The Asus Zenfone Zoom on the Technophile test bench this week comes with big claims and bigticket specs to match. It has a massive 128 GB of internal storage, a 13 MP rear camera that packs a 3x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization, laser autofocus and dualcolor 'real tone' flash, and a crisp 5.5inch screen with full HD resolution. ASUS claims that this device will offer a DSLR-level camera and PC-grade performance. However, in our testing the phone from the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer fell short of becoming the blockbuster its makers have claimed it would be.

Camera Asus claims that the Zoom – which runs on ASUS’s heavily customised version of Android Lollipop called Zen UI – is the world's first smartphone to sport a 3x optical zoom. This allows it to focus on far away objects without losing too much detail – a feat beyond most smartphone cameras. The camera works just fine under brightly lit conditions, but really struggles under lowlight. If you are really patient, you will get decent results but busy clickers might have to consider other highend camera phones if they want consistent results. The Zoom's camera, on that count, is no match for rivals such as the Nexus 6P or the iPhone 6S. Popular Japanese optics firm Hoya has created an innovative 10element lens for Zenfone Zoom's camera.

The makers claim this mechanism allows more light in, enhancing picture quality. But in effect these fancy features do not produce the desired results. The images we shot came out rather malnourished. On high ISO, the camera produced better results, but still left plenty of room for improvement. If the goal was to make the Zenfone Zoom a pocketsized DSLR as its camera-centric design suggests, ASUS has a long way to go yet. The 5 MP front camera, which has an f/2.0aperture and a wideangle 88degree lens, is similarly unimpressive, especially in lowlight. But it will probably suffice for selfie lovers.

Performance The Zoom is powered by a 2.5GHz quad core Intel Atom Z3590 processor coupled with PowerVR G6430 GPU and 4GB of RAM. Despite the seemingly solid hardware and processing speeds, this phone is not meant for heavy gamers.

It gets quite hot while using some of the heavyduty features of the camera and while playing graphics intensive games. However, it performs most routine tasks with ease and style. If you're not a gamer, the Zoom is unlikely to cause you to complain of midway shutdowns or injob halts, despite the fact that it runs on the energy guzzling Lollipop OS. The single-sim handset’s call quality is crystal clear and it also supports 4G LTE. The sound recorder works like a charm with even long-distance recordings coming out crisp and sharp. While the single speaker delivers good output, it lacks depth and becomes a let down on high volume. This can be improved in the next edition.

Display & battery The display is vivid and detailed. The flawless touch screen, which has a 403ppi pixel density with IPS display and fullscreen lamination on scratchresistant Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with anti-fingerprint coating – is a stunner. Viewing angles are just kosher. The phone looks and feels strong and the back panel offers good grip, but the metal edges are tricky and could potentially let the phone slip down while attending calls. The 3000 mAh LiPo battery on the Zoom is non-removable and supports a custom implementation of quick charging, which can take the phone from 0 to 60 per cent charged in about 40 minutes. However, this is only possible with ASUS’ own charger. On a full charge, the device lasts a full day as long as you avoid the urge to kill boredom with your favourite game.

If you are thinking of long hours of gaming, you will need to look elsewhere. But if you are looking for seamless multitasking of notsoheavy jobs and entertainment, the Zenfone Zoom will fit your bill.

Bottomline To be fair, the Zenfone Zoom is one of the most innovative gadgets from Asus' stable, but the phone suffers from the company's budget hangover.

If it really wants to make the cut in the premium segment, Asus has to do a lot more lab work, especially on its flagship feature, the camera.

Price: 37,999

Love: Display

Hate: Less than stellar camera

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