Asus zenfone 3 ultra 64gb silver.
Review and testing of the smartphone ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra ZU680KL 64Gb
ASUS, introducing the Zenfone 3 series of smartphones, has taken a huge step in the development of the entire line not only in terms of technical characteristics, but also radically redesigned all devices. Zenfone 3, Zenfone 3 Laser, Zenfone 3 Max, Zenfone 3 Deluxe have appeared in a completely new form - we will consider all these smartphones one by one very soon. In the meantime, we'll explore something new - Zenfone 3 Ultra. This is the first smartphone of the company from the Ultra series, and even with a screen diagonal of 6.8 ″! But this is not the end of the technical innovations, but only the beginning - what else have ASUS engineers implemented? Now we will find out!
The cost of the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra ZU680KL 64Gb smartphone in Moscow retail at the time of writing the review is from 38,500 rubles.
ZenFone 3 Ultra is a premium device, so packaging must be appropriate. In his hands he has a rather large box made of soft-touch material. 
On the back there is some technical and service information. 
The top cover of the box is fixed with a magnet and, if it is folded back, a view of the smartphone opens. 
The lower part of the box, which contains the entire delivery set, slides out horizontally. 
Package Included:
- user guide;
- warranty card;
- a key to open the SIM card tray;
- USB Type-C cable;
- Charger;
- ZenEar headset with replaceable pads. 
The charger model is AS0200, the output is 5V 2A or 9V at 2A. 
The brand new ZenEar headset is packed in a separate box. The main feature of the headset is full support of the virtual surround sound generation technology in the 7.1 format - DTS Headphone X. 
There are three pairs of replaceable rubber pads under the headset cushion. 
The headset does not know how to adjust the volume, but the call accept button is in place. 
The earbuds have a stylish design and a comfortable shape. They do not fall out of the ear at all, even with active actions. 
Before we take the smartphone in hand, let's get acquainted with all the technical characteristics of the device:
Finish / Color Metal: Silver / Dark Gray / Pink
| Dimensions (edit) | 186.4 x 93.9 x 6.8 mm |
| Weight | 233 g |
| Operating system | Android ™ 6.0 with ASUS ZenUI 3.0 |
| Processor | |
| CPU: | 64-bit Qualcomm® Snapdragon ™ 652 @ 1.8 GHz 8-core |
| Video processor: | Adreno ™ 510 |
| Display | 6.8 ″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS with full screen lamination 79% - Display to body ratio ASUS TruVivid Technology Blue light filter Corning® Gorilla® Glass4 (Super Anti Scratch) 178˚ viewing angle Recognition of 10 simultaneous touches |
| RAM | 3 GB / 4 GB LPDDR3 |
| Storage device | eMMC 32GB / 64GB / 128GB |
| Memory card slot: | Micro SD (SDXC) up to 2 TB |
| ASUS WebStorage: 5 GB unlimited | |
| Google Drive: 100 GB for 2 years | |
| Battery | 4600 mAh lithium Fast charge BoostMaster: up to 60% charge in 45 min (18W) |
| Audio | Two 5-magnet speakers for improved sound quality ASUS SonicMaster 3.0 DTS Headphone: X (Virtual 7.1 Sound Configuration) Supports Hi-Res Audio with 24-bit / 192 kHz sound format - 4x better than CD sound Dedicated NXP Smart AMP Sound Processor - Up to 4x volume boost FM radio |
| Video | Full HD 1080p recording @ 30 FPS 4K recording 3-axis electronic stabilization system |
| Wireless technology | Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac Bluetooth V 4.2 + A2DP + EDR |
| Navigation | GPS / A-GPS / GLONASS / BDSS |
| SIM card | Dual SIM cards SIM 1: 2G / 3G / 4G Nano SIM SIM 2: 2G / 3G / 4G Nano SIM Dual SIM Dual Standby One slot is used for nano SIM and microSD cards. Only one card can be installed at a time Both SIM slots support 3G WCDMA / 4G LTE. But only one SIM card can be active at a time. |
| Supported network standards | UMTS / WCDMA / TD-SCDMA / LTE / TDD-LTE / FDD-LTE Data transfer rate: WW version: CN version: |
| Sensors | Accelerometer / E-compass / Gyroscope / Proximity sensor / Hall sensor / Light sensor / RGB sensor / IR sensor / Fingerprint scanner |
| I / O ports | USB Type-C 2.0 3.5mm headset audio jack (headphone / microphone) |
| Camera | |
| Frontal: | 8MP, f / 2.0 aperture 85˚ wide-angle lens Autofocus |
| PixelMaster modes: | Low lighting Improving the portrait Night Photo effects Panorama GIF animation Slow motion |
| Rear: | 23MP, f / 2.0 aperture, 6P Largan lenses Autofocus 0.03 second laser autofocus 32 second long exposure 4-axis 4-stage optical image stabilization Autofocus with ASUS TriTech proprietary technology with response in 0.03 sec Color correction sensor for accurate color reproduction Dual Tone Real Tone LED Flash |
| PixelMaster modes: | HDR (High Dynamic Range) Low lighting Manual setting Improving the portrait Super Resolution Night Depth of field Photo effects Panorama GIF animation Miniature Rewind Intelligent deletion Smile! Slow motion Slow motion |
| Power Supply | |
| Exit: | 9 V, 2 A, 18 W |
| Entrance: | ~ 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz Fast charging support (included) |
| Accessories | Headset Power supply + connector Folio Cover |
| User interface | ASUS ZenUI 3.0 ZenLink ZenMotion gesture control ASUS Splendid Child mode Power saving mode PhotoCollage PhotoEffects MiniMovie Google Apps File Manager Quick notes Themes ZenCircle |
| Note | Hi-Res Audio: Supports 192 kHz / 24 bit via USB. Supports FLAC, WAVE audio formats 192 kHz / 24 bit, 96 kHz / 24 bit, 88.2 kHz / 24 bit, 48 kHz / 24 bit, 44.1 kHz / 24 bit. |
Finally, take your smartphone in hand!
It is packed in a technological film, on which the manufacturer noted the key features - a Snapdragon 652 processor, a PixelMaster 3.0 camera with a resolution of 23 MP, support for Tru2Life + technology, 6.8 ″ IPS display with FullHD resolution, support for DTS Headphone X technology, a 4600 mAh battery, a scanner fingerprint, as well as the presence of a USB Type-C port with the ability to connect devices with DisplayPort. You have already learned something from the text above, and we will consider the rest of the technologies as we study the smartphone in this review. 
Well, it should be noted the work of both engineers and designers - a high-tech device with a thickness of less than 7 mm with a huge amount of useful technologies turns out to be in the hands.
ZenFone 3 Ultra has a stylish, all-metal body without dielectric inserts on the back, which is a rarity among smartphones with a metal body.
The creation of the hull is a special process in the factory. The sturdy aluminum alloy frame is precision milled. Then the resulting shape is sanded by sandblasting and, finally, the surface is anodized to prevent corrosion. 
The dimensions of the device are compared to the 6 ″ Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE601KL) and 5.5 ″ Zenfone 3 (ZE552KL). 
Something that lovers of physical buttons will like - the main Home button is just a physical one. In addition, it has a built-in fingerprint scanner for quick unlocking of the device. Two other classic buttons remain touch-sensitive and are located on the body. 
To connect a charger or connect a smartphone to a PC, the USB Type-C interface is used, which is characterized not only by a high data transfer rate, but also by support for the Quick Charge 3.0 accelerated charging technology, which increases the battery charge from zero to 60% in just 45 minutes. The 4600 mAh battery can act as a mobile charger for other gadgets.
The smartphone has two speakers, each of which uses five magnets and a powerful amplifier NXP Smart AMP. Such a bundle produces juicy sound at a high volume level, and when using compatible headphones and headsets, you can enjoy audiophile sound in 24-bit / 192 kHz format. 
Above the screen is an earpiece, a front camera, proximity and lighting sensors, and an LED indicator. 
On the upper edge there is a noise reduction microphone and a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset or headphones. 
On the right side, there is a lock / power button and two trays for SIM cards and memory cards. 
The user can install either two nano-sim cards or one sim card and one micrSD memory card. 
From the back, the smartphone looks extremely stylish and impressive. The brushed metal body, as well as the excellent design of the elements did their job - you can admire the smartphone for a long time. 
There is a double volume control button above the manufacturer's logo. 
In the corner is the main camera, laser focusing system and LED flash.
ZenFone 3 Ultra features a 23MP sensor (92MP ultra-high resolution), a fast f / 2.0 lens and TriTech triple-servo autofocusing from 0.03 sec.
Implemented TriTech triple autofocus technology. Combined laser, phase and tracking systems, due to which focusing time is only 0.03 s in various conditions and shooting scenarios.
In addition, the camera has 4-axis optical image stabilization, which is complemented by 3-axis electronic image stabilization.
It should be noted that when you select the HDR shooting mode, the smartphone displays an already processed image on the screen, so you don't have to guess how the picture will look like. 
ZenFone 3 Ultra is the world's first smartphone with exclusive ASUS Tru2Life + image optimization technology. Powered by the latest picture processing algorithms found in the most advanced 4K TVs, ASUS Tru2Life + optimizes picture contrast and sharpness for the most realism. This technology also includes MEMC motion estimation and compensation algorithms to minimize blur and jitter in video playback. The image optimized in this way is displayed on a high-quality screen with a color gamut of 95% NTSC and a brightness of 400 cd / m2. The setting of this technology is possible in the screen parameters - the function is called "Clear motion". 
This time ASUS did without additional versions of the device with different display diagonals, as was the case with Zenfone 3, limiting itself to “only” versions with different amounts of RAM and flash memory. Both have the same screen: a 6.8-inch LCD with an IPS-matrix, the resolution of which is 1920 × 1080. The use of Full HD-resolution looks logical from the point of view of energy saving and saving computing resources - this is still not a top-end system-on-a-chip ... But, declaring (including the price) the flagship status of Ultra as a multimedia device, ASUS has set itself before the need to provide an extremely high-quality picture. And this is not combined with pixelation, which is quite noticeable to the naked eye - the pixel density is 324 ppi. This is as much as 2 ppi less than Retina-screens since the appearance of this term, and people have since become accustomed to sharper displays.
Of course, there is both a polarizing layer and an oleophobic coating - when direct sunlight hits the glass, the screen still glares, but it's not entirely critical. The touch coating responds to ten simultaneous touches and fully supports multi-touch gestures.
But back to the direct characteristics of the display. It does not differ in extreme brightness - 409 cd / m2. But for the main scenarios of using the gadget, involving games and viewing content in a relaxed environment, especially high brightness is not required. If necessary, on a sunny day, it is quite possible to see what is happening on the screen. The viewing angles are traditionally wide for IPS: the contrast drops noticeably, but the colors are not distorted, it is comfortable for two to watch something on the Zenfone 3 Ultra. Due to the size of the screen, it is perhaps more comfortable than on any other smartphone.
The contrast ratio is impressive - 1508: 1. For an LCD display, this is a remarkable figure. The black luminance level is 0.23 cd / m2. There are no visible problems with the uniformity of the illumination, the highlights are small at the edges.
The display is set up quite well, in the manner of what we saw in Zenfone 3. Unfortunately, the non-disconnectable image enhancers significantly affected the measurements - for example, the gamma was not calculated correctly. But we got a general idea of the screen behavior of the Zenfone 3 Ultra. The color temperature ranges from 6500 to 7500 K on average - colors look a little colder than they should be. If desired, in the settings, you can slightly correct the color rendition by shifting the balance towards red or blue shades. There is a software blue filter that automatically makes the picture warmer. Many recommend turning it on before bed to keep your eyes from getting tired, but you can use it more often.
In terms of color accuracy, the Zenfone 3 Ultra is still slightly behind the “small” Zenfone 3, which is a pity - this is critical for it. Nevertheless, there is nothing really terrible: the average deviation of DeltaE on the Color Checker scale, which includes both a wide range of colors and shades of gray, was only 4.41 - it does not fit into the standard, but it does not deviate too much from it. Pay attention to the color gamut, which significantly exceeds the standard sRGB.
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If necessary, many display parameters can be adjusted for yourself.
If you want, you can connect the Ultra to a monitor or TV and use it simply as a media center - the USB Type-C connector here can work as a Display Port.
The ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra is quite impressive as an audio player. Firstly, he knows how to adapt to the headphones, noticeably changing the sound picture when choosing their type - and you can also choose specific branded headphones. Secondly, the sound in general is very good: excellent detailing, confident working out of the entire frequency spectrum without dips, a rather large power reserve - you do not need to twist low-impedance headphones to the maximum volume. DTS Headphone: X 7.1 virtual audio supported - this is a completely unique feature of the device... All in all, the Zenfone 3 Ultra is one of the best sounding smartphones I've tried.
They use stereo speakers, which are also very loud and powerful - however, you shouldn't seriously count on them. The call will be heard from afar, but the music should be played through external speakers. Although you can watch the movie together.
⇡ Hardware and performance
The Ultra uses the Qualcomm platform, just like other third-generation Zenfones, as Intel's main mobile stronghold has surrendered. In this case, we are talking about a system-on-chip Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976) with eight cores: four ARM Cortex-A72 clocked at 1.8 GHz and four ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.4 GHz. The system is made using a 28-nm process technology and, of course, supports 64-bit computing. Graphics core - Qualcomm Adreno 510 550 MHz.
Quite a good platform that provides stable operation of the device when performing the overwhelming majority of tasks. Zenfone 3 Ultra can run d even the most resource-intensive games- but exactly what to launch, there is no question of the ideal smoothness of the display at the maximum settings, despite the fact that the picture should be calculated only for Full HD-resolution. In general, games with the highest graphics quality are the prerogative of top-end platforms like the Snapdragon 800 series. Yes, there is a solution that is not flagship in terms of performance. On the other hand, the smartphone copes confidently with video of any resolution (up to 4K inclusive) - it plays the main multimedia role for itself brilliantly.
Unfortunately, I cannot report on the ideal stability of the system. Several times the device went into a dead dive when performing simple tasks (a couple of times - in the camera application, once - in the browser) - this was treated either by forced clearing of the cache or by rebooting the device. Tactilely overheating was not felt - probably, these were software errors related to the Zen UI shell.
There are two versions of Zenfone 3 Ultra: 64 GB and 128 GB of non-volatile memory on board. The first of them is also equipped with only 3 GB of RAM, the second - 4 GB. Taking into account the presence of a slot for a memory card, albeit combined with a slot for a second SIM-card, as it is now done, it is quite a normal order of things.
⇡ Communication and communications
An interesting feature of ASUS devices is their adherence to the format of operator cards micro-SIM. But if Zenfone 3 had both slots for this format, then Ultra has only one of the two. The second is designed for the more modern and already more widespread nano-SIM format. As I said above, the second slot is hybrid - either you will have a smartphone with a lot of memory on board, or with better variability in tariffs and numbers. Ultra has one radio module, the Dual Standby standard works - it is impossible to conduct any activity from both cards at the same time. LTE of the sixth category (up to 300 Mbit / s) is supported with a range of all frequencies necessary for Russia (and not only).
The set of wireless modules is also quite eccentric: c Wi-Fi (dual-band, 802.11a / b / g / n / ac) and Bluetooth (v4.2) everything is as it should be on a modern smartphone; but the lack of NFC is surprising. You can't expect to quickly "make friends" Zenfone 3 Ultra with wearable electronics, wireless headphones and other paired devices.
The navigation module interacts with GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou. The device finds 15-20 satellites in 25-30 seconds and provides positioning accuracy up to 4 meters. True, for this we had to restart the navigation - it did not start up the first time. Be prepared for this kind of hitch.
⇡ Camera
The very idea of actively filming something with a gadget with an almost seven-inch display looks a little wild to me. It seems that the wave has already subsided, but I still have before my eyes crowds of tourists photographing attractions on their tablets. Horror. Nevertheless, ASUS equipped the Ultra with a very serious camera module: a 23-megapixel Sony IMX 318 with ƒ / 2.0 aperture optics, hybrid (using both phase and contrast sensors with laser distance detection) autofocus and four-axis optical stabilization. And I will note an interesting detail: despite the stabilization, the lens does not protrude above the very thin body - although the usually protruding module is justified by the cumbersomeness of the stabilizer; ASUS engineers did not stop it.
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The camera interface does not differ from last year's - for example, the one that we saw on the second generation Zenfone and, accordingly, in Zen UI 2.0. It is not the most convenient in the world - for example, it has a too cumbersome main menu, which must be consulted for every little thing, but it does not cause rejection either. On the other hand, you can display not only a grid, but also a virtual horizon on the screen - this is especially important for a smartphone, after all, you don't really want to edit mobile photos.
ASUS boasts numerous numbers: for example, the camera is capable of shooting with a resolution of 92 megapixels, bringing together several pictures, - the mode is not the most necessary, the original 23 megapixels will be enough with this matrix size (1 / 2.6 '') behind the eyes, in a medium format analogue he will not turn a smartphone. Also called impressive numbers on the speed of autofocus - in fact, it does not always work stably, from time to time making mistakes even in simple situations, when shooting a daytime landscape, for example. But at the same time, there is quite a working tracking focusing, and the camera is very applicable for various scenes - from portraits to macro.
The Sony module together with the ASUS PixelMaster 3.0 software package produces a very decent image. Firstly, the stabilizer works quite effectively - the camera can be used even in poor lighting conditions, while the automatic system will not shut down the ISO and will not kill the detail. Secondly, I really liked the way Ultra handles color - you can clearly see how the gadget rebuilds the white balance after taking a picture. And he does it right - the colors are very pleasant, warm, but neat enough. The details are also pretty good. Another example of how the Sony module can be used more successfully than the Japanese themselves do in their own smartphones.
The selfie camera is nothing special - the usual 8-megapixel module with fixed focus, which can shoot normally in daylight and useless in the dark.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra can write 4K video at 24 frames per second. True, with a Full HD display, this is neither hot nor cold, but if you decide to watch footage on a 4K TV, then high-resolution videos will come in handy. The SoC does not have enough power for a higher frame rate - even the older Snapdragons are limited to 30 frames / s when shooting in 4K, and 60 frames are not given by any modern system at all.
⇡ Autonomous work
The ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra uses a 17.5 Wh (4600 mAh, 3.8 V) battery. This is not a record for gadgets with such a large display - but this combined with a well-optimized platform it is enough to keep the device calmly on one charge for a day. You should count on more only with very moderate use - not as a main tube.
In our traditional test with HD video playback at maximum brightness, with the wireless connection turned on, with active updates, the Zenfone 3 Ultra lasted 7.5 hours - great for an almost seven-inch gadget. You can count on it as a multimedia player in any situation - from home conditions to a long flight.
Here, as in all "Zenphones" of the third generation, a USB Type-C connector is used, but without support for the USB 3.1 standard, you should not expect ultra-high data transfer speed. In this case, the main bonus from this connector is its symmetry and modernity. However, Ultra supports fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 in action), the battery gains 60% in 45 minutes, the characteristics do not lie. A full charge cycle takes about two and a half hours when using a proprietary adapter.
⇡ Conclusion
ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra is a good multimedia smartphone: well-built, quite powerful, long-lasting battery life, with excellent sound quality and decent - images.
To earn even more flattering ratings, it lacks the energy efficient AMOLED display with its perfect blacks and the lower price tag. Still, 45 thousand rubles is almost the level of flagships. It is clear that Ultra, in fact, has no direct competitors, it exists in its own niche, but few will be able to decide to give that kind of money for it.
Advantages:
- design and assembly;
- sound quality;
- excellent battery life for a gadget with an almost 7-inch display;
- flexibility of available settings;
- good main camera.
Flaws:
- not the best shell;
- not quite accurately tuned display;
- combined slot for a second SIM-card and a memory card.
Taiwanese electronics maker Asus is into big smartphones, which explains why the ZenFone 3 Ultra comes with a huge 6.8-inch screen. Two years ago, I tested the Asus Fonepad 8 - it's an 8-inch tablet phone that looked like a silly-big smartphone. Compared to that, the ZenFone 3 Ultra is slightly smaller and bearable to some extent.
I think that anyone smartphone over 6 inches just huge to use as a phone. But it is likely that Asus is betting on its customers buying this hybrid device - like tablet and smartphone compatibility.
Under the same name, but a different smartphone
In addition to its prefix " ZenFone 3“The Ultra does not share the same design as the other two flagship ZenFone 3 smartphones... The rear camera mount is square rather than circular and located on the left side rather than in the center.
Asus also put the fingerprint scanner on the front, where the home button should be, and not on the back, since the dimensions of the smartphone are so large and it would be a problem to press it.
What are the main features for entertainment
The large 6.8-inch display has 1080p Full-HD resolution, which understandably doesn't look as good as it does on small screens. But in terms of pixel density, the Ultra display comes in at 324ppi. It's still thick enough to enjoy the vibrant tones of movies or TV shows.
The company is keeping up with technology and you can now watch panoramic videos on your new device. Luckily for you, Asus has included a processor inside the smartphone that enables 4K TV playback. I've seen a demonstration of this in action, and I'm impressed with how smooth panning a video becomes when it's on.
Other entertainment-oriented features in the smartphone include two super loud holes, each with five magnetic speakers, and DTS 7.1 for audio headphone that can expand your cinema observing experience.
The ZenFone 3 Ultra is simply too big to fit in your pocket. The iPhone 6S Plus in my pocket looked small compared to the new iPhone.
Other Ultra Key
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor
- 4 GB of RAM, built-in memory up to 128 GB
- battery with a capacity of 4600mAh
- 23-megapixel main camera with four-axis OIS
- Three colors: gray, silver and pink
First impression
Despite the impressive entertainment features built into the smartphone, my first impression is that the 6.8-inch monster is huge to be comfortable to use. Right now, I would happily use "smaller" smartphones from other manufacturers in the five-inch range. However, it will be interesting to compare the pros and cons of all ZenFone 3 models when the end devices go on sale.
The Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra will be available in mid-June in Taiwan, Asia Pacific, EU and China. There is not a word about the presence of Russia at the moment. The device will cost $ 479 USD for 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, and prices will increase depending on the size of the storage.
A huge screen with image stabilization, a capacious battery, high-quality sound and a metal case - these are the advantages that the creators of Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra have prepared for users.
Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra smartphone: features and specifications
The gadget, presented as a third-generation smartphone Zenfone, boasts the following technical advantages:
- 6.8-inch screen;
- operating system 6.0.1;
- sufficiently powerful 8-core 64-bit processor;
- 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of memory for data storage;
- memory card support;
- support for two SIM-cards;
- 23-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel front camera;
- high-quality stereo speakers.
Zenfone 3 Ultra can also offer its owners a built-in digital compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, Hall sensor, light and proximity sensors, and a fingerprint scanner.
The smartphone is positioned as a premium device and has received a worthy name "Giantphone". This name was promoted not only by the huge size of the display, but also by the truly powerful functionality.
The main camera of the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra, which boasts an impressive resolution, is also equipped with a 6-element Largan lens, optical or electronic stabilization, as well as dual-color flash and a color correction sensor.
Where can you buy the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra smartphone?
You can bypass dozens of Russian stores in search of a high-quality smartphone at a reasonable price, or you can immediately go to the Tsifrus online store and make a good choice. Among the advantages of this store, it is necessary to highlight:
- democratic pricing policy;
- constant updating of the assortment;
- the ability to purchase gadgets online on credit;
- the presence of a store and a service center in Moscow;
- prompt delivery throughout Russia;
- quality assurance for all products.
On our site you can read detailed information about each gadget, use the comparison function and consult with managers. This will allow you to make a choice that will satisfy you 100%. Discover the world of functional smartphones in our online store Tsifrus!
This time we will talk about the most unusual smartphone from the new ASUS ZenFone line. It's not every day that we get our hands on 6.8-inch phablets. What is such a "shovel" good for? Looking ahead, let's say that she is capable of a lot.
Specifications
- Screen: 6.8 '', IPS, 324 ppi, 1920 x 1080;
- Operating system: Android 6.0 Marshmallow (ZenUI 3.0);
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, Cortex-A72, 4 x 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A53 4 x 1.4 GHz;
- GPU: Adreno 510, 550 MHz;
- RAM: 3 GB (4GB);
- Built-in memory: 64 GB (128 GB) support for microSD memory cards up to 128 GB;
- Cameras: 23 MP (ƒ / 2.0, hybrid autofocus, dual LED flash, optical stabilization, 4K video), 8 MP;
- Battery: 4600 mAh, non-removable;
- Dimensions: 186.4 x 93.9 x 6.8 mm;
- Weight: 233 g;
- SIM slots: 2, nano-SIM, micro-SIM, hybrid slot;
- Communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, HSDPA 800/850/900/1900/2100 MHz, LTE band 1/3/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/38/39 / 40/41, Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS, BeiDou;
- Sensors: illumination, proximity, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer;
- Available colors: Glacier Silver, Titanium Gray, Metallic Pink;
- Cost at the time of testing: from 43,000 rubles.
Equipment
At first glance, the packaging of the novelty resembles the box in which the Asus ZenFone 3 is sold. The same black and blue cardboard and the model name displaced from above. The same list of contents: smartphone, barcode stickers, user manual, clip for SIM ejecting, charger (5.9V 2A) USB Type-C cable and wired headset with a set of additional ear pads (3 pairs) - so the differences are not noticed.
It's a different story when you unbox the Zenfone 3 Ultra. The flap of the box is held by magnets, the smartphone is embedded in an envelope made of thick plastic, the tray with accessories is pulled out, it is worth pulling the tab on the side of the box. The headset is kept in a separate case. It is by no means as simple here as it usually is. ASUS did not skimp on accessories and put ZenEar S headphones with metal cases and a good anatomical shape on a silicone cushion.
Appearance
The dimensions of the ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra are striking. 186.4 × 93.9 × 6.8 mm - the size of the phablet resembles a notebook or diary and occupies the same place in the owner's life - in the inner pocket of a jacket or jacket. Despite the thin body, which even gives the device a peculiar grace, there is nothing to think about how to operate this smartphone with one hand. Even a special function that reduces the scale of the interface and shifts it to the edge of the screen will not help you. The volume keys on the rear panel have to be reached.
The monolithic metal case is executed just fine. In Titanium Gray, the all-in-one looks great without getting covered in fingerprints. The antennas are housed in small white inserts that can be seen along the edges of the front panel. If ASUS did not hurry up and patented this constructive solution - soon we will see such in many smartphones.
In the lower part there is a protruding mechanical key with a built-in fingerprint sensor, on the sides of it there are backlit touch buttons. Next to the earpiece, you can see sensors, a front camera and a notification LED. At the bottom of the device there is a USB Type-C port and a microphone framed by two speakers. The second microphone and 3.5mm jack are on the top panel. Finally, let's turn our attention to the camera. It protrudes slightly from the body and is equipped with a dual-tone flash and laser autofocus.
Display
The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It does not have a fashionable bend, but there is no edging around the perimeter either - the glass smoothly passes into the metal frame, so you don’t notice the border by touch. The front panel is covered with a good grease-repellent layer. In the sandwich of the screen is a touch layer that recognizes a 10-finger input and a polarizing filter to cut out glare.
Iron
ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra received an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor with an Adreno 510 graphics core, 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of permanent memory in the configuration we reviewed. Of these, 50 GB are free. In terms of the totality of characteristics, the smartphone is closely matched to the flagships of this season, in terms of performance it occupies a firm position in the middle of the upper segment.
Of course, there is no question of any lags in the interface or applications. There is no throttling either. On Zenfone 3 Ultra, it can handle any mobile game. Most of them work at maximum settings. We tried Modern Combat 5, Dead Trigger 2, Mortal Combat X, World of Tanks - they all worked great, even when recording gameplay in parallel with the firmware.
Alas, it was not possible to get accurate FPS and temperature values during the game. The apps used for this send the Zenfone 3 Ultra to reboot.
Software
Based on Android 6.0, ASUS has created its own version of the operating system. It is nicely designed in a single style, equipped with a new set of animation. We especially liked the parallax effect on the desktop - depending on the position of the device, which is tracked using the accelerometer, the wallpaper moves slightly.
We discussed the functionality of ZenUI 3.0 in detail in the review. Here we note that some of the menus are overloaded and, in general, are not intuitively arranged. It seems that the company's programmers are changing the sense of proportion. So, during the initial setup of the device, the user is asked to install many programs from partners, but even if you refuse all without exception, you will be greeted by a system filled with unnecessary software (more than a dozen shortcuts). Not everything can be removed from this "wealth" by regular means. From time to time, applications remind of their existence with intrusive notifications. From the ASUS side, this is somehow not solid.
Worse yet, the system as it stands is unstable. Sudden reboots occurred not only when trying to read FPS information in games, but also several times just while the device was charging.
Connection
There are 14 supported LTE bands alone in the specifications of ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra. With such a set of frequencies, you will not be left without high-speed Internet in any developed country in the world.
The case has two holes for the trays of SIM-cards at once. The first one designed for the nano format is combined with a slot for Micro SD, the second is designed for a micro SIM card. There is only one radio module, even despite the small area allocated for the antennas - signal reception is always stable. The same goes for dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac and Bluetooth 4.2 and even FM radio. Alas, there is no NFC support.
The call control menu, in addition to the phone book, a dialer with light and dark design options, contains an item responsible for recording calls from the line.
The cold start when you first start navigation is fast only if you are connected to the Internet. For the first time, the smartphone updates the satellite database using A-GPS. In the future, there is no need for this, and navigation turns on in a matter of seconds. The number of connections is high, the smartphone finds contact with all three global positioning systems: GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou.
The USB Type-C in Zenfone 3 Ultra works over USB 2.0, supports USB OTG and acts as a Display Port.
Sound
In this case, the sound should be discussed separately. ASUS paid a lot of attention to this aspect, which resulted in the installation of loud stereo speakers with a resonance chamber and an NXP Smart Amp. They play cleanly and are most suitable for multimedia entertainment: movies and games.In addition, there were some software improvements. So, presets adjust the nuances of sound for specific branded headphones, an equalizer is built into the firmware, as well as DTS Headphone: X technology that emits seven-channel sound. This makes the Zenfone 3 Ultra a good choice for music lovers.
Battery
Zenfone 3 Ultra supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology. With its help, the non-removable 4600 mAh battery fills up to 80% in an hour. It charges up to 100% in two hours.
Performance Modes in ZenUI 3.0 are Placebo. Moreover, it seems that the power-saving mode even harms the autonomy. In productive and normal modes in our test, the smartphone showed a battery life of 8 hours 20 minutes, and in energy-saving mode, oddly enough, 7 hours 54 minutes.
Battery editorial test results:
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