Asus has launched two different Zenfone 3 models mainly the Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL and ZE520KL. Both share specs and features, but what’s the difference aside from the price? Is the bigger model a better camera? Or the smaller one has a longer battery life? Let’s find out what sets them apart.
Table of Contents
Design and build
The two are identical in terms of the exterior with Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL being shorter but having less screen to body ratio. The two also weigh close and as thin as to each other despite the difference in footprint.
Both are made of bevelled 2.5D glass while supported by polycarbonate frame. You can also find the non-backlit capacitive keys on the front, LED notification besides the earpiece, USB type-C port at the bottom, 16MP main camera, and a fingerprint scanner on the back.
For a typical user, it’s really a challenge distinguishing the two Zenfone 3 phones unless you’re familiar with their sizes.
Display
Technically, the Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520 has more pixels due to a smaller 5.2-inch screen size while the larger ZE552 has 5.5-inch. The quality on both IPS+ LCD is the same with a great amount of brightness and impressive color output and viewing angles.
We are not sure if the smaller screen size is really worth it since there’s a very little difference in overall handling and size.
Camera
The main camera on each is a 16MP f2.0 paired with OIS, laser focus, and dual-LED flash. In terms of quality, there’s visibly a mild variation in white balance while overall sharpness and noise handling are close to equal.
The selfie photos taken by the two selfie cameras are bright and with a good amount of preserved details. However, there’s noticeably a small noise present on the bigger shooter.
Performance and benchmark
Both are powered by the same octa-core Snapdragon 652 chipset and Adreno 506 graphics with the smaller Zenfone 3 stuck at 3GB RAM and 32GB storage compared to the bigger with max 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.
In our benchmark test, the extra memory of ZE552KL gives it a few thousand in Antutu scoring.
Nonetheless, both are capable hardware that could handle graphics intensive games like NBA 2K16 with highest graphic settings.
Battery and charging
Packing a 3000mAh battery cell, the ZE552KL offers more juice and extra hours in endurance rating over the ZE520KL with a 2600mAh battery. But nevertheless, the two have average battery ratings. The smaller Zenfone charges faster for about 15 minutes less.
Audio and speaker
The mono speakers on each device are identical along with the crisp output quality and loudness level. There’s also a 24-bit high-res audio support and FM Radio feature.
Pricing and Verdict
Basing from the global pricing, the Asus Zenfone 3 ZE520KL with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage is expected to retail from P12k to 13k pesos or $280 USD. The top-end Zenfone 3 ZE552KL with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage may be priced for about P16k to 18k pesos. However, Asus Philippines is yet to reveal the official local prices in the coming weeks.
So which Zenfone 3 you should buy? If you’re on a budget, the ZE520KL is a better choice. But we still think that the extra memory, battery, and screen size are worth it for a few thousands more in the bigger Zenfone 3.
Asus Zenfone 3 Full specs, Official price, Release date in the Philippines
- Display: 5.5-inch Full HD 1080p LCD IPS+ (ZE552KL model), 5.2-inch 1080p (520KL model), Gorilla Glass 3
- Design: Metal frame, curved Gorilla Glass 3
- CPU: Snapdragon 625 octa-core
- CPU: Octa-core 2.0GHz processor
- GPU: Adreno 506 graphics
- RAM: 3GB or 4GB (ZE552KL)
- Memory: 32GB or 64GB internal storage, microSD up to 200GB
- Camera: 16MP PixelMaster, f2.0 aperture, 4K video, dual-LED flash, laser focus, phase detection, OIS, HDR
- Selfie: 8MP f2.0, wide-angle, 1080p video
- Connectivity: 4G LTE dual-SIM, GPS, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
- Ports: USB type-C
- Security: Fingerprint scanner
- Battery: 3000mAh for ZE552KL, 2600 for ZE520KL
- OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Zen UI 3.0
- Colors: Shimmer Gold, Aqua Blue, Moonlight White, Sapphire Black, Special: Nebula, Crystal Frost, Glaze
- Price: estimated at $300 / P12k-13k for ZE520KL, $380 / P16k-18k for ZE552KL with 4GB RAM, 64GB model
- Release date: August 2016 availability in the Philippines
I have a ze520kl but with a 4gb ram and 64gb internal. Bought from vietnam last August 7, 2016 for 7,200,000VND = 325USD
Did you buy it from a physical store sir in vietnam or Online? Because you got a bargain with that price knowing Zenfone3 with 4gb ram cost 16k+ here in Philippines