Asus Zenfone 6

Key Specs:

6″ IPS HD screen (245ppi) with Gorilla Glass 3, 1.6GHz Dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory & expandable up to 64GB, 13MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front camera, Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM), 3G, Wi-Fi, 3300mAh battery, Android 4.3 (upgradable to Android 4.4 Kit Kat) with Zen UI, 3300 mAh battery

Price: Rs. 16,999

Pros: Smooth performance, intuitive Zen UI, Dual- GSM support, affordable price

Cons: Heats up during gaming and video playback, a tad bulky, screen is not full HD

Asus Zenfone series is doing well in Indian market as they have introduced devices which are affordable and feature packed at the same time. Last month we reviewed Zenfone 5 which was a promising smartphone under 10K and now we have its bigger sibling- Zenfone 6.

Is bigger really better?

The 6-inch screen on Zenfone 6 is not a full HD panel. It has 1280x720p resolution that offers 245ppi. It’s definitely not the best in class but still works fine. Text is not that crisp but the difference is hardly noticeable by naked eyes.

However the disappointment comes with the reflective nature of the screen, a slight tilt shows how glossy screen is. Watching movies on Zenfone 6 is an average experience as the screen lacks is not that sharp. I also found the screens on Zenfone series less brighter than other phones, even on full brightness.

Zenfone 6 has a large 6" screen but its not Full HD, its just HD screen with 1280x721 resolution

The closest rival of Zenfone 6 is Panasonic P81. Its 5.5 inch screen is sharper and vivid than Zenfone 6.

Though we liked Zenfone 5’s design and the 6 inch phablet is just a bigger version of it, but Zenfone 6 feels quite bulky in hands. Using it with one hand is a tough task and is next to impossible. However Asus has added one hand mode in notification panel that ease up the problem.

It shrinks the screen (4.3”, 4.5”, 4.7”) for a comfortable one hand experience. The phablet gets a removable back panel however the battery is not. You also get an option of expanding the device to 64 GB via microSD.

Zenfone 6 has a 13MP rear shooter that captures good day-light shots but in-door pictures are not impressive. The pictures lose contrast and are filled with noise. The 2MP front camera is also average for selfies and video calling.

The intuitive Zen UI

Zenfone series comes with a refreshing interface- Zen UI over Android 4.3 (upgradable to 4.4 Kitkat). It follows a flatter approach with nice colour combinations. The flatter icons, neatly designed widgets and especially the notification panel look really good on the 6-inch screen.

Then you get all tweaks that were present in Zenfone 5 such as Party link, Share link, My Asus and PC link that lets you share your phone’s screen on system and you can play multimedia files, scroll through screens, etc. on system itself.

Zenfone 6 performs well as under the hood is a 1.6GHz Dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 processor. We played the most graphical intensive games such as Asphalt 8 and Dead Trigger 2 and the lag free experience on a 6 inch screen was a delight. The phone with a 2 GB RAM handles multitasking with an ease.

Despite an HD screen, the video playback and games look good on Zenfone 6

However the phablet is suffered with the same problem of heating when used continuously as we observed in Zenfone 5. The Intel Atom processor gets heat up on video playback and while playing games  that’s certainly a let-down on a phablet as it limits its usability.  We did not encounter any issues with call quality.

The 3300 mAh battery unit lasted for a day and gave 5 hours of video playback on Wi-Fi at full brightness.

Bottom-line:

Zenfone 6 is an affordable and value for money option for those who are looking for a smartphone with a bigger screen and good overall performance. Consumers who are looking for a super rich multimedia experience will be disappointed.