Android manufacturers have been trying in earnest for ways to differentiate their products, and as screens and processors reach an ever-commoditized plateau, camera tech appears to be the next bastion of innovation.
Along with the ultra-powerful ZenFone 2, Asus unveiled a new camera-focused smartphone today at CES 2015, the appropriately-named ZenFone Zoom.
With a single 13MP sensor, the device differentiates itself from other Android devices by sporting a 10-element 3x optical zoom lens. It sports a variable aperture of between f/2.7 at the widest to f/4.8 at the longest, so light availability may be a problem in dark areas, but the module supports optical image stabilization and laser autofocus to help differentiate objects in the dark.
Asus isn’t specifying processor or RAM, but the device is paired with a 3,000mAh battery and LTE connectivity that supports Canadian bands. The Taiwanese manufacturer has yet to release a smartphone through Canadian carriers, but these devices look to be equipped to do just that.
At 12mm thick, the ZenFone Zoom could be a great alternative to a device like the aging Nokia Lumia 1020 which, though it sports superior optics, does not have actual optical zoom.
[source]Asus[/source]
