue

Unboxing The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra comes in a very premium black cardboard box, with a drawer for the accessories! Check it out!

Inside the box, you will find the following items :

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One ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) phablet
One set of ASUS ZenEar earphones
One set of ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra Quick Start Guide and warranty card
One 18W ASUS quick charger (supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0)
One Type C USB cable
One SIM tray ejector pin
Two serial number and IMEI stickers

ASUS is marketing the ZenFone 3 Ultra as a premium phablet, and they sure made sure it came with premium accessories. Very nice!

Next Page > Hands On The ZenFone 3 Ultra, Hybrid SIM, Fingerprint Sensor, Cameras

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The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) Phablet

With a 6.8″ display, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is a large phablet. It is just a little smaller than the ASUS ZenPad 7.0 tablet, albeit thinner at 6.8 mm. The large screen is just perfect for watching movies, because it has a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920. Flip it horizontally for the ultimate full HD movie player on-the-go.

Thanks to its metal chassis carved out of aerospace-grade aluminium alloy, it has a very premium feel. It has a significant heft at 233 g / 8.2 oz though, so calls are best made with a Bluetooth earpiece.

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra places the Power button on the right, but retains the centrally-aligned Volume buttons at the back from its predecessor, the ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE601KL). We would still consider it an ambidextrous device.

Incidentally, it boasts two powerful 5-magnet speakers. However, they are both located at the bottom, so you can’t really enjoy stereo sound when you watch movies on the ZenFone 3 Ultra horizontally.

Hybrid SIM & Fingerprint Sensor

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra has Dual SIM, Dual Standby capability. The two nano SIM card trays are located along the right edge, just above the Power button. The second SIM card tray is a hybrid SIM tray though. It supports either a second nano SIM card, or a microSD card, but not both at the same time.

The ZenFone 3 Ultra boasts a fast fingerprint sensor, integrated into the Home button. ASUS did not quote a specific detection time, but we can confirm that it is a fast fingerprint sensor. It takes 18 finger presses to train the fingerprint sensor though.

Cameras

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra sports a decent 8 MP front camera for selfies. While not as good as the 16 MP front camera of the OPPO F1s “Selfie Expert” smartphone, it has a higher resolution than the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, and is capable of recording 1080p videos. The only downside? It doesn’t even support screen flash.

The killer feature of the ZenFone 3 Ultra is its new PixelMaster 3.0 camera at the back. It features a 23 MP Sony IMX318 sensor, which boasts new features like fast hybrid autofocus and 3-axis electronic image stabilization.

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ASUS paired it with f/2.0 Largan lens with 4-axis, 4-stop optical image stabilization, and a second-generation laser auto-focus sensor.

What all that means is you can capture very high resolution photos and videos in poorly-lit conditions. Any blurring that occurs due to hand shakes and wobbles will be greatly reduced or eliminated.

Focusing is also much faster, thanks to the new laser sensor that accurately detects the range of objects in low light at up to 1.5 m away.

In addition to 1080p videos, the PixelMaster 3.0 camera can also shoot 4K videos. To top it off, it encodes the 4K videos using HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) to keep the file size small while maintaining a high level of image quality.

Next Page > Setting Up The ZenFone 3 Ultra, It’s Alive!, Available Memory & Storage

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Setting Up The ZenFone 3 Ultra

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, which should be familiar to many Android users. It is very easy to setup. If you are setting it up as a new device, it should take you only 5 minutes to finish the setup process.

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It’s Alive!

When you power it up for the first time, you will revel in how sharp the 6.8″ IPS display looks. This is partly because the screen is laminated with the Gorilla Glass 4 cover. This not only makes the display thinner, it also increases contrast and reduces internal reflections.

Holding the ZenFone 3 Ultra in one hand is possible, but the weight means you will end up hooking your little finger around the bottom to prevent it from slipping. There is a One Hand Operation mode you can enable, but the ZenFone 3 Ultra is best used with two hands.

Available Memory & Storage

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra comes with either 3 GB or 4 GB of LPDDR3 memory. Our review sample came with 4 GB of memory. Only 3.5 GB is usable, of which 1.5 GB is used by the Android operating system and background apps. This leaves only 2.1 GB of free memory to use.

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra also comes with generous storage capacities of 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB of flash memory. Our review sample came with 64 GB of flash memory. Out of the box, just under 52 GB is available for use. That should be plenty enough for most users, but is expandable via a microSD card (up to 2 TB).

Next Page > PixelMaster 3.0 Camera Performance – Photos & Video Recording

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Camera Performance – Photos

The resolution of the new PixelMaster 3.0 camera is amazing. The full 22.5 MP resolution is attained with the 4:3 aspect ratio. Each picture has a resolution of 5488 x 4096 and a file size of 4-7 MB.

The noise level is remarkably low for such a high resolution sensor. The edges can get fuzzy at the edges, but only noticeable when you fully blow up each picture. The biggest issue is probably the camera’s tendency to blow out the highlights. You can see that in the clouds that lack definition, and light reflecting off the fruits and rubber balls.

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Camera Performance – Video Recording

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is capable of recording 1080p and 4K videos, with both 4-axis optical and 3-axis electronic image stabilization enabled. To test its video recording capabilities, we recorded a piano performance and a koi pond in both 1080p and 4K resolutions. Check them out!

As the videos show, the optical and electronic stabilization worked very well, greatly reducing the amount of hand shake. Remember, this is a rather heavy and large phablet, so the user will tend to shake more.

The amount of detail captured, especially in the 4K videos, is amazing. However, you can also see how the highlights are blown out. This is especially noticeable in the bright background behind the pianist, and the surface of the koi pond.

Until ASUS fixes this propensity to blow out the highlights, you will lose the details in the bright areas of any image.

Next Page > Work Performance, Battery Life, Battery Recharging Performance

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Work Performance – PC Mark

We tested the ZenFone 3 Ultra‘s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

	ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra	HTC 10	honor 5C	Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Work Performance Score (Average)	6313	6105	5357	4892
Web Browsing	6257	5782	5643	6908
Video Playback	4287	3321	4487	3218
Writing	7166	7463	5944	4629
Photo Editing	8262	9694	5469	5563

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor powering the ZenFone 3 Ultra did very well in this test, beating even the Snapdragon 820 processor used by the HTC 10, and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge‘s Exynos 8890 processor.

Battery Life – PCMark

We then tested the ZenFone 3 Ultra‘s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.

Thanks to its 4,600 mAh battery, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra lasted almost 11.5 hours in this test. This is twice the battery life of the HTC 10 smartphone! Of course, the ZenFone 3 Ultra has 50% more battery capacity, but it also has a much larger display that uses more power.

It was not the best battery life we have seen in a phablet though. The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro still has the most exceptional battery life at 13 hours, albeit with a slightly larger 5,000 mAh battery and a longer recharge time.

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Battery Recharging Performance

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra comes with an 18W fast charger that supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. What this means is you can recharge 60% of its battery in just 45 minutes.

It actually took the ZenFone 3 Ultra just under 114 minutes (1 hour 55 minutes) to recharge its battery from 16% to 100%. That’s a battery life : recharging ratio of 6:1 – very impressive!

As the chart shows, the fastest charging happens up to about the 80% point. It took only 60 minutes to recharge from 16% to 80%.

Next Page > Overall & 3D Performance, Our Verdict

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Overall Performance

AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.

	ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra	HTC 10	honor 5C	Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
TOTAL SCORE	76096	113813	53417	131246
3D SCORE	18816	50700	9842	40824
– 3D (Marooned)	10864	34778	5795	23336
– 3D (Garden)	7952	15922	4047	17488
UX SCORE	26794	30890	19297	42765
– UX Data Secure	5077	6319	5577	8169
– UX Data Process	4198	3379	2706	5966
– UX Strategy Games	7503	5433	4109	10745
– UX Image Process	6879	9521	3144	13878
– UX I/O Performance	3137	6238	3761	4007
CPU SCORE	23689	21915	19254	37882
– CPU Mathematics	6950	8494	4198	11831
– CPU Common Use	6311	5931	5947	10875
– CPU Multi-Core	10428	7490	9109	15176
RAM	6797	10308	5024	9775

The ZenFone 3 Ultra was fast in 2D graphics and CPU performance, but it did rather poorly in the 3D tests. It was far slower than top-of-the-line smartphones like the HTC 10 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, but it was also twice as fast as the Kirin 650-powered honor 5C.

Gaming Performance – 3DMark

We tested the ZenFone 3 Ultra’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.

	ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra	HTC 10	honor 5C	Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Gaming Score	17719	23171	11560	28650
Graphics	21124	27512	11067	33685
Physics	11328	14925	13698	18810
Graphics Test 1	115.2 fps	136.6 fps	63.4 fps	162.9 fps
Graphics Test 2	76.3 fps	106.4 fps	38.8 fps	133.1 fps
Physics Test	36.0 fps	47.4 fps	43.5 fps	59.7 fps

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra did better in this test, coming in just 24% slower than the HTC 10, and 38% slower than the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.

Our Verdict

Make no mistake – the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is a large, weighty phablet. You will either love it, or hate it.

If you want a large phablet to replace the cumbersome tablet + smartphone combo you have been using so far, you will love the large, beautiful 6.8″ display, and appreciate how solid and premium it feels. No cheap plastic for ASUS’ premium phablet. It even comes with the best earphones ASUS makes.

But if you want something svelte and light, the ZenFone 3 Ultra is definitely not for you. You will never fit it into a pocket, or actually use it with a single hand. That’s why ASUS made the ZenFone 3 and ZenFone 3 Deluxe models. The ZenFone 3 Ultra is meant for those who want a large phablet, period.

As far as performance goes, you are unlikely to be disappointed. It may not do well in 3D games, but it’s speedy enough in everything else. And it is absolutely fantastic as an entertainment device. Videos look great on the 6.8″ display, and the audio output is remarkably clear and loud.

It also has a long battery life, and recharges quickly – something you will appreciate if you are always on-the-go and have little access to a power point. Heck, it even supports reverse charging, allowing you to play the hero to your friends when they forget to bring their power banks.

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The PixelMaster 3.0 camera is really quite something. With 22.5 MP of resolution with a fast lens and advanced optical and electronic image stabilization, it can really deliver great photos and videos. The blown-out highlights are a disappointment though. ASUS should really work on correcting it.

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is, no doubt, the best phablet ASUS has ever made. A premium phablet, made out of metal and glass. It represents a massive upgrade in features and build quality over its predecessor, the ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE601KL). ASUS is definitely trying to move up the value chain.

However, such premium features come with a premium price. ASUS actually priced it at a premium over its nearest competitor, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro. You will have to decide if that the better PixelMaster 3.0 camera, larger storage capacity and screen size are worth the price premium.

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Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro Is The Ultimate Travel Buddy!

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Smartphones are no longer just communication devices. We use them to play games, watch movies and even catch a few Pokémons! In fact, we use our smartphones so much that most of us never leave home without a power bank.

That is no longer necessary with the new Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon) smartphone. With powerful processors, a large high-resolution display and a massive 5,000 mAh battery, it is the ultimate travel buddy!

Large Awesome Display

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon) has a large 6″ display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. This allows you to watch Full HD videos at their original, full resolution. There is no need to downscale or upscale the video, so the picture quality is perfect.

But most importantly, the Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon) uses a Super AMOLED display. Super AMOLED displays offer superior colour gamut and contrast ratios to IPS displays common in other smartphones. Your pictures and videos will “pop” with more vivid colours.

Pokemon hunters will especially love the fact that the Super AMOLED display works great in bright sunlight. You will never miss a Pokemon with the Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon)!

Summary : The Galaxy A9 Pro has a beautiful large display that works great outdoors!

Awesome Gaming & Entertainment

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon) uses the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC, which boasts eight processing cores, as well as a fast Adreno 510 graphics processor. It has no problem handling even the most arduous 3D game available out there. In fact, it can even handle 4K Ultra HD video recording and playback!

The Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon) also comes with 4 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of internal storage. And if that’s not enough, you can upgrade the storage space with a microSD card! With so much memory and storage, you will never run out of memory for your games, and storage space for your photos and videos.

Summary : The Galaxy A9 Pro is the ultimate gaming and entertainment device!

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Leave Your Power Bank At Home!

Even with such a large display and powerful processors, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon) has an incredibly long battery life. So long you can leave your power bank at home!

In our test, the Galaxy A9 Pro lasted over 13 hours of non-stop use, and took only 2 hours and 15 minutes to fully recharge its battery! How amazing is that???

This remarkable battery life is partly due to its massive 5,000 mAh lithium-ion battery, that supports quick charging, and partly due to better power management.

What does this mean for you? Whether you are an avid Pokemon hunter, or just enjoy watching videos on the Galaxy A9 Pro (Amazon), you will love how you can enjoy a full day of entertainment without carrying a power bank!

Summary : The Galaxy A9 Pro allows you to enjoy hours of gaming and entertainment without worrying about battery life!

Disclosure

This post was sponsored by Samsung Malaysia.

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Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (SM-A910F) Phablet Review

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Recently, Samsung sent us their new Galaxy A9 Pro phablet. While testing it, we wrote two short articles on the big features of the smartphone, and why it is the ultimate travel buddy. But nothing beats a full review. Today, we are proud to share the fruits of our labour – our comprehensive review of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro phablet!

Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro Specifications

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
Model	SM-A910F
Display	6" Super AMOLED display - 1080 x 1920 pixels (~367 ppi pixel density)
Display Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Operating System	Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
System Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976)
Processor	4 x ARM Cortex-A72 (1.8 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.4 GHz)
Graphics Processor	Qualcomm Adreno 510
Memory	4 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage	32 GB internal flash storage microSD card slot (up to 256 GB)
Front Camera	8 MP sensor with f/1.9 lens - supports 1080p video recording
Rear Camera	16 MP sensor with f/1.9 lens and single LED flash - supports optical image stabilisation (OIS)
Connectivity	Network : 4G LTE / HSPA / GSM WiFi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual band, WiFi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth : v4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE USB : microUSB 2.0
SIM Card Support	Two nano SIM card slots with Dual SIM, Dual Standby capability
GPS Capability	GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
NFC Capable	Yes
FM Radio Capability	Yes
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity (Hall) sensor, compass
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes
Battery	5,000 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable) - supports fast charging
SAR (EU)	0.62 W/kg (head) / 1.32 W/kg (body)
Dimensions	80.9 mm wide x 161.7 mm tall x 7.9 mm thick
Weight	210 g
Available Colours	White / Black / Gold

Unboxing The Galaxy A9 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro comes in a white cardboard box. Not as fancy as the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge‘s classy black box, but hey, it’s a completely different segment. Watch us unbox the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro in this video, and look at what we found inside!

Inside, you will find the following items :

One Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro phablet
One Samsung 15 W adaptive fast charging travel charger
One USB 2.0 to micro-USB cable
One pair of Samsung earphones
One SIM card slot extractor
One set of Quick Start Guide and Warranty Card

Next Page > Key Features, Fingerprint Sensor, Cameras

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Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro Key Features

Before we go into the details of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro‘s key features, let’s take a quick tour of those features.

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro has a large 6″ display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It also uses a Super AMOLED panel, which gives very rich and vivid colours and true black. Perfect for watching full HD videos.

On the left side, you will find two Volume buttons, while on the right side, are a Power button and the tray for two nano SIM cards. The buttons look really small, but they are the same size as the buttons on the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. They only look small because the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is such a large device.

The microSD card slot is located at the top of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro. It supports microSD cards of up to 256 GB in capacity. The earphone port is located at the bottom, together with the micro-USB port and the speaker port.

Fingerprint Sensor

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro comes with a fingerprint sensor integrated into the Home button. Our tests showed that it requires 16 finger presses to register a fingerprint. However, it is very fast in recognising the fingerprint after it’s registered, and it has 360 degree fingerprint recognition.

Front & Rear Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro boasts a 8 MP front camera that uses Samsung’s own S5K4H5YC BSI sensor. It is capable of recording 1080p videos at 30 fps. Thanks to its f/1.9 lens, it will have great low-light capability equivalent to that of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) smartphone. It will come in handy since the front camera does not have flash support, not even screen flash.

The main camera uses the 16 MP Samsung S5K3L2 sensor, paired with a single LED flash. It also boasts fast f/1.9 lens, which allows for better low-light performance. We will take a look at sample pictures and videos later in the review.

Next Page > Initial Setup, Memory & Storage, Battery

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Initial Setup

When you power up the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro for the first time, it will take only about 25 seconds to boot up. If you set it up as a fresh device, it should take no more than 5 minutes to complete the initial setup. Check out our video on the initial setup process.

Available Memory & Storage

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory. This is big advantage since most smartphones in this price segment come with 2 GB or 3 GB of memory. There is a fair bit of bloat, so you have about 1.9 GB of free memory to use. Compare that to the ASUS ZenFone Zoom (Amazon), which also has 4 GB of RAM but 2.2 GB of free memory to use. That’s a difference of 300 MB.

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro also comes with 32 GB of internal flash memory. Once you deduct 8.5 GB for the Android 6.0 operating system and apps, you have 23.5 GB of free space to use. This is pretty decent, allowing you to store about 4,000 photos, or record 180 minutes of 1080p video.

Don’t worry about running out of storage space with the Galaxy A9 Pro though. It has a dedicated microSD slot that supports microSD cards of up to 256 GB in capacity.

Big Battery

One of the biggest features (literally) of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is its massive 5,000 mAh battery. That’s the capacity of a power bank packed into a 7.9 mm slim form factor! You should have no problem chasing after Pokemons for a whole day, but to be sure, we will stress-test its battery later in this review.

The Galaxy A9 Pro‘s battery also supports fast charging. Samsung claims it will recharge from 0% to 100% in just 160 minutes (2 hours 40 minutes). We will put that to the test later in the review.

Next Page > Camera & Video Recording Performance

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Camera Performance

Although they use different sensors, the camera performance of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is quite similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Amazon) smartphone. The difference is only noticeable if you blow up the pictures and compare them side-by-side. The Galaxy A9 Pro pictures have more noise and less edge resolution.

Pixel peeping aside, the Galaxy A9 Pro‘s main camera is definitely one of the better cameras in this segment. The colour is accurate and vivid, even in poor lighting.

Video Recording Performance

Despite sporting a 16 MP sensor, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro‘s rear camera is not capable of recording 4K UHD videos. It can only record 1080p videos. Perhaps this is Samsung’s way of differentiating the Galaxy A9 Pro from Samsung’s more premium models like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.

The Galaxy A9 Pro‘s camera supports optical image stabilisation, so handshake is minimised. However, it does not support electronic image stabilisation. Probably another product differentiation decision.

To test the Galaxy A9 Pro‘s video recording capabilities, we recorded both a cheerleading contest, and a piano performance by Yang I-Deun. Check them out!

The image quality was good, with good exposure and colours for the subject. Bright areas of the background, especially in the piano performance, were overexposed, but what mattered was the subject was correctly exposed.

The optical image stabilisation really helped to reduce handshake, which can be a problem since the Galaxy A9 Pro is large and quite heavy. Too bad it does not support electronic image stabilisation. That would have helped stabilise the image even more.

Next Page > Work Performance, Battery Life & Recharging Performance

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Work Performance : PCMark

We tested the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro‘s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.

	Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro	honor 5C	Samsung Galaxy S6
Work Performance Score (Average)	5785	5357	5078
Web Browsing	5132	5643	6788
Video Playback	4138	4487	3091
Writing	6286	5944	5918
Photo Editing	8388	5469	5357

Impressive! The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro beat the Samsung Galaxy S6 (Amazon) in all aspects but Web Browsing. Its Photo Editing performance was particularly impressive. The Kirin 650-powered honor 5C (Amazon) did better in both Web Browsing and Video Playback, but like the Galaxy S6 was similarly poor in Photo Editing.

Battery Life – PCMark

We then tested the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro‘s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro lasted an astounding 13 hours on the PCMark stress test. That is a really remarkable result, as this stress test simulates the worst possible workload using work apps. In our real world experience, we had no problem using it for a full day with light loads, although its battery life dropped to about 10 hours while playing games.

Battery Recharging Performance

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro‘s remarkable battery life is thanks to its 5,000 mAh battery, which is about 50% larger than the battery capacity in most smartphones. But does it take much longer to recharge? Let’s find out!

Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro supports quick charging, and even comes with a 15W fast adaptive charger. Our tests showed that the Galaxy A9 Pro will recharge from 18% to 100% in just 134 minutes (2 hours and 15 minutes). This is very good performance, and backs Samsung’s claim that the Galaxy A9 Pro only needs 160 minutes to recharge from 0% to 100%.

Next Page > Overall & Gaming Performance, Our Verdict & Award

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Overall Performance – AnTuTu Benchmark

AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.

	Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro	honor 5C	Samsung Galaxy S6
TOTAL SCORE	68184	53417	75222
3D SCORE	18360	53417	20579
– 3D (Marooned)	10739	5795	12475
– 3D (Garden)	7621	4047	8104
UX SCORE	23464	19297	24065
– UX Data Secure	5356	5577	5507
– UX Data Process	3235	2706	4392
– UX Strategy Games	5601	4109	6948
– UX Image Process	6240	3144	3413
– UX I/O Performance	3022	3761	3805
CPU SCORE	19872	19254	25402
– CPU Mathematics	5953	4198	7823
– CPU Common Use	4830	5947	7585
– CPU Multi-Core	9089	9109	9994
RAM	6488	5024	5176

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro did well in this test, coming in just 9% slower than the Samsung Galaxy S6 (Amazon). It did particularly well in the RAM test, where it was 25% faster than the Galaxy S6, and 29% faster than the honor 5C (Amazon).

Gaming Performance – 3DMark

We tested the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro‘s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.

	Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro	honor 5C	Samsung Galaxy S6
Gaming Score	16989	11560	21166
Graphics	21800	11067	23298
Physics	9585	13698	16031
Graphics Test 1	120.7 fps	63.4 fps	120.6 fps
Graphics Test 2	78.0 fps	38.8 fps	87.3 fps
Physics Test	30.4 fps	43.5 fps	50.9 fps

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro did well in this test too, delivering close to 94% of the graphics performance of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (Amazon), and almost twice the graphics performance of the honor 5C (Amazon). It only lost out in the Physics test.

Our Verdict & Award

Everyone’s focus is on the new Samsung Galaxy Note7. Granted, that is a superior phablet. But not everyone can afford a Galaxy Note7, or even need all of its capabilities.

For everyone else, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is a hidden gem that offers a ton of features and high performance at a far more affordable price tag. Let’s summarise its key features :

Performance : The Galaxy A9 Pro has a fast 8-core processor, with a fast GPU for 3D games
Display : The Galaxy A9 Pro has a large 6″ Super AMOLED display with full HD resolution. Perfect for games and watching movies.
Cameras : The Galaxy A9 Pro has a very good 16 MP main camera, with OIS capability. The 8 MP front camera is no slouch either.
Memory & Storage : The Galaxy A9 Pro comes with 4 GB of fast LPDDR4 memory, and 32 GB of internal flash storage.
Connectivity : The Galaxy A9 Pro has dual SIM, dual standby capability, with a dedicated second nano SIM slot.
Expansion : The Galaxy A9 Pro has a dedicated microSD slot that supports microSD cards of up to 256 GB in capacity.
Battery : The Galaxy A9 Pro has a massive 5,000 mAh battery with a long battery life of 13 hours in our test.

The only major gripe with have with the Galaxy A9 Pro is its weight. It weighs a hefty 210 grams. That’s almost 7.5 ounces, if you are American. Make sure you buy a case for it, because all that mass will likely to shatter its glass covers if you drop it on a hard surface.

We also bemoan Samsung’s continued insistence on using the old micro-USB port. It’s 2016, guys. Time to upgrade to the bidirectional USB Type C connector!

These two gripes aside, we think that the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is a diamond in the rough, overshadowed by the brilliance of the Galaxy Note7. It is an excellent phablet that is worthy of consideration, if you do not need Galaxy Note7 features like IP68 water resistance and the iris scanner. We certainly think it deserves our Reviewer’s Choice Award!

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The ASUS ZenFone 3 Sneak Peek & Hands-On Preview

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Intel may have abandoned the smartphone market, but ASUS soldiers on with their ZenFone brand of smartphones. Instead of Intel Atom processors, they are now powered by Qualcomm processors. But that’s not all that’s changed. The new ASUS ZenFone 3 family of smartphone now comes in 3 distinct models, and they all look markedly different.

This is a departure from the ASUS ZenFone 2 family, which featured a common ambidextrous design even when ASUS differentiated them into a multitude of different models. The new ASUS ZenFone 3, the phablet edition called ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra, and the premium ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe all have very different designs, even when they share similar hardware features.

During the first day of Computex 2016, we had the opportunity to get some hands-on time with all three models. In this ASUS ZenFone 3 sneak peek, you will get to take a look at the three new models, as well as a comparison of their key specifications!

ASUS ZenFone 3 First Look

The ASUS ZenFone 3 is the mainstream model. Powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 running at 2.0 GHz, the ZenFone 3 comes with up to 4 GB of RAM and up to 64 GB of internal flash storage. It has a 5.5″ full HD Super IPS display, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on both front and back.

Like the other ZenFone 3 models, it has an 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens. It also comes with the same 6P f/2.0 lens and second-generation laser auto-focusing system for the rear camera. However, it only comes with a 16 MP sensor.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra First Look

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is a 6.8″ phablet with a full HD IPS display. Powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 running at 1.8 GHz, the ZenFone 3 Ultra comes with up to 4 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of internal flash storage.

It has a front 8 MP camera with f/2.0 lens, but what’s really amazing is the new 23 MP rear camera with 6P f/2.0 lens. It also comes with the latest second-generation laser auto-focusing system. [adrotate banner=”5″]

ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe First Look

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the premium model, the world’s first smartphone with a full metal unibody with an invisble antenna design. Powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 running at 2.3 GHz, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe comes with up to 6 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal flash storage.

The ZenFone 3 Deluxe comes with a 5.7″ full HD Super AMOLED display. It has a front 8 MP camera with f/2.0 lens, but the new 23 MP rear camera with 6P f/2.0 lens is the main attraction. It also comes with the latest second-generation laser auto-focusing system.

Next Page > Specification Comparison Of The ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Ultra & ZenFone 3 Deluxe

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ASUS ZenFone 3 Specifications Comparison

For your convenience, we compared the specifications of all three ASUS ZenFone 3 models. Check it out :

Specifications	ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL)‏	ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL)	ZenFone 3 ‏(ZE552KL)‏
Display	5.7" Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080 pixels, 386 ppi) 79% screen-to-body ratio 3,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio ASUS TruVivid technology Bluelight Filter	6.8" IPS display full-screen lamination (1920 x 1080 pixels, 324 ppi) 79% screen-to-body ratio 178˚wide-viewing angle ASUS TruVivid technology Bluelight Filter	5.5" Super IPS+ display (1920 x 1080 pixels, 401 ppi) 500 nits brightness 77.3% screen-to-body ratio 2.1mm slim bezel
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	2.5D contoured Corning Gorilla Glass
Operating System	Android 6.0 Marshmallow ASUS ZenUI 3.0	Android 6.0 Marshmallow ASUS ZenUI 3.0	Android 6.0 Marshmallow ASUS ZenUI 3.0
SoC Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (MSM8953)
Processor	Quad-core Kyro (2.15 GHz)	4 x ARM Cortex-A72 (1.8 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.4 GHz)	4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (2.0 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.4 GHz)
Graphics Processor	Qualcomm Adreno 530 (624 MHz)	Qualcomm Adreno 510	Qualcomm Adreno 506
Memory	Up to 6 GB	Up to 4 GB LPDDR3	Up to 4 GB LPDDR3
Storage	Up to 128 GB (UFS 2.0) internal flash storage microSD slot (Supports up to 2 TB)	Up to 128 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (Supports up to 2 TB)	Up to 64 GB internal flash storage microSD slot (Supports up to 2 TB)
Front Camera	8 MP, f/2.0 aperture 85˚ wide-viewing angle, Auto Focus	8 MP, f/2.0 aperture 85˚ wide-viewing angle, Auto Focus	8 MP, f/2.0 aperture, Fixed Focus
Rear Camera	23 MP Sony IMX318 sensor 0.03 second TriTech auto-focus 6P Largan f/2.0 aperture lens 4 Stop OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) 3-Axis EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) Dual-LED real tone flash Sapphire lens protection	23 MP Sony IMX318 sensor 0.03 second TriTech auto-focus 6P Largan f/2.0 aperture lens 32 second long exposure 4 Stop OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) 3-Axis EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) Dual-LED real tone flash	16 MP Sony IMX298 sensor 0.03 second TriTech auto-focus 6P Largan f/2.0 aperture lens 32 second long exposure 4 Stop OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) 3-Axis EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) Dual-LED real tone flash Sapphire lens protection
Connectivity	FDD Band 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 12 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 / 29 / 30 LTE Cat. 13 (600 Mbps / 150 Mbps) UMTS: Band: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Type-C, BT4.2 + A2DP + EDR GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS	FDD Band 1 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 LTE Cat. 6 (300 Mbps / 50 Mbps) UMTS: B1/B2/B5/B6/B8/B19 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 2.0 Type-C, BT4.2 + A2DP + EDR GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS	FDD Band 1 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 20 LTE Cat. 6 (300 Mbps / 50 Mbps) UMTS: B1/B2/B5/B8 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 Wi-Fi 802.11ac/USB 2.0 Type-C BT4.2/GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS
Dual SIM capability	Dual SIM Dual Standby	Dual SIM Dual Standby	Dual SIM Dual Standby
Sensors	Accelerator / E-Compass / Gyroscope / Proximity sensor / Hall sensor / Ambient light sensor / RGB sensor / IR sensor	Accelerator / E-Compass / Gyroscope / Proximity sensor / Hall sensor / Ambient light sensor / RGB sensor / IR sensor	Accelerator / E-Compass / Gyroscope / Proximity sensor / Hall sensor / Ambient light sensor / RGB sensor / IR sensor
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, rear mounted below camera bump	Yes, integrated with Home button	Yes, rear mounted below camera bump
Audio Capability	5 magnet speaker ASUS SonicMaster 3.0	Dual 5 magnet speakers ASUS SonicMaster 3.0 FM Radio	5 magnet speaker ASUS SonicMaster 3.0
Battery	3000 mAh	4600 mAh Talk time: 34 hrs (3G) Wi-Fi browsing (14.5 hrs) Video Playback (12.5 hrs)	3000 mAh
Fast Charging	18 W (9V, 2A) Adapter Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology BoostMaster Fast Charging : 60% battery capacity in 39 minutes	18 W (9V, 2A) Adapter Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology BoostMaster Fast Charging : 60% battery capacity in 45 minutes	10 W (5V, 2A) Adapter
Size	156.4 mm tall x 77.4 mm wide x 4.2 ~ 7.5 mm thick	186.4 mm tall x 93.9 mm wide x 6.8 mm thick	152.59 mm tall x 77.38 mm wide x 7.69 mm thick
Weight	170 g	233 g	155 g
Available Colours	Metal finish: Glacier Silver Titanium Gray Shimmer Gold	Metal finish: Glacier Silver Titanium Gray Metallic Pink	Glass finish: Sapphire Black Moonlight White Shimmer Gold Aqua Blue

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vivo V3Max Smartphone First Look

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During the vivo V3Max launch, we had the opportunity to get some time with the actual vivo V3Max smartphone. We took some pictures and a video, in which we detailed its key features. Check it out! Hope you like them! 😀

vivo V3Max Smartphone – Our First Look

The vivo V3Max is a high-end smartphone with a 5.5″ full HD IPS display protected by Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D rounded edges. It runs on vivo’s Funtouch OS 2.5, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

The vivo V3Max smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal flash storage. It also features the AKM4375 HiFi chip, which allows it to deliver a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 105 dB, and a distortion rate lower than -97 dB.

If you are into selfies, you will be glad to know that it comes with an 8 MP front camera. For even higher-resolution photos, you can use its 13 MP rear camera which has an LED flash, and features the Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) technology. This allows it to focus on subjects in just 0.2 seconds.

The vivo v3Max also comes with a faster fingerprint sensor that is capable of 360° detection, and unlocking the phone is just 0.2 seconds!

To ensure you don’t run out of power, the vivo V3Max smartphone has a 3,000 mAh battery that is paired with dual charging circuits for super fast charging. It also comes with nine charging protection systems including :

[adrotate banner=”4″]Reset Protection
Input Counter-attack Protection
Battery Protection
Output Overvoltage Protection
Input Overvoltage Protection
Output Overcurrent Protection
Overheating Protection
Temperature Protection; and
Cable Overvoltage Protection.

In addition to the Gorilla Glass 3 front protection, the vivo V3Max smartphone has a tough but light aluminium magnesium alloy body created through precision stamping, anodising and CNC machining. They even added a zircon sand coating to the body to give it a nice texture and better grip.

vivo V3Max Specifications

Specifications	vivo V3Max Smartphone
Operating System	vivo Funtouch OS 2.5 (based on Android 5.1.1)
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652
Processor	4 x ARM Cortex A72 (1.8 GHz) + 4 x ARM Cortex A53 (1.8 GHz)
Memory	4 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM memory
Storage	32 GB internal flash storage Micro SD slot (up to 128 GB)
Graphics Processor	Qualcomm Adreno 510
Display	5.5" IPS display (1080 x 1920 pixels) Gorilla Glass 3 protection
Cameras	13 MP rear camera with LED flash and Phase Detection Auto Focus technology 8 MP front camera
Connectivity	4G LTE Cat 7 : 300 Mbps / 100 Mbps WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n Bluetooth 4.1 USB 2.0 port
SIM Support	Dual SIM, Dual Standby
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, 360° detection, 0.2 second unlocking
Other Sensors	Gravity, Light, Proximity, Compass
FM Radio	Yes
NFC	No
Audio Processor	AKM4375 HiFi chip - SNR : 105 dB - distortion rate : -97 dB
Battery	3000 mAh lithium polymer battery Fast charging capable via dual-charging circuits
Dimensions	77.1 mm wide x 153.9 mm tall x 7.58 mm thick
Weight	168 g
Available Colour	Gold

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vivo V3Max Smartphone Launch

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After vivo launched the V3Max smartphone in Indian on April 5, 2016, many vivo fans in Malaysia were glad to know that the vivo V3Max would hit our shores very soon. In fact, on April 13, vivo Malaysia officially announced the availability of the vivo V3Max smartphone for the Malaysian market.

vivo V3Max – Faster Than Faster

The vivo V3Max is a high-end smartphone with a 5.5″ full HD IPS display protected by Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D rounded edges. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal flash storage. It runs on vivo’s Funtouch OS 2.5, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

In this video, vivo Malaysia’s CEO, Mike Xu gives a short presentation about vivo’s rapid expansion before revealing the vivo V3Max. Then Eric Ye, the vivo Global Product Manager, presented the key features of the new vivo V3Max smartphone. Check it out!

To power all that, the vivo V3Max has a 3,000 mAh battery which is further enhanced with dual charging circuits for super fast charging. It also comes with a fast fingerprint sensor as well as a 13 MP rear camera with Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) technology. No wonder vivo fans are eagerly waiting to buy one!

For more information on the vivo V3Max, please take a look at our article – vivo V3Max Smartphone First Look.

vivo V3Max Smartphone Pricing & Availability

The vivo V3Max is available only in the Gold colour, with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal flash storage. Its official RRP is RM 1,399 (inclusive 6% GST), which is about US$ 349. It will go on sale on April 15, 2016 at vivo authorized dealers and retail stores nationwide.

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If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participate in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donate to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

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