Asus Zenfone 4
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 17 scores (from 32 reviews)
Reviews for the Asus Zenfone 4
Source: Unbox Archive.org version
ASUS’ newest ZenFone 4 is a big step up from the previous iteration in terms of performance, design and camera. Despite just having a mid-range Snapdragon 660 processor, the phone is still able to deliver flagship-level performance without having to sacrifice battery longevity.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/02/2017
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
The ZenFone 4 ticks most of the right boxes for a mid-range smartphone. Offering an above-average rear camera, reasonably long battery life and attractive design, the handset is a decent choice that will meet 99% of buyers’ needs.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/29/2017
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 70% performance: 70% display: 70% mobility: 80% workmanship: 80%
Source: T3 Archive.org version
Overall then, while we're sure that the ZenFone 4 won't eat into that elite top, top tier market, we definitely think it has legs to make a major impact in the mid-tier.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/23/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
What really stands out with the Zenfone 4 is the quality of the build. This is a good looking phone, in many ways similar to the sort of thing we've been seeing from Honor over the past 12 months. With that in mind, the Honor 9 is likely to be this phone's biggest competitor and with a £379 price tag on the Honor 9, you can see that Asus has its work cut out for it.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/21/2017
Source: Stuff TV Archive.org version
There's certainly a lot to like about the ZenFone 4, and it's easily the most complete package Asus has ever released over on UK shores, but I wonder if it does enough to truly challenge the similarly-priced competition.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/21/2017
Source: Manila Shaker Archive.org version
No, I’m not telling you to wait for Zenfone V, that’d be ridiculous. But wait, there’s more! Personally, I find that ASUS gave the Zenfone 4 a love-it-or-hate-it relationship with their obvious focus on their mid-range contenders, the Zenfone 4 Selfie and Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro. The features it has not necessarily outweigh one another, but it would have been really great if ASUS retails this for below $500.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/20/2017
Source: Yugatech Archive.org version
ASUS certainly did not let down with their mainstream flagship device, the titular character of the Zenfone 4 lineup. With its premium and classy design, up to date internals, Super IPS display, and good camera performance, the ASUS Zenfone 4 is certainly worthy of representing an entire series of smartphones.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/16/2017
Source: Kitguru Archive.org version
On the whole, the ASUS ZenFone 4 is a decent little phone. It doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but it doesn’t try to. What it tries to be is a dependable budget phone, and it mostly succeeds. The display works fine. Granted, it’s not the vivid display on the iPhone 5s, though they may be the same size – but the ZenFone is a whole lot cheaper. ZenUI, too, remains sleek and simple, though slightly more fiddly due to the smaller screen.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 04/08/2015
Rating: Total score: 75%
Source: Gadgets Now Archive.org version
If you’re looking for a budget blower, don’t waste your money on this - save up a teeny bit more and grab yourself the latest Moto G or even the Moto E. Its paltry display, bulky build and muddy resolution doesn’t do it any favours, and you’re better off spending your cash on something with a bit more quality.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 11/14/2014
Rating: Total score: 40%
Source: Tech2.in.com Archive.org version
The Asus Zenfone 4 packs lots of features into a tiny package. But the budget price means that the phone has cut corners, which is evident in the low-resolution display and underpowered processor and camera. Yet, there’s lots to like about the Zenfone 4: the design and the build quality is one of the best we’ve seen on a budget phone, it’s simple to use and basic functions run smoothly. It also lets you boost the storage with the SD card slot. If you are cash-strapped, looking for an Android phone that provides good value for money, the Zenfone 4 is one of the best phones you can buy at the moment. Though not all, it checks most boxes to be a solid budget smartphone. However, if you need a slightly better display and battery life then go for the Moto E.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/17/2014
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
Overall, we're pleasantly surprised by the Asus ZenFone range. There's a smartphone to suit everyone here, whatever your budget and whatever screen size you prefer. We're excited to see what Asus has up its sleeve next, and we expect rivals will be curious and perhaps slightly worried, too.
video review
Comparison, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/07/2014
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
For £99, we're impressed by the ZenFone 4. It's nicely designed, has brilliant software features, is suitably speedy and has decent battery life, but it's not outstanding. We'd like to see a slightly better camera and the addition of 4G connectivity. We'd suggest checking out the EE Kestrel and the Motorola Moto G 2014 as alternatives to the ZenFone 4, but it's certainly a worthy contender and we think you'll be satisfied if you decide to go with this good budget smartphone.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/03/2014
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 80% performance: 50% features: 40% workmanship: 50%
Source: Techtree.com Archive.org version
The ZenFone 4 is a great value handset that provides good smartphone experience. With this handset, Asus has proved that it is possible to deliver an affordable phone without compromising on the quality. The ZenFone 4's multimedia performance is better than most competing handsets. On the other hand, the display and battery life are points of concern. Overall, if you're planning to spend minimum on a smartphone, the ZenFone is the way to go.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/23/2014
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 80% performance: 80% features: 80% workmanship: 70%
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
The Asus Zenfone 4 is a phone that looks and feels a bit like a smaller version of the Motorola Moto G. However, in use it sits a few rungs below Motorola’s budget phones. The Asus Zenfone 4 is affordable and looks good, but there are a few too many core issues with the screen and battery life to make it a champ.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/26/2014
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 70% performance: 70% display: 60% mobility: 40% workmanship: 70%
Source: T3 Archive.org version
The Asus Zenfone 4 is a sound first try at a phone for the masses. However, there are just a few too many problems for it to be a really great alternative to the several great £100 phones out there. It’s not really a case of missing features, much as we’d like to see 4G in the Zenfone 4. It’s more that the poor battery life and uninspiring screen mean the phone doesn’t really stack up against either the Motorola Moto G, or the cheaper Moto E.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/24/2014
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Recombu Archive.org version
The Zenfone 4 is a frustrating tale of two phones. There’s the compact, user-friendly 4-inch smartphone that sports a colourful design, slick performance and a neat interface. Then there’s the phone that struggles to last from sunrise to sunset, that has you keeping one eye permanently on that ever-decreasing battery meter.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/19/2014
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: NDTV Gadgets Archive.org version
The Zenfone 4's screen is pretty bad but nearly everything else is outstanding. We're particularly impressed with the device's camera capabilities. Full HD video recording is pretty neat, and it's nice to have a front camera - more so one that isn't terrible! We're looking forward to the A450CG revision which has a totally different screen and have high hopes that Asus will improve on this phone's one weakness.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/01/2014
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 90% performance: 70% display: 60% mobility: 60% workmanship: 80%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Allround-PC.com DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/06/2017
Source: Android Pit DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/22/2017
Source: Chip.de DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/19/2015
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 69% features: 62% display: 79% mobility: 74%
Source: Android Magazin - Heft 2/2014
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 02/01/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Xataka ES→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Nice design; good cameras; decent battery life. Negative: Poor display.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/23/2017
Source: Andrea Galeazzi IT→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/22/2017
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 65% display: 79% mobility: 81% workmanship: 81%
Source: Esperienza Mobile IT→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Good price; nice design; decent cameras; long battery life. Negative: Poor display; weak processor.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/05/2017
Source: AndroidPit.it IT→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Good price; powerful processor; nice dual cameras; stylish design.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/22/2017
Source: Techstation.it IT→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Elegant design; solid workmanship; decent cameras; nice performance; good price.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/21/2017
Source: 01Net FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/04/2017
Rating: Total score: 84% performance: 80% mobility: 80%
Source: Frandroid FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/21/2017
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 80% display: 80% mobility: 80% workmanship: 80%
Source: AndroidPit.fr FR→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Nice design; great built quality; good hardware; nice dual cameras.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/22/2017
Source: Komorkomania PL→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Solid workmanship; metal case; decent dual cameras; nice display; fast system. Negative: Relatively high price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/21/2017
Source: The Gioididong VN→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Good hardware; decent dual cameras; good price; metal case; nice display.
Comparison, online available, Medium, Date: 08/17/2017
Source: Tek.no NO→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/07/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%
Comment
Model: The ZenFone 4 is Asus’ latest flagship mid-range smartphone. Featuring an attractive design, above-average camera, and reasonably good battery life, the ZenFone 4 is Asus’ finest phone to date and will meet 99% of people’s needs. It follows the same mixed-material strategy as the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8, featuring a Gorilla Glass 4 front and back and metal sides. The device feels solid in the hand and the glass is not terribly slippery even when wet. It also ticks all the right boxes when it comes to functionality. On the front, users will find a fingerprint scanner, which although not the fastest around, works well enough. A bog-standard USB-C charging port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack sit on the bottom side. The 64 GB of internal storage will meet most users' needs, and the inclusion of a microSD card makes it easy enough to add further space if required. Under the hood, the Asus ZenFone 4 is powered by an octa-core, 1.4 GHz, Cortex A53 processor paired with 4 GB of RAM. With this hardware specification, multi-tab web browsing runs smoothly and the ZenFone 4 can stream video and music without issue. The ZenFone runs the latest Android Nougat 7.1 software overlaid with the Asus ZenUI skin. An update to Oreo has been confirmed. Asus has completely reworked Nougat’s settings menu, loading it with more customization options that can easily be counted. Some, such as Splendid, or the ability to create custom audio profiles are useful.
The display of the smartphone is a 5.5-inch 1080p FHD resolution screen. Some people may bemoan the fact that Asus did not take the step up to QHD, but the fact remains that for most people FHD will be more than good enough. A user will struggle to spot individual pixels, and text and icons are universally sharp. The Asus Splendid screen technology made it easy to manually adjust the ZenFone 4’s screen temperature. The ZenFone features a dual-lens rear camera that combines a 12-megapixel Sony IMX362 image sensor with a secondary 8-megapixel, 120-degree wide-angle lens. The setup is similar in strategy to that of the Galaxy S8, and a marked departure from most competing, mid-range dual-lens systems such as the Honor 9. Such devices use a mixed RGB and monochrome sensor setup. Asus claims the ZenFone’s setup enables the phone to take “five times brighter and clearer photos in low light” and offers a “200% larger” field of view than competing handsets. As far as the battery is concerned, it uses 3000 mAh model. Standby times are excellent as, unlike many flagships with skins, Android’s Doze feature does its stuff on the ZenFone 4. Doze is a nifty battery-saving feature that intelligently shuts down non-essential processes when the phone is not used for a prolonged period. As a result, the ZenFone 4 loses only around 1-3% of its charge overnight.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
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4.00":
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Asus: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. is a major Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer based in Taipei, founded in 1989. Under the Asus brand name, the company manufactures a wide range of products, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, monitors, smartphones and networking equipment, complete systems and PC components for end users.
Under the ROG (Republic of Gamers) brand name, ASUS manufactures gaming laptops known by gamers for their powerful specifications, dedicated graphics cards, high refresh rate displays and advanced cooling systems.
Beyond gaming, a wide range of notebooks are offered for different needs and budgets, from ultra-slim and lightweight ultrabooks to versatile 2-in-1 convertibles and budget-friendly options. In 2023, Asus had a 7% global market share of the PC market.
Customer satisfaction with ASUS notebooks concerns performance, the features, and the good price-performance ratio of ASUS notebooks. However, as with any brand, there are occasional reports of problems such as overheating, driver compatibility, or build quality issues.
69.94%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.