i think this is the first time ever i saw your saying a phone is " too gigantic to carry around "...

So only 2 things that bothered him.

1. Volume button
2. Size

I think many can get over this.

Does SOT of 9-10 hours translate to 1 day and a half?
Sorry as I don't have adequate knowledge on SOT..

I think it means your phone screen always on, can last 9-10 hours.

so, basically it means that you use your phone actively for 9-10 hrs. whether it's playing games, surfing /k, watching videos, social networking... etc.
however mileage will vary as each activity consume battery differently. surfing the web on wifi is different than on mobile data, with wifi tend to be more efficient. watching movie, especially those full of dark scenes, will also tend to be lower consumption than mobile surfing (usually web pages have white background)... these are not always the case though, as physical technology (screen, modem, SOC, etc.) can make the consumption rate differ also...

There is no clear specific benchmark for SOT. So 9-10 hours will be different depending on what you do. Pretty sure if you Pokemon Go the SOT will maybe go down to 4-5 hours compared to its normal operation.

very true. but if we compare the same usage (i.e. the same user to do the comparison), then we might get a better idea.

for example, i use my Xperia SP and got around 2 - 3.5 hrs SOT before it hits 20% - then change to Asus ZF5 and got about 2 - 3 hrs SOT - then change to Acer e700 got about 4 - 5 hrs SOT, and last to Lenovo VibeShot, around 3 - 4 hrs SOT. my typical usage pattern has not changed much (since i dont play games). So for me, I can gauge the battery strength of these phones based on my usage and can say that Vibeshot is 1.5 - 2x better than Xperia SP...

something like that... (I always find myself unable to explain my thoughts clearly)

I guess what I'm trying to say here is, we'd get a better picture if the user gives a comparison with another phone (s)he's used - and especially if that other phone is one we have used before.

To guide those who are concerned about SOT - these are my personal experiences on several phones. All are based on mainly internet stuffs ( mix of LTE/WiFi) - browsing, youtube, newsfeed, facebook, tweeter , whatsapp etc with NO gaming. All my phone had same set of apps installed

Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro : 13-14 hours
Xiaomi Mi Max : 11-12 hours
Zenfone 3 Ultra : 9-10 hours
Mate 8 : 10-11 hours
Note7, S7E : 7-8 hours

Thanks bro
Very informative this way...
I didn't mean to criticize, though

This post has been edited by abu.shofwan: Sep 1 2016, 05:15 PM

Here is a very brief experience of me using the Zenfone 3 Ultra ( 64GB version) for past 6 days.
Overall I am very impressed with it . As I don't do gaming on my phones/tablets I am unable to share my experience on gaming with it. However I did test out few games ( Riptide 2, Angry Birds, Asphalt 6 ) and do not faced any significant framedrops or lags at all. As I am an inexperienced gamer I am unable to tell you how good is this phablet for gaming
I would say the only possible negative thing most potential buyers will say is its asking price of RM 2599. This is the price I paid during preorder and with it comes with ASUS 10000 mAh powerbank and an ASUS selfie stick. However I do find the price is reasonable for the features/performance one could get out of it
I will rate each feature at a score of 1-10 ( 10 being the best)

BUILD QUALITY : 9
Its metallic build is simply awesome. It is definitely too big for single handed user.
The only thing I do not quite like is its location of its volume buttons at the back. Using a flipcase with it , it is quite a task accessing it. The volume buttons at the back on the LG V10 is much better as the V10 size is much smaller

UI and in built software: 8
I use Nova as alternative launcher as I am more comfortable with it. I need not take time to setup all my homescreen layout as I could easily restore it from any of my other Android phones. Those supposedly laden bloatware 9/10 are easily uninstalled or disabled. Only issue I don't quite like is its location of its back button on the left. I always prefer it on the right. The MiMax and Mate8 has inbuilt software to change such location
One can double tap on display to shutdown and wakeup - avery good and easy convenient feature

Smoothness and overall performance : 9.5
There is no lag at all and all my daily tasks executed smoothly without any problems. However I can't say that for gaming as explained earlier on
If artificial benchmarks is an important criteria : AnTuTu I got about 78000 and Quadrant 40000
The SD652 chipset I find it more than good enough for me. This chipset performs as well too in my other MiMax and A9 Pro
Operating temperature is good usually in the range of 33 to 38 degree C. You don't really find it warm unlike HTC 10, S6E

Camera shots and Video : 9
The camera shots ( 23MP at rear and 8MP at front) are good enough to satisfy me. I rate it as above average to good. It however cannot match S7e, Note7, LG V10 quality which I rate a close 10. The camera is much better than other phablets such as Mi Max and Mate 8. There are several camera modes - Auto, Manual, Auto HDR, HDR Pro, Beautification, Super Resolution, Children, Low Light (5MP), QR code, Night, Depth of Field, Effect, Selfie, GIF Animation, Panorama, Miniature, Time Rewind, Smart Remove, All Smiles, Slow Motion, and Time Lapse.
Anyway I will rarely used it for its camera as this phablet was bought solely as an entertainment gadget
As for shooting video, the Ultra can record at up to 4K resolution at 30fps.

Display quality : 9.5
Very sharp with good contrast. Seriously I couldn't find any flaws with it
the screen can be further tweaked inside Settings.
Some other added features are : Adjustment of the color temperature or select screen color modes. The Blur-Free Motion which simulates high framerates when watching videos. The result is a more fluid and lifelike video quality
You can have a reduced display size by simply pressing the home button twice but I had never like this feature

Multimedia quality : 9.5
Its audio and video quality is simply superb. I would say its audio quality is as good if not even better than HTC 10. Superb gadget for watching videos

Battery life : 9
With mainly internet based stuffs ( browsing, youtube, whatsapp, newsfeed, tweeter, facebook, mail etc) with no gaming my average is about 9-10 hours. It score slight lower than my other MiMax ( 11-12 hours), Mate 8 ( 10-11 hours)

GPS, Call quality, LTE connectivity : 9.5
No issues here at all

This post has been edited by benny888: Sep 2 2016, 10:13 AM

Nice review!

Mind giving review on its fingerprint scanner esp on its speed of unlock?
does the placement of it on the front is convenient as most of other manufacturer put it on the back?

This post has been edited by Neomax3: Sep 2 2016, 10:07 AM

I had no issue with the fingerprint scanning /recognition at all. It is close to immediate. These days fingerprint recognition had improved very much vs say the older devices such as iphone 6 series, Note 5, LG V10 etc
Placement of front or back depends on users preference. I am fine with both but the Ultra being such a big size phablet, location in the front is more ideal I'd say

After thinking throughout the week, I am now a proud owner of the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra.

Almost went with Samsung Note 7. I must thank my lucky star that the unit was out of stock so I don't have to go through that battery recall debacle.

Anyone feel the phone heated up when installing app and during charging?
I feel quite warm on the power button area

I am using zenfone 3 ultra

This post has been edited by edwardccg: Sep 3 2016, 08:49 PM

I think it's normal as it's a metal "chassis"

Anyway, my set with the Asus Folio Cover. Not really feel the heating.

Naked normally HOT and

I didnt experience the heat in mi max.

I also experience scrolling lag with the stock music player for my music files of around 500++ songs in 2 folder view.

In the end I use Pulsar Music Player and disable the stock music player for smoother experience
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?...ft.pulsar&hl=en

This post has been edited by edwardccg: Sep 4 2016, 12:46 AM

I notice my zenfone 3 ultra ram is only stated 3.5GB ram.

Any idea why was it ?


This post has been edited by edwardccg: Sep 4 2016, 09:29 AM

Heat is subjective - what temperature are you seeing. Installing app while charging will definitely increase the temperature. Most modern smartphones can sustain up to 60+ degree C while our palms would find it too hot
And is a poor practice to charge and use phone at same time

Using this BIG phablet as an alternative to Note 7 or even MIMax ( from another users) ? I hope this phablet fits well into your pocket
I only use this phablet as a mini tablet for videos, browsing , youtube etc and not as a daily working gadget
I must say I am very impressed with it as an entertainment gadget

In terms of camera's quality, will this device takes a better picture when comparing it with Nexus 6?