Tag Archives: Sony IMX362

OPPO R17 Pro Photos Of Sydney + The Blue Mountains!

The OPPO R17 Pro boasts a new dual-aperture camera that promises to match the Samsung Galaxy Note9, and Samsung Galaxy S9+ smartphones.

To test it out, we took it on a trip to Sydney and the nearby Blue Mountains. Check out the photos we took with the OPPO R17 Pro!

Updated @ 2019-01-18 : Corrected a few mistakes, and added more details.

Originally posted @ 2018-12-29

Don’t forget to read our OPPO R17 Pro Smartphone In-Depth Review!

The OPPO R17 Pro Cameras

The OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US) has a 25 MP front camera with a Sony IMX576 sensor and f/2.0 aperture.

In the back, it boasts a new dual camera setup that is similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy S9+.

The main rear camera is a 12 MP Sony IMX362 shooter with dual-aperture – f/1.5 and f/2.4 – exactly like the dual-aperture camera of the Samsung Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy S9+ smartphones.

Its secondary rear camera though is a higher resolution 20 MP telephoto camera with f/2.6 aperture.

In addition to the hardware, the R17 Pro also features the OPPO AI Ultra-Clear Engine, which automatically optimises the captured image to deliver the best possible output.

How We Tested In Sydney + The Blue Mountains

While many Instagrammers and social media influencers touch up their photos to create more stunning posts, we wanted to show you the OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US) can deliver without editing or filters.

This is important because a good graphics editor can turn even a terrible picture into a work of art. But how many of us are good at editing photos, or even have the time to do it?

So we intentionally used the OPPO R17 Pro the way most users would – with automatic settings, and no artificial lighting or setup. This would also let us evaluate just how effective the AI Ultra-Clear Engine is in delivering a great final output.

Sydney Central Railway Station

The Sydney Central Railway Station is the largest train station in the state of New South Wales, and is a heritage building.

The OPPO R17 Pro’s mechanical aperture will automatically switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4, depending on the lighting condition. This allows to adapt to changing ambient light. ensuring better low-light pictures while ensuring highlights are not blown out in bright conditions.

Next Page > Photos Of The Blue Mountains!

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Three Sisters + Jamison Valley

The Three Sisters are a famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains, right next to the town of Katoomba.

The three rocks, known individually as Meehni (922 m), Wimlah (918 m), and Gunnedoo (906 m), tower over the lush Jamison Valley.

We took these pictures with the OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US) at around sunset.

Katoomba Cascades

The Katoomba Cascades is a small segmented waterfall that feeds into the main Katoomba Falls waterfall. It’s a great place for a picnic and pictures (because it’s relatively safe to climb).

Scenic Railway

The Scenic Railway is the most exciting ride in Scenic World, the main tourist attraction in the Blue Mountains.

We took two videos of the Scenic Railway with the OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US) to test its 4K UHD video recording capability. Check them out :

At Scenic World, you also get to check out the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley, from the east. The OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US) delivered really great results in this picture.

Even though it was really bright, it automatically stopped down to the f/2.4 aperture, eliminating glare and giving it greater depth of field. Look at how rich the colours are.

Incidentally, the Blue Mountains isn’t really blue in colour. It got its name from the blue haze that is created from sunlight reflecting off dust, water vapour and the oils from the eucalyptus trees that blanket the area.

Next Page > Photos Of Sydney Harbour!

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Circular Quay

For all cruises and cross-harbour ferries, the Sydney Circular Quay is where most of the action is.

Fast ferries to Parramatta and Manly, as well as the various wharfs in the area, provide an affordable and scenic way to enjoy Sydney.

It is also close to The Rocks and other tourist attractions, including the Customs House and Darling Harbour.

Sydney By Ferry

Catching the many Sydney ferries is an AWESOME and highly affordable way to take in the sights. Here are some great views from the Taronga Zoo.

The ferries also stop at Luna Park, to the north of Sydney Harbour.

The Sydney Cross-Harbour Ferry, in particular, will bring you under the Harbour Bridge…

And past the famous Sydney Opera House!

The ferries are rather unstable platforms because they go really fast, but this was not a problem for the OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US), as the pictures show. That’s because both of its rear cameras are optically-stabilised.

Darling Harbour

The nearby Darling Harbour is also a great place to visit.

The ICC Sydney (International Convention Centre) is just unique for its architecture, there are also some interesting buskers showing off their skills along the harbour side and nearby park.

Next Page > Photos Of The Sydney CBD

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OPPO R17 Pro Photos Of The Sydney CBD

Exploring the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) is extremely easy using train. Then all you need to do is wander around on foot.

The most popular stations are Central, which is located close to Chinatown and Paddy’s Market, or Circular Quay, near many tourist attractions like the Harbour Bridge and The Rocks.

Just behind the Circular Quay, you will find the Sydney Customs House, and the Sydney Gateway Plaza.

Sydney boasts a mix of fresh bold architecture and grand old Victorian architecture.

Only in Australia will you find the LGBT flag flying high on top of a town hall, with a Christmas tree right underneath it. We present to you – the Sydney Town Hall!

Thanks to the magic of perspective, the Sydney Tower Eye appears shorter than we expected…

No trip to Sydney is complete without a stop in Chinatown, and Paddy’s Market for souvenirs and food!

Even as it gets dark, the OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US) does not fail to deliver really great pictures. Its camera automatically switches to the wider f/1.5 aperture for more light.

It also helps that OPPO used the excellent Sony IMX362 sensor, which boasts large 1.4 µm pixels and Dual Pixel autofocus capability. This lets it focus faster and take better pictures in low-light conditions.

We especially like the photo above. It is actually a very hard scene for smartphones to handle. But the OPPO R17 Pro (MY | US) did a great job of controlling the highlights of the bright background, while bringing out the details of the darker foreground.

Next Page > The Harbour Bridge + The Rocks

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Photos Of The Harbour Bridge + The Rocks

A short distance northwest of the Circular Quay is The Rocks, a historic tourist destination at the south end of the Harbour Bridge.

There is a famous weekend market, called The Rocks Market, that usually opens from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

At the end of The Rocks Market is the Dawes Point Park, located right UNDER the Harbour Bridge!

Don’t forget to check out the Create NSW building right next to The Rocks Market. It houses the Museums and Galleries of NSW, The Australian Ballet and the Sydney Art Exchange.

At the end of the Dawes Point Park, you will find the Dawes Point Battery, a heritage artillery fortification. Many boys (at heart) have pretended to shoot at passing boats using the cannons on display here.

Walk down from Dawes Point Battery to Dawes Point (on the left) and the Hickson Road Reserve (on the right), and you will have the opportunity to take some great shots of the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Where To Buy The OPPO R17 Pro

Impressed with the OPPO R17 Pro’s photographic capabilities? You can grab one for just RM 2,699 / ~US$ 643 / ~£499! Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :

OPPO R17 Pro : RM 2,699 | US$ 698.88

Don’t forget to read our OPPO R17 Pro Smartphone In-Depth Review!

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The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom – iPhone 7 Plus Killer At Half The Price!

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
Protection	Premium aluminium-alloy frame 2.5D contoured Corning Gorilla Glass 5	IP67-rated dust and water-resistance Dual-ion exchange strengthened glass
Operating System	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Apple iOS 10
Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625	Apple A10 Fusion
Processor	4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (2.0 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.4 GHz)	2 x Apple Hurricane cores (2.34 GHz) 2 x Apple Zephyr cores (2.34 GHz)
Graphics Processor	Qualcomm Adreno 506	PowerVR 7XT GT7600 Plus
Memory	4 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM (933 MHz)	3 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
Storage	64 GB internal flash storage microSD card (up to 2 TB, shared with SIM2)	32 GB internal flash storage No microSD card slot
Front Camera	13 MP PixelMaster camera - Sony IMX214 sensor - f/2.0, 5-element Largan lens	7 MP camera with f/2.2 lens
Main Camera	12 MP PixelMaster 3.0 camera - Sony IMX362 sensor (1.4 µm pixels) - f/1.7, 6-element lens - Dual Pixel PDAF technology - 4-axis, 4 stops Optical Image Stabilization for steady photos - 3-axis Electronic Image Stabilization for shake-free videos	12 MP camera - Sony Exmor RS sensor - f/1.8, 6-element lens - Optical image stabilisation
Zoom Camera	12 MP sensor (unknown model) with f/2.6 lens - 2.3X fixed optical zoom - 12X maximum zoom (digital + optical)	12 MP sensor with f/2.8 lens - 2X fixed optical zoom - 10X maximum zoom (digital + optical)
Connectivity	4G : LTE Cat4 WiFi : 802.11b/g/n Bluetooth : 4.2	4G : LTE Cat12 WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth : 4.2
SIM Capability	Dual SIM, Dual Standby with Hybrid SIM tray - nano SIM slot 1 (3G / 4G) - nano SIM slot 2 (3G / 4G) / micro SD	Single nano SIM only
NFC Capability	No	Yes
GPS	GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BDS	GPS, AGPS, GLONASS
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, Rear-Mounted	Yes, built into Home button
Audio	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
One SIM card tray ejector pin

Next Page > The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom Key Features

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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.

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

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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).

Next Page > Camera Performance – Photos

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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.

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Next Page > Camera Performance – Video Recording

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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!

Next Page > Work Performance, Battery Life & Recharging Speed

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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.

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

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Gaming Performance – 3DMark

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

	ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom	ASUS ZenFone 3	Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)	OPPO F1s
Gaming Score	13844	13956	13540	7666
Graphics	13372	13484	13548	7511
Physics	15797	15903	13510	8265
Graphics Test 1	80.3 fps	80.5 fps	81.1 fps	49.4 fps
Graphics Test 2	45.6 fps	46.1 fps	46.2 fps	24.4 fps
Physics Test	50.1 fps	50.5 fps	42.9 fps	26.2 fps

Like the ZenFone 3, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) did well in this test, matching the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017), and coming in twice as fast as the OPPO F1s.

Overall Performance

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

	ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom	ASUS ZenFone 3	Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)	OPPO F1s
TOTAL SCORE	63218	62761	56431	41486
3D SCORE	12966	18816	15458	4868
– 3D (Marooned)	7878	10861	10511	3188
– 3D (Garden)	5088	7952	4947	1679
UX SCORE	24089	26794	18496	17640
– UX Data Secure	5713	5077	5295	4885
– UX Data Process	2991	4198	2612	2542
– UX Strategy Games	4193	7503	3671	2829
– UX Image Process	7893	6879	3373	3885
– UX I/O Performance	3299	3137	3545	3499
CPU SCORE	20683	23689	16459	14336
– CPU Mathematics	4264	6950	3132	3142
– CPU Common Use	6673	6311	5199	4805
– CPU Multi-Core	9746	10428	8128	6389
RAM	5480	6797	6018	4643

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) did well in this test, beating the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) by 12%, and the OPPO F1s by 52%.

Our Verdict & Award

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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The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom Smartphone Launched!

23^rd March, 2017 — ASUS today announced ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada), the world’s slimmest and lightest 5.5-inch smartphone with a high-capacity 5000mAh battery and a dual-camera system that delivers photographic perfection.

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom

ZenFone 3 Zoom’s innovative dual-camera system consists of two cameras: A main camera with an f/1.7-aperture, 25mm wide-angle main lens paired to a 12MP SONY IMX362 sensor with large 1.4µm pixels (1/2.55in sensor size); and a dedicated 59mm, 12MP zoom camera with an instant 2.3X optical zoom and a 12X total zoom.

This setup ensures sharp focus for subjects at any distance. ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) also has the first ASUS SuperPixel Camera that enables it to shoot photos quickly and clearly in night-time or low-light environments. The SuperPixel Camera combines advanced hardware and software enhancement by ASUS SuperPixel technology to achieve light sensitivity that is 2.5 times[1] (2.5X) greater than that of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada), and 10 times that of an average smartphone.

ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) houses an incredible 5000mAh battery that has a much higher capacity than that of an average smartphone. This is paired to a powerful yet energy-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 14nm processor, enabling the new smartphone to achieve an amazing 6.4 hours of continuous 4K UHD video recording and an outstanding 42 days of standby time.

The high-capacity battery also gives ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) the ability to double up as a power bank to charge other devices. Remarkably, the high power density of the battery allows it to be fitted into a super-slim, 7.9mm full-metal chassis that weighs a mere 170 grams, making it the world’s thinnest and lightest 5.5-inch smartphone with a 5000mAh battery.

[1] Compared to the iPhone 7 Plus (Amazon | Lazada) main camera (f/1.8 with 1.22µm pixel size)

[2] Compared to average smartphone cameras (f/2.0 with 1.0µm pixel size)

Built for photographic perfection

The ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is the most accomplished camera smartphone to date from ASUS, with a list of new features designed to make it unrivalled in mobile photography. These include:

Dual-camera system — ZenFone 3 features an all-new ASUS SuperPixel Camera for unbeatable low-light photography, plus a dedicated 12MP, 59mm camera for instant 2.3X optical zoom and 12X total zoom, making the best camera mode for different subject types and focal lengths instantly available to photographers.

The main SuperPixel Camera is ideal for shooting general subjects and macro shots as close as 10cm, while the optical-zoom camera is excellent for distant subjects. The biggest advantage of having two cameras with lenses of different focal lengths is the ability to let users switch lenses and compose in different perspectives.

ASUS SuperPixel Camera — ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) features a new main ASUS SuperPixel Camera that can shoot photos quickly and clearly in night-time or low-light environments. The SuperPixel Camera consists of three main components:

Large 1.4-micron pixel size — Larger pixels increase the camera’s sensitivity to light, and decrease the graininess of resulting photos, especially those shot in low-light environments. ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) uses the Sony IMX362 sensor with pixels measuring 1.4 microns (µm) wide pixels and a 1/2.55-inch sensor size, which is one of the largest of any smartphone camera sensors, making the camera excellent for low-light photography.
Large f/1.7 lens aperture — the large aperture allows for more light to enter the sensor compared to other smartphone cameras.
ASUS SuperPixel technology — A combination of the new ASUS SuperPixel engine hardware and image digital-signal-processing software that that boosts light sensitivity up to four times (4X) by intelligently controlling ISO levels while shooting, and removing noise in post-shot processing.

High-resolution SuperPixel selfies — ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) features one of the highest-resolution front-facing cameras of any smartphone. It has a 13MP SONY IMX 214 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture lens that shoots high-resolution selfies and also benefits from ASUS SuperPixel technology to achieve twice the light sensitivity. It also features a new ‘screen flash’ mode that uses the display as a flash in low-light environments.

ASUS 0.03s TriTech+ autofocus — ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) has an improved ASUS TriTech+ autofocus system with new Dual Pixel PDAF technology as one of its three focusing technologies along with the second-generation laser autofocus and subject tracking autofocus. ASUS TriTech+ automatically chooses the best technology to use depending on the subject, and achieves focus in an amazingly fast 0.03 seconds — the world’s fastest autofocus.

Dual Pixel PDAF — Each pixel on the sensor is now divided into two phase-detection sections that can detect the movement of subjects by analyzing the variations between the light rays hitting the two sensors. Working together with all the other 12-million pixels on the sensor, ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is able to achieve rapid phase-detection autofocus even in low-light conditions.
Second-generation laser autofocus — Which has three times (3X) the range of standard laser focusing systems which can benefit shooting close-up subjects within 1.5 meters.
Subject-tracking autofocus — The system cleverly tracks moving subjects while the user is shooting, so they will never be out of focus. Subject tracking is enabled by default for both still images and videos.

RAW file support — ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) offers photographers the freedom to shoot and store compositions in RAW format. RAW files save the full data of the photo captured by the camera’s sensor and are ideal for enhancement with editing software, where users are able to uncover fine details in areas of shadow, or recover overexposed areas in the highlights, with much less degradation of of image quality when compared to editing JPEG image files. RAW support will be available with Android 7.0 ‘Nougat’.

Full Manual mode — This mode enables full control over ZenFone 3 Zoom’s extensive camera settings. These includes white balance, exposure value (EV), focus, and ISO settings, and an impressive shutter-speed selection of between 1/16000 sec and 32 seconds. In ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada), this mode also allows users to override the automatic camera selection and choose to use either the 25mm, f/1.7 lens of the main camera or the 59mm lens of the zoom camera.

Continuous autofocus 4K UHD video recording — For video recording, ZenFone 3 Zoom’s subject tracking autofocus system allows the smartphone to continuously focus on subjects while recording video at stunning 4K UHD resolution.

ZenFone 3 series camera features — ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) also comes with all the powerful photographic features of the ZenFone 3 series including:

Four-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) and three-axis electronic image stabilization (EIS) to prevent hand movements from blurring photos or making videos appear shaky.
Ultra-sharp 4K UHD video recording at 3840 x 2160 resolution.
RGB Color-correction sensor that automatically adjusts the colors in a photo to look natural and accurate.
48MP Super Resolution mode that combines four native 12MP photos to create a single image with exceptional 4X clarity, greater detail and less noise.
19 different unique and versatile modes that optimize the camera to shoot scenes or add special effects to photos.

Ultra-large 5000mAh battery and reverse-charging ability

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With a charge rating of 5000mAh, ZenFone 3 Zoom’s battery has one of the highest capacities of any smartphone — and the world’s highest capacity in its class.

Paired with the powerful yet battery-efficient 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, this high-capacity battery enables ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) to achieve an amazing 6.4 hours of continuous 4K UHD video recording time, or 42 days of standby time, without worrying about running out of charge.

ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is the world’s slimmest and lightest 5.5-inch 5000mAh smartphone, and is a mere 7.9mm thin and weighs just 170 grams. ZenFone 3 Zoom’s high battery capacity also lets it double up as a high-speed power bank for charging other devices via an automatic reverse-charging capability.

Strong-yet-beautiful display

ZenFone 3 Zoom’s display is a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED panel with high 500cd/m² brightness for outdoor-readable images with extreme clarity and contrast, and a color gamut that is more than 100% of the NTSC color space. It also features a blue-light filter that prevents eye strain over long periods of viewing.

ZenFone 3 Zoom (Amazon | Lazada) is also one of the first smartphones to have a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 display cover panel that is 70%-more resistant to drop damage compared to the previous Gorilla Glass generation. This panel has been crafted and shaped to fit within the phone’s beautifully small, sandblasted aluminum-alloy body. A fingerprint sensor is conveniently placed at the back of the smartphone for easy accessibility.

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