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I’m surprised by the Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom. While I was fairly impressed with its specs and the much-improved design over the original Asus Zenfone Zoom, its direct predecessor, I wasn’t completely sold. That’s mostly because I didn’t know how much it would cost.
At $329, not only is it cheaper and far better than the Zenfone Zoom, it’s one of the best mid-tier options available. Asus’ ZenUI has improved to the point where it’s no longer a red flag for most users and the value here in terms of spec and design is tough to beat.
Who's it for?
This phone is for people who don’t want to shell out $600+ on a smartphone, but want premium features, like a dual-lens camera, USB-C charging, AMOLED display and a competent set of specs.
For its $329, Asus makes it difficult to find things to complain about here. Some may not like the taste of ZenUI and some of its camera modes don’t yield the quality that it advertises, but the Zenfone 3 Zoom gets much more right than it does wrong.
Should you buy it?
It’s hard enough for a phone to satisfy the needs of one group of people, let alone both the low-end and high-end crowds. Somehow, Asus has managed to do just that with the Zenfone 3 Zoom.
While not perfect in its execution, it’s full of crowd-pleasing features and rocks a pleasing design that defies its price point, coming together as a smart buy for just about anyone.
