After launching Zenfone 3 Laser in July, Asus finally started sales of its premium camera-centric smartphone in India on Wednesday. Initially, Zenfone 3 Laser (ZC551KL) will be available exclusively on Flipkart, but it will also hit retail stores and other e-commerce sites a month later.
Asus Zenfone 3 Laser is priced at Rs 18,999, bringing affordable means of premium photography in a mid-range smartphone. At this price range, the new smartphone competes against the likes of Lenovo Z2 Plus, Oppo F1s, Gionee S6s and Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime.
"The ZenFone 3 Laser is the perfect blend of affordability and luxury, with its high-class specifications at an affordable price tag. With its 13MP rear camera and 0.03 seconds laser auto-focus ability, it is 'the' device for the photography enthusiast in anyone," Peter Chang, Region Head (South Asia) and Country Manager for Asus India, said in a press statement.
With plenty of smartphone choices in the sub-Rs 20,000 price category if buyers are looking for reasons to buy the Zenfone 3 Laser, below are some features that make the handset worthy of its competitors.
Camera
Asus Zenfone 3 Laser's biggest highlight is its camera. The handset features a 13MP primary camera with a Sony IMX214 sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 0.03s laser auto-focus, colour correction RGB sensor, electronic image stabilization (EIS) for blur-free videos and dual-LED flash.
On the front, there is an 8MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture, 89-degree wide angle lens, HDR and low-light selfie mode. We haven't reviewed the device to comment on how good the camera is, but this configuration guarantees good results.
Design
If you have followed Asus Zenfone series, then you must be aware of the company's premium design strategy. Zenfone 3 Laser also features a high-standard design made out of sandblasted aluminium and chamfered edges.
Software
Asus smartphones are known for their swift software update cycle. Zenfone 3 Laser runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box. On top of that, the handset has its own customised ZenUI 3.0. The handset will also receive Android 7.0 Nougat when available.
Fingerprint scanner
Like most of the competitors, Asus Zenfone 3 Laser has a biometric scanner. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone, which according to Asus can unlock the device in just 0.3 seconds. Up to five fingerprints can be saved on the device.
Multi-tasking at ease
Zenfone 3 Laser has a pretty impressive spec-sheet. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 64-bit octa-core chipset, which is paired with 4GB RAM to ensure smooth multi-tasking. All your gaming experiences and online watching sessions will go uninterrupted.
Other than these features, Zenfone 3 Laser also has a reliable 3,000mAh battery, 4G LTE support, 32GB expandable storage and dual SIM card slots. It comes in Glacier Silver and Sand Gold finishes.
