Taiwan finally gets a ZenFone 6 release (updated)

June 6, 2019 Categories: Release Date, Shopping and Deals, Taiwan, ZenFone 6 by 0 Comments

Update: As expected, now that the ZenFone 6 is available to buy in Taiwan, now you can order one. Few in stock so be quick and check the network compatibility!

Next up on the ASUS smartphone take-over strategy? Taiwan. In a real “flipping of the script”, ASUS did not launch their new ZenFone in Taiwan nor did they give Taiwan first dibs on ZenFone 6 units. That honor went to Italy this time around with Europe getting the early ZenFone 6 love. So now that Taiwan is getting their release, what does that mean for everyone else?

We know that more opportunities will be coming shortly if you want to get your hands on a ZenFone 6. As in the past, Asia loves to sell products to elsewhere on the globe and we see this situation as being no different. You are likely to pay more especially if you want expedited shipping, but that may be a better option than waiting for release dates in your local market.

The issue will be regarding LTE bands and how the Asia model will tackle whatever market you are in. There could be shortcomings on network compatibility but that is going beyond the scope of this discussion. Figuring out phone compatibility is an art and science unto itself. There are plenty of resources around though that can answer some questions that you may have.

Be assured that the ZenFone 6 from Taiwan will work the same as the ZenFone 5 and 5z. You may find articles or resources a bit easier on the ZenFone 5 or 5z since those models have been on the market for the better part of a year.

We talked about that nifty ZenFone 6 Stand Case that ASUS is releasing. We haven’t seen the case in any markets, even in Italy. We are hoping that with Taiwan getting the ZenFone 6, the cases will also be available. We know there will be some listings online with some global shipping provided you don’t mind spending the extra cash for the official ASUS accessory.

Perhaps Taiwan will get first dibs on that illusive ZenFone 6 Edition 30? We are looking at the news and launch details and will post with more information as it becomes available.

Why you need a ZenFone 6 screen protector

June 3, 2019 Categories: Accessories, Tips, ZenFone 6 by 0 Comments

You’ve likely read the spec sheet and know that the ZenFone 6 features Gorilla Glass screen protection. You have Gorilla Glass 6 protecting the front display and Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the rear of the phone. You would assume that your display is safe but unfortunately we’re going to steer you in a different direction. A screen protector is a necessary evil to protect your ZenFone 6 display regardless of the promises that Gorilla Glass makes.

Sure, Gorilla Glass will save your screen from scratching when you accidentally gouge your phone with your sharpest key or scrape it with the pointed blade of a hunting knife. Maybe you’ve seen the videos or demonstrations already. Impressive right? Well, what the marketing materials don’t tell you is that Gorilla Glass cannot protect your display from grit.

Be assured that grit is everywhere—in your pocket, in a purse, in a bag, on a table or on your hand. No matter how careful you are, grit is going to be a real and constant threat to your pristine display.

Some of the scratches from grit can be superficial and may not be visible when you turn your phone on. It’s risky to assume annoying deep scratches won’t happen. Grit can happen anywhere, anytime. If you ever plan on selling your phone, be assured those scratches are going to make prospective buyers think twice as well.

Now that we’ve made our case for getting a screen protector, hopefully you are onboard.

The difficulty of course is deciding what type of screen protection to get and what brands are trustworthy. We can appreciate that the ZenFone accessory market is lacking in a big way and selection is limited to 3rd party products from sketchy brands with poor customer reviews. We can help you through our personal experience with various ZenFone accessories.

Let’s get one thing out of the way—the clear choice in terms of screen protection is tempered glass. Aside from being easy to apply, in the event of a drop or ding, the tempered glass is the layer that will crack or scratch, leaving your original display in mint condition. A good tempered glass protector will not detract from the display and it won’t have bubbles, wrinkles or blemishes. Your display will remain pristine, but with a safety layer in place.

We have one key piece of advice for you—don’t delay in buying a tempered glass screen protector. Since you are most likely pre ordering a ZenFone 6, we strongly advise you order a screen protector to have it on-hand when the phone arrives at your door. Why do we say this?

Check out this must-read: Don’t unbox your ZenFone 6 until you do this! Think of this as the next step. We will tell you what tempered glass screen protector to buy and give you the key steps in an easy, hassle free application guide.

ASUS updates ZenFone 6 to improve photo performance

June 1, 2019 Categories: News, Software Updates, ZenFone 6, ZS630KL by 0 Comments

We seen this movie time and time again. A new ZenFone comes out and immediately gets into the hands of reviewers with the biggest audiences. Of course part of the reviews include photo performance and comparisons. And then just like clockwork, ASUS rolls out updates to improve photo quality and performance. The issue? Once the genie is out of the bottle you cannot put it back. Those reviews are etched into the minds of consumers and those comparisons are out there to never be altered.

Considering the ZenFone 6 has not been released to any real extent, it’s a bit surprising to see two updates already. These updates are a good thing but perhaps the ZenFone 6 rushed out a tad early. Maybe this indicates that the photo performance wasn’t fully flushed out. For all we know maybe it’s only when the phone is being used (and data sent back to ASUS) that they can evaluate those early data sets and discover issues.

The first ZenFone 6 update comes on 2019/05/26, Version 16.1210.1904.115 for ZS630KL. Here is a list of the fixes and improvements:

  1. Camera Super Night Mode & HDR+ Enhanced mode(HDR++) performance Improvement on image processing speed and image quality
  2. Add volume key functions: to control the flip camera rotation; set the volume key as “Shutter, Zoom, Flip camera” in Asus Camera’s settings manually.
  3. Use smart key as shutter to take pictures in Camera mode.
  4. Update default wallpaper and ringtone
  5. Improve camera rotation stability
  6. Optimize translation strings in Setting
  7. Enable TaiwanMobile Volte, MTS Volte/VoWifi, and KDDI/ Docomo/SBM Volte

The second ZenFone 6 update comes on 2019/05/28, Version 16.1210.1904.116 for the ZS630KL. Here is a summary of fixes and tweaks:

  1. Enable “Night mode” on selfie.
  2. Enhance the benchmark performance(it is recommended to open AI Boost and start benchmark)
  3. Improve System Stability.
  4. Improve Auto brightness occasionally fail after resuming the devices.

As you can see from both updates, there are some fairly significant tweaks.

How to update your ZenFone 6 software?

Generally if you’re on WiFi you should get an auto-notification from ASUS. Failing that you can always go into your settings to the bottom of the list and go to “check for updates”.

 

ZenFone 6 reviews are not mentioning this awesome feature

May 31, 2019 Categories: News, ZenFone 6 by 0 Comments

We get it. The biggest tech websites get the review units first and they are a priority for companies who want exposure to their new products. But this plan comes with a risk. Big tech websites get a lot of products to review and because of that, the product knowledge can sometimes be suspect. So when we’re watching various ZenFone 6 reviews and we see a cool feature being missed entirely? We see it as a disservice to prospective buyers. We don’t have the reach of big tech sites but we are here to set the record straight. You decide whether this feature is noteworthy.

It’s all about the fingerprint sensor. More than that, this awesome feature is about convenience especially when handling your phone with one hand. If you don’t want to reposition hands or use both hands, then this is a “go to” function that ASUS has built into the ZenFone series, dating back to the ZenFone 5.

It’s called: FINGERPRINT READER GESTURE SUPPORT

See the introduction of this feature back on February 27, 2018:

The feature not being mentioned in reviews of the ZenFone 6 is the ability of the finger print sensor to double as a swipe down gesture. In other words, rather than having to use the front of the display to swipe down,  you can swipe down on that fingerprint sensor to access the pull down menu aka notifications tray. It’s quick and convenient and is something that most flagships today simply can’t do because they’ve done away with these more traditional fingerprint readers. ASUS makes it easier for one-handed operation of the ZenFone 6 and people should know about this.

In a way it’s funny that the so-called tech experts miss this feature and don’t know about it. That expression, “Who’d a thunk it?” comes to mind here. Perhaps it’s so innovative that it goes over the heads of reviewers. We aren’t trying to disparage ZenFone 5 users either. Folks may own the phone and not realize the functionality exists which is no fault of their own. Word needs to get out and we’re doing our best.

Best selfie phone is ZenFone 6 says DxOMark

May 31, 2019 Categories: News, ZenFone 6, ZS630KL by 0 Comments

This is a bit of flipping great news for ASUS as it tries to build up the ZenFone brand and gain credibility in the ultra-competitive mobile phone industry. DxOMark is the go-to authority as it pertains to mobile phone photography and it seems they rather enjoy the selfie prowess of the ZenFone 6. So much so that DxOMark gave the ZenFone 6 the highest ever overall score for selfie photography performance.

Make no mistake about it. It’s the nifty ZenFone 6 camera mechanism that is responsible for this achievement. If anything, ASUS has proven just how brilliant their design is. It’s a tip of the cap to the ASUS engineers and designers that brought the idea into reality.

Breaking down the DxOMark scores, the ZenFone 6 was given an overall selfie score of 98 which is a combined score of both photo and video quality. DxOMark gave the ZenFone 6 a score of 101 for photo and a score of 93 for video.

That 93 score for video is very noteworthy as well. That’s because it’s the highest score ever achieved for selfie camera video. We’ve watched a few review videos and the selfie video function is very impressive. The image stabilization is so good that there is very little bounce which means people can easily create high-quality selfie videos while walking or in motion.

With their overall score of 98, ASUS beats out Samsung and their Galaxy S10 5G which managed an overall score of 97 in the selfie scoring. Other notables include the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus which scored 96 and the Google Pixel 3 scored 93.

With the unique design of the ZenFone 6 flip camera we wonder if their selfie camera scores will ever be beaten. It’s not a stretch to think that ASUS will own the selfie awards now and moving forward to the next generation ZenFone. It’s unlikely to see another flip camera and with patents, maybe it’s just not possible.

Consider too that competing flagship phones are expensive already and if they want to up their selfie cameras, that’s going to add even more cost. Unless they can manage a design that allows the rear camera to be the selfie camera as well, ASUS just won’t be beat.

This DxOMark achievement is just confirmation that ASUS really delivered something special in the ZenFone 6. The flip camera is a major feat and engineering marvel and these record scores prove as much.

Folks, the true king has arrived. Meet the undisputed selfie king, the ZenFone 6.

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