[Kazuhisa Nishikawa's irregular column] "ASUS ZenFone 6" with Snapdragon 855 and flip camera --PC Watch
notebook-laptopThe notch is needed because the front camera needs to be embedded somewhere and no panel can be attached to that space. There are only a limited number of ways to make it inconspicuous, such as "make the area as small as possible" or "usually the camera part is inside the main unit and pops up when used" to make it completely notchless. rice field.
What appeared there is the flip camera installed in the ASUS "ZenFone 6" introduced this time. Normally, there are standard and wide-angle cameras in the same position as the general rear camera, and when switching to the front, it automatically flips 180 degrees and uses the rear camera as it is as the front camera.
The advantage of this method is that unlike the mechanism that pops up above, the same sensor can be used for the front camera and the rear camera, and the performance can be the same. Users who take a lot of selfies will be particularly effective because there is no difference in the image.
In addition, the cost can be reduced because the number of sensors and lenses is reduced (however, the final adjustment is unknown because the cost is increased structurally), and by handling not only 180 degrees but also the angle in the middle, the width can be increased at the time of shooting. , Auto panorama is possible.
The downside is that it moves mechanically (although it may have been devised) and is prone to failure. Since it has a more complicated structure than the pop-up type, the failure rate seems to be even higher. There are some places where you cannot know how the result will be obtained unless you actually use it for a long period of time.
Other than the camera, it will be a Snapdragon 855 / 6GB / 128GB (8GB / 256GB is also available), 6.4 type, Android 9 smartphone. The main specifications are as follows.
| ASUS "ZenFone 6" specifications | |
|---|---|
| SoC | Snapdragon 855 (1 core 2.8GHz + 3 core 2.42GHz + 4 core 1.7GHz, Adreno 640 GPU built-in) |
| memory | 6GB |
| storage | 128GB |
| OS | Android 9 with ZenUI 6 |
| display | 6.4-inch IPS full HD + (2,340 x 1,080 dots), screen occupancy rate of about 92%, Gorilla Glass 6, DCI-P3 ratio 100%, NTSC ratio 96%, HDR10 compatible |
| network | IEEE 802.11ac compatible, Bluetooth 5, NFC (Type A / B) |
| SIM | Nano SIM x 2 card slot (DSDV + dual VoLTE) |
| Corresponding band | FDD-LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/18/19/26 / 28TD-LTE: 38/39/41/46 W-CDMA: 1/2/3/4/5/6 / 8 / 19GSM / EDGE: 850/900 / 1,800 / 1,900MHz * Carrier aggregation: 5CA (DL) / 2CA (UP) |
| Interface | USB Type-C, microSD card slot, 3.5mm earphone jack |
| sensor | Acceleration / Electronic Compass / Light / Proximity / Fingerprint / Gyro |
| location information | GPS / A-GPS / GLONASS / Beidou / QZSS |
| camera | 48 million pixels (f / 1.79) + 13 million pixels (wide angle) |
| Size / weight | 75.4 x 159.1 x 8.4-9.1 mm (width x depth x height) / approx. 190 g |
| Battery | 5,000mAh |
| Color variations | Midnight Black, Twilight Silver |
The SoC is an octa-core Snapdragon 855. It has a built-in CPU with 1 core 2.8GHz + 3 cores 2.42GHz + 4 cores 1.7GHz, and is equipped with Adreno 640 as a GPU. It's an 8 series so it's a high-end SKU. Memory 6GB, storage 128GB (UFS 2.1). 8GB / 256GB is also available for different models. OS is Android 9 with ZenUI 6.
The display is a 6.4-inch IPS type full HD + (2,340 x 1,080 dots). The flip camera mentioned above is notchless and has a screen occupancy rate of about 92%. Adopting Gorilla Glass 6, it has a wide color gamut with DCI-P3 ratio 100% / NTSC ratio 96%. It supports HDR10.
The network is IEEE 802.11ac compatible, Bluetooth 5. NFC is Type A / B only. SIM can use two Nano SIM and microSD card at the same time. The corresponding bands for DSDV + Dual VoLTE are as shown in the table.
The interface is USB Type-C, microSD card slot, 3.5mm earphone jack. Personally, the point is high that there is a 3.5mm earphone jack for this class. The sensor is acceleration / electronic compass / light / proximity / fingerprint / gyro. Location information has built-in GPS / A-GPS / GLONASS / Beidou / QZSS.
As explained earlier, there is no distinction between front and back cameras, and the camera has 48 million pixels (f / 1.79) + 13 million pixels (wide-angle). The standard and wide-angle pixel counts are unbalanced, but please see the camera description for details.
There are two color variations, midnight black and twilight silver. The size is 75.4 x 159.1 x 8.4-9.1 mm (width x depth x height), and the weight is about 190 g. The battery has a built-in 5,000mAh. The price excluding tax is 69,500 yen for the lower model and 82,500 yen for the upper model.
The back has a screen occupancy of about 92% and no notch or hardware navigation buttons. Twilight silver. This unit's original "flip camera" is on the center. Below that is the Nano SIM / microSD card slot on the left side of the fingerprint sensor. 3.5mm earphone jack on the bottom side, Type-C, right side of the speaker, smart key, volume ± button from top, SIM1, SIM2, microSD card accessories from the back of the power button.Soft case, AC adapter (size approx. 50 x 40 x 25 mm, weight 57 g, output 5V / 2A, 9V / 2A), USB cable, earphones and ear pads Weight is actually 202 g, which is a little heavier than the specifications.The housing is metallic and has a high texture. The panel is 6.4 type and the actual weight is over 200g, which is a little big and heavy, but it doesn't feel like it's well-balanced, and it doesn't feel difficult to hold.
The front has a screen occupancy of about 92% and no notches or hardware navigation buttons. On the back is the "flip camera" unique to this unit in the upper center, and the fingerprint sensor below it. Nano SIM / microSD card slot on the left side. 3.5mm earphone jack, Type-C, speaker on the bottom side. The right side is the smart key, volume ± button, power button in order from the top. The SIM / microSD card slot can use all three SIM1, SIM2, and microSD cards from the back at the same time.
The "smart key," which is one more than a typical smartphone, is a button that allows you to quickly call the Google Assistant (it can also be used as a shutter).
Accessories include a soft case, AC adapter (size approx. 50 x 40 x 25 mm, weight 57 g, output 5V / 2A, 9V / 2A), USB cable, earphones and ear pads. It supports quick charge 4.0 / 18W.
The display is a 6.4-inch IPS type and is full HD + (2,340 x 1,080 dots). Good brightness, contrast and viewing angle. The DCI-P3 ratio is 100% / NTSC ratio is 96%, so the color of the emerald green sea, which is the wallpaper, is quite good. It's a narrow frame, but it's just barely wide enough to be covered with your hands when you hold it and look at the screen.
Of course there is no vibration or noise. The fever is a little hot in benchmark tests and continuous use of the camera, but it is well within the permissible range.
The sound is very powerful as it sounds using the entire housing. The earphone output has the same tendency, and my favorite jazz and rock sounds. However, while it is powerful, it lacks delicacy, so it may not be good at classical music.
[Apology and correction] When it first appeared, it was a monaural speaker, but it was compatible with stereo. We apologize for the correction.
Bluetooth supports SBC / AAC / aptX (HD) / LDAC / aptX Adaptive / aptX TWS + (check with developer options). In addition, it also supports Hi-Res / DTS X Ultra.
