Asus Zenfone 6 tested: camera rotation specialist
Asus promises narrow edges without a notch or hole in the display on the Zenfone 6, made possible by a so-called rotating camera. Find out what it can do and what else is important for the smartphone here.
While the front camera of the OnePlus 7 Pro extends out of the housing when required, Asus folds the main camera of the Zenfone 6 forwards. This way, the selfies should have the same quality as the other photos and the display remains undisturbed.
The camera that rotates
Asus calls the Zenfone 6's design a rotating camera, which makes me think of Robin Scherbatzky from "How I Met Your Mother", who tries to get a job as a currency rotation specialist in one episode. She quit after one programme, but you can enjoy the rotating camera for much longer.
Two lenses are located in the movable "flip camera": The main camera with 48 megapixels of resolution and a 79-degree angle of view and a wide-angle camera with 13 megapixels and a 125-degree field of view. When taking photos, you are not fixed to the back or front, but can move the camera using the volume buttons and thus move it to an intermediate position that suits your planned photo better. The movable construction seems robust and reliable to me, but it remains a moving component - and these are always more vulnerable than fixed components.
However, despite the 48-megapixel sensor, the Zenfone 6 delivers photos with a resolution of twelve megapixels as standard. For better image quality, four pixels are combined into one. You have to set the full resolution separately and then have no access to the HDR mode and some effects. The different resolution is not only noticeable when viewed in its original size. Even in the reduced view on the screen, the image from the main camera looks sharper, even in the version downscaled to twelve megapixels. The fact that the colours are not identical is a trick of the automatic HDR function, which only decided to adjust the contrasts in one of the images.
When I switch HDR on and off manually, the different handling of contrasts is clearly recognisable. However, the HDR mode doesn't just brighten up the shaded areas. This makes the red car, for example, too bright for my taste. The colours look more natural without HDR. The level of detail is very high regardless of the HDR effect.
The image quality of the Zenfone 6 suffers significantly in the dark. Details are barely recognisable and the entire image appears washed out. It doesn't matter whether you take a photo conventionally or use the night mode. The latter only provides slightly brighter images. If you switch to the wide-angle camera, it becomes even darker.
With the Zenfone 6, you don't have to move to take a panoramic picture, but rather stand still. As soon as you press the shutter button in panorama mode, the shot starts and the camera moves. The finished picture covers a maximum area of 180 degrees and if you are not careful, you will be included in the picture. This variant makes it easier to create neatly composed panoramic images than if you were to rotate the smartphone.
Selfies with the main camera
Switching to the front camera takes no longer than on smartphones with fixed cameras. Compared to the OnePlus 6T, it did take a fraction of a second longer, but you can only see the difference in a direct comparison. It is irrelevant in everyday use.
Qualitatively, I can't see any difference between the Zenfone 6's selfies and the pictures from the main camera. I only like the HDR effect better in the selfie. In the dark, however, the same problems occur that can be seen when the camera is flipped to the back of the smartphone.
Portrait mode can also be used wonderfully for selfies to blur the background. This works well for me, but I shouldn't be a big challenge for the software without hair. The wide-angle camera can of course also be used for selfies. However, it's only worth sacrificing some image quality for group selfies or if you want to show off your new tattoo on your forearm.
I have one more small criticism: the camera makes noises when it moves. This is normal and can hardly be prevented. However, if you move it as often as I did during the test, the noise may well get on your nerves.
Lots of power and a large battery
The movable camera creates a lot of space on the front of the Zenfone 6, but given the freedom given to the designers and engineers, it is a bit of a disappointment how wide the edges are on the front - especially the bottom one. The 6.4-inch display covers 92 per cent of the front. That's a lot, but with the rotating camera, it's not much.
Despite this, the display is beautiful to look at. 2340×1080 pixels ensure a sharp, detailed image. The colours look strong and natural and the display is bright enough to see something on the screen even in sunshine.
Under the bonnet is the Snapdragon 855 chipset, which has enough power for all currently conceivable smartphone usage variants. It is supported by six gigabytes of RAM. This is enough to play games such as PubG Mobile in the highest resolution or launch VR and AR applications. However, many top smartphones offer this.
The battery is the Achilles heel of most expensive smartphones. This is not the case with the Zenfone 6. With a capacity of 5000 mAh, the battery lasts longer than the usual day. Despite the large display and powerful hardware, I managed almost two days of everyday use. Hardly any other smartphone lasts that long. I can only remember the Huawei P30 Pro, whose battery performance was highly praised by my colleague Dominik.
I hardly ever fully charged the Zenfone 6's battery, but kept plugging it into the socket every now and then. Thanks to the quick-charging function, the battery can be charged in 30 to 60 minutes. So I always have a comfortable energy cushion. One small disadvantage: I have to take the original charger with me for this tactic to work. With other power supply units, there is no guarantee that the QuickCharge technology will work properly.
Tidy and full of sound
Asus uses Android 9 Pie as the operating system on the Zenfone 6 and has therefore made the right decision compared to the past. The in-house ZenUI user interface is now much tidier and no longer packed with superfluous apps. In the past, the software alone would have been a reason not to buy a Zenfone. That looks different now.
I prefer to unlock the Zenfone 6 using the fingerprint sensor on the back. It's easy to reach and works quickly and flawlessly. I only briefly tried out the facial recognition feature. Without being able to make a statement about its security, I deactivated it again. I found it extremely annoying that the camera opens every time to unlock it.
Asus praises the Zenfone 6's dual loudspeakers. And yes, because the sound does not come from just one speaker, it sounds slightly better than the mono sound of other smartphones. Nevertheless, it is still the sound of a smartphone and if you listen carefully, the rattling of one speaker is clearly audible.
Conclusion: The best selfies in the world
Asus is on the right track with the Zenfone 6. You can expect a good display, a very well-made casing and a tidy user interface. The battery is a big plus point and the mobile camera will turn heads at first. The image quality is okay, but not outstanding - except for the selfies, where the rotating camera is at the forefront.
Compared to the competition, Asus is asking moderate prices for its flagship smartphone - without compromising on the spec sheet.
Overall, the Zenfone 6 is very good, but other smartphones are better in individual aspects or offer a more attractive overall package in my opinion. Specifically, I'm thinking of the Google Pixel 3a, the Xiaomi Mi 9 or the OnePlus 7 Pro.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
