This year, the company is also launching two versions of the phone– beyond greater DRAM and storage configurations, the higher-end design includes a higher-binned SoC as well as distinguishes the electronic camera systems by solely utilizing OIS– which is an intriguing way to section things.
ASUS last week launched the brand name new ZenFone 7 and ZenFone 7 Pro series, and todays were all set to release our screening of the businesss latest “mainsteam” flagship device.
This years ZenFone 7 series, consisting of the routine ZenFone 7 and the ZenFone 7 Pro are adhering to the rather well received and ingenious flip-camera design, enhancing upon its specification by adding in an extra cam module. Weve likewise seen crucial spec enhancements on the part of the phone itself, with a crucial shift from an LCD screen to a new 90Hz AMOLED display, along with adoption of Qualcomms latest Snapdragon 865 and 865+ chipsets.
ASUS ZenFone 7 Series
.
ZenFone 7.
ZenFone 7 Pro.
DRAM.
6 GB LPDDR5.
SoC.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 +1 x Cortex A77 @ 3.1 GHz3x Cortex A77 @ 2.42 GHz4x Cortex A55 @ 1.80 GHzAdreno 650 @ 670MHz.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8651x Cortex A77 @ 2.84 GHz3x Cortex A77 @ 2.42 GHz4x Cortex A55 @ 1.80 GHzAdreno 650 @ 587MHz.
8 GB LPDDR5.
Storage.
128GB UFS 3.1+ microSD.
256GB UFS 3.1+ microSD.
Display.
6.67″ AMOLED2400 x 1080 (20:9) 90Hz200Hz Touch.
Width.
77.28 mm.
Size.
Height.
165.08 mm.
Depth.
9.6 mm.
Battery Capacity.
Weight.
230 grams.
5000mAh30W charging (PD3.0).
Wireless Charging.
-.
Main.
Rear Cameras.
64MP IMX6860.8 µm pixels( 1.6 µm 4:1
16MP )f/1.7. 64MP IMX6860.8 µm pixels( 1.6 µm 4:1 16MP )f/1.7
w/OIS.
Telephoto. 8MP3x optical zoomf/2.4.
8MP3x optical zoomf/2.4 w/OIS.
Wide.
12MP IMX3631.4 µm pixels Dual PDAF113 ° FoV ultra-widef/2.2.
Other Features.
Triple-function Power Button w/ Capacitive Fingerprint Sensor.
Dual-SIM.
Double nanoSIM.
I/O.
USB-C.
Bonus.
-.
Front Camera.
Flip-camera DesignFront cameras = Rear electronic cameras.
Wireless (local).
802.11 ax WiFi-6Bluetooth 5.1 LE + NFC.
Release Price.
21,999 TWD( USD ~ 748, EUR ~ 626).
27990 TWD( USD ~ 952, EUR ~ 797).
One thing thats special on the bottom of the phone is that it includes an LED alert light on the left of the USB-C port. ASUS here stated that they had to remove it from the front top of the screen due to the reduced bezel size, however didnt desire to desert the light totally, so they simply rearranged it to the bottom of the phone. ASUS opted for a capacitive fingerprint scanner from Goodix incorporated into the power button– its one of the cost-cutting measures allowing the ZenFone to strike a lower price-point.
Its to be noted that this is a large phone that is in line with the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Galaxy S20 Ultra in terms of footprint, a fair bit larger and chunkier than the ZenFone 6. This is something that ASUS actively acknowledges as being an intentional style option so that they could fit in more elements and a larger battery, as well as enable the numerous antennas needs by 5G connectivity.
The flip-camera externally looks familiar with what weve seen on the ZenFone 6, nevertheless ASUS has actually considerably enhanced the internal mechanism of the newer generation module. The brand-new module uses a new motor that is capable of 2.2 x the torque of its predecessor even though its 40% smaller sized.
The video camera setup now includes triple modules. As the primary main electronic camera, were seeing a 64MP IMX686 sensing unit with 0.8 µm pixels that by default bins to 16MP thanks to its quad-Bayer colour filter design. The optics include a big f/1.7 aperture.
Beyond your common fully-flipped 180 ° setup in which the electronic cameras can work as top quality frontal selfie webcams, the module likewise can sit at a 90 ° or 135 ° angle. The phones panorama capture function takes advantage of the flipping module to sweep the landscape whilst you hold the phone constant.
ASUS has actually likewise changed the complex 49 signal and power cable televisions that link the different camera modules to the mainboard of the phone with a new 18-layer flexible printed circuit cable television that promises to be two times as durable despite the fact that the total signal traces has actually increased to 110 outputs. ASUS claims its great enough for approximately 200000 flips, which is 100 flips a day for over 5 years.
The crucial selling point and separating factor of the ZenFone 7 instead of other phones in the market right now is the reality that it uses a full-screen display without any notch or camera cut-out, making it possible for a smooth screen experience without interruptions.
The phone is quite thick at 9.6 mm, however thats mostly due to the 5000mAh battery thats included, which likewise bloats up the gadget to a 230g weight.
The back of the phone sees a glass back-panel which comes either in a “Pastel White” (envisioned) or an “Aurora Black” colour variation. The phone lacks wireless charging.
The ideal side sees a standard volume rocker, along with a triple-function power button. ASUS selected a capacitive finger print scanner from Goodix integrated into the power button– its one of the cost-cutting steps enabling the ZenFone to strike a lower price-point. Beyond the traditional single-press power button function, dual-pressing the button calls the Google assistant, and you can disable this performance or customise.
The left side of the phone features a long SIM tray that is able to house two nano-SIMs along with a micro-SD card at the same time.
Further variations between the routine ZenFone 7 and the 7 Pro is in the DRAM and NAND storage department. The regular version comes with 6GB of LPPDR5 and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, whilst the Pro gets respectively 8 and 256GB.
On the ZenFone 7 Pro the primary electronic camera in addition to the telephoto module feature OIS in their modules, whilst the routine ZenFone 7 doesnt feature this. We have not seen such segmentation in some time by a supplier, but its one of the cost-cutting measures that ASUS has chosen to make for the less expensive design.
The ultra-wide-angle also embraces the same setup as on the ROG Phone III with a 12MP IMX363 with 1.4 µm pixels and dual-pixel phase identify focus capability. The optics have an f/2.2 aperture with a 113 ° large seeing angle. Unusual is that it features auto-focus capability which indicates that this module can do dual-duty as a macro module because it makes it possible for super close focusing abilities.
Although 90Hz isnt the really leading of the line for 2020, its still a substantial improvement over other 60Hz phones and ASUS did manage to employ a 200Hz sampling touch controller which has a large effect on fluidity and responsiveness when you engage with your phone.
A new function to the flip-screen is its capability to place itself at intermediary angles from within the cam app, offering you different capturing angles, which are basically impossible for any other phone on the market.
One thing thats unique on the bottom of the phone is that it includes an LED notification light left wing of the USB-C port. ASUS here stated that they had to remove it from the front top of the screen due to the lowered bezel size, but didnt wish to abandon the light totally, so they simply repositioned it to the bottom of the phone. This is in fact rather beneficial and a more power-efficient way to handle things than an always-on-display so I do appreciate this detail.
Starting with the hear of the phone, the ZenFone 7 and 7 Pro employ Qualcomms most current Snapdragon 865 SoCs and are thus 5G-capable devices thanks to the X55 modem. ASUS here utilizes the newer higher-performance Snapdragon 865+ on the 7 Pro model which brings with it 10% greater CPU and GPU efficiency thanks to the increased frequencies of these IP blocks.
A huge upgrade this year compared to last years model is the shift from an LCD to an OLED screen, that makes this years model significantly more attractive to users. The 6.67″ screen includes a 2400 x 1080 resolution in a 20:9 element ratio, and features a 90Hz revitalize rate capability.
New to the setup is an 8MP telephoto module which uses 3x optical magnification which thanks to multi-frame interpolation can be digitally cropped and amplified to approximately a useable 12x zoom in the video camera app. The optics here feature an f/2.4 aperture.
The electronic camera setup now features triple modules. Uncommon is that it includes auto-focus capability which suggests that this module can do dual-duty as a macro module because it makes it possible for extremely close focusing abilities.
ASUS has dropped the 3.5 mm earphone jack this generation. Their rationale about the modification was that due to the increased internal footprint needed by the 5G antennas they had chosen to do away with the jack to be able to conserve on space.
Ive never ever had the pleasure to get a hands-on with the ZenFone 6, but the video camera system on the 7 series feels robust and extremely solid.
