Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA : Good Daily User Device

Asus has been introducing many laptop models along with their smartphone series. Asus slowly but steadily raising up in top line laptop manufacturers in Indian market. Asus has introduce diversified product portfolio with High end, mid-range and budget friendly product line-up. This time we have received Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA for review. We will look into more in details in sometime.

Asus ZenBook Flip UX360 as the name tells 360, this device is combination of tablet and laptop brought into single device. What it means? Well it means this device have touchscreen lid that can flip around. 

Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA Design:

Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA is not as sleek, stylish and light weight as their predecessor’s line-up. This device have touchscreen lid and keyboard that, they have to rest against each other when the two halves are flipped around. When lid is flipped to a certain angle it will activate tablet mode automatically, yes unless you manually turn it off.

Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA have 13.3 inches with 16:9 spect ratio LED backlit Full HD (1920x1080) 60Hz Glare Touchscreen. On the back side of the lid Asus have their logo in the middle. Well on other end of the device have all connectivity options. On left hand side you will find USB 3.0 port, sd card slot, status LED followed by volume rocker buttons and power button respectively. While on right side you can see power inlet, USB 3.0 port followed by type C port micro HDMI port and 3.5 mm audio jack respectively. Asus provide a USB Ethernet dongle and another Micro-HDMI to full-size HDMI adapter in the box, which are both much needed for smart TV and other devices connectivity.

While in the tablet mode you can still use all switches and connectivity ports in the device. Speakers are at the bottom of the device. Asus ZenBook Flip UX360 is bit difficult to grip since it is heavier and keyboard deck have sharp edges that make is bit uncomfortable to hold it, especially while you are using Asus ZenBook Flip UX360 as tablet mode. 

Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA have Asus zenmark concentric circle design on metallic unibody of itself which look decent. Just one thing more Asus should have added is backlit keyboard which is more useful during the low light or night time. But keyboard get deactivated automatically when you flip hinge to certain angle.

Well while using tablet mode Windows automatically flip the display as per the device orientation. Switching between laptop and tablet mode totally seamless, though the bulk of the ZenBook Flip makes tablet mode comfortable only if you can rest it on your lap or knees. Overall thickness is 13.9mm and weight is 1.3kg which is great for a laptop, but not for a tablet.

Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA Specs and Performance:

The screen has a resolution of 1920x1080 that is Full HD with 13 Inches of screen\tablet size. Intel’s HD Graphics 515 comes integrated into the processor, which should be enough for everyday tasks. The screen is bright and crisp, but because of the glossy surface we have to pump the brightness up to compensate for reflections. Thanks to the CPU’s dedicated video acceleration hardware we have never faced any issues playing HD, Full HD and 4K content on this device. There’s also Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1, plus a 720p webcam integrated with this device.

Asus launched the ZenBook Flip in India with an Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor. Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor is one of Intel’s low-power Core M models in the sixth-generation. There’s 4GB of RAM and either a 128GB or a 512GB SSD - our review unit had the 512B SSD. The ZenBook Flip is quick to boot smoothly for us with 6 seconds of boot time. Programs launch without any fuss, and heavy operations are carried out easily thanks to SSD integrated with this device

You get Windows 10 Home basic preloaded with Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA. Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA have a bunch of Asus apps including Asus WebStorage, Asus Giftbox, and several small utilities to control things. One new addition is Asus HiPost, which intercepts anything you copy to the Windows clipboard and syncs it to an Android phone running the same app which doesn’t seems to be of much use.

The speakers turned out to be capable of producing considerable volume levels. While on Voices in videos came out clean and distinct, with minimal distortion. 

Pricing And Final Words:

ZenBook Flip UX360CA 128GB SSD is available on Amazon at 56000/- INR while 512GB variant is available at 96000/- which seems to be bit overpriced. If you want some good hybrid device with performance upfront than this is the good choice for you. SDD perform well and reduce boot-up and IO time so it perform any task. The games are also playable well with minimal graphic on board. For normal users who want laptop and tablet both this is the best choice for you to use. Just one time heavy load on pocket. 

So this is all about ASUS ZenBook Flip UX360CA. If you have any questions or query do let us know in comment section below. If you like this then share on your social media clicking on button below. Stay tuned for more. Thank you for the reading.

Asus Zenfone Live : Compact And Light Weight

In this article we are going to review Asus Zenfone Live. Which is easy, compact and light weight device that we have received till now. As per Asus this device is named as Live, specially for Apps like Facebook and Instagram where we required some quality video and pcis to upload. But for a given price range Asus have Redmi 4A and Redmi 4 as strong contender in the market. Let's have look what Asus has packed in Zenfone Live.

Build And Design:

It has become a common trend to upload what's going on live on social media platform like Facbook, Instagram and other social apps these days. But the thing keep bothering users is quality of uploaded video or picks. So here Asus has tried and made an attempt for capture market for this strong hold. But frankly speaking this is a rally big disappointment from Asus this time. Even though build quality of the device is very premium and device have metallic unibody design. Zenfone live looks more less similar to iPhone.

On the front of the screen device, starting from top Asus Zenfone Live have LED notification light followed by LED flesh, speaker grill followed by 5 megapixel camera with laser and ambient light sensor. Blow it device have 5 inches IPS LCD display. At the bottom of the device it have 3 capacitive buttons.

Well starting from the top of the device it have 3.5m  audio jack and noise cancellation mic. While on the bottom it have speaker, Micro USB charging port and mic. Device is powered by DTS sound enhancement drivers for excellent sound experience the same as Asus Zenfone Ultra.

On the back panel of the device is made of fully metallic unibidy which have camera and single tone LED flash in left side top most corner, followed by Asus logo on the center below.

On the left side of the device have SIM card trey which support hybrid SIMS and on right hand side it have volume rocker button and power button.

Overall device looks very premium and feels very light weight at the same time. Device screen size is also 5 inches which is best for single hand users.

Specs And Performance: 

Asus Zenfone Live comes with 5 inches IPS LCD display supporting 720p(HD) resolution. Colors produce by this device is very sharp and have good extreme viewing angles. Display look bright in sunlight and screen is visible clearly at the maximum brightness in direct sunlight. Device runs on Android 6.0.1 that is old version of Android OS. But looking at the other device in this price range this tend looks common. Asus have their own UI called ZenUI running on top of Android OS, which provide lot of customization to the users. Device also comes with preinstalled blotwares including that of Asus apps too. But here you do the work around as uninstall or disable the apps that you are not going to use.

Asus Zenfone Live comes with 2GB of RAM memory and 16 GB of ROM memory which is disappointment from Asus end. Since 16 GB of internal memory, user hardly get 10 GB for actual usage. On the other hand device support hybrid SIM hence you cannot use dual SIM. Asus should have given separate memory card slot in Asus Zenfone Live. As long as RAM size is considered it is still manageable. The downfall for this device is Media-core Snapdragon 400 SOC which inspite of having decent specs, device does not able to perform well. Asus Zenfone Live comes with 4 core processors having 1.2 GHz speed, supported by Adreno 305 GPU. This is just entry level processor which bring down the device performance and processing capabilities. You can not perform heavy multitasking on this device and device tends to heatup once you start with gaming or task that require heavy processing power. 

On gaming front we have tested basic games like NOVA legacy which is handle well by device like Asus Zenfone 3 Max powered by Snapdragon 430 SOC, but in case of Zenfone Live it started well in beginning but after loading the game we can see the constant frame drops in the device. As mentioned earlier processor is the downfall for this device. This decision of Asus for selecting this processor has affected all aspect of device.

Well while using this device call reception was very much good. We can hear the voice of other person on the call loud and clear. Even noise cancellation mic does it's job well. Even while using the speaker for the call produce sound well but produce some distortion during the high volume voices. On the connectivity area device have all basic connectivity option like Bluetooth, WiFi, Hotspot, 4G VoLTE and so on. It does not have NFS and IR blaster which commonly comes with flagship devices. 

Well when it comes to camera Asus has disappointed us again. Even thought they made this phone for photography this smartphone not even at par what it meant for. It sports a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, autofocus and a 5MP front camera with f/2/2 aperture, 82 degree wide angle and a LED flash.

Well if we talk about front camera it is 5 megapixel front shooter with Laser sensor and LED flash. LED flash is little more intensive for your eyes when you are in dark room or place, otherwise it does it's job well what it  meant for. Images taken are usually good but when it's comes to low light even though using a flash images are average.

Device takes good images in natural light condition but start to lag when you use the camera for long. Since device is equipped with weak processor the image quality affected very much. Even though Asus pixel master try to compensate for producing some quality output but in low light case and indoor photography it fails to do so.

Here are some camera samples:

NOTE: Click on the image to view in it's original size

Well if we talk about battery life, its 2650 mAh. The device goes well with it. It last for almost a day with extreme usage that device can handle. Charging is also fast enough. Device get's charged within One and half hours. If you talk about the price range of this device seems to be bit overpriced as per configuration. Asus Zenfone Live priced at 9,999/- INR which is roughly around 155 UDS.

Final Words :

Well as per our opinion Asus Zenfone Live is really not expected product from Asus. If Asus has chosen some good processor like Snapdragon 435 still perform well for this price and specs. Frankly speaking you want some good quality and value for your money then this is not your cup of tee.

So here is all about newly launched Asus Zenfone Live. If you have any query then comment below. If you like do share on social platform using buttons blow the article. Stay tuned for more. Thank you for reading.

Zenfone 3 Max Review

To address the issue of battery life that is associated with almost all android devices Asus has introduced Zenfone Max series. This series provide user with an extra battery juice for lasting it longer than usual. Last year we have seen Asus Zenfone Max (2015) introduce with 5000 mAh battery. Not only that but Asus kept that series to the low and affordable price range under 10K.

After few month Asus come up with advance version of Asus Zenfone Max 2016 which was same as it’s predecessor, only difference is packed with more powerful processor serving long battery life. Now with Zenfone 3 series they have brought this to mid-range series. With their Zenfone 3 series Asus has again introduced new device that we are reviewing today here named as Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL).

Also Read : Reasons To Select Zenfone 3 Max As Your Smartphone Device

Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL)

Asus ZenFone 3 Max design and build :

Asus has launched Zenfone 3 Max in 2 variants they are : 

• Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL)   Get One For You
• Zenfone 3 Max (ZC520TL)   Get One For You

The design of this device is the first element that attract your attention.Device is very slick and have round curved edges and it's metal aluminum unibody provide sturdy feel when you hold the device. It's look and feel premium and the grip is ergonomic having buttons lined up nicely against our thumb. 

This device have 5.5 inches Full HD(1920 x 1080) IPS display. Device have vivid and sharp display, produce crisp and sharp images and icons. You can see screen clearly even in direct sunlight. Zenfone 3 Max have very thin bezels which make the device easy hold and use. Even if you think screen size is too large to handle, you can always user one hand mode. The only thing bit disappointing about this device is there is no scratch protection on the device screen, which is usually seen for the device in this price range.

On the front top of the device it have 3.5 mm audio jack. Font 8MP wide angle camera and light ambient sensor. On left hand side corner it have LED notification light. 

On the other hand back of the device, it have 16MP rear camera accompanied with dual tone dual LED flash light and laser sensor. Just blow the rear camera Asus has placed fingerprint sensor. Beside back of the device is made of metal aluminum unibody provide good grip, but sometime even though it make device bit sleepery from the hand.

Well on the front bottom of the device it have Micro-USB charging slot 2.0 which is kind disappointment for us. Beside charging slot device have Mono speakers that producing really loud sound that can be heard in busy areas too. The phone ships with a headset, a 10W charger, a data cable, and an OTG cable. You also get 100GB of Google Drive space free for two years as a promotion.

Also Read : Finally Asus Announced ZenWatch 3 Luxury With Style

Specification And Performance :

Let's start with screen. The device have very sharp IPS Full HD display panel which produce vivid and sharp colors even in direct sunlight. Zenfone 3 Max is hybrid SIM device which means you can either use it as dual SIM cards or single SIM with memory card with 4G VoLET support. If you use memory card you can expand external storage upto 128 GB. Zenfone 3 Max comes with 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. Zenfone 3 Max equipped with Android 6.0.1 that is Marshmallow running Asus customized ZenUI 3 on top of it. 

Processor of this device is seems to be the weakest point. We were expecting this device will be equipped with Snapdragon 615 but it actually packed with Snapdragon 430 SOC. This means you can experience the stutter or lags when it comes to famous gaming titles or heavy multitasking. But gain with Snapdragon 615 comes with issues of heavy heating problem this must be the cause Asus has avoided using that SOC. Even though Asus has tried to compassionate for using entry level processor by providing game Genie to improve performance of the device. But that too does not seems to be helping much.

You can use it to answer incoming calls, launch the camera app, or take a picture - but you can’t use it to lock apps. The bigger issue here is that fingerprint recognition was often not quick. It did misread fingerprints, which is flagged by a slight vibration, but it seemed more to do with the hardware not being able to authenticate fingerprints quickly. The issue was intermittent but was really frustrating when we ran into it.

Zenfoen 3 Max have single-band Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, FM radio, and GPS. There’s 4G support on Band 1, 3, 5, 8, and 40 in India as well as VoLTE. All connectivity medium works well on the device. Even 4G and VoLTE works very smoothly without any problems.

Let's check some benchmarking scores of the device:

Above are the result of Antutu 6.2(On left side) and GeekyBench4 which also seems kind of average that is above the entry level processor can perform. As we can check Nenamark score for FPS (Frames per second ) it plays and records video very nicely and smoothly. We hardly find any lags in that case. But yes if you want to play 2K or 4K video in this device you better use SW decoder in MX player.

Camera :

When it comes to the camera then Asus has done remarkable job in it's Zenfone 3 series. Asus has revamped the camera quality form their last 2 series and improved on it. It provide it's own camera module software called Pixelmaster does some excellent job when it comes to clicking photos.

Videos look really good thanks to the vibrant display, and the phone handles videos just fine, at up to 1080p. Audio performance is particularly good through wired and wireless headphones. The volume can get really loud with punchy bass. The AudioWizard app lets you play around with equalizer settings in order to fine-tune the sound. There’s electronic video stabilization for video but only at 720p resolution.

Asus Zenfone 3 Max comes with 16 MP rear camera and 8 MP wide angle front facing camera which takes really good pictures.

Here are some samples:

Rear Camera Pics

Rear Camera Pics

Front Camera Pics

Front Camera Pics

Rear Camera Pics

Rear Camera Pics

Rear Camera Pics

NOTE  :Click on the images To check in Full Size

Battery Life:

Battery life is what this device is meant for. It provide the good battery life but not as good as it was expected. Since this device is using entry level processor, Asus Zenfone 3 Max was expected to be perform much better. For heavy user battery will last for more a day, and for moderate and low usage users 2 days. Standby time for this device is excellent.

Pricing:

Asus Zenfone 3 Max is being price at 17,999 INR in India. This device available in both online as well as offline. But the price is another backlog for this device. Since you can get device with higher performance SOC at this price range. Even if you compared this price to it's predecessor then too this price range seems odd, can say kindly high priced device.

Verdict :

Asus Zenfone 3 Max has some really good features in terms Display, Camera, Audio,Battery Life and call quality. The only thing disappointing is processor and heavy multitasking. Even though they have used entry level processor they should have priced this device some where in 10K-15K range. 

Pros Of Zenfone 3 Max :

• Sharp , clear and vivid display.
• Good Design and build quality.
• Excellent camera quality.
• Good audio quality.
• Good Battery life

Cons Of Zenfone 3 Max :

• Over priced device.
• Lags and Stutters on gaming and heavy multitasking.
• Hybrid SIM slot used.
• No gorilla glass protection.
• Fingerprint sensor bit iffy. 

So this is all update for the review from our side. If you have any questions or query or any opinion on this do comment below. Stay tuned for more. Thank you for reading.

Indus OS Partners with Digital Turbine To Monetize 1 Billion Smartphone Users

Digital Turbine, Inc, announced a multiyear agreement with Indus OS, the second-most popular smartphone platform in India, surpassing Apple's iOS. Indus OS is currently available on eight million smartphones across 80 smartphone models, and aims to add 100 million users by 2020. Currently live, Indus OS launched Digital Turbine’s Ignite platform to power its mobile app campaigns mid May 2017. 

India is the world's fastest growing smartphone market, with an estimated 125 million smartphones expected to be sold in India in 2017. Further, over the next three years, it is estimated that 500 million people in India will transition to smartphones, and an overwhelming majority of these people will be users who don't understand English. Indus OS is built ground-up to meet the local market needs and currently supports 12 major languages. It currently has partnerships with 8 major Indian OEMs and has made giant strides in its vision is to help connect a billion smartphone users in emerging markets.

Let's see what officials words for this:

Rakesh Deshmukh, co-founder and CEO of Indus OS said:

“Our mission is to develop technology to cater to the economic, social and regional diversity of the region, We are the first to deeply customize a smartphone experience that meets the real needs of the emerging market’s citizens through innovation, simplification and localization. By partnering with Digital Turbine, we are able to provide tailored app recommendations that fit the local market and improve end customers’ overall experience.” 

Bill Stone, CEO of Digital Turbine  said:

“Simply stated, our Ignite platform provides mobile ecosystems an easier way to scale. It delivers a relevant suite of app campaigns to end customers by leveraging our extensive advertising network and exclusive partnerships with top mobile ad agencies, Our proprietary app recommendation engine uses data science to optimize and track campaigns for a more engaging end user experience. We are extremely excited to partner with Indus OS in its efforts to advance smartphone adoption and engagement with mobile applications throughout India and other emerging markets. 

As the leading independent mobile user acquisition network, Digitial Turbine has driven more than 500 million app installs globally. Digital Turbine’s Ignite platform enables mobile publishers and OEMs to tap into its campaign server for monetization opportunities. Digital Turbine Media provides unique and exclusive ad inventory through its Advertising Partnership Program, connecting leading advertising agencies with premier access to some of the largest mobile operator networks around the world. 

So this is all about this partnership of Indus OS and Digital Turbine. Stay tuned for more. Thank you fir reading.