ASUS Zenfone 4

Review in pictures

Compact build suited to one-handed use

• The ASUS Zenfone 4 is very compact, making it ideal for one-handed use

• It has a row of Android capacitive keys, but they aren’t backlit

• The chin sports an appealing concentric circle design

• The back panel features a grippy, rubberised finish, and can be pried open to insert the microSD card and dual micro-SIM cards

Scores for responsiveness, but not resolution

• The handset features a 4-inch display with an average resolution of 480 x 800 pixels (~233ppi)

• The display isn’t the sharpest, but suffices for day to day use• There’s no ambient light sensor, so brightness needs to be adjusted

manually. Sunlight legibility isn’t a strong point either• On the plus side, the display was one of the most responsive we’ve

come across in the budget category

PixelMaster of modes

• The Zenfone 4 sports a 5MP rear camera, with ASUS’ PixelMaster tech to improve image quality

• However, it lacks an LED flash, and the front camera bears a basic VGA resolution

• The camera app offers several modes, including Depth of Field, HDR, Panorama and Night

• There are a bunch of colour effects to choose from too

But results are a mixed bag

• Image quality is quite average• Even daylight shots are grainy

and lack sharpness• Using the modes on offer

greatly improves results• The Night mode works

surprisingly well to bring out details in low light

• The front camera is a no-no for selfies, but suffices for video calls

ASUS has got it right with ZenUI

• The smartphone runs ASUS’ refreshing ZenUI skin on top of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, with an update to KitKat on the way

• The lockscreen displays shortcuts to access the dialer, messages, camera and the What’s Next widget

• The pull-down notification tab has a RAM cleaner

• The in-call menu incorporates a handy call recording function

With plenty of useful features and apps

• The app drawer lets you ‘lock’ specific apps with a password

• An app called Splendid lets you adjust colour parameters, while AudioWizard lets you tweak audio settings

• There are a bunch of other ASUS apps too, like Do It Later, SuperNote, Share Link, Party Link, Power Saver and ASUS’ WebStorage

Day-to-day performance is dependable

• Powering the device is a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 processor, mated to a gig of RAM and PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics

• The device performs smoothly for day-to-day tasks, but there are a occasional lags when multi-tasking.

• Games like Riptide GP2 can play without freezing, though• Out of the 8GB of expandable memory, only 4.47GB is available to use

But battery life isn’t a strong point• The Zenfone 4 is fuelled by

a meagre 1,600mAh battery that lasts barely a day with regular use

• With both SIMs and 3G on, the battery drains much faster

• In our video loop test, the phone lasted for under six hours before draining completely

• Using one of the power saving modes is advisable

At a glance

• 4-inch, 800 x 480 pixels, 233ppi • 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom

Z2520 processor• PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU• 1GB RAM• 8GB storage with microSD slot• 5MP primary, VGA front

camera• Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with

ZenUI• 1,600mAh battery• Dual-SIM (3G+3G), Wi-Fi,

Bluetooth, USB OTG, Miracast

-• No ambient light sensor• Not the sharpest display• Average primary camera• Poor battery• Android hardware keys

aren’t backlit

Pros and cons

+• Compact build that’s

ideal for one-handed use• Responsive display• Dependable

performance• Ample internal storage• ZenUI offers several

useful features

Rs 5,999

Pricing and verdict

“The ASUS Zenfone 4 marries a sophisticated UI with dependable performance, ample storage and quality build. With a price tag and features that beat even the Moto E and Micromax Unite 2, the Zenfone 4 is currently one of the best options in the entry-level domain. Our only concern is the underwhelming battery life, but you could always consider the 4.5-inch variant, that offers a larger display and battery, for a marginally higher price.”