ASUS Adds Photography-focused ‘Zoom’ To ZenFone Lineup

With its ZenFone 2, released earlier this year (check out our review), ASUS seemed to hit the nail on the head. It produced a $200 phone with large 5.5-inch 1080p screen that offered a solid design, and a fantastic featureset (even including dual-SIM). Even our own JD Kane decided what it offered was irresistible and picked one up.

With its success, then, it’s no surprise that ASUS had another ZenFone model to show off at CES, and interestingly enough, it directly combats one of my few complaints about the ZF2: the camera.

At the front, the ZenFone Zoom looks no different from the ZF2…

… but look around back, and the difference is immediately clear.

It’s impossible to comment on image quality without putting the phone to the test, but where this phone is going to shine is with its 3x optical zoom. That’s an important distinction; digital zoom is just as it sounds, while optical is hardware-based zoom that won’t distort the image quality. This means that the lens in the back will extend from the body, while it will be almost flush with the back in normal use. ASUS has chosen to go with a 10-element HOYA lens to help achieve incredibly sharp images, something the company says will “redefine your expectations of smartphone photography.”

While the image quality was one complaint I had with the ZF2, what ASUS says about this Zoom model gives me hope that things have dramatically improved. ASUS is using a Panasonic SmartFSI sensor that generates 13 megapixel images, and with its extending lens, the phone gives a total focal range of 28-84mm.

In teaming up with HOYA, ASUS says the duo has come up with a world-first lens design called “D-cut”. Under the hood of this lens are two high-precision motors that help maximize incoming light, which would hopefully allow for at least decent shots to be taken in rooms with less-than-ideal lighting. ASUS also says that this lens will offer incredibly fast auto-focus.

Other things worth noting is that this camera will work without the phone being unlocked, manual support is offered, and if you want, you can take advantage of “Super Resolution”, which lets you capture images at up to 52 megapixels by merging together four different captures.

Other specs are similar to the ZenFone 2, but the default storage option is 64GB, with a 128GB model available. The Intel quad-core Atom CPU has also seen a boost of 200MHz.

ASUS says that the ZenFone Zoom will be available next month, beginning at $399 USD.