ASUS launched the ASUS 6z, the successor to the ZenFone 5z came last year, but this time, the tables are turned as the rise in the pop-up camera smartphones. ASUS took a different path by attempting a phone with a flip camera, the ASUS 6z has a camera that flips back and forth. There’s more to dig in, the ASUS 6z is also a flagship smartphone and competes with the opponents like OnePlus 7, here’s our quick review on the ASUS 6z.
ASUS 6z Specifications
- Display: 6.46-inch NanoEdge IPS LCD, Full HD+ resolution (2430 x 1080 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 600 nits brightness, HDR10 compliant, Corning Gorilla Glass 6
- Software: Android 9 Pie with ZenUI 6
- Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 6 (front)
- Fingerprint Scanner | Face ID: Yes, on the back | Yes
- CPU: Up to 2.84 GHz octa-core Kryo 485 processor, 7nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, 64-bit
- GPU: Adreno 640
- Memory: 6 GB OR 8 GB, LPDDR4X
- Storage: 64 GB OR 128 GB OR 256 GB, microSD card support (dedicated slot)
- Main Camera: Dual Flip Cameras (48 MP + 13 MP)
48 MP f/1.8 aperture, 1/2.25″ Sony IMX586 sensor
13 MP f/2.4 aperture, ultra-wide lens 125-degree FOV
dual LED Flash, 4K@60fps, slow-motion 720p@480fps, 1080p@240fps, gyro-EIS - Selfie Camera: Same as the main camera, flips from behind (48 MP + 13 MP)
- Cellular: 4G LTE, dual nano SIM (GSM), dual-VoLTE
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS + GLONASS
- Other: 5-Magnet Stereo Speaker, Dual NXP TFA9874 Smart AMP
- Colors: Midnight Black, Twilight Silver
- Battery: 5,000 mAh, Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 fast charging support
- Price: ₹31,999 (6 GB + 64 GB), ₹34,999 (6 GB + 128 GB), ₹39,999 (8 GB + 256 GB)
- Availability: 26th June 2019, Flipkart
Design, Display, & Ergonomics
The main highlight of the phone is its cameras, the ASUS 6z has a new style of camera opening, it flips back-and-front for the rear shooting and capturing selfies. The camera is the most prominent feature of the phone and if you ever thought to capture selfies from the rear camera, well, the ASUS 6z lets you.
The ASUS 6z is concealed in Gorilla Glass, the front and the back are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6 with solid aluminum frames on the sides. The build quality of the phone is quite strong, no major gaps found, it gives a high-quality overall impression.
The ASUS 6z flaunts a 6.4-inch NanoEdge IPS display with a Full HD+ resolution (2340 x 1080 pixels). The display has very thin bezels which the company calls it NanoEdge, the screen offers full viewing experience without any type of notch. Competitors in this range may offer AMOLED panels, hence it leaves much to be desired for those who fancy AMOLEDs.
The phone relies on dual cameras and those are the only two cameras available on the phone. You also don’t get in-display fingerprint scanner here, the fingerprint scanner is not under the screen, you get a physical scanner on the rear side to unlock the phone.
The camera certainly stands out from the crowd, take a look at this photo showing the ASUS 6z with the OnePlus 7 Pro and the OPPO Reno 10X Zoom.
Fortunately, the phone has a 3.5 mm audio jack at the bottom in which you can plug in the ASUS earphones provided in the box. You will find an added key for the Google Assistant and the power key in Blue color accent.
The SIM tray on the left has triple slots one of which you can use it for the microSD card whereas the rest two are for 4G nano SIMs. The bottom has a USB Type-C and a 5-magnet stereo speaker with support for Dual NXP TFA9874 smart AMP audio chip.
Software, User Interface & Performance
The ASUS 6z runs on the stock-based Android 9.0 Pie with 1st June 2019 security patch. No additional apps installed or bloatware to be found aside from the ASUS Data Transfer and a few features added in the interface. The interface is clean, fast and performs seamlessly.
Users will find the UI much faster than the ones with the hefty skins on top of Android, our experience with the UI is far better. The Face Unlock works well, the camera flips in no time and scans the face to unlock the phone.
Features that you can make use of are the added smart key to quickly summon the Google Assistant, Dark mode during the night use, AI Boost, AudioWizard, ASUS PowerMaster for battery optimizations, Game Genie, and some gestures and perks for the flip camera.
The ASUS 6z offers currently one of the strongest processors from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 855 is the top-of-the-line SoC that powers the ASUS 6z. The phone is offered in three different variants – 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage in which the storage can be expanded further via a microSD card on a dedicated slot.
ASUS 6z has by far the largest battery in the flagship segment, with over 5,000 mAh battery, the ASUS 6z wins the competition in terms of capacity. A larger battery certainly can last longer, rivals like OnePlus 7 has a smaller size battery of 3,700 mAh.
In addition to the large battery, the ASUS 6z supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 fast charging means you can quickly recharge the battery.
One of the important aspects of the phone that needs to be considered is its CPU. The Snapdragon 855 SoC is among the most powerful SoCs out there in the market and the ASUS 6z has it. With this CPU, the ASUS 6z is able to compete with the expensive phones like Samsung Galaxy S10e, OnePlus 7 Pro, and others in the higher range.
When it comes to the benchmarks, the ASUS 6z tops out in the AnTuTu and other benchmarking apps. Here’s what we got in our benchmarks performed on the ASUS 6z.
Flip Cameras
On the camera’s front, the ASUS 6z equips dual cameras on the rear side, no other cameras found on the phone. The front side doesn’t carry a selfie camera, the rear camera has a motorized flip-up module that flips to the front and transforms into a selfie camera. Cool, isn’t it?
Digging more into the cameras, the dual cameras consist of one 48 MP main sensor and another of 13 MP sensor for an ultra-wide-angle view. At the heart of the 48 MP main camera is a Sony IMX586 sensor powering up and comes with f/1.79 aperture and laser autofocus.
The camera has the ability to record videos in 4K@60fps and slow-motion videos up to 480fps at 720p resolution and 240fps at 1080p resolution. The camera doesn’t offer OIS onboard, it rather has a gyro-aided EIS to support the stabilization.
The camera includes some great features which include the auto panorama mode. It takes a panorama shot by itself, you don’t need to move the phone rather keep it steady at one place. Another tremendous feature is the motion tracking that tracks the object or person in motion without moving the phone, the flip camera does it all.
Take a look at these photo samples we took from the ASUS 6z flip camera.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz0GUETlIxK
ASUS 6z Camera Samples
Early Verdict
The flip camera is undoubtedly a defining feature of the ASUS 6z, it not only grabs the attention but certainly stands out from the crowd. With the flip camera onboard, the ASUS 6z manages to deliver a seamless full view display with small bezels and a great screen-to-body ratio, no notch interruptions, whatsoever.
Not only that, the ASUS 6z is loaded with one of the most powerful Qualcomm chips out there, the Snapdragon 855 SoC merged with lots of storage and RAM. In addition, the 5,000 mAh battery seems reliable for a flagship and the support for the QuickCharge 4.0 is an added perk.
Due to its relatively low price, the ASUS 6z directly competes against the flagship killers like OnePlus 7, as well as, OnePlus 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10e, and OPPO Reno 10X Zoom. It does manage to check all the boxes when it comes to flagship category smartphones while also keeping the price reasonable.