ASUS is proud to launch three of their selfie-centric smartphone devices for a perfect selfie. The Zenfone 4 Selfie series is the latest take on the 2nd generation lineup of smartphones launched in 2015, the ZenFone Selfie. The predecessor models make their rightful place in the market for being the first company to do such innovation with the 13 MP rear camera and a front camera with flash.
Skipping the 3rd generation lineup, they were able to work on something much better for their avid selfie users. This year, they have their selfie camera smartphones with different variants and price range to cater different budgets and needs for consumers.
We Love Selfie And Wefie with Zenfone 4 Selfie
Here is my brief review of the new ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie, with dual selfie front cameras: 20MP main camera, and an 8MP 120°-wide angle lens with portrait capability.
The Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie (ZD553KL) is powered by an Android™ 7.0 Nougat with the new ASUS ZenUI 4.0 and showcases a 5.5-inch IPS capacitive touch panel display with 10 points multi-touch support.
It was introduced in the Philippine market last August of 2016, so I can say that this smartphone is very new to the gadget world. It is not very bulky considering the 7.85 mm thickness and the 5.5-inch screen. The weight is just fine of 144 grams already with the 3,00mAh battery. The smartphone is comfortable to carry and is amazing.
The menu is clean and flawless with its ZenUI 4.0 experience. The default storage capacity is 64 GB and a microSD card slot support up to to 2 TB. It is powered by the Snapdragon 430 Mobile Platform CPU, the smartphone has 4GB RAM.
The 4th generation selfie-centric Zenfone with dual front-facing cameras
ZenFone 4 Selfie features dual, front-facing cameras, including a high-resolution, 20MP main selfie camera and a 120° super wide-angle wefie camera. A Softlight LED flash delivers the perfect amount of fill light in low-light conditions, softening skin texture and bringing out true skin tones to make selfies look their best.
Users have additional photo-enhancement effects with the ASUS-exclusive SelfieMaster app, which applies beautification effects in real-time, letting users preview the results and even apply them while shooting video or live-streaming on their favorite social-networking sites.
In addition to its dual selfie cameras, the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie smartphone features a high-resolution 16MP rear camera with fast, phase-detection autofocus for capturing every precious moment with vivid clarity and stunning detail.
In the box are the following:
ZenFone 4 Selfie with Android™ N and new ASUS ZenUI 4.0
ASUS ZenEar with microphone
Micro-USB cable
Ejector pin (SIM tray needle)
USB power adapter
Documentation (user guide, warranty card)
Clear soft bumper
To test different kinds of environment condition, my friends and I tested the camera of the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie.
Using the 16MP rear camera in 80° field of view
Due to the presence of the dual lens system in the front facing camera, Portrait Mode is available that enables an all-new depth-of-field effect by blurring the background to make the subject stand out. Aside from the Auto and Portrait Modes, camera options like Beauty, Super Resolution, HDR, Panorama, GIF Animation and Pro Mode are also in the smartphone camera settings.
Taking advantage of the 120° wide-angle front camera
Photo using the 16MP rear camera with less natural light support
Surprisingly, the rear camera can also produce portrait mode that can achieve blurry background even without the dual lens system.
To test further the camera capabilities of the Zenfone 4 Selfie, we even tested it on an outdoor setting in Samar. With the help of Hanna of Bean In Transit, she was able to capture amazing photos during her travel using the smartphone device.
ZenFone 4 Selfie Technical Specifications
| Finish / Color | Deepsea Black, Mint Green, Rose Pink, Sunlight Gold |
| Capacity | Internal storage: eMCP 64GB MicroSD card: Supports up to 2TB Google Drive: 100GB free space (1 years) |
| Dimensions | 155.66 mm (6.13 inches) x 75.9 mm (2.99 inches) x 7.85 mm (0.31 inches) |
| Weight | 144 grams (5.08 ounces) |
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS display 400nits brightness Front 2.5D curved glass display 1.65mm slim bezel Bluelight filter for eye care Capacitive touch panel with 10 points multi-touch (supports glove touch) |
| Processor | CPU: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 430 Mobile Platform with 64-bit Octa-core Processor GPU: Qualcomm® Adreno™ 505 |
| Memory | LPDDR3 4GB |
| Main Front Camera | 20 megapixels F2.0 aperture 31mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera Softlight LED flash Instant cameras switching ASUS SelfieMaster technology for smart beautification in selfies, videos, and live streams PixelMaster camera modes: |
| Second Front Camera | 8 megapixels 120° wide-angle camera 200% wider view for more friends and scenery in the frame 12mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera 6p lens |
| Rear Camera | 16 megapixels 26mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera 80° field of view Phase detection auto-focus LED flash PixelMaster camera modes: |
| Video Recording | 1080p FHD video recording at 30 fps 3-axis electronic image stabilization for rear camera’s shake-free videos Take still photo while recording video |
| Audio | Speaker: 5-magnet speaker for louder sound and less distortion Audio Output: Audio CODEC integrated into PMIC Microphone: Dual internal microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology FM Receiver: FM radio |
| Wireless Technology | WLAN 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.1 Wi-Fi direct |
| Navigation | GPS, AGPS, GLO, BDS |
| SIM Cards | Triple Slots: Dual SIM & one MicroSD card Slot 1: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM Card Slot 2: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM Card Both SIM card slots support 3G WCDMA / 4G LTE network band. But only one SIM card can connect to 3G WCDMA / 4G LTE service at a time. Slot 3: Supports up to 2TB MicroSD card |
| Network Standard | Data rate LTE Cat4: UL 50 / DL 150 Mbps DC-HSPA+: UL 5.76 / DL 42 Mbps GSM (Bands 2, 3, 5, 8) ASUS phone 4G/LTE band compatibility varies by region, please check compatibility with local carriers. |
| Sensor | Front fingerprint sensor (0.3 seconds unlock, supports 5 fingerprints), Accelerator, E-Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor |
| Battery | 3000mAh capacity |
| Operating System | Android™ N with new ASUS ZenUI 4.0 |
Final Thoughts
Overall, I love using the new ZenFone 4 Selfie because of its capabilities to take clear photos most especially the portrait mode. I was amazed that the rear camera can still produce blurry background even without the dual lens system. The dual lens system on the Zenfone 3 Zoom is quite overwhelming. The camera, however, can take DSLR-level photos.
To sum this up, the Zenfone 4 Selfie is a sure upgrade to the Zenfone Live smartphone. With its dual lens system at the front-facing cameras and the 120-degree wide-angle view and a soft LED flash, taking selfies and wefies with this smartphone is topnotch.
ALSO READ: Asus ZenFone Live
Here’s a sitdown video of my short review of the Zenfone 4 Selfie:
So, what do you think? Are you considering to get this smartphone? The Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie is a good deal for someone who is using a smartphone as a camera for selfie and wefie. It can be challenging to those who are tight on budget, however, the specifications and other features can make you consider to have a device like this.
The ZenFone 4 Selfie is currently available at the ASUS online shop for only ₱13,995.00. It also available at the ASUS official store in Lazada.
Did you know that you can help ASUS donate to Operation Smile for every selfie or wefie using your ZenFone 4 smartphones? Read more details about the #4TheSmile campaign, learn how to make everyone smile with your selfie using a Zenfone 4 smartphone.
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Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie (ZD553KL)
Pros
- Portability with Selfie Master system
- Sufficient battery of 3000mAh
- User-friendly Interface (ZenUI 4.0)
- Rear camera with 80° wide view
- Front camera with dual lens, wide-angle and LED flash
Cons
- No stand-alone shutter button for camera
- No stand-alone slot for microSD; uses SIM card slot 2
- No 4K videos
- Not upgrade on OS Oreo in the box
- No NFC Connectivity