The brand new Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML is beautifully crafted and delivers a truly remarkable performance. This dual SIM smartphone offers up to 32 GB internal storage and runs on Android Lollipop. We can experience the dynamic handheld performance with the US version of the ZenFone 2 ZE551ML Smartphone in Glacier Gray from ASUS. ZenFone 2 has incredibly-slim 3.9mm edges. It’s a marvel of design and ergonomics, making the ZenFone 2 incredibly comfortable to hold and this is more than an impressive engineering feat. The iconic ASUS concentric-circle design gives a beautiful, tactile effect and adorns both the front and rear key. The beautiful effect is achieved by precision machining that produces circles with a mere 0.13mm pitch and gives ZenFone 2 a premium look and feels.
DESIGN
The Asus ZenFone 2 is of 4GB of RAM and this is the world’s first smartphone sporting, which is its USP by far. The phone also provides great gaming performance. It flaunts a stunning 5.5-inch IPS full HD multi-touch display with ultra-slim bezels and coming Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
| Alternate names | ZE551ML |
| Brand | Asus |
| Model | ZenFone 2 |
| Release date | January 2015 |
| Form factor | Touchscreen |
| Dimensions (mm) | 152.50 x 77.20 x 10.90 |
| Weight (g) | 170.00 |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 3000 |
| Removable battery | No |
| Colours | Glacier Grey, Osmium Black, Glamour Red, Ceramic White, Sheer Gold |
| SAR value | 0.35 |
Display
| Screen size (inches) | 5.50 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Resolution | 1080×1920 pixels |
| Pixels per inch (PPI) | 403 |
Hardware
| Processor | 2.3GHz quad-core |
| Processor make | Intel Atom Z3580 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Internal storage | 32GB |
| Expandable storage | Yes |
| Expandable storage type | microSD |
| Expandable storage up to (GB) | 64 |
Camera
| Rear camera | 13-megapixel |
| Rear flash | Dual LED |
| Front camera | 5-megapixel |
Software
| Operating system | Android 5.0 |
| Skin | ZenUi |
Sensors
| Compass/ Magnetometer | Yes |
| Proximity sensor | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Barometer | No |
| Temperature sensor | No |
PERFORMANCE
The ZE551ML has an Atom Z3560 SoC with its quad-core processor clocked anywhere between 500MHz and 1.83GHz and The entire Zenfone 2 range is powered by Intel Atom chipsets. However, the Atom Z3560 competes with the Snapdragon 800 and its quad-core 2.26GHz processor. The speed is comparable to that of Snapdragon-toting flagship devices. The performance of the ZenFone 2 is so good that 20 apps and games can be run in the background and only 1.5GB of 4GB RAM will be utilised. The Zenfone 2 ZE551ML proves to be a strong performer, even in this compromise configuration with 2GB of RAM and Intel Atom Z3560.
VERDICT
Asus improves on most aspects of the Zenfone 5 except for the camera with the ZenFone 2. If we have multiple browser tabs open at the same time then also the 4GB of RAM could come in handy. Besides, the PowerVR graphics chip is a solid performer and that is a boon for Android gamers.
The 32GB variant will cost Rs. 19,999 and the ZenFone 2 ZE551ML with 64GB of internal storage are priced at Rs. 22,999. This means that Asus is now competing with the Xiaomi Mi4, OnePlus One and HTC Desire 820. All of which have better cameras than the ZenFone 2’s 13-megapixel shooter. Therefore potential buyers should carefully choose the right variant of the ZenFone 2 according to their requirements.
COST PRICE
This smartphone comes at TWD 5,990 (approximately Rs. 11,900) and the most expensive is the ZE551ML variant, which costs €349. Asus France offers the ZE55ML variant (the 4GB one) for €299, for a limited time only.
