Asus brings optical zoom into focus with the Zenfone Zoom

By Brad Bourque January 5, 2015

asus announces camera focused zenfone zoom at ces front and back — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Are you a prolific Instagram sharer? The newly announced Asus Zenfone Zoom might be just the smartphone for you. While most spec details are unknown at this time, the Zoom’s most important feature is an impressive rear camera.

Unlike most smartphone cameras, which rely on digital enhancement to zoom into an image, the Zenfone Zoom is equipped with 3x optical zoom, accomplished by packing a ten element lens into the rear of the phone. The 13-megapixel sensor is no slouch either, easily shooting 1080p video, and the whole setup is equipped with laser auto-focus, and optical image stabilization.

asus-zenfone-zoom-5 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Zoom also sports the sort of manual control over your shooting that you normally only get with a full feature digital camera. Rather than relying on automatic imaging software, you can set the shutter speed, ISO settings, and more from within the Android 5.0 OS, all without unpacking your lenses.

The Zoom also comes equipped with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, with thin bezels and Gorilla Glass 3 for making sure every shot you take comes out perfectly.

There’s no word on release date yet, but when the Asus Zenfone does drop, it will start at $399. We’ll keep you updated on availability.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…

Mobile

Asus Zenfone 6: Key settings to change on your new phone

asus zenfone 6 review version 1560273483 hands on 8

The Zenfone 6 is unlike any Asus smartphone before it, and we love its ingenious camera and excellent software, which moves away from the highly customized look of old Zenfones, and toward a standard Google Pixel style. If you’ve got a new Zenfone 6 in your hand, then there are a few settings to change and tricks to know, ready for you to really enjoy this great phone.

If the Zenfone 6 is on your list of phones to buy, but you haven’t made a final decision yet, then read our in-depth Zenfone 6 hands-on review.
Move the motorized camera lens around

Mobile

I keep forgetting about the Apple Watch Series 9’s coolest feature

Apps on the Apple Watch Series 9's screen.

I’m just going to come out and say it: I love the Apple Watch Series 9. A couple of weeks ago, I returned to wearing it every day after an extended period of not doing so. And you know what? I was surprised by how much I’d missed it.

But one thing has bothered me this time around: There's a feature I haven't been using. Not because it’s bad, but because I tend to forget it's there.
Effortless to own and wear

Mobile

3 foldable phone deals you should seriously consider today

The Google Pixel Fold with the screen open.

For those who are thinking about getting a foldable phone, we've rounded up three foldable phone deals for you to consider as your next purchase. Motorola is currently selling the Motorola Razr at $200 off, which brings its price down to $500 from $700, and the Motorola Razr Plus at $300 off, which lowers its price to $700 from $1,000. Meanwhile, the Google Pixel Fold is available from Best Buy with a $500 discount that slashes its price to $1,299 from $1,799. You can be sure that you won't regret purchasing any of these devices because they're all included in our roundup of the best folding phones, but you need to hurry because the offers may expire at any moment.
Motorola Razr -- $500, was $700

The Motorola Razr features a 1.5-inch external OLED display and a 6.9-inch Full HD+ internal pOLED display, with decent performance provided by its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor and 8GB of RAM. It's got a 64MP main camera and a 13MP wide-angle camera at the back, plus a 32MP selfie camera inside. The folding phone features a metal chassis that's surrounded by soft but durable leather, and it folds without a gap.