(Level 2 Post)
Asus has never been a company on our radar for great smartphones until now. I simply love the Zenfone 2! There are a ton of features that make this phone a formidable competitior to both the Galaxy 6 and the LG G4.
The specs are impressive. It has an ultra-slim 3.9mm edge and a 5.5 inch Full HD 1920 x 1080. It’s powered by a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel® Atom™ processor and uses a 6430 PowerVR 533 Mhz GPU. Running on Android Lollipop (Android 5.0-5.1) OS with 4GB of dual-channel RAM and 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, it also allows you to have 2 SIM cards. This feature means you can use one for the US and one for wherever you travel to outside of the States.
As a businesswoman and a blogger, there are two major things I look for in my phone. First, and foremost, is battery life. There is nothing worse than being out in the field and having my phone die. It cuts off access to clients and makes me crazy. So I am mad for the extended battery life on the Zenfone2! It has a full 8 hours of battery life and best of all, you get a 64% charge in just 39 minutes! You can also purchase the tiny but powerful ZenPower pack for just $19.99. It boosts 10050mAh of built-in battery power that can fully charge your phone twice, so you never need to have a dead phone again.
Secondly, the most important feature for busy bloggers on the go, is a great camera. One of the things that I have always been disappointed with on the Galaxy phones is the camera. And while, I love the cameras on the LG G series, they can be wonky in low light and when you zoom. The Asus Zenphone 2 camera is the most advanced smartphone camera, currently available on an Android, with a 13MP PixelMaster rear camera and an f/2.0 aperture lens that lets you take stunning high-res pics with zero shutter lag. There is also a Super HDR backlight mode that quadruples the dynamic range for 400% more brightness, and a Super Resolution mode that can capture images at up to 52MP. The front camera is 5.0 for selfies, has a 85° lens and can expand up to 140° with selfie paranoma mode. I also love all the fun edit options like Sketch, Vintage, Casting, and Freeze that allow users to tap their artistic spirits.
And finally, there is the price! Just $299 for 4GB/64GB and $199 for 2GB/16GB of RAM. The covers can be interchanged to fit your mood and there are some great accessories. I particularly like the LolliFlash, which at just $14.99, is a must-have and the handy ZenFlash that for $29.99 turns your phone into a virtual DSLR. I have been increasing leaving my bigger camera at home and just using my phone for product previews, so again, the Zenfone2 with the flash attachments is a godsent for editors and bloggers.
It’s in stores now and I highly recommend this phone as an affordable, yet feature packed, smartphone.
