Asus Zenfone 6 ZS630KL smartphone - advantages and disadvantages

ASUS does not often release new smartphones to the market. Despite this, all of its models are highly popular, as they not only always correspond to modern trends, but also surprise with unique features and cool characteristics, which allows them to occupy the highest positions in the rating of high-quality and advanced devices. So, having released the successful and popular among the modern population ZenFone 5 and 5z models, already in May 2019, ASUS presented a new, radically updated ZenFone 6z or 6 ZS630KL smartphone. This article provides an overview of the company's new flagship, which is significantly different from the advanced models of other brands.

A little about the manufacturer

ASUS got its name from the word Pegasus, which refers to the ancient Greek image of a horse with wings, which is the embodiment of wisdom and knowledge. It began in 1989 as the idea of ​​a few Taiwanese engineers to start a small and beautiful company. And for eight months they have been developing and producing two cutting-edge motherboards for PCs (IBM and ALR) 386/33 cache and ISA 486/25. And thanks to the popularity of these products, Taiwan is becoming the world center for high quality IT products.

For the next five years, ASUS solidifies itself in the digital marketplace by producing updated and improved motherboards. In addition, in 1992, the company establishes a formal partnership with Intel. And then the manufacturer expands the range of products by launching

• in 1997 the first laptop ASUSP6300;
• in 2002, the world's first PDA for Intel processor: ASUS MyPal А600А;
• in 2003 the first ASUS 3G flip phone: J100;
• in 2007 the first ASUS cameras: BrightCam AF-200 and MF-200;
• 2008, the first ASUS All-ln-One touchscreen PC;
• in 2010 the first multifunctional Windows smartphone: Garmin ASUS Nuvifone M

The basis of ASUS 'successful development is the use of innovative technologies. Throughout its history, the Taiwanese IT industry has experienced tremendous growth, occupying a leading position among the best manufacturers in the global market.

Today the company is a manufacturer of almost the entire range of products in the field of information technology: computer components and peripherals, laptops, tablets, servers and smartphones. Among the revolutionary products of the manufacturer are the PadFone smartphone and the hybrid mobile solutions TAICHI and Transformer Book released after it. Zenbo robots, ZenFone smartphones and ZenBook ultrabooks should also be noted.

In 2018, ASUS products have won several thousand prestigious international awards. The current staff of the company has more than 16 thousand employees and more than 5 thousand high-class developers around the world. The average annual turnover from the sale of its own products in recent years has reached 13 billion US dollars.

Asus Zenfone 6 ZS630KL smartphone review

Equipment

By purchasing Asus Zenfone 6 ZS630KL bundled with the device, the user gets:

• charger unit;
• USB Type-C cable with medium cord length;
• a headset with support for DTS Headphone XTM 7.1 technology and a set of multi-size ear pads;
• standard plastic case.

The phone is packed in a compact black cardboard box.The smartphone also comes with a user manual and a warranty card.

Design

In 2019, the Asus Zenfone 6z is available in retail and online digital stores in midnight black and twilight silver. There is information that the manufacturer also produces white (pearl), red (cherry) and gold (champagne) smartphones.

Speaking about the Asus Zenfone 6 ZS630KL smartphone, first of all, it should be noted two features of its design that are radically different from other flagships:

1. Completely frameless screen. The device does not provide for a cutout on the screen, even for the front camera, which actually does not exist (which does not mean that you cannot take a selfie on it).
2. The device is equipped with a unique PTZ camera. In other words, the device is equipped with a single dual module for taking photos and videos, which can be manually adjusted by choosing the desired angle of inclination.

As a result, it turns out that he decided in his own way to achieve the modern trend of lack of frames around the display, removing the "eyebrow" and cutout from the front panel and creating a PTZ camera. This is a personal unique development from Asus, which did not use the beloved technology of other brands (OPPO, Vivo and OnePlus) in the form of a retractable front camera.

The dimensions of the device itself are large, but in fact standard for many flagship models: its length is 159.1 mm, width is 75.4 mm, and its thickness is 9.2 mm. The weight of the device is 190 g. Materials of the device body: very light, but durable aluminum alloy and glass back cover. Also the front side of the model provides a rounded protective glass Gorilla Glass (3D) version 6.

On the back of the smartphone there is a camera unit made of metal identical to the entire body from Liquidmetal Technologies. There is also a capacitive fingerprint scanner a little lower for quick unlocking of the device. On the right side (when looking at the screen) there is a programmable physical smart key.

Specifications

Display

For the Asus Zenfone 6z display, the manufacturer has provided the most common diagonal of 6.4 inches (100.5 sq. Cm) and due to the absence of bezels, it occupies 83.8% of the front panel of the case. The screen of the presented NanoEdge model is equipped with a modern IPS matrix and is covered with a protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The following important characteristics can also be distinguished:

• Full HD + resolution (2340 x 1080 pixels);
• density of about 403 ppi;
• maximum brightness 600 cd / m2, which is especially important for outdoor use in the sun;
• color gamut - 96% NTFS, 100% DCI-P3 and HDR-10;
• depth / number of colors 24/16777216 bits / colors;
• aspect ratio 19.5: 9.

In the "display settings" menu, it is possible to change the color display mode by choosing a more natural color reproduction, as well as replacing the color temperature with a "warmer" one. The device's screen supports multi-touch function - recognition of up to ten simultaneous touches (even with gloves).

CPU

The big plus of the presented smartphone model can be called its high performance, which is responsible for the modern powerful Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 processor, made according to the 7nm process technology. This is the fastest mobile chipset ever released by Qualcomm, with a capacity of 64 GB and running on the ARMv8-A architecture. The device platform is represented by Kryo 485 octa cores, which operate at frequencies: 1 at 2.84 GHz, 3 at 2.41 GHz and 4 at 1.78 GHz.

One of the latest versions of the mobile GPU, Adreno 640, is used as a video accelerator responsible for displaying 3d graphics on the screen. The presented set of graphic microcircuits has high speed, which is especially important when using the flagship for active games.

Operating system and memory

The high functionality of the flagship is provided by one of the latest versions of the mobile operating systems Android 9.0, running on the Pie shell with the individual user interface ASUS ZenUI 6. Thanks to it, the manufacturer guarantees fast and smooth operation of the device, as well as ease of use, even for users who have taken it for the first time. hands smartphone.

Like most characteristics, the memory of the device also has decent performance. So, the amount of RAM (LPDDR4X) of a smartphone varies from 6 GB to 8 GB, and the built-in memory assumes 128 GB and 256 GB, respectively. The device provides for the use of additional storage capabilities by connecting to a separate slot for microSD, microSDHC or microSDXC cards with a capacity of up to 2 TB.

User interface and control

Thanks to the ZenUI shell, the presented model has significantly expanded the capabilities of standard Android and for the better. On the smartphone, the user is offered several desktops and a separate application menu, called up by swiping from the bottom up the display. And with a reverse movement (from top to bottom), you can open the shutter with notifications and a number of quick settings.

The device provides for both standard Android 9 applications (Chrome browser, Gmail, Google calendar, and others), and individual ones for ZenUI: gallery, contacts, file manager, weather forecast, calculator. Among shell-based applications, the "mobile dispatcher" deserves special attention, capable of performing such functions as:

• tracking the general state of the smartphone;
• clearing internal memory;
• optimization of battery performance;
• acceleration of the work of programs by means of their pre-loading and saving in memory.

Also ASUS ZenUI 6 provides the flagship with the ability to create completely identical copies of applications of a number of instant messengers, social networks and YouTube. This is a very convenient option for users using two numbers with internet.

There are two options for navigating the smartphone system: using standard virtual keys at the bottom of the screen or gesture control. The real control buttons are located on the right side of the smartphone body and are designed to turn on, adjust the volume and, by default, to call the Google voice assistant (it is supposed to change the function of this key and the ability to perform several actions).

Cameras

As already noted, in fact, ASUS ZenUI 6 has one dual-module camera (a single rotary unit), but in terms of functionality, like any modern smartphone, there are two. The rear (main camera) consists of two lenses:

1. The first one works with the flagship Sony IMX586 sensor (photo sensor size - 1 / 2.0, pixel size - 0.8 microns) with a huge resolution of 48 megapixels (8000 x 6000 pixels) and a quadruple Bayer filter. It also has a large f / 1.79 aperture. Equivalent focal length - 26 mm, field of view - 79 degrees.
2. The second is equipped with a 13 megapixel sensor, has a super-wide-angle format and a field of view of up to 125 degrees, which allows you to capture the largest number of objects and subjects in the photo. Pixel length 1.6 microns, laser autofocus is provided. F / 2.4 module optics. Equivalent focal length - 11 mm. Has the ability to correct distortion in real time.

Both camera modules are capable of shooting several video formats: 2160p @ 30 / 60fps, 1080p @ 30/60 / 240fps, 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 480fps; gyro-EIS (except @ 240 / 480fps). In addition, in addition to laser autofocus, they provide extensive functionality:

• continuous, panoramic and HDR shooting;
• digital zoom;
• digital and optical image stabilization;
• geographic tags;
• touch focus;
• face recognition mode;
• setting white balance and ISO;
• exposure compensation;
• self-timer fps.

Selfie (front-facing in most smartphones) camera in the presented flagship is the same two modules of the main device for filming, the same characteristics and functions.

In order to evaluate how well ASUS ZenUI 6 takes pictures, you should dwell in more detail on the special advantage of its cameras: equipping them with special modes:

• HDR + ENHANCED for daytime shooting, when activated, it enhances the sharpness of images by combining several photos with fast shutter speed into a single one with an ideal exposure using a specially built-in algorithm.
• SUPER NINGT for night shooting, when activated, you can get high-quality pictures in low light conditions by combining multiple photos with different exposure values ​​and preserving fine details and vivid colors.

How beautifully the camera of the presented model of the device takes pictures at night and an example of a daytime photo can be seen on the official website of ASUS.

Multimedia and sound

First of all, it should be noted that the flagship is equipped with a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device also provides a built-in FM radio application and speakerphone through a dual built-in noise canceling microphone.

The device is equipped with two stereo speakers (on the bottom edge of the case and combined with a spoken speaker) and NXP TFA9874 smart amplifiers, which allow it to produce powerful, detailed and clear sound. This is especially useful for multi-functional games and for watching action-packed videos, but it is equally important during a conversation.

To listen to music on the flagship, it is recommended to use ZenEar Pro headphones with settings from 1MORE specialists. The sound quality through the headset is provided by DTS Headphone: X technology for virtual surround sound in 7.1.

Manufacturers have provided the AudioWizard sound adjustment function in the smartphone. In addition, there is support for Hi-Res Audio (HRA) 192 kHz / 24 bit audio format (which is 4 times better than sound from CDs).

The device is equipped with modern Qualcomm Audio audio codec, and is also capable of playing many audio formats: AAC and AAC + and eAAC +, AMR / AMR-NB / GSM-AMR and AMR-WB, aptX / apt-X and aptX HD / apt-X HD / aptX Lossless, FLAC, MIDI, MP3, OGG and WMA. Also, by default, the device allows you to view more than ten modern video formats, including the most popular AVI, MP4, 3GPP, MKV, DivX, Flash Video, H.263 and H.264 / MPEG-4 Part 10 / AVC video.

Autonomy

For the battery life in the Asus Zenfone 6z, there is a non-removable lithium-polymer battery with a decent 5000 mAh battery, one of the largest on the mobile market. It is very important that despite the size of the battery, the manufacturers have maintained an acceptable thickness of the device (9.2 mm).

The highest battery capacity of the flagship will allow its owner not to think about frequent recharging, constantly carrying a charger or an external battery with him. According to the results of laboratory tests, a smartphone with the presented characteristics and the indicated battery size is able to work out:

• up to 2 days with constant use;
• up to 26 days in standby mode on 4G frequencies;
• up to 33 hours in standby mode on 3G frequencies;
• up to 21 hours when working with Internet resources via Wi-Fi.

Thanks to the support of Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 technology, the high-capacity battery of the device charges very quickly. So already in half an hour the charge reaches 30%, and in 50 minutes - up to 70%, and then, to get 100% charge, it will take on average one more hour. In total, the smartphone takes about two hours to charge when using the native adapter. At the same time, the flagship is not equipped with a wireless charging function.

Communication and networking technologies

The device is equipped with the following wireless interfaces:

• Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac and 802.11n 5GHz, Dual band, Wi-Fi Hotspot and Wi-Fi Direct;
• Bluetooth version 5.0 with A2DP, LE and aptX HD functions.

The presented smartphone model accepts signals from any mobile operator. The device is equipped with three separate slots, two of which are provided for SIM cards of the nano-SIM category (2G / 3G / 4G), and the third for microSD memory cards with a capacity of up to 2 TB. The device has a built-in dual sim function.

Asus Zenfone 6 ZS630KL supports all modern communication standards:

• GSM - 2G (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz);
• UMTS - 3G (850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz);
• LTE - 4G (800, 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600 MHz);
• LTE-TDD - 4G (1900 (B39), 2300 (B40) 2500 (B41) and 2600 (B38) MHz).

Information about the speed of functioning of the standards: UMTS (384 kbit / s) and LTE Cat 18 (221.0 Mbit / s, 1.2 Gbit / s). Additional EDGE, GPRS and HSPA + resources. Supported navigation standards: GPS, dual band A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, BDS and QZSS.

Device cost

If we talk about how much the Asus Zenfone 6 ZS630KL costs, then you should know that it does not belong to the category of budget smartphones. It is assumed that four versions of the presented model will enter the market, which will differ in the ratio of RAM to built-in memory and in price:

• 6 and 64 GB - about 40,000 rubles;
• 6 and 128 GB - about 43,000 rubles;
• 8 and 256 GB - about 50,000 rubles;
• 12 and 512 GB - about 70,000 rubles.

The ASUS ZenFone 6 (ZS630KL) smartphone version 6/128 GB is available for pre-order from May 23, 2019 in the ASUS Shop. The release of the latest version with the highest RAM and internal memory is still unknown.

Pros and cons of a smartphone

• original design, without cutouts for inscriptions;
• 6.4-inch bezel-less NanoEdge display with curved Gorilla Glass (3D) version 6;
• a unique solution in the form of a rotary camera unit that performs the functions of a conventional and selfie device and allows you to adjust the angle of inclination;
• high quality images and videos thanks to the features of a dual-module camera: the first with a Sony IMX586 matrix and a resolution of 48 megapixels and the second with an ultra-wide-angle lens and a resolution of 13 megapixels, special modes for day and night shooting;
• high-performance flagship thanks to the latest flagship processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 855;
• reliable battery with the highest capacity 5000 mAh with fast charging technology Quick Charge 4.0;
• convenient and multifunctional interface, provided with modern Android 9 OS and ZenUI shell developed by the manufacturer;
• high-quality stereo speakers with smart amplifiers NXP TFA9874, support for Hi-Res Audio (HRA);
• the optimal price for such characteristics and lower than the cost of other top flagships.

• no protective equipment against water and dust;
• there are time limits for recording video;
• does not have a wireless charging function.

Outcome

Each user has their own personal criteria for choosing a smartphone. Nevertheless, most of them are eager to acquire modern high-tech devices. Therefore, when deciding which company device is better to choose and which model is better to buy, they are guided by proven popular brands and their new modernized equipment. Given the above review, undoubtedly, when choosing a new smartphone, you should pay attention to the novelty of the well-known ASUS company, the ASUS ZenFone Asus Zenfone 6 ZS630KL smartphone, which was announced for sale in May 2019. It is a multifunctional flagship offering the user a special camera design, original design and a high-quality set of features, including high-resolution cameras, huge battery capacity and a powerful mobile processor. And all this is offered at an attractive cost (average price of 43,000 rubles) in relation to other similar modern flagships.