Asus have made some amazing Android devices over the years though they remain very much a niche brand around this neck of the woods. Oddly, western Europeans have mostly ignored their Republic of Gaming line of smartphones despite the PC ROG equipment being much loved (and bought) in the region. But those who have taken the leap to an Asus smartphone have tended to love the hardware and experience. Their latest stab at the flagship market, Asus ZenFone 7 Pro, is an earnest attempt to woo a wider audience while maintaining the quirky outsider vibe that has earned them a cult following.
Art of Zen
The design is unique and doesn’t follow many current trends. It’s still a flat slab but it’s not frosted. The screen is huge but it’s flat. The curves that stretch from its edges to its rear reach its symmetric camera module resting place as opposed to the sharper lines of other devices.
The Gorilla Glass rear glass panel is infused with a 3D-like iridescence. The dark colour scheme glistens green in what Asus call ‘Aurora Black’. However, the green glistening isn’t overbearing. In fact, ZenFone 7 Pro is an alluring and mysterious from moderate distance.
The display is highlighted by a thin, lightly frosted aluminium beveled edge where the screen meets the chassis. This beveling is also present around the mono speaker. These details give Asus ZenFone 7 Pro its final premium touches to tie up the look. That display framing also serves break up the plastic-looking-but-definitely-aluminium matte black frame.
The camera module, while not an eyesore, is not to the same visual standard. The plastic above the module say ‘Flip Camera’ in faint lettering and just doesn’t look nice even if its’ hard to actually see. Though it must be said that ZenFone 7 Pro’s lenses and their surround do have a pleasing symmetry.
Form Factor
At 9.6mm thick, Asus ZenFone 7 Pro is relatively bulky. At 230g, it’s also a heavy device. While it may strain the pocket a little more than other devices of its screen-size, it does feel magnificent in the hand. There is a certain sense of security that comes with devices this dense.
What feels less secure is ZenFone 7 Pro’s lack of IP rating or even suggestions of water-resistance. I am struggling to think of premium devices from major brands that lacked some water-resistance. OPPO Reno 4 Pro lacked a rating but OPPO maintained the device still had rudimentary splash protection.
Full Screen
Asus ZenFone 7 Pro’s 6.67″ AMOLED display doesn’t match the very best. At 1,800 x 2,400, it’s not the sharpest. At 700 nits, it’s not the brightest, at 90Hz, it’s not the smoothest. It is a balanced screen, though – content looks gorgeous. ZenFone 7 Pro’s display has contrast, colour and sharpness that readily show the device’s premium status.
And that 90Hz referesh rate can be used permanently, a feature that very few devices can boast. Asus ZenFone 7 Pro gives users a silky smooth experience even when they are just scrolling a menu.
Moving Picture
The three lens set-up, like the rest of the device, is an all-rounder. Like ZenFone 7 Pro’s display, it doesn’t match the very best in any one area but isn’t left too lacking against its price-mates.
The 64MP main sensor is equipped with an optical image stabilisation that performs excellently. The 8MP telephoto lens has fully optical zoom out to 3x while its hybrid zoom performance is strong until about 10x but maxes out at 12x. The third and final lens snaps at 12MP and is of the almost-standard ultrawide variety.
ZenFone 7 Pro leverages AI scene detection to offer excellent from-the-pocket shots. Night mode, macro, various scenes and the other common photo tricks you expect from high-end devices are here and work flawlessly.
Additionally, I was surprised by the depth of the camera’s Pro mode. Its level of granularity and customisability seemed unusual for a device that didn’t sing about its wealth of advanced options for seasoned photographers.
The Flip Sides
Asus ZenFone 7 Pro’s entire camera module can be rotated through 185 or so degrees. The extra few degrees do make it slightly comfortable to snap selfies though it looks odd at first. The module can be stopped at any point along its range of motion so the device can be use to take limited hands-free shots though we wouldn’t advise laying the device on its screen too often.
The automatic panorama feature is a creative use of the flip cam. Users can snap a panoramic sweeping while holding the device still with the motorised camera module sweeping and snapping for you.
Selfie cams have come a long way so the photo and video gains of having your full camera suite available aren’t as great these days. But removing notches from the screen and offering incredible screen-to-body ratios is every bit as cool as it sounds. ZenFone 7 Pro’s display, while already more than satisfactory, stands out thanks to the lack of interruption.
However, there is one drawback. The two or three seconds the camera takes to flip to selfie mode can feel like a long time. When a ‘fleeting moment selfie’ is in order, those few seconds can be crucial. Of course, this isn’t a common occurrence so you will enjoy the purity of that screen far more often.
Rounded, Rotating
Asus ZenFone 7 Pro gains much from its powerful chipset, interesting visual design and eye-pleasing display.
In certain scenarios, the top tier of smartphone snappers will make their superiority count but ZenFone 7 Pro handles a wide variety of shots admirably.
The flip cam doesn’t offer the revolutionary selfie quality we had hoped but its implementation doesn’t take much away either. The delay in snapping selfies is about the only immediate downside. Some of you may have long-term concerns over the extra moving parts but the overall build quality would give me confidence it will last.
At around €859/£749 SIM-free, ZenFone 7 undercuts the ‘Pro’ models it’s competing with in the premium phablet market and offers a compelling option.
