After launching it for the European markets, Asus has finally launched its much-talked about camera-centric smartphone — the Zenfone Zoom, in India. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 37,999, and will be available in Pure Black and Ceramic White color options with leather back. Asus has exclusively partnered with the e-commerce giant, Flipkart for online selling. One can also buy the Zenfone Zoom paired with accessories such as ZenFlash and Tripod for Rs. 39,999. The device will be up for purchase exclusively via Flipkart from February onwards.
The Zenfone Zoom comes with awe-inspiring 3x optical zoom and features a 5.5-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 resolution. It is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. There are two internal storage options 128GB/64GB, which can be further expanded up to another 128GB via microSD card. In terms of software, the device runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with ZenUI on top.
The main feature of the phone and what its name itself suggests is its 13-megapixel primary camera with 3x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, dual-LED flash, f/2.7 – f/4.8 10-element Hoya lens, and laser AF. The phone has a macro mode, which enables users to click close-up shots from a distance of 2 centimeters from the subject. Another mode is Super-resolution, which amalgamates 4 shots into a single 52-megapixel image.
Asus seems to have drawn some inspirations from the Nokia Lumia 1020 in terms of design, as the Zenfone Zoom does resemble camera-centric smartphone by Nokia. However, unlike Nokia 1020, Asus has not used a larger camera sensor or a Xenon flash. Given its specifications and especially its camera-centric appeal, the Asus Zenfone Zoom is going to compete with the Lenovo Vibe Shot, which is retailing at a much lesser price tag. It would be interesting to see how Indian users respond to this latest offering by Asus.
Commenting on the launch, Jerry Shen, ASUS CEO said,”Photography has become extremely important for today’s smartphone users. Consumers want to capture every precious moment of their lives on their smartphone cameras, and also, be able to perform multiple tasks with the same device. With ZenFone Zoom, we are introducing an unbeatable smartphone that complements today’s lifestyles and puts professional photography within the reach of everyone,”
Asus Zenfone Zoom specifications
- 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 72 percent screen-to-body ratio, and Gorilla Glass 3 with Oleophobic coating
- Android 5.0 Lollipop with new Zen UI
- Intel Atom Z3580 SoC, 64-bit 2.3GHz quad-core processor, PowerVR G6430 GPU, and 2GB/4GB of RAM
- 64GB/128GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via microSD card
- 13MP PixelMaster primary camera, laser autofocus, 10-element lens, 3x optical zoom, dual-tone dual-LED flash,
- 5MP secondary camera and 1080p video recording
- 4G LTE Cat. 4, 3G, Wi-Fi ac/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.0, and GLONASS A-GPS
- microUSB v2.0 port and 3.5mm headphone jack
- 3,000 mAh battery with fast charging
What do you think about the pricing of the Asus Zenfone Zoom? Do you think the device is worth the pricing? Let us know through the comments section.
