Asus Zenfone Zoom ZX551ML 128GB

• Pros
• • Camera-centric design with dedicated controls
  • Ample room for storage
  • Optical zoom
  • Powerful innards
• Cons
• • Cluttered interface that's full of bloatware
  • Camera performance doesn't match the flagships
  • Poor battery life

• Verdict

ASUS showcased the ZenFone Zoom back at CES 2015, but finally released the smartphone this year. The device is a bold effort from the Taiwanese company, as unlike its previous offerings which were targeting the voluminous budget and mid-range segments, it’s now competing in the flagship category with its sticker price of Rs 37,999. The company is also bundling the phone with a tripod and the Zenflash and retailing it at Rs 39,999.The smartphone is aimed at photography enthusiasts, and while it does has ... Read Full Verdict  

ASUS showcased the ZenFone Zoom back at CES 2015, but finally released the smartphone this year. The device is a bold effort from the Taiwanese company, as unlike its previous offerings which were targeting the voluminous budget and mid-range segments, it’s now competing in the flagship category with its sticker price of Rs 37,999. The company is also bundling the phone with a tripod and the Zenflash and retailing it at Rs 39,999.The smartphone is aimed at photography enthusiasts, and while it does has an array of tricks up its sleeve to offer good images, the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Don’t get us wrong, we love the fact that we can zoom in on a subject, that too using proper optical zoom instead of doing it digitally, but otherwise, the images lack punch and there’s apparent noise when they are viewed in the original resolution.Having said that, ASUS must be commended for not just focussing on the camera capabilities with the ZenFone Zoom, as it comes with the flagship-grade hardware. The display is impressive, and it delivers a first-rate performance as well. Sadly, the software seems buggy at times and battery life is nothing to write about. However, these issues could be solved via a software update, and that will surely make the smartphone a more attractive proposition.Coming to the competition, the ASUS ZenFone Zoom would be going up against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S6 and its curvy sibling, the S6 edge, along with LG’s G4. While these might seem quite old, considering their successors have just been announced at the recent MWC, they surely come across as better packages as all-rounders. If you don’t mind a slightly larger display, then the Google Nexus 6P is also a great option.Overall, the ASUS ZenFone Zoom impresses on paper, but fails to justify its asking price in real life, and unless you really need the optical zooming capabilities, you can go for one of the above-mentioned options.