There are a ton of smartphones in the market today, but for young working adults like us, what makes one device stand out from another would obviously be its offering of premium features, without the exorbitant price tag. One example of a device like this that has caught our eyes is the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser smartphone, which comes in three screen size variants – 5 inch, 5.5 inch and 6 inch.
There are multiple device models available under the ZenFone 2 Laser and it can be a little confusing, but the one that we’ve been able to test out recently is the Snapdragon 615-powered option with 3GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. After a few weeks of use, we’ve grown to love this device, and we’re now sharing 5 nifty features on the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser smartphone that we love.
1. Its ergonomic design – With a curved back and thin edge, the smartphone is very comfortable to hold, even for those with smaller hands. It isn’t slippy, so it supports a sturdy grip. Unlike traditional smartphones, the ZenFone 2 Laser has a physical power button at the top centre, and another multi-functional button at the rear. Whether you’re left- or right-handed, the rear button functions conveniently as a volume rocker and makes taking selfies an absolute breeze. We quickly got used to it, and are dreading having to fumble around with side buttons again.
2. Fantastic sound – This isn’t a huge priority for most people, but the audio quality on the ZenFone 2 Laser really did surprise us. Featuring a five-magnet speaker system, the sounds can get extremely loud, and even when it’s set to the maximum, we noticed very little distortion or crackling. Another thing to highlight is that we could safely place this smartphone down on any surface without having to worry about the audio getting muffled. Pretty impressive, we’d say.
3. Front camera and beautification feature – With a 5MP front-facing camera, the ZenFone 2 Laser takes awesome selfies, and even wide-angle group shots that can fit in plenty. Girls, there’s a beautification feature that’s so handy! You could slim down your face, brighten your skin, correct your skin tone, enlarge your eyes, add a touch of blush, and much more on selfie mode. With this device, you can say goodbye to tedious editing on multiple apps.
4. 13MP rear camera – The highlight of this device is the 13MP PixelMaster laser autofocus camera. Featuring an f/2.0-aperture lens, the laser autofocus greatly enhances image stabilisation by locking focus in a mere 0.03 second. This is useful for those with shaky hands as it reduces blurring tremendously and is great for macro closeups. Furthermore, this camera performs exceptionally well in low light conditions, even without flash. There’s also a Super HDR mode to capture extra detailed and brighter images despite strong backlighting, a manual mode for more professional-looking photos, some nice filters and a dual colour real tone flash so you’d look natural, not overexposed.
5. ZenUI and ease of us – It’s safe to say that the ZenFone 2 Laser is user-friendly and this Android Lollipop powered device that’s layered with ASUS’ ZenUI is seemingly appealing. Its user interface is straightforward, accessible and efficient. What we like most about the ZenUI is its customisability. Besides the usual, you can set the ZenMotion touch gesture to launch certain apps or wake the device by simply drawing on a letter or double tapping on the screen. You can also adjust the display colour temperature and balance for a more pleasing user experience, aside from the blue-light filter control that allows for reading, browsing or watching videos on the device without straining the eyes too much.
Even when it is jam-packed with wonderful, premium features, the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser smartphone only retails at a mid-range price point of RM1,099 for the 6-inch, 3GB RAM, 16GB internal storage model (ZE601KL). That’s a pretty good package, if you ask us! For more detailed specifications, do check out ASUS’ official website.