With its latest device that aims to blur the lines between a smartphone and a tablet, Asus wants it to become your only digital device. There’s no doubt that it will replace all the other screens in your life. But is it for you? That’s what we’ll try to find out in this review.
Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra Look and Design
Before buying this device, the only question that will come to your mind is whether you can carry it with you. With dimensions of 186.4×93.9×6.8 mm and a weight of 233 grams, this smartphone is a bit awkward. And it is not easy to carry it with you. This phone never fit in our pocket. If you want to use it, then you will have to keep a handbag and backpack nearby.
You will need both hands to use it safely because you cannot reach every edge of the phone with your thumb. Balancing with one hand is also not easy. Due to its width and weight, talking on this phone for a long time is tiring.
Asus has done a great job when it comes to build quality. Zenfone 3 Ultra is capable of challenging any premium smartphone of today. The front and back panels are completely flat. Metal bands have been used on the edges. Gorilla Glass 4 protection is present on the front panel. Metal edges and home button remind of Samsung’s old design setup. The good thing is that one does not feel bored.
The left edge is completely empty. The power button is provided on the right edge for convenience. Two separate trays are provided. One for nano-SIM and the other for nano-SIM or microSD card. The USB Type-C port is placed between two speaker grills at the bottom. The 3.5mAh audio socket is on the top.
The volume buttons are on the back. Well, we don’t like this setup much. But considering the size of the phone, it is very useful. No matter which hand you use, you will be able to reach the volume buttons easily with your index finger. You will find the primary camera equipped with flash and laser autofocus on the rear.
The Zenfone 3 Ultra looks expensive, but not very interesting or modern. Our review unit was silver in colour, which looked like a champagne colour in daylight. You get an 18W charger, USB Type-C cable and ZenEar earphones with the phone.
Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra Specifications
It seems that Asus has paid more attention to the external beauty of the phone. Because apart from the metal body and the big screen, on paper its specifications are the same as those of a mid-range smartphone. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor with Adreno 510 integrated for graphics. The inbuilt storage is 64 GB and you will also get 4 GB RAM. There is support for microSD card up to 200 GB. Apart from this, you will get 100 GB free storage on Google Drive for two years.
The resolution of 1080×1920 pixels is, to be honest, a bit low considering the size of the screen. Everything else on the screen is crisp and clean. But at this price, a 1440×2560 pixel panel would have been better.\
LTE supports all Indian bands. Asus, however, claims to support Voice over LTE. But we were unable to make phone calls using the Reliance Jio SIM. When we asked Asus about this, a company representative told us that the support will be made available via an OTA update. You also get Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS and a number of sensors.
Considering such a large body, the company has provided a 4600 mAh battery. The phone supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0. You will also be able to reverse charge when the battery life is more than 20 percent. The sensor of the rear camera is 23 megapixels. It is equipped with optical image stabilization for photos and electronic stabilization for videos.
Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra performance
We had no complaints with the general performance of the Zenfone 3 Ultra. Even though the chipset isn’t the fastest, it works well in conjunction with the display. The phone never got too hot.
What can we say about the screen…our complaint of low resolution while watching movies and YouTube clips was also resolved. The colours are quite bright and the motion is smooth. The viewing angles are around Asus’ claims. We have only one complaint…holding the phone in hands to watch long videos is a pain. Games run smoothly. However, it was not easy to play for long periods without using both hands.
The sound quality was also good. The Zenfone 3 Ultra did not disappoint in the sound department despite having a large body. Listening to music is fun. And it is suitable for listening among a small group of people. The quality of the earphones provided with the handset is quite good. The benchmark results were also decent.
Asus had made many claims about the camera of Zenfone 3 Ultra. The good thing is that the claims proved to be true to a large extent. Overall, the quality of photos taken with the camera of Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra is very good. But it does not match the performance of other flagship smartphones in this price range. You will be happy with the autofocus performance of the camera. Framing is very easy. But due to poor grip, it is not easy to select options and tap to focus. Macro shots came out well. Photos taken at night were also bright and clean.
The battery life of the Zenfone 3 Ultra is one of its most important features. We were able to use it for two days without needing to charge it. During this time, we streamed videos on Wi-Fi and LTE several times, played games occasionally and also used the camera at times. The screen consumes the most battery. In our video loop test, the battery lasted for 10 hours and 19 minutes.
Our verdict
If you like big phones and have the money to spend, the Zenfone 3 Ultra is a good choice. We have found that smartphones of this design are not meant for casual use. But you could use it as a tablet that supports mobile data and the occasional voice call.
Overall performance is also good. But it is not at the level of today’s flagship devices. In such a situation, the company’s Zenfone 3 Deluxe model fits. The battery and display of this phone are good and are excellent for entertainment. However, before buying it, you will have to think seriously about the pros and cons. Because you also have the option of low-cost Fab 2 Plus and Mi Max, which give almost similar performance.