Asus ZoneFone 6 in-depth review: the world's first rotating camera phone

Asus ZenFone 6: specs

The newly released Asus ZenFone 6 brings us impressive specs to the table. Let’s take a quick look at it first.

Asus ZenFone 6 design: innovative camera placement

The two main highlights of the model are its turning camera and expansive uninterrupted display.

The Asus ZenFone 6 comes with just the rear camera setup that sits on a rotating panel. Anytime you need to take a selfie, the motorized back camera will turn around and turn into a selfie shooter. One thing to note here is that the camera on the ZenFone 6 is much less subtle compared to similar pop-up camera designs: when you want to take a selfie, those around you will know. It's also not quite as quick as some of the pop-up camera solutions we've seen – surprisingly, you can still use Face Unlock with the ZenFone 6. But be warned: it takes a while.

A lot of times, when it comes to moving parts on smartphones, we worry about durability. According to Asus, the phone's camera rotating mechanism has been substantially tested and employs the same materials as used in the production of hinges in eye glasses and this should ensure a long time of use.

The back of the phone is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 and the sides are aluminium. On the front, there is a slight 2.5D bend at the edges. The phone is available in two classic colors: silver and black.

As mentioned earlier, another highllihht of the phone is the uninterrupted 6.4-inch screen, large enough to feel right at home alongside the big makes in the smartphone domain. The IPS screen comes  with 2340 x 1080 resolution.

Asus ZenFone 6: 48MP on the front and back

We've already mentioned that the Asus ZenFone 6 comes with a truly remarkable camera when it comes to design. But what about the performance?

The phone comes with the Sony 48MP main image sensor that is designed to take 12MP photos. This is the result of a dowbscaling process when four pixels on the sensor combine into one in the final photo.

The camera app comes with the Super Night mode that gives hope regarding the camera’s low light abilities. However, even with Super Night mode on, the low light shots appear a bit grainy and noisy.

There are are undeniable advantages that come with the rotating camera: you can shoot selfie videos in full 4K with electronic image stabilization and f/1.79 aperture.

Another great thing is that you get to manually control the the camera's motor – and this means you get to adjust the angle at which your photos are taken. To manually guide the camera, simply press the volume button with the camera app open.

There is also a 13MP wide angle lens onboard for panoramic and scenery shots.

Asus ZenFone 6 battery life

While the camera design on the Asus ZenFone 6 may be a debatable selling point, the phone's massive 5000 mAh battery is a clear-cut advantage.

The battery on the ZenFone 6 is close to 20% larger than that of the flagship Huawei P30 Pro. According to the company, the phone is good for up to two days of full use on a single charge, over 33 hours of call time and 26 whole days on standby. The phone does come with fast charging but there is no wireless charging onboard, which is expected for the price.

Asus ZenFone 6 hardware and software

While some of the previous ZenFone versions have been criticized for ZenUI having too much bloatware, this does not seem to be the case with the ZenFone 6. The phone comes with ZenUI 6 and it looks and feel pretty much like stock Android.

On the hardware side, the phone runs on the Snapdragon 855 CPU, which is currently ranked as the most powerful Android processor on the market.

You get the choice of other 6GB or 8GB of RAM depending on the spec you go for. Storage-wise, the phone starts at 64GB and you get the option of upgrading to 128GB and 256GB.

Asus ZenFone 6: the verdict

The Asus ZenFone 6 seems to be targeting the same niche as Huawei and OnePlus phones, that is, it is a device that offers substantial value for money.

With that, the phone definitely takes the less traveled path to get there featuring a unique (at least at this point) camera design approach and a truly massive battery we are not used to seeing on budget-friendly smartphones. It's definitely an ingesting phone to consider and we can't wait to hear your first-hand impressions.