Skip to main content

You wouldn’t know this new Asus phone has a 3x optical zoom, but it does

When you hear the Asus name, chances are you think of laptops, versatile tablets, or computing in general. If you’re a bit of a hardcore mobile fan, you may also think of the quirky Padfone range. The Zenfone Zoom could be the device that makes us associate the company’s name with more cutting edge smartphones, particularly by camera phone enthusiasts. Why? It has a 3x optical zoom, but not one that’s inside an unsightly bulge like the Galaxy K Zoom.

Instead, the Zenfone Zoom uses a system which sees two lenses slide horizontally beside the lens, producing extremely similar results, but taking up far less space, and without an elongating extension. It’s not completely flat, but it’s still less obvious than the Lumia 1020’s lens housing, for example, and the phone is no thicker than a G3 inside a QuickCircle case.

Recommended Videos

Smartphone zooms are primarily digital, and result in lower quality pictures when used. An optical zoom does a better job without the drawbacks, and is a truly differentiating feature.

Asus hasn’t slapped the clever optical zoom system on the Zenfone Zoom and stopped there, however. It’s paired with optical image stabilization to improve those zoomed in shots, and those taken in low light. Added to this is a laser autofocus sensor, just like the one seen on the LG G3. It impressed us on that phone, and works even faster on the new LG G Flex 2, so we’re excited to see how Asus’ system performs. All this is attached to a 13-megapixel sensor, and the software can be used manually for complete control.

The phone we tested was a pre-production model, and the software installed wasn’t complete. Still, we were treated to a look at how the optical zoom performed. A photo of a Chinese yuan note was taken on zoom, then zoomed in again to reveal the level of detail it captured. Compared to the same image taken on an iPhone 6 Plus, the difference is very noticeable – revealing detail that wasn’t visible to the naked eye.

Android 5.0 is installed on the phone, displayed on a 5.5-inch, 1080p display. Asus hasn’t decided on which processor will be used inside the phone, but a Snapdragon chip is most likely. An Intel Atom powers its Zenfone 2.

While this is the first time we’re seeing this optical zoom tech inside a smartphone, it’s not the first time we’ve heard about it. We chatted with DynaOptics recently, a company developing the same type of module, but it hasn’t supplied Asus. What we learned talking to DynaOptics was how complex these modules are, and they aren’t perfected yet.

Asus told us it’ll have a 95-percent finished Zenfone Zoom at Mobile World Congress, followed by a release before the end of the first half of 2015. A price of $400 has been attached, which sounds excellent value, considering the high specs. The good news is Asus intends to release the Zenfone Zoom in the U.S. and the U.K., indicating it’s aware of the opportunity the phone presents to promote the Asus name.

Highs

  • Optical zoom on a phone, without the drawbacks
  • Laser autofocus
  • Competitive price
  • U.S. released planned

Lows

  • Tech isn’t perfected yet
  • International release isn’t finalized
Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Instagram investigation finds sexual content is served to Teen acounts
Instagram Teen account settings on phone.

Late in 2024, Meta introduced Instagram Teen accounts, a safety net intended to protect young minds from sensitive content and ensure that they have safe online interactions, bolstered by age detection tech. Accounts for teens are automatically classified as private, offensive words are hidden, and messages from strangers are blocked.

According to an investigation by youth-focused non-profit, Design It For Us, and Accountable Tech, Instagram’s Teen guardrails aren’t delivering on their promise. Over a span of two weeks, five test accounts belonging to teens were tested, and all of them were shown sexual content despite Meta’s promises.

Read more
Apple could let users replace Siri as the default virtual assistant 
Invoking Siri on iPhone.

Apple’s struggles with giving Siri a next-gen AI makeover are pretty well-known at this point, while rivals like Google’s Gemini have flourished on the Android ecosystem. The situation with delays got so bad that Apple had to pull the ads showing Siri’s advanced capabilities that are yet to ship nearly a year later. 

As a stop-gap solution, the company integrated ChatGPT within the Apple Intelligence stack on iPhones, letting the OpenAI chatbot handle queries that Siri can’t answer. The company is also said to be in talks to bring more AI chatbots onboard in a similar capacity. 

Read more
Here’s one fella who can’t wait to get his hands on the iPhone Air
Alleged concept render of the iPhone 17 Air in black.

The so-called “iPhone Air” is apparently on the way, despite Apple remaining characteristically tight-lipped about such a device. 

Numerous leaks have suggested that the iPhone Air, which is expected to launch this fall along with the iPhone 17, will be just 5.5mm thick, making it easily Apple’s slimmest handset yet. 

Read more