That looks like an incredibly competent high end phone for only $560 USD, practically half the price of the big brand competitors. What's the catch?!?
The motorized selfie module works fine for me, I'd almost never use it anyway. The finger print sensor on the back looks like it would be a bit of a pain, but my S8+ has the same deal and I've gotten use to it.
Huge battery, great screen, top SoC, plenty of RAM and NAND, stereo speakers, headphone jack. Perhaps it is a few grams heavy and a mm thicker than the competition. My one worry is software support and whether ZenUI 6 is any good.
IPS vs OLED No QI No in-display fingerprint No OIS on cameras If none of that matters to you then it's a fantastic phone, and one of the few to have dedicated dual SIM + microSD (not SIM + combo SIM/microSD where you have to pick one in the slot)
IPS vs OLED: It is clear high end phone manufacturers are preferring OLED these days, but a 100% D3-PCI HRD10 display isn't a bad display by any stretch. I'd personally miss the always on display that my S8+ has, but otherwise it is probably a wash for the average user.
No QI: For a 5000 mAh phone, frequently charging it won't be as necessary. It is also a more expensive charging option, so excluding it on a lower-cost high-end phone makes some sense.
No in-display fingerprint: Agreed, this is annoying. However, having lived with my S8+ for 2 years, my personal experience is that the rear fingerprint reader wasn't a big problem in actual use when you got used to it (a few days at most).
No OIS on cameras: Fair point, its too bad this has been omitted. Picture quality is definitely something I'd like to see evaluated in the review, but lack of OIS will be a problem in low light unless they have some crazy computational photography tricks to allow a higher shutter speed in low light scenarios.
But like you said, it depends what matters to each user. I'm interested to see the in-depth review here.
That's what I was thinking. The In Display scanner is slower, plus it requires you to hit the power button first before scanning. The rear scanner is right where your pointer finger naturally lands. Is instantaneous. And doesn't require the power button to be hit first.
Don't really care about IPS vs OLED. Qi would've been nice,but hey...I wouldn't have a problem with the Zenfone 6 fornot having it. No in-display fingerprint scanner is a pro, not a con. Last thing I needed was to give people my fingerprints and have manufacturers scan my fingers through the screen. OIS, camera mechanism....etc.etc...I rarely use the camera. I actually bought the phone specifically for the fact that it lacks a camera on the front. Had to cover the front camera on my previous phone so this one wouldn't need this, thankfuly.
The caught is that they save money by not putting in an Oled screen (the screen is still good though with 600 nits (brightness)) and no selfie camera (but an flip camera)
As for the software as seen in the tech reviews the ZenUI 6 is just a name tag and is very similar to stock Android (original) like Pixel 3 XL or Pixel 3a i.e it's good
If by software support you mean Android updates, another review I read says that they guarantee supporting updates up to Android R and you can sign up for the Android beta program too.
ASUS already released the Kernel as per GPL and allowing Bootloader unlock. XDA forum has been created as well.
They managed to get the 3.5mm jack + in box earphones from 1More who make good Hybrid Driver IEMs with that huge 5000mah battery and a motorized chassis plus a powerful stereo speaker system (Funny how OnePlus claimed their 6T didn't had jack because of In display scanner but somehow the 7 Pro had a camera motor with a bigger scanner, I smell some BS from OnePlus and their overhype lately)
ASUS did what OnePlus failed horribly. They even have the SD slot. QC4 instead of that current overkill (not good for battery) Warp from OnePlus BS. And the move to Stock Android is ultimate deal. Plus even Android Q beta is announced for this phone to be available.
All for $560 that too 8/256 SKU. I'm sold. ASUS really won this time (Only thing is LCD panel, but its okay given the rest of the package you have)
Anton, Please put a better photo gallery the phone is really beautiful but your pictures are unceremoniously low res.
Asus are the new OP, this phones looks great with no stupidities, it checks nearly every box, no ugly stupid useless notch, headphone jack, Android, unlocked bootloader, huge battery, the screen is of lower resolution though and I'm not sure about the camera set-up, I would prefer a phone without a front facing camera, but at least they didn't made the mistake of Samsung or Apple (and Apple sheep) of ruining the screen.
Great, until something goes wrong and you have to get it fixed under warranty. Asus support is a sick joke. Not sure there are any "good" manufacturers anymore, sadly.
Except Apple & Samsung FLAGSHIPS, many flagship phones ship with FHD + displays. Since this is an LCD it's subpixel layout gives higher resolution than 1080p OLED. May be close to 1440p. THINK
Apparently, this phone will get Android R, you can join the Android beta program and from the sounds of it they’ve kept their OS close to stock Android so that should mean fewer delays/faster updates.
Im getting one when my stupid note 8 breaks. Bigger battery, no annoying infinity screen gimic, flip camera saves screen realestate on the front, 3.5 jack. No local repair support but at that price I could just get 2 of them.
So this is going up against the OP7 (not pro) or the OP 6T in the USA.
So what’s the better choice?
OP7 will have UFS 3 over 2.1
ZF6 has no notch.
How do cameras compare?
How do the screens compare? Same resolution but different technologies.
It’s OS appear to be close to stock so shouldn’t take too long to update.
ASUS say they’ll update to R but not sure about OP?
Do people think the whole China / USA issue that’s affecting Huawei will affect OP at all with google support etc, or are they too small for the USA to care about?
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
31 Comments
Back to Article
GreenMeters - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
The GSMArena hands-on review stated (in both spec overview and in body of review) that there is a headphone jack. Who's correct?Anton Shilov - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Thanks for sharp eyes. Corrected.porcupineLTD - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
The lack of jack is so common that it's in the spec template which Anton didn't bother to modify.Lahsni - Friday, May 24, 2019 - link
Yes there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack (standard)3DoubleD - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
That looks like an incredibly competent high end phone for only $560 USD, practically half the price of the big brand competitors. What's the catch?!?The motorized selfie module works fine for me, I'd almost never use it anyway. The finger print sensor on the back looks like it would be a bit of a pain, but my S8+ has the same deal and I've gotten use to it.
Huge battery, great screen, top SoC, plenty of RAM and NAND, stereo speakers, headphone jack. Perhaps it is a few grams heavy and a mm thicker than the competition. My one worry is software support and whether ZenUI 6 is any good.
Will Anandtech review this unit?
Quantumz0d - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Agreed. I would love to see the review. Also ASUS cameras are really great, my old Zenfone 2 takes stunning pictures.MaxdeWinter - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
What are you talking about? It's a Sony Camera. Nothing like your older phones.bubblyboo - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
IPS vs OLEDNo QI
No in-display fingerprint
No OIS on cameras
If none of that matters to you then it's a fantastic phone, and one of the few to have dedicated dual SIM + microSD (not SIM + combo SIM/microSD where you have to pick one in the slot)
olafgarten - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
It's an IPS but still support ls HDR10 and has 100% D3-PCI so is most likely a pretty good display anyway.3DoubleD - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
IPS vs OLED: It is clear high end phone manufacturers are preferring OLED these days, but a 100% D3-PCI HRD10 display isn't a bad display by any stretch. I'd personally miss the always on display that my S8+ has, but otherwise it is probably a wash for the average user.No QI: For a 5000 mAh phone, frequently charging it won't be as necessary. It is also a more expensive charging option, so excluding it on a lower-cost high-end phone makes some sense.
No in-display fingerprint: Agreed, this is annoying. However, having lived with my S8+ for 2 years, my personal experience is that the rear fingerprint reader wasn't a big problem in actual use when you got used to it (a few days at most).
No OIS on cameras: Fair point, its too bad this has been omitted. Picture quality is definitely something I'd like to see evaluated in the review, but lack of OIS will be a problem in low light unless they have some crazy computational photography tricks to allow a higher shutter speed in low light scenarios.
But like you said, it depends what matters to each user. I'm interested to see the in-depth review here.
isthisavailable - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
How is the lack of a shitty in display fingerprint scanner a downgrade?NightPwn - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
That's what I was thinking. The In Display scanner is slower, plus it requires you to hit the power button first before scanning. The rear scanner is right where your pointer finger naturally lands. Is instantaneous. And doesn't require the power button to be hit first.3ogdy - Friday, September 13, 2019 - link
This. I keep my FP scanner covered so I can't buy a phone with an in-screen FP scanner.3ogdy - Friday, September 13, 2019 - link
Don't really care about IPS vs OLED. Qi would've been nice,but hey...I wouldn't have a problem with the Zenfone 6 fornot having it.No in-display fingerprint scanner is a pro, not a con. Last thing I needed was to give people my fingerprints and have manufacturers scan my fingers through the screen.
OIS, camera mechanism....etc.etc...I rarely use the camera. I actually bought the phone specifically for the fact that it lacks a camera on the front. Had to cover the front camera on my previous phone so this one wouldn't need this, thankfuly.
And that 5000mAh battery is nice.
Lahsni - Friday, May 24, 2019 - link
The caught is that they save money by not putting in an Oled screen (the screen is still good though with 600 nits (brightness)) and no selfie camera (but an flip camera)As for the software as seen in the tech reviews the ZenUI 6 is just a name tag and is very similar to stock Android (original) like Pixel 3 XL or Pixel 3a i.e it's good
Aloonatic - Friday, May 24, 2019 - link
If by software support you mean Android updates, another review I read says that they guarantee supporting updates up to Android R and you can sign up for the Android beta program too.Quantumz0d - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
ASUS already released the Kernel as per GPL and allowing Bootloader unlock. XDA forum has been created as well.They managed to get the 3.5mm jack + in box earphones from 1More who make good Hybrid Driver IEMs with that huge 5000mah battery and a motorized chassis plus a powerful stereo speaker system (Funny how OnePlus claimed their 6T didn't had jack because of In display scanner but somehow the 7 Pro had a camera motor with a bigger scanner, I smell some BS from OnePlus and their overhype lately)
ASUS did what OnePlus failed horribly. They even have the SD slot. QC4 instead of that current overkill (not good for battery) Warp from OnePlus BS. And the move to Stock Android is ultimate deal. Plus even Android Q beta is announced for this phone to be available.
All for $560 that too 8/256 SKU. I'm sold. ASUS really won this time (Only thing is LCD panel, but its okay given the rest of the package you have)
Anton, Please put a better photo gallery the phone is really beautiful but your pictures are unceremoniously low res.
wr3zzz - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Sigh, I would totally get this over OnePlus 7 Pro. It ticks all the right boxes but Asus has zero after sales support where I am.OnePlus has definitely gotten into its own hype nowadays in trying to be Xiaomi whose management really is full of itself.
Xex360 - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Asus are the new OP, this phones looks great with no stupidities, it checks nearly every box, no ugly stupid useless notch, headphone jack, Android, unlocked bootloader, huge battery, the screen is of lower resolution though and I'm not sure about the camera set-up, I would prefer a phone without a front facing camera, but at least they didn't made the mistake of Samsung or Apple (and Apple sheep) of ruining the screen.FSWKU - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Great, until something goes wrong and you have to get it fixed under warranty. Asus support is a sick joke. Not sure there are any "good" manufacturers anymore, sadly.drajitshnew - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
Except Apple & Samsung FLAGSHIPS, many flagship phones ship with FHD + displays. Since this is an LCD it's subpixel layout gives higher resolution than 1080p OLED. May be close to 1440p. THINKpeevee - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Very nice except for the motorized camera and pretty sure lack of future OS updates (at least timely).drajitshnew - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
They are GUARANTEEING 2 years updates, plus they have already unlocked the bootloader & provided the kernel code before launch.Aloonatic - Friday, May 24, 2019 - link
Apparently, this phone will get Android R, you can join the Android beta program and from the sounds of it they’ve kept their OS close to stock Android so that should mean fewer delays/faster updates.Opencg - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Im getting one when my stupid note 8 breaks. Bigger battery, no annoying infinity screen gimic, flip camera saves screen realestate on the front, 3.5 jack. No local repair support but at that price I could just get 2 of them.mobutu - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
A very very nice phone at an excelent(low-ish) price.Incredible value and amazing deal!
Kudos @Asus
Stanto1 - Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - link
Is this CDMA-compatible (Sprint) in the US?Hard to know (on Kimovil) for one who's never owned a non-carrier-issued phone...
Drazick - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
Is there a way to disable the Voice Activated part of Google Assistant?I don't want it to listen to me ever (Or worse, without me being aware of it).
How can I do that?
ajp_anton - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
"Featuring a huge NanoEdge 6.4-inch display with a 92% screen-to-body ratio"The edges being 8%, it's just barely DeciEdge, far from CentiEdge even, not to mention NanoEdge...
Asus.Dave - Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - link
Fm radio 📻?Aloonatic - Friday, May 24, 2019 - link
So this is going up against the OP7 (not pro) or the OP 6T in the USA.So what’s the better choice?
OP7 will have UFS 3 over 2.1
ZF6 has no notch.
How do cameras compare?
How do the screens compare? Same resolution but different technologies.
It’s OS appear to be close to stock so shouldn’t take too long to update.
ASUS say they’ll update to R but not sure about OP?
Do people think the whole China / USA issue that’s affecting Huawei will affect OP at all with google support etc, or are they too small for the USA to care about?