Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra review
With its latest device that aims to blur the distinction between smartphones and tablets, Asus wants it to become your only digital device. There’s no doubt that it will replace other screens in your life. But is it made for you? We will try to know this through the review.
Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra look and design
Before purchasing this device, the only question that will come to your mind is whether you can keep it with you. With dimensions of 186.4×93.9×6.8 mm and weight of 233 grams, this smartphone is a bit awkward. And it’s not easy to keep it together. This phone never fit in our pocket. If you want to use it, you will have to keep handbags and backpacks nearby.
You will need both hands to use it safely. Because you can’t reach every edge of the phone with your thumb. Balancing with one hand is also not easy. Talking on this phone for long periods of time becomes tiring due to its width and weight.
Talking about build quality, Asus has done a great job. The ZenFone 3 Ultra is capable of challenging any premium smartphone to date. The front and backpanel are completely flat. Metal bands have been used on the edges. Gorilla Glass 4 protection is available on the front panel. The metal edges and home button are reminiscent of Samsung’s old design setup. The good thing is that you don’t feel bored.
The left side is completely empty. Similarly, as per convenience, the power button is given on the right edge. Two separate trays are provided. One for Nano SIM and the other also for Nano-SIM or microSD card. The USB Type-C port has been placed between the two speaker grills at the bottom. The 3.5 mAh audio socket is on the top.
The volume buttons are on the back. Well, we don’t like this setup much. But considering the size of the phone, it is very effective. Whichever hand you use, you’ll have easy access to the volume buttons with your index finger. You will get a primary camera equipped with flash and laser autofocus on the rear part.
The ZenFone 3 Ultra looks expensive, but isn’t very interesting or modern. The color of our review unit was silver which appeared champagne color in daylight. You will get an 18-watt charger, USB Type-C cable and ZenEar earphones with the phone.
asus zenfone 3 ultra specifications
It seems that Asus has paid more attention to the external beauty of the phone. Because apart from the metal body and big screen, its specifications on paper are the same as those of a mid-range smartphone. It has Adreno 510 integrated for graphics with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor. Inbuilt storage is 64 GB and you will also get 4 GB RAM. There is support for microSD card up to 200 GB. Apart from this, you will get 100 GB free storage on Google Drive for two years.
The resolution of 1080×1920 pixels is, to be honest, a bit low considering the large screen. Everything else on the screen is crisp and clean. But at this price, it would have been better to have a panel with 1440×2560 pixels.\
LTE supports all Indian bands. By the way, Asus has said that there will be support for Voice over LTE. But we were not able to make phone calls from Reliance Jio SIM. When we asked Asus about it, a company representative told us that support will be made available via OTA update. You will also get Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS and many sensors.
Considering such a big body, the company has provided a 4600 mAh battery. The phone supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0. You will also be able to reverse charge when the battery life is more than 20 percent. The sensor of the rear camera is 23 megapixels. It is equipped with optical image stabilization for photos and electronic stabilization for videos.
asus zenfone 3 ultra performance
We had no complaints with the general performance of the Zenfone 3 Ultra. Even though this chipset is not the fastest. But works well in partnership with the display. The phone never got too hot.
What to say about the screen…our complaint of low resolution while watching movies and YouTube clips also went away. The colors are quite bright and the motion is also smooth. Viewing angles are around Asus’ claims. We only have one complaint… having to hold the phone in your hands to watch long videos. Games run smoothly. However, it was not easy to play for long periods of time without the use of both hands.
The sound was also good. The Zenfone 3 Ultra did not disappoint in the sound department due to its large body. It is fun to listen to music. And it is suitable for listening among small groups of people. The quality of the earphones provided with the handset is quite good. Benchmark results were also decent.
Asus had made many claims regarding the camera of Zenfone 3 Ultra. The good thing is that the claims proved to be true to a great extent. Overall, the quality of photos taken with the camera of Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra is very good. But it doesn’t match the performance of other flagship smartphones in this price range. You will be happy with the autofocus performance of the camera. Framing is very easy. But due to poor grip, it is not easy to select options and tap for focus. Macro shots turned out good. Photos taken at night were also bright and clear.
The battery of Zenfone 3 Ultra is one of its most important features. We could use it for two days without charging. During this time, we streamed videos several times over Wi-Fi and LTE, sometimes played games and sometimes even used the camera. The screen consumes the most battery. The battery lasted 10 hours and 19 minutes in our video loop test.
our decision
If you like big phones and have money to spend, then Zenfone 3 Ultra will prove to be a good option. We have found that smartphones with this design are not for general use. But you might want to use it as a tablet, which allows you to make the occasional voice call with mobile data.
Overall performance is also good. But it is not at the level of flagship devices of today. In such a situation, the company’s Zenfone 3 Deluxe model fits. The battery and display of this phone are useful and are excellent for entertainment. However, before buying it, you will have to think seriously about the shortcomings and advantages. Because you also have the option of low-cost Phab 2 Plus and Mi Max, which offer almost similar performance.
