Hello! Below is my review of the Asus Zenfone 5 (2GB RAM, 2.0GHz Z2580 Intel Processor Version).
Late last year when I wanted to replace my primary phone (Nokia 603), I searched extensively for a nice android phone that reeked of quality and was affordable, I eventually stumbled upon the Moto G. What endeared me to the Moto G was the fact that it was the first affordable phone to be released after Google acquired Motorola. I use a Nexus 7 (2012) and I like the fact that it is stock android and that it gets timely updates.
Fast forward to January 2014 and I purchased my Moto G. Amazing phone and I was contented, until….Until I found out that 1GB of RAM wasn’t enough to effectively multitask. That was the deal breaker. Between November and June, when I decided to eventually sell my Moto G, lots of cheaper phones had been released that had double the RAM and other better specs but fell short in one or two places. But the RAM was killing me and I couldn’t take it any longer.
I started searching for a replacement. The rules I follow when buying phones are:
1. It must be better than what you are currently using or what you’ve used in the past.
2. It must not be expensive. Phones or gadgets in general are not investments like gold whose value appreciates over time, unless it is antique. At least it should have the same price has your current phone or just a tad higher in price.
During my search, I stumbled across several good phones which include the Huawei Honor 3C, ZTE Redbull, Jiayu G4S etc. But they all lacked some important features I couldn’t do away with. It was either the OS, lack of Gorilla glass or build quality. My brother later told me about the newly released Zenfones by Asus. Checked the specifications and decided to settle for the Zenfone 5. Since I was coming from a phone with a 4.5’’ screen and I am not a fan of phablets, the Zenfone 5 was the best pick. Settled for it and below is my opinion of the device after using it as my daily driver for a few days.

Specifications:
Name: Asus Zenfone 5 (T00F)
• 5” screen with Corning Gorilla glass 3 (720*1280)
• Android Jelly Bean 4.3 (upgradeable to 4.4.2 kitkat) with Zen UI overlay. Though not out yet.
• 2 GB RAM
• 2 GHz Intel Atom Z2580 Dual core processor with hyper threading.
• 8MP camera with LED flash
• 2MP secondary camera
• 16 GB ROM
• Micro SD slot (64 GB Max.)
• 2110 mAh battery (non-removable)
• Dual SIM micro (dual standby)
• Wi-Fi direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0
• Accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor,
• FM Radio



Design:
The design on the Zenfone is a hit and miss. The Zenfone comes in five different colours: black, purple, red, gold and white. It is actually the rear covers that are of different colours, so if you wish you can pick up extra rear covers to give your phone a different look.
The large bezels makes it look like a 5.5” phone. Though the metallic band at the base gives it a premium feel. The phone is actually light (145g) but it doesn’t feel cheap. Rear cover is removable with the Asus logo below the speaker grille in front and below the camera at the back. Battery is not removable. Dual SIM slots (Micro sim only). You can select the SIM to make use of 3G.
Earphone jack is on top and you also have a noise cancelling microphone towards the opposite end. MicroUSB port is at the bottom beside the primary microphone. Volume rocker is below the power button on the right leaving the left side bare.
On the rear, you have the camera with the LED flash below it and the ASUS logo placed beneath it. Speaker grille is at the bottom just below the Intel logo.

Display:
The screen is 5” with a 720*1280 resolution and is covered with Corning Gorilla glass 3, so a screen protector isn’t necessary. Capacitive buttons are not on the screen and they are also not backlit. Constant usage will make you get used to the position of the buttons, so forget about not seeing where the buttons are in the dark. You have the return key on the left, home button in the centre and the button on the right brings up your opened apps. Viewing angles are good and automatic brightness works well outdoors.

User Interface/OS:
The Zenfone 5 runs on Jelly Bean 4.3(a planned upgrade to 4.4.2 Kitkat has been announced) with a Zen UI overlay. The notification menu is amazing. Sliding down from the right reveals the toggle menu while sliding down from the left brings up the notification menu. The toggle menu has some built in apps such as flashlight, RAM boost, calculator and quick memo. You also can access the brightness level from this menu. Other quick settings include auto rotate, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot, mobile data, reading mode and glove mode etc.
Unlike what most companies (Xiaomi, Lenovo, ZTE) are doing now with their user interface by following the iPhone trend of not having an app drawer, the Zen UI has one. The apps are categorised into All, Downloaded and Frequently Used. But if you are not a fan of customised UIs like me, you can head to the play store and download Google Now Launcher.

Memory and Processor:
The Zenfone 5 comes with 16 GB of built-in storage, though only 12.28 GB is actually available. It however has a micro SD slot which can support a 64 GB card. Asus also gives you 5 GB of free cloud storage. The Zenfone doesn’t have OTG support but the Kitkat upgrade might include the feature has shown in the case of the Moto G.
RAM is 2 GB and processor is clocked at 2 GHz. I usually have about 850 MB left if I’m running about 7 apps (BBM, whatsapp, Facebook, Gmail, Opera Mini, MX player, iQuran).


Battery:
The Zenfone 5 comes with a 2110 mAh battery that is not removable. So forget about getting a spare. Battery life is ok if you switch between 3G and 2G or lock on to 2G with moderate use. But locking on to 3G with heavy use won’t get you beyond 4-5 hours. Asus, however added a battery saver mode that is fully customisable.

Camera:
Primary camera is 8 MP with an LED flash and a 2 MP secondary camera. The camera has got some really nice features such as Depth of Field (that feature that blurs the background and sharpens the focused object), selfie mode, HDR, panorama, miniature, gif animation, night mode, low light, and smart remove (photo bombers beware! This feature removes objects that move in the background while taking pictures).


Special features:
*PC Link: Asus has added a pretty cool feature to the Zenfone 5 called PC link. What this does is let you use your phone from your PC. It actually displays your phone on your computer’s screen, like mirroring the display but also controlling it without touching the phone. All you have to do is download the PC link software and install it on your PC. Connect your phone via USB and run the software on your PC and follow the instructions.
*Reading mode: the Zenfone cares about your eyes, so it has a special feature called reading mode that dims the display or rather tints the display sort of to reduce all that brightness in case you are going to be reading on your phone for a very long time.
*Glove Mode: activating this feature increases the touch sensitivity of your phone so that you can operate it when you are wearing gloves.

Conclusion:
The Asus Zenfone has great specs and a nice design but the major downside is the battery life. I’ll advise you to get a power bank if you want to enjoy this phone. OTG support will also be great.


If you are interested in buying this device contact me on whatsapp: 07088535479, Call: 08035231921

Please serious buyers alone. I don't want any spoil markets on this thread either.

Pictures

Price?

Zedric: Price?

please let's talk on WhatsApp 07088535479. It's in the 40k+ range.

Loving this phone with each passing day.

if did phone pass10000 i nogo buy

miskini: if did phone pass10000 i nogo buy

It's your call. Dem no dey put gun for person head to buy phone.

waiting for the padfone 8 to b out... i hope it gets to naija when its lunched o

@op ; your detailing of the phone alone makes me want to buy it right away BUT i am an iphone and samsung galaxy 'note' person so MAYBE i'll pass, but d phone's features are downright superb... i once used an asus system and the battery was superb so i was thinking they should not be found wanting in that department
btw your number 1 rule of buying phones is a MUST

Story

DAVE5: @op ; your detailing of the phone alone makes me want to buy it right away BUT i am an iphone and samsung galaxy 'note' person so MAYBE i'll pass, but d phone's features are downright superb... i once used an asus system and the battery was superb so i was thinking they should not be found wanting in that department
btw your number 1 rule of buying phones is a MUST

When it comes to the stylus department, Samsung duress does it and I think it's fair enough having an iPhone as a second device. But anyways, in case you know anyone who is interested, 07088535479 is the number to call. I've got the 1GB RAM version coming in next week , if God wills, for sale.

The 1GB RAM version has a processor clocked at 1.6GHz though but it still has all the bells and whistle of the 2GB RAM version.

Asus has decided not to disappoint by releasing an update that gives it OTG support. Updated mine last night. I'll post pictures. This phone is definitely the Moto G Killer. If you've used the Moto G before, you'll remember that it didn't have OTG support out of the box until an update was released.
What remains for Asus is the Kitkat update and this phone will be ready to fly. And if they want to surprise us, they can give us an android L update when it's officially out.

No one is interested in this baby?