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One of the main features of a smartphone is its camera, which transformed photography and movie making into something really, really common for almost anyone. That said, camera quality is one of the main aspects phone manufacturers fight for, and Apple’s iPhone is known for having one of the best cameras on the market. Of course we have amazing camera phones from Samsung, LG, Sony and other top manufacturers, but when comparing smartphones, almost everybody takes the fight to the iPhone. It couldn’t be different with Asus’ upcoming smartphone, the Zenfone Zoom. Unveiled earlier this year during the CES 2015, the handset still didn’t hit the shelves, although it is set to hit the market this month. As the release date approaches, the company chairman Johnny Shih rushed to claim the Zoom’s camera is superior to that found on the iPhone 6s Plus, the latest phablet from Apple, which is known to have one of the best cameras out there.
Whether or not this claim is correct is yet to be seen. Still, the phone has a nice set of features that are very likely to provide very good images. The sensor is not that big with 13 megapixels, although you should know that megapixels alone are not the sole factor that makes a camera take good quality photos. The sensor is coupled by a dual-LED two-tone flash and a laser autofocus, which should provide faster focus as seen on LG’s flagship phones. The most interesting part in here is the 3X optical zoom that combined with optical image stabilization (OIS) should provide clear images even on low light conditions or when moving. On the video part, it can record in 1080p at 30 frames per second (fps). For the sake of comparison, the iPhone 6s Plus camera has a 12 megapixel sensor, also with OIS. However, Apple’s phone can shoot videos in 4K (2160p) also at 30 fps, something that apparently the Zenfone Zoom cannot.
That said, only time and test will say whether Asus executive is correct. Still, the device seems very interesting. Powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor running at 2.3 GHz, the Zenfone Zoom comes with 2 GB or 4 GB of RAM depending on the storage, which includes options for 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of internal memory. The 5.5-inch display with a 1080p resolution has a nice 3,000 mAh battery below it, with fast charge technology, and the rear camera is joined by a 5 MP front-facing shooter for selfies. As previously stated, there is no exact release date yet for the Zoom, but it is close. As for the price, the handset is expected to cost around $400.