PhonAndroid Test Asus ZenFone 7 Pro: one of the best value for money of the year

A few weeks after the ROG Phone 3, Asus is back with the ZenFone 7 and the ZenFone 7 Pro, two high-end smartphones with an innovative design and a high-performance technical platform. Positioned more or less at the same price as the recent OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, they even anticipate the arrival of their “T” versions. But are they doing it enough? And above all, are they doing it well? Answer in this test of the Pro version.

In July, we had the pleasure of testing the ROG Phone 3, the ultimate mobile gaming reference, powered by the all-new Snapdragon 865+. Even though this smartphone is aimed at Android users who need to have some power under the hood and a large, fluid and dynamic display, the ROG Phone 3 is also a high-end smartphone, offering beautiful services on the Internet. all other usual uses: messaging, office automation, photo, video, etc.

We knew at the time that the ROG Phone 3 would not be the only one to animate the catalog of the Taiwanese brand. We were also eagerly awaiting the successor to the ZenFone 6, which is, in the opinion of many journalists (including yours truly), one of the best value for money of 2019, even teasing OnePlus where it hurts. Among our most recurring questions about the ZenFone 7, there were two more burning than the others: what would be its price and what would be its platform?

A week ago, Asus answered his questions and presented the ZenFone 7, but also the ZenFone 7 Pro, adopting the OnePlus strategy that caused so much cringe a year and a half ago. And today, the day of the start of pre-orders for the two models, we invite you to discover the ZenFone 7 Pro with us and answer another question: is OnePlus' strategy really the right one?

Our complete test of the Zenfone 7 Pro in video

Price and availability

The ZenFone 7 Pro is therefore the improved version of the ZenFone 7, but also the most expensive. Count 799 euros for its purchase, or 100 euros more than the classic ZenFone 7. Among the big differences between the two mobiles, you find the chipset (865+ on one side, 865 on the other), storage (256 GB internally, against 128 GB) and optical stabilization in photos. Unlike the ZenFone 6, only one version of the ZenFone 7 Pro is sold with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. In France, it will be the same for the ZenFone 7 (8 + 128 GB).

The OnePlus 8 Pro is its main rival. The latter is sold for 100 euros more with half the storage (and still without extension possible at OnePlus). This is therefore a very big advantage for Asus. We believe that the Chinese brand will present this fall "T" versions of its flagship from the beginning of the year, with the Snapdragon 865+. But that's just speculation. And, if that happens, it will certainly be more expensive than the ZenFone 7 Pro.

The ZenFone 7 does not benefit from the same advantage, since it is sold, excluding promotion, at the same price as the OnePlus 8, with identical configuration. Proof if there is one that Asus likes OnePlus' strategy.

The ZenFone 7 Pro, like the ZenFone 7, will be available from September 10 in France, whether on the official Asus website or in specialized stores, such as Fnac, Darty, Boulanger or LDLC. A pre-order period begins today and will run until launch.

Technical sheet

The ZenFone 7 Pro has a technical sheet that is not so different from that of the ROG Phone 3: they share the same chipset and the same main photo sensor. The ZenFone 7 Pro wants to be better in photos, thanks to a trio of sensors where the macro lens is replaced by a telephoto lens with optical zoom. It loses battery power slightly. It gains a bit in screen size. And it only has one real speaker. They are both 5G compatible. And the materials that dress them are the same. Here are all the details of the ZenFone 7 Pro technical sheet.

Design and handling

The design of the ZenFone 7 Pro is based on that of the ZenFone 6. You will therefore find at the front a large touch screen without notch, hole or border. At the back, you find the rotating photo block which becomes a selfie sensor when the need arises. Asus has therefore chosen to trust this amazing design again, which will catch the eye of those who like different phones (but not too much anyway).

We also find the same materials as in the ZenFone 6. Mineral glass to dress both sides. As in 2019, the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla 6, while the back is covered with Gorilla 3. Liquid metal still dresses the rotating photo block. We will see in the part dedicated to the photo the changes from which it benefits. The aluminum is still present on the two edges, with these beautiful apparent separations to isolate the antennas. The lines of the smartphone are rarely straight and the angles are rounded for a more natural and pleasant grip.

The ZenFone 7 Pro is not an exact takeover of the ZenFone 6, despite these many commonalities. It is bigger: 6 mm more in height, 2 mm more in width. It is thicker: 0.4 mm more. And above all it is heavier: 40 grams more on the scale. That is a total weight of 230 grams. It therefore almost catches up with the ROG Phone 3 which peaks at 240 grams!

Another difference, the ZenFone 7 Pro abandons the fingerprint reader placed on the back of the phone. It is now hidden inside the power button, which becomes a multifunction key. Indeed, Smart Key, a customizable hardware button that appeared with the ZenFone 6 and previously placed on the right edge above the volume control, disappears. It is merged with the power button: that's a lot of function for one and the same component (with the risks of wear and tear that this entails). On the other hand, it is now much easier to unlock the phone. So this is very good news.

Two other differences to note on the design side. First the notification LED. This disappears from the upper left corner of the phone (it was integrated into the border above the screen). It is relocated to the lower edge, next to the USB type-C port. This is an unusual location. And it takes a bit of getting used to. And once the mobile is placed on a table, whether upright or upside down, if the edge is not facing you, the LED is no longer visible. Second notable difference: the 3.5 mm jack port disappears. We will talk about the consequences of this change in the audio part of this test.

Screen quality

The screen is also different between the ZenFone 7 and the ZenFone 6. It is now larger (6.67 inches, or 0.27 inches better). And this while maintaining the same definition (Full HD +). This means that the resolution drops very slightly, from 402 to 395 pixels per inch. However, this resolution remains sufficient for all the uses offered by this telephone and it would ultimately have been a shame to put a strain on the battery life for this.

Another important point, the new panel is Super AMOLED and no longer IPS. Which means it offers more contrast and the range of colors displayed seems to be more provided. In use, the AMOLED panel actually offers more vibrant colors and an excellent contrast ratio. As with the ROG Phone 3, the ZenFone 7 Pro displays fairly accurate colors. Note that Asus, as always, offers settings to modify the color profile according to your preferences.

Asus advertises a maximum brightness of 1000 nits, which is very high. However, this brightness is not manually accessible and only activates in direct sunlight. Manual maximum brightness is 750 nits. In use, the ZenFone 7 Pro is brighter than the ROG Phone 3, especially outdoors. Beware, however, of autonomy. Finally, note that the ZenFone 7 is HDR10+ and 90 Hz compatible, which was not the case with the ZenFone 6. The refresh rate setting is either automatic or manual (60 Hz or 90 Hz). If you often watch movies and series, 60 Hz may be sufficient. If you're gaming (which is largely possible with the ZenFone 7), you might prefer to go with 90Hz.

User interface

The ZenFone 7 works with the ZenUI interface, here in version 7. It is based on Android 10. This interface changes very slightly compared to that of ZenUI 6 (of the ZenFone 6) by integrating in particular the new features of Android 10. As version 6, ZenUI 7 is intended to be very close to the ergonomic characteristics of Android, a general trend which is confirmed here as well. Few changes therefore compared to the navigation and handling imagined by Google.

Unsurprisingly, you therefore find two home screens: Google Search, Play Store, Chrome and the Google folder on the main screen; a few in-house applications on the secondary screen with commercial partners (Netflix, Instagram and Facebook). Application drawer. Notifications and quick settings area (with direct access to battery modes, dark theme, multi-window mode, refresh rate setting and a setting specific to the rotating camera). Google Assistant screen (also accessible with a long press on Home or a double click on the Smart Key).

The biggest changes are to be found on the Settings menu where you will find some additional options, a joyful mix between the additions already offered with the ZenFone 6 and the innovations of the ROG Phone 3. You will find in particular all the charging modes that are more respectful of the battery (we will talk about it in the autonomy part), as well as the screen settings (as we have previously).

In the "Advanced" section, you will also find the mobile manager, with the secure folder and the cleaning tool, the Smart Key settings (here called Side Key), OptiFlex (to cache the most used applications) , Twin Apps (to use two accounts with a single application) and Génie du Jeu, a light version of the eponymous application present on the ROG Phone 3.

As always, Asus is customizing a few in-house applications to provide a little more functionality: File Manager (with integrated FTP access for wireless transfers), Weather (with Accuweather), Data Transfer (to transfer data from a mobile to a other) or Camera. We will see in a few lines the changes made to this interface vis-à-vis that of the ZenFone 6. Too bad Asus does not take advantage of this to integrate a video player worthy of the name. Fortunately, the Play Store is there to alleviate this problem.

Performance and autonomy

Let's move on to the performance part. A very interesting part, because the ZenFone 7 Pro is equipped with the famous Snapdragon 865+, super-powerful octo-core from Qualcomm, a Full HD screen and 8 GB of RAM. We can therefore make some comparisons with the ROG Phone 3 which has double the RAM and a similar configuration on the SoC and the screen. And as much, say it right away: the performance of the ZenFone 7 Pro lives up to the promise.

As you can see from the screenshots above and below, the ZenFone 7 Pro achieves excellent results, well above other smartphones on the market today. We are sure that others will join them in the coming months, notably from Apple, Xiaomi or OnePlus. In the meantime, the ZenFone 7 Pro clearly delivers. Note that the smartphone detects when an application is resource-intensive, such as a game or a benchmark, and offers you to switch to performance mode. This mode optimizes the chipset frame rate and sets the refresh rate to 90 Hz.

The results of the ZenFone 7 Pro are not far from the ROG Phone 3. On some tests, such as AnTuTu or GFXBench, it follows it. On others, like Geekbench or 3D Mark, it exceeds it. We think the difference lies in interface optimization and Android integration. Not to mention the many software bricks that clutter the platform. An example: on the ROG Phone 3, Genie du Jeu is activated by default. That's not the case on the ROG Phone 3, so we're very (pleasantly) surprised by the phone's performance.

In use, it therefore almost never slows down, except when the graphics chipset fails. This is particularly the case for very greedy emulators, such as Dolphin and especially Citra. No other Android application has managed to flex this overpowered smartphone. Dead Trigger 2 has positioned itself on the best possible graphic quality, with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. That's a sign.

Obviously, so much power (not counting 5G which will also be very greedy when it arrives) has two consequences. The first: the smartphone heats up relatively quickly if you play for a long time or if you film for a long time. The heat is dissipated to the outside thanks to a layer of graphite placed between the screen and the motherboard and heat pipes which lead the hot air towards the aluminum edges. No ventilation here or accessory with fan.

The second consequence is autonomy. This consumes a Snapdragon 865+. Luckily, Asus has built in a 5000 mAh battery, like on the ZenFone 6. The battery lasts just over a day with mixed usage and can even last a day and a half if you're just surfing the web, listening a few playlists on Deezer or Spotify, take photos and send messages on social networks.

The ZenFone 7 Pro is compatible with 30 watt fast charging and comes with a charger compatible with this power. You need a little less than half an hour to charge the battery halfway and a good hour and a half (even a little more) to fully charge the smartphone. Like the ROG Phone 3, the ZenFone 7 comes with tools to improve battery life. For example, you can use the slow charge or the programmed charge, or even limit the charge to 80% or 90%. Of course, this will have consequences on autonomy. It's up to you to choose the settings that suit you best. Note that the mobile is not compatible with wireless charging: this is the price to pay for having a large battery.

Audio qualities

On the audio side, the smartphone is equipped with a speaker located on the lower edge. The telephone earpiece accompanies it to form a stereo system for gaming, watching a movie or making a call without the need for headphones. The sound produced by the smartphone is quite clear and quite powerful. Which is fine for a video. The main speaker is the only one with good bass, which unbalances the audio experience. We advise you, as soon as you really want to enjoy the music, to connect headphones. Moreover, the ZenFone 7 Pro is not DTS or Dolby certified. It also does not take advantage of Dirac spatial sound. Discontinuation of DTS. No Dolby. Which tends to prove that the loudspeaker is not a priority in this product.

This is especially true for video games. If you don't have a controller and the only controls available to you are the touchscreen, the main speaker will be blocked by your finger if you hold the phone vertically. This, for us, is proof that the ZenFone 7 Pro was not designed for gaming, even if it offers sufficient power. During a call, the telephone earpiece offers a clear sound of the voice. And the main microphone, located on the lower edge, between the speaker and the USB type-C port, will allow you to be heard on the other side of the line. In hands-free mode, we still advise you to go through a headset, wired or not, to make your calls. A few remarks on the audio. First, even if it does not appear in the photos, the ZenFone 7 Pro is delivered in France with a pedestrian kit. This kit, identical to that of the ROG Phone 3, is equipped with a remote control with microphone to deport the usual controls. Second remark, the ZenFone 7 Pro is not equipped with a 3.5 mm jack port to connect headphones. And there is also no adapter supplied with it, unlike the ROG Phone 3. Last point, the ZenFone 7 has three microphones, compared to two for its predecessor. The first is the main microphone, on the lower edge. The second is the microphone for active noise reduction, on the upper edge. And the last, the new, is located in the back, under the rotating photo block. It is there to capture sound during video shooting. It's a good idea that will be well exploited with the new Pro Video mode

Photo experience

Ideal transition to approach the last part of our test: the photo. And that's no small feat, because photography is one of the main arguments against the competition. The ZenFone 7 Pro is equipped with a triple photo sensor in a rotating block. This block is therefore used for both traditional photos and self-portraits. This makes it one of the best "selfie-phones" on the market, quite simply.

Here are the specifications of the three sensors: 64 megapixel main sensor (definition of 16 megapixel photos by default in Quad Bayer mode), lens opening at f / 1.8, phase detection autofocus and optical stabilizer; 12-megapixel sensor with wide-angle lens opening at f/2.2 and Dual Pixel autofocus; 8 megapixel sensor with telephoto lens opening at f / 2.4, phase detection autofocus, optical stabilizer and 3x optical zoom (up to 12x in hybrid).

Everything is associated with a photo application similar to that of the ROG Phone 3, pro modes for photo and video included, with two differences. First, the ROG Phone 3 includes a dedicated macro mode. The ZenFone 7 Pro takes proximity shots with its wide-angle sensor. Then, the ZenFone 7 Pro includes a tool to adjust and control the opening angle of the optical block. Because, thanks to this, you can take photos in unlikely angles and create panoramas automatically, like the ones you can see below.

Let's go to the result. The ZenFone 7 Pro produces very balanced photos, with lots of detail, thanks to its main sensor. The sensor manages to juggle between the areas of shadow and light without a false note. The colors are correct. Unlike some Chinese brands, the contrast is not exaggerated, even when HDR mode is active.

Portrait mode is good, but we would have liked to have more pronounced automatic bokeh. Special mention to the focus tools that allow you to adjust background blur after shooting. Beware of filters that Asians love and that soften the skin texture or lighten the complexion. Sometimes it's too much!

We find, as with the ROG Phone 3, some problems with the wide-angle lens: aberrations appear on the sides when the algorithm straightens the shot. This sensor is slightly dimmer than the main sensor. But the photos retain the other qualities seen previously: beautiful colors, details and a good balance.

The sensor with optical zoom offers a balanced result during the day. But there is less light, less contrast and less detail. It's not a surprise: these are the faults of telephoto lenses. The 3x zoom is good. Up to 6x zoom, noise remains controlled, even if the algorithm smooths out excessively. With the 12x zoom, these defects are simply accentuated. By day, you will have passable results. At night, you will have difficulty distinguishing your subject.

A few words precisely on the night mode: it is accessible either by the dedicated mode, or in automatic mode. As with the ROG Phone 3, two exposure times are offered: 4 or 7 seconds. Another note: the night mode is deactivated with the telephoto lens. If you have a theory on the reasons for this choice, we are takers… The shots taken with the night mode are bright, without being so intensely as with Oppo (Find X2 Pro, for example). With this mode you get detail, color and even contrast.

Be careful not to move while shooting. Despite the presence of the 64-megapixel sensor's optical stabilizer, many shots were blurry after our photo shoot. It is sometimes more interesting to capture an image in automatic mode without night mode to have a clear shot.

On the selfie side, we don't have much to add, since you find the same photo quality for your self-portraits and your group selfies as what you experience on classic portraits. Note that it is possible to unlock the ZenFone 7 Pro with facial recognition. It is clearly not as simple and quick as with a digital code, a pattern or the biometric fingerprint reader.

Conclusion

In absolute terms, the ZenFone 7 Pro is a very good choice among back-to-school smartphones. It offers great power for all uses, even the most demanding. It is equipped with good equipment, whether it is the screen, the photo sensors, or the battery. And Asus refines its ZenUI interface year after year with new services to optimize and customize use. The price increase compared to the ZenFone 6 somewhat curbs our enthusiasm. But it is clear that the 200 euros requested in addition are largely justified.

In addition, the ZenFone 7 Pro is well positioned compared to other brands. And it's a great competitor for the OnePlus 8 Pro. It was even created to be better: cheaper, more efficient, a more generous battery and a different design, the ZenFone 7 Pro is paradoxically more balanced with its Full HD 90 Hz screen (compared to a Quad HD 120 Hz panel). Even the fourth Color Filter sensor in its photo unit does not appear to be a considerable advantage that justifies the 100 euros requested by the Chinese brand.

But we can't help but think that Asus could have played an even better shot, sticking to its 2019 strategy and sticking to a single top-end ZenFone alongside the ROG Phone 3. the Snapdragon 865+, clearly underutilized when not used for gaming, in a product intended for the informed technophile, the amateur of trendy design and self-portraiture? We don't think.