Where did the ZenFone branding go?
The Asus 6Z was launched as ZenFone 6 globally in May this year. But in India, Asus had to let go of the ZenFone branding as Zen Mobiles, an Indian smartphone company got a restraining order from the Indian courts. The matter is sub judice, but for now, Asus has decided to go ahead with 6Z naming.
What’s the USP of the Asus 6Z?
Along with flagship performance from the Snapdragon 855 chipset, the highlight of the Asus 6Z is its flip cameras. The 48MP Sony IMX 586 sensor along with a 13MP wide-angle shooter resides in a mechanism that flips around to act also as a front-facing shooter which means your selfies would be crisper than ever and you also get the extra wide-angle option to take group selfies. Also, with a 5000mAh battery, it’s probably the only flagship smartphone with such a big battery.
Should I buy the Asus 6Z or the OnePlus 7?
While the price difference between both phones is just Rs. 1,000, the Asus 6Z offers more value for money when compared to the OnePlus 7. How, you ask? For starters, the cameras on the OnePlus 7 are inconsistent and tend to overexpose shots and mess up the dynamic range. Also, the secondary camera on the OnePlus 7 is there just for bokeh and does not offer a different focal length. The Asus 6Z, on the other hand, produces much better shots from the camera, despite sporting the same sensor which goes on to show that OnePlus needs to optimize its software processing. Also, the 6Z’s secondary lens is a wide-angle shooter adding versatility to your images. The fact that the same camera sensors also flip over to the front is an added benefit.
The display on the OnePlus 7 is an AMOLED panel but has a water-drop notch up-top, whereas the 6Z has a clean front with the display going edge-to-edge, but is an IPS LCD panel and not AMOLED, so this is a debatable aspect. The 6Z has a 5000mAh battery which is humongous and can easily give you up to 8 hours of Screen on Time even when used heavily which beats the 3700mAh battery on the OnePlus 7, hands down.
In what areas does the OnePlus 7 get the better of the Asus 6Z?
The OnePlus 7 has faster UFS 3.0 storage, gets higher storage on the base variant (128GB vs 64GB), has an AMOLED display compared to IPS on the 6Z, and Oxygen OS is slightly more refined, and smoother compared to the 6Z’s UI.
Does the Asus 6Z come with Android Q? If not, is there support for Android Q beta?
Android Q is yet to be available for public distribution and has not been officially announced yet, so the 6Z runs on Android 9 Pie and will be updated to Android Q whenever it is released. The 6Z is not a part of the Android Q Beta testing program since it was announced at a later stage. However, last year’s flagship from Asus, the 5Z is among the supported devices, which means that chances of the 6Z being supported for beta testing of future Android versions is high.
What is the refresh rate of the screen on the Asus 6Z?
The 6Z has a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, unlike the OnePlus 7 Pro which has a 90Hz refresh rate.
What kind of storage does the Asus 6Z have?
The 6Z comes with UFS 2.1 storage which is slightly slower than the OnePlus 7’s UFS 3.0 storage. However, the difference is not very evident in day-to-day usage unless compared side-by-side.
What are the different variants in which the Asus 6Z will be sold?
In terms of RAM and storage, the Asus 6Z will be sold in three configurations – 6GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage for Rs. 31,999, 6GB of RAM with 128GB of internal storage for Rs. 34,999, and the top-end 8GB RAM with 256GB internal storage for Rs. 39,999.
What are some drawbacks of the Asus 6Z?
The device does not have any sort of ingress protection or IP rating for water resistance, so you cannot use it in the rain or in the pool. There is no wireless charging either if you prefer lying your phone down on a mat rather than plugging it in. The flip camera mechanism in our testing was slightly buggy and at times wouldn’t close completely or would produce concerning noises if there was dust stuck in the cavity and the motors were grinding.
Is the display on the Asus 6Z HDR 10 compliant?
No, the Asus 6Z does not have an HDR 10 display like the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro.
What are some additional features of the flip-out camera?
You can shoot great panorama shots using the flip-out camera since it rotates 180 degrees by itself and the cool part is you can even capture yourself in the frame! There is also motion tracking while recording videos, which means the camera module will move accordingly to follow the subject. Read our detailed camera review here.
Does the Asus 6Z have Widevine L1 support?
Yes, the 6Z does have Widevine L1 support but apps are not able to stream content in Full HD as of yet, but this should be fixed via an update.
Is there a headphone jack on the Asus 6Z?
Yes! The Asus 6Z, thankfully, retains the beloved headphone jack and the quality of output from the jack as well is loud and clear. Not just that, but Asus is also kind enough to provide earphones within the box of the 6Z, and they’re of good quality.
Does the Asus 6Z support FM radio?
Yes, there is FM radio on the device, and it is probably one of the only flagship phones to have it.
Does the Asus 6Z have Gorilla Glass protection?
Yes, the display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 while the rear is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
Does the Asus 6Z support Dual 4G VoLTE?
Yes, you can use 4G LTE on both SIM cards right out of the box.
How many Android Version Updates will the Asus 6Z get?
Last year’s flagship from Asus, the 5Z was launched with Android Oreo and received an update to Android P not too long after the official launch of the software version, and it is also a part of the Android Q beta program which means it is also assured to get the Q update. Going by this trend, it looks like the 6Z will receive at least 2 years of major Android version upgrades and security patches.
Does the Asus 6Z support Google Camera or G Cam Mod?
Yes, the Asus 6Z does support a full-fledged port of Google Camera with Night Sight. We even have a dedicated guide for the steps to install it along with some sample shots which you can find here. The G Cam mod improves contrast and saturation levels of the images from the camera by a good margin when compared to the stock camera app.
Can you record 4K videos on the Asus 6Z?
Yes, you can record videos in up to 4K at 60fps.
Can you record Slow-motion videos on the Asus 6Z?
The Asus 6Z can record in slow-motion in HD resolution at a frame rate of 480fps.
Are the cameras on the Asus 6Z considerably better than those on the OnePlus 7?
As stated earlier, though the OnePlus 7 comes with flagship camera hardware, the software doesn’t seem to be optimized and hence, the final image quality takes a hit. Images appear to be washed out at times and the dynamic range also seems poor. The 6Z at the time of writing produces much better images and unless OnePlus does something magical with updates, the 6Z is the better camera phone.
Can the Asus 6Z play PUBG at the highest Setting?
The Asus 6Z does not break a sweat while playing PUBG even at the best available resolution. The device also clocks a constant 60fps at Smooth and Ultra Graphics.
How is the Battery Performance of the Asus 6Z?
The 6Z has a mammoth 5000mAh battery, the largest in any flagship smartphone and thus performs remarkably well in the battery department. Getting through a single day’s usage is not at all difficult even with heavy usage, and if used moderately, you can even get up to 2 days of battery life on the 6Z. It’s undoubtedly one of the best options for battery life.
Does the Asus 6Z support Fast Charging?
The device comes with an 18W fast charger within the box which charges the device to 100% in about 2 hours, which is understandable given the huge capacity.
Is there face unlock on the Asus 6Z?
Yes, the Asus 6Z does have face unlock, but given that it needs to flip the camera each time you unlock the device, it is advisable to use the fingerprint scanner instant which is also more reliable and faster and it does not strain the motors working on the camera mechanism.
Does the Asus 6Z have Stereo Speakers?
Yes, the 6Z has a bottom-firing speaker along with the earpiece on the top which also doubles up as a front-firing speaker.
Is there a notification LED on the Asus 6Z?
Yes! The Asus 6Z is one of the only flagship smartphones to still retain a notification LED on the thin bezel atop the display. Quite handy!
Is there support for USB OTG on the Asus 6Z?
Yes, USB OTG is supported.
Does the Asus 6Z have a dedicated SD Card Slot or is it a hybrid tray?
Yes, the Asus 6Z has a dedicated slot for an SD card which means you can use two SIMs and an SD card, something that we don‘t usually find on flagship smartphones.
Is the Asus 6Z Water-Resistant?
No, the Asus 6Z is not water-resistant so keep it away from any sort of liquids, especially away from the flip cameras.
Are there any other alternatives to the Asus 6Z?
The OnePlus 7 is the obvious competitor with a similar spec-sheet, priced just Rs. 1,000 more, but falls short of the 6Z in some areas which we’ve mentioned above. The Honor 20 is another option in the same segment, but also has inconsistent cameras and a slightly weaker chipset, but the bigger problem is the uncertainty of the brand’s future. For now, at least until the Redmi K20 Pro arrives, the Asus 6Z is the best value offering in the affordable flagship category. If there’s anything we’ve missed out, you can tweet to us @techpp and we’ll be glad to help! You can also find our full review here which you can go through in case you plan to buy the Asus 6Z.
