The latest reports about the upcoming Asus ZenFone Zoom have given the device a release date in India – or at least a rough time period during which the phone is supposed to come out, namely Q2 of this year. While a worldwide launch is planned, it hinges heavily on how well the device performs on the Indian market, so this will be a critical period for the phone’s future.
One of the main features offered by the ZenFone Zoom that’s been getting a lot of attention is the 3x optical zoom on its camera, something that very few smartphones are capable of. Optical zoom is typically reserved for actual dedicated cameras, as it requires a bit more room for the moving parts around the lenses, and most phones only offer digital zoom instead.
The phone is being developed with its camera in focus (no pun intended) to a large extent in general, as it also offers several other special features in this area, such as laser autofocus and optical image stabilization. The latter one will reportedly make pictures very clear without the need for using a tripod or another type of mount, and it will rely heavily on image processing.
The camera itself is nothing really special with its 13 megapixel sensor, and if anything, it’s actually a bit below the current average on the smartphone market. Still, with all the other features it will have, it should definitely offer a better shooting experience than the majority of smartphone cameras out there, even those that tout much larger sensor sizes.
One downside about the new phone is reportedly in its size. While the physical design of the device has been executed in a way that does not leave the camera protruding from the device, as is common in phones with optical zoom capabilities, the overall shape of the phone is a bit bulkier than that of a modern smartphone, and the device is heavier as well, with a 185 gram weight. Most smartphones are below 150 grams today, and while the difference may not seem like much, it could be noticed when the phone is in a pocket for a long time.
So far, anyone who’s had a chance to get their hands on the new ZenFone Zoom usually has only good things to say about the device, and it seems that Asus have really done a great job with their engineering and design. As long as the phone performs well on the Indian market, we should soon see it making its way to the rest of the world, hopefully getting the recognition it deserves from photography lovers.