The ASUS ZenFone 2 Review
by Brandon Chester on May 26, 2015 8:00 AM ESTWiFi Performance
While 802.11ac is still very much a cutting edge WiFi technology with limited adoption, it's rapidly becoming a necessity in the smartphone space just to remain competitive with the specifications of other manufacturers. Because of this, both the $199 and $299 models of the ZenFone 2 sport 1x1 802.11ac WiFi. It's funny to see this included in such an inexpensive smartphone when it's left out of $700 laptops like the ASUS UX305.
The ZenFone 2 uses Broadcom's BCM4339 WiFi + BT4.0 module. A single spatial stream 802.11ac implementation means that it's limited to a maximum speed of 433Mbps. To see how fast the ZenFone 2 can send UDP packets I've run it through our standard iPerf test for mobile devices.
Theoretical maximum speeds are rarely able to be achieved in real world testing due to interference, distance, and other factors. 293Mbps is pretty good for a 1x1 802.11ac implementation on a phone, and much better than some other inexpensive devices like the Lumia 735 which only support 802.11n. 802.11ac isn't very widely adopted yet among consumers and so I don't think ZenFone 2 users will be disappointed in their WiFi performance now or in the future.
GNSS
Thanks to a tip from a reader, I can confirm that the ZenFone 2 uses Broadcom's BCM4753. This is different from most devices which use the GNSS solution built into Qualcomm's Gobi modems. Despite this, I didn't notice any issues with the accuracy or speed of the GNSS implementation on the ZenFone 2. With GPS assistance data cleared and the device in airplane mode I was able to achieve a 3D fix in around 55 seconds. This will obviously vary depending on weather conditions, the positions of satellites, and various other factors. With GPS assistance info getting a lock took less than five seconds.
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jt122333221 - Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - link
Heads up - it also supports double-tap to sleep. Unfortunately, you have to double-tap on a completely empty portion of the display (empty homescreen or in the notification bar) to get it to sleep.mkozakewich - Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - link
Put Cherry Trail in here with Window 8 (and then 10) and it would totally be what I'm looking for in a phone. I'm going to have to keep my eyes open.commenter001 - Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - link
I just bought the 4GB model. I've actually been using it more than my S6! What the review kinda skipped on was real world usage of the device. This thing doesn't skip a beat. It's amazing how many apps you re-open and they're right back where you left them (hours ago). Unlike the S6 where it seems to reload every dang time just after normal usage. The power button is not a big deal, I use the double-tap on the screen to wake it up all the time.The battery life is not that horrible, gets me through the day and I'm in poor cell area most of the time. Video and pictures, yeah, they're pretty average.
Again, I'm amazed at the lack of the usual lagginess that I've come to accept from Android. Maybe it'll creep up over time but so far this phone is on par or exceeds the S6 just in real world day-to-day stuff for me.
ketacdx - Thursday, May 28, 2015 - link
I agree man, this thing is surreal for real world usage. Battery really is pretty decent, mine is about 2% right now with 24 hrs on, 3hrs49mins of which are screen on time. Only thing I notice with mine is Android OS is using 31% of battery with CPU total at 10hrs 16 mins. I can only assume a glitch or Android issue that hopefully repairs with updates. Either way, pretty decent!! :)blzd - Thursday, May 28, 2015 - link
I'd say that's less of an accomplishment from Asus and more of a standard failing from Samsung and Touchwiz.Have you tried any other recent Android devices? Nexus devices and Motorola using stock Android have felt just as snappy and fluid for years now and it's only gotten better with Lollipop.
hans_ober - Tuesday, May 26, 2015 - link
How would this compare to the Xiaomi Mi 4i? In India, the lowest model of the Zenfone 2 is price competitive with the Xiaomi Mi 4i, which I hope AT manage to get their hands on.aryonoco - Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - link
Great article. Thanks to your work Brandon, I'm beginning to not even miss Brian any moreThis was a pleasure to read. Thank you.
lvchubby - Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - link
I'm a newcomer and respect Anandtech's true reviews instead of some others which look like marketing articles, but there's something missing about this review. I agree that the device is very value for money, but there are also quite a large number of complaints on Taiwan's user forums (in Chinese of coz) about QC and compatibility issues every time Asus launch a new phone in Taiwan. Sadly it happens repeatedly and Zenfone2 is not an exception, and still many people bought it due to it's CP value. Some of them were blaming Asus for using them as beta testers before the international launch. That's why I'm still holding up my decision.I'm not saying the Zenfone2 is not a good device, but for those who wanna buy it, I'd suggest holding up your decision for a few months till Asus hopefully solving most of the compatibility issues by software updates. Also check carefully for any faults when u receive the device.
As a side note, there are some local reviews/users saying the 3Gb RAM is not quite enough as the Zen UI eats up much RAM, and 4Gb RAM version is recommended.
chrnochime - Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - link
You mean like this thread from mobile01(yeah I read Chinese too):w w w . mobile01 . com/topicdetail.php?f=588&t=4395771
Hopefully this will force them get their shit together since they're now selling in the US...
lvchubby - Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - link
U can find similar posts even in Asus' own forum:http://w w w . asus . com/zentalk/tw/forum.php?mod=forumdisplay&fid=174
And imo it's a shame that the CEO admitted the beta tester thing...
http://w w w . mobile01 . com/topicdetail.php?f=588&t=4332578