ASUS Zenfone 6 unboxed, first impressions

Priced and launched last week together with the Zenfone 4 and Zenfone 5, The ASUS Zenfone 6 is the biggest and most expensive model in the Zenfone family. Although by expensive, we only mean that it is the model with the highest price tag from its group since it’s still quite affordable for its carried specs. Here are our first impressions on the Zenfone 6.

The Zenfone 6 boasts a 6-inch IPS display reinforced with the tough Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a large screen real estate at 720p resolution which should make watching movies and playing games a joy. Bezels on the sides are thin but the top and bottom have a bit more extra space in them to house certain functionalities.

The upper bezel is where the sensors, speaker grille for calls, and front-facing camera are all situated, while the capacitive Back, Home, and Active Window buttons are on the bottom. ASUS also designed it to have a circular pattern similar to what we saw with the ASUS Zenbook UX302LA that positively adds to the overall aesthetics of the device.

There are only two physical buttons on the Zenfone 6 and they are present on the right side of the handset. Here, we have the Power/Lock button and the volume rocker.  Up top to the left side is the 3.5 audio jack and down below in the middle is its microUSB port.

Turning it over, you’ll find its 13MP camera right smack in the middle with a single LED flash just below it. The entire back is made of plastic with matte finish and is removable to reveal the dual-SIM and microSD slots. The company’s decision to go with an all-plastic cover is understandable to keep costs low, but they still managed to make it feel and look classy so that’s a plus in our book. In addition, the dotted holes at the bottom is where the speaker pushes off sound.

So far we like what we’re seeing with the Zenfone 6. At 200 grams, the device is pretty light to use for its size. Its physical buttons are also strategically placed so that it can be easily accessed with one hand, while its thin profile makes it easy to slide in and out of our pocket. We’re excited to see its performance on our full review and we bet you are, too. Stay tuned!

ASUS ZenFone 6 specs:
6-inch IPS display, 1280 x 720 @247ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Intel Atom Z2560 1.6GHz dual-core processor with HyperThreading Technology
PowerVR SGX 544 MP2
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
64GB via microSD
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
3G/HSPA+
Bluetooth
13MP BSI rear camera w/ LED flash
1080p video recording @30fps
2MP front-facing camera
Dual-SIM
3300mAh battery
Android 4.3
166.9 x 84.3 x 9.9mm
200g
Price: Php11,995USD 204INR 17,328EUR 195CNY 1,489

Update: The Php11,995USD 204INR 17,328EUR 195CNY 1,489 price tag is for the 16GB variant, but the demo unit we have carries only 8GB of internal storage.