CESpotlight 2016: ASUS releases stellar shooter ZenFone Zoom

Twenty-fifteen was a stellar year for ASUS. Besides their expected releases in the PC, laptop, and gaming hardware sector, last year saw the company’s foray into the smartphone market. And it was a successful one, at that. On its release, the ASUS ZenFone 2 was a smash hit in the Philippine market because it offered flagship specs for a remarkably low price point. It still is.

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Hot off the heels of a successful 2015, ASUS looks to make it two-for-two this year with a new phone at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. They’re calling it the ZenFone Zoom.

The new ZenFone Zoom retains most of last year’s formula. The ZenFone Zoom is powered by an Intel Atom Z3590 SoC with quad 64-bit cores built on energy-efficient 22nm technology. Like its older brother, the ZenFone Zoom has 4GB of RAM, a rarity in today’s smartphone market. But what makes this release even more exciting is its extremely capable camera.

ZenFone Zoom channels the classic form of a traditional camera into an ultra-thin 5mm metallic unibody that features a burnished leather rear panel that contrasts beautifully with the metal frame.

The ZenFone Zoom’s slender metal unibody houses a PixelMaster rear camera that pairs a high-resolution Panasonic SmartFSI® sensor with innovative optics. The 13MP sensor offers incredible detail that is automatically enhanced by DSLR-like optical image stabilization (OIS). A 3x optical-zoom by 28-84mm focal length greatly shortens the visible distance from where you stand to the object you wish to see.

ZenFone Zoom’s innovative 10-element lens was created by HOYA, the Japanese optics experts. Together, we created an aspheric, molded-glass lens system, finished using a technique we call the “D-cut.”

You’ll never miss the action with the ZenFone Zoom’s laser auto-focus, which can point and shoot with complete clarity in just 0.03 seconds. Dedicated buttons for still shots, zoom, and video recording ensure the most important functions are available instantly for that perfect photo, without fumbling with software or unlock codes.

With a wide variety of camera modes and a smart auto configuration, the ZenFone Zoom easily adapts to any style and setting. Exclusive to ASUS, the Super Resolution mode captures and combines four 13-megapixel photos to create a single image with an exceptional four times (4x) clarity. Light or dark, you’ll enjoy more detail and less noise — a super resolution equivalent up to 52 megapixels!

There’s also a manual mode with exposure, ISO, white balance, and other options for experienced photographers. The camera is further enhanced by a dual-LED Real Tone flash whose natural illumination produces more lifelike colors and skin tones.

Photos come alive on the 5.5” IPS touchscreen, which displays vivid colors with wide viewing angles. The Full HD 1080p resolution offers a pixel density of 403 PPI, producing crisp images with sharp details. Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protects the screen’s surface from scratches and impacts, while ASUS TrueVivid technology fuses the cover-glass and touch-panel layers to put the user interface right under your fingertips.

Powered by a high-capacity 3000mAh battery, the ZenFone Zoom can work and play from dawn to dusk—and beyond. It charges at warp speed, too, with BoostMaster technology that takes the battery from 0-60% capacity in under 40 minutes.

The ASUS ZenFone Zoom is currently being displayed in the 2016 International CES. It will be released in the US next month for $399, or approximately P18,773.