Yes, the specs on paper is good, but need real use review of the camera.
Saw some comments that the battery life is not good even with 5000 mAh battery

Seriously? I wonder why the battery life isn't good with that specs...

Its all about the software...even an old Nexus 5 with SD800 is smoother than RMN3. Miui is a very heavy OS.

I think its very worth it. Zenfone 3 5.5" is rm1.4k, the phones u mention is >rm2k, other SD625 phones like Vivo Oppo is ard rm1.8k. Redmi note is cheaper but laggier and lousier camera...for budget of rm1.5k zenfone 3 is a good buy.

This post has been edited by metaloid: Apr 5 2017, 12:04 PM

Yup, the Zenfone 3 can currently be found at RM1199 (5.2") and RM1399 (5.5"). Screen, battery life, and camera is great for the price.

with 1.5k you can get

xiaomi mi 5 - better SoC with almost equally good camera.
oneplus 3 - better proc, 6gb memory and better camera
huawei p9 - better proc, better camera

comparing the 1.4k you can get with zenfone 5.5, i would rather add RM100 and get one plus 3. That SD625 is the deal breaker.

Seriously..this Asus Zenfone is not selling that well. A lot of review says the phone is overpriced which it is. It is definitely a good phone there is no denying that. The only people who think it is worth it either already bought it or did not do enough research. Please find me a review about Asus Zenfone that says it is a good buy with reasonable price. If you can find one, chances are it is paid review.

This post has been edited by abubin: Apr 5 2017, 04:42 PM

Maybe not efficient software. The comments was the camera drain battery.
hmm... maybe that's why they fitted in the 5000 mAh batt, maybe Asus engineer realise the issue.

If I ever get the phone will compare with my old Sammy A9 pro with 5k batt, it had seriously good batt life

Still the same

Just wipe everything and reset my phone
Seems fine for now

Let me compare it in a different way. Prices are from directd, ORI set if applicable.

Zenfone 3 ZE552KL - RM1382. Snapdragon 625, 4GB RAM, 64GB Internal storage, microsd expansion, camera with OIS.
Mi5 - RM1399. Snapdragon 820, 3GB RAM, 32GB Internal storage, NO microsd expansion, camera with OIS.
Oneplus 3 - A3000 RM1692, A3003 RM1792. Snapdragon 820, 6GB RAM, 64GB Internal, NO microsd expansion. camera with OIS
Huawei P9 - RM1699. Kirin 955, 3GB RAM, 32GB Internal storage, microsd expansion, no OIS.

For Zenfone 3, with that price, u are getting the microsd expansion which is not available in Mi5 and OP3. And also with adaptive storage, u can format the microsd as internal storage, which kinda future proof the storage of the phone. Cheapest android with OIS too (if i'm not mistaken). Plus it's original set, warranty wise, just go to any Asus outlet.

For Mi5, sorry but 3gb ram and 32gb internal (without microsd expansion) does not cut it nowadays. If u are buying an android phone in 2017, target 4gb ram and 64gb internal or 32gb internal (with microsd expansion). App size, game size is getting bigger nowadays. Plus with those bump in RAM size, app developers will definitely find ways to increase RAM usage on ur phone. So imho, 2017, u should get a 4gb RAM phone. I used to think 16gb was enough too. And since it does not have microsd slot, no way to do the adaptive storage on the Mi5. If you want a good camera and you do not care about 3gb ram and 32gb internal. go for the Mi5.

For Oneplus 3, where to get with 1.5k. o.o Plus brightstar is not bringing in ori sets anymore. U can only get import sets nowadays. So warranty wise, some might be worry on that issue. If u have the budget, u want the higher RAM and you don't mind the shop warranty, then yes, u can go for the Oneplus 3.

For P9, similar to Mi5, i would avoid 3gb ram and 32gb internal set up. But this has microsd expansion, not sure if huawei enabled adaptive storage or not, if yes, then P9 is indeed attractive. Another thing is seems like P9 does not have OIS. So for frequent video takers, or ppl with shaky hands, it might not be the best.

Not to bash, but each has it's own pros and cons. Just go for the one that suits your need. Zenfone 3, cheapest with OIS and that RAM and internal storage set up is attractive at that price point. Mi5, good camera if you can overlook the RAM and storage set up. OP3, 6gb ram is always a plus, warranty issue, if you are ok with it, and you have budget.

1 more thing is, Snapdragon 625 is actually a very decent SoC, best SoC in the mid range market imho. It has the same 14nm set up with Snapdragon 820, which translate to good battery life. It actually has more cores than the 820, and if you calculate the total clock speed, it has higher total clock speed than 820. In real life performance, the difference is not much. But of coz if u are talking in terms of benchmark, 820 will be better. But for normal usage, both is fine. As u can see from the video below. Performance wise, 625 is as snappy as 820.



I was looking for an upgrade from my Mi3. Was interested with ZE552kl, Lenovo P2, Oneplus 3, Oneplus 3T and Axon 7. So i was comparing between these phones and 820 vs 625 a lot. In the end i just feel like, I don't really game that much, only some. And since 625 performance is good, why not save some $$ and go for the decently priced ZE552kl? But actually I'm still comparing between ZE552kl and the Lenovo P2 la. Now just thinking, do I want a better camera (ZE552KL) or superb battery life (P2). I like the stock-ish feel of P2. But even if i get the zenfone 3, i would just slap nova launcher over their zenui launcher.

If u wanna talk bout overpriced phone, let's begin with R9S. Snapdragon 625 at RM1828, now that's overpriced. imho, Snapdragon 625 device should be less than 1.4k. But of coz, some would say the camera of the R9S is something that suit their needs.

All in all, each phone has it's market and target consumer. So each to it's own.

This post has been edited by briantwj: Apr 6 2017, 02:18 AM

The RRP of Zenfone 3 5.5" is rm1699, thats why reviews say it isnt worth it, however we can get it for below rm1.4k. I'm talking about 5.5/5.7" phones. Mi5 is 5.1", camera isnt that good either and Miui is horrible. Oneplus 3 yes the best bang for buck but we cant find Ori warranty sets anymore, 3T is rm2k. Huawei P9 Plus is rm1.8k.

Your choices are good but I was searching for below <rm1.5k at the time for 5.5" with decent OIS camera, zenfone 3 was the best option. SD625 is sufficient as its only for basic usage without games.

This post has been edited by metaloid: Apr 6 2017, 09:18 AM

To me it's chicken and egg argument ..Never ending
At the end of the day it's come back to personal taste and preference

Let's say if they sell brand new p10 or s7e at rm 1999..I will still choose Meizu pro 6 plus..
Why ?..Coz my personal preference is I like the phone that less people is using
I hate to use phone that every tom dick and Harry is using

I bought zf3 zoom for my wife ..At first she liked it very much
Then she ask me to change to other phone coz she is the type who like to change case quite often..So ended up with s7 flat
That her personal preference..Good phone with variety of case everywhere even at pasar malam

No doubt zf3 series is not selling that well due to overpriced like you said..But how about axon 7 or leeco le pro 3?..A very good phone to price ratio..Also not selling very well .

The best of the best...Lenovo zuk z2..sd 820 with 4gb and 64gb..Glass front and back..Only rm 820 from Directd and yet nobody is buying ..Why?

Coz at the end of the day..Regardless the price, spec,brand or model..It's still come back to personal taste and preference

This post has been edited by ppavilion: Apr 6 2017, 10:29 AM

Hurm, that might be the case. But I do think the reason of including a larger battery is because, that phone is designed to be a point and shoot camera. Which means it'll be active most of it's lifetime. If the phone is idle, it shouldn't use more than the usual since it is inactive. I do hope this is a software bug, maybe due to Asus designed the OS to always ready the camera.

Well, I hope it stays that way now. If that's the case, some app/background process must be draining the battery.

Whoa!? Really? That's a damn cheap powerful phone. Everybody was only speaking of Lenovo P2, never thought there is another great value phone from Lenovo.

Forgot to add..3500 battery some more

S7E got so many people using meh... maybe you know many rich people. haha... jk
I only know 2, one colleague and another friend which I sold my S7E to..

But no doubt Sammy phones are common, Meizu I only have one friend using, and the model sucks.
Of course he claims it's the greatest phone since the invention of sliced bread.
Hehe... so yes, it's personal preference

Girls... lol, choices based on casing availability

You guys should compare the Xiaomi Mi5S instead of Mi5 (because stop production already). The price range are so near.
Somemore Lazada selling RM1499 Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (local Samsung MY sets)

Last I heard, Xiaomi phones are only average-good with their camera performances. Not to mention that their MIUI is one of the more bogged down OS. I'm also unsure of their after-sales support on either software or hardware, but I assume they don't update their phones after it left the factory, maybe only for those security patches.

But I do understand that people usually buy Xiaomi phones for their specs, and install custom ROM as soon as possible to get the most out of the hardware.

Hi, any reputable dealer for ASUS around Mid Valley area? Wish to buy ASUS ZF3 5.2"/5.5".

Mi5s uses same sensor as pixel...their camera app is actually not too bad...

This post has been edited by dwRK: Apr 6 2017, 12:10 PM

To me..Anywhere you buy also the same ..It just the price different and what free gift they give u
Unless you are buying ap import set..Then you need to choose which shop wisely for warranty purposes

Anybody using 3rd party Qualcomm certified fast charger for zf3..
How is the charging rate?