Following the launch of the ZenFone AR a couple of months ago, Asus has announced a new Android phone and called it the ZenFone 4. That’s a name Asus has used in the past, which rather confuses things.
When is the ZenFone 4 release date?
The ZenFone 4 is now on sale from Asus’ eShop, and you can also buy it from Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis, Amazon, Box and Tesco.
There’s a second model the ZenFone 4 Max. The Max refers to a huge 5000mAh battery, not a larger screen. You can see the full specs of both phones below.
How much does the Asus ZenFone 4 cost?
The ZenFone 4 costs £449.99. The big-battery ZenFone 4 Max costs £249.99 from John Lewis.
What are the ZenFone 4’s specs?
Here are the key specs in a handy table, so you can compare the two models.
| ZenFone 4 | ZenFone 4 Max | |
| Operating system | Android 7.1.1 Nougat | Android 7.1.1 Nougat |
| Available colours | Moonlight White, Midnight Black | Deepsea Black, Rose Pink |
| Display | 5.5in (1920×1080, 401ppi) IPS | 5.5in (1280×720,) IPS |
| Processor | Snapdragon 630, octacore at 2.2GHz | Snapdragon 430, octacore up to 1.4GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 508 | Adreno 505 |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB + microSD up to 2TB | 32/64GB + microSD up to 2TB |
| Primary cameras | 12Mp f/1.8 OIS + 8Mp (120° wide-angle) | 13Mp f/2.0 + 8Mp (120° wide-angle) |
| Front camera | 8Mp f/2.0 | 8Mp f/2.0 |
| Video recording | 2160p at 30fps EIS, 1080p at 60fps | 1080p at 30fps |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac | 802.11n |
| Bluetooth | 5 | 4.1 |
| NFC | Yes | No |
| LTE | Cat 12 | Cat 4 (150Mb/s) |
| SIM | Dual nano-SIM (second slot shared with microSD) | Dual nano-SIM (plus microSD slot) |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, front | No |
| Audio | Stereo speakers + Hi-res audio support | Mono speaker |
| Battery | 3300mAh, non-removable | 5000mAh, non-removable |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Waterproof | No | No |
| Charge / Sync | USB-C | micro USB |
| Dimensions | 75.2×155.4 x7.5mm | 76.9 x 154 x 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 165g | 181g |
| Model number | ZE554KL | ZC554KL |
ZenFone 4
It’s clear that the ZenFone 4 bears more than a passing resemblance to the 5.5in iPhone, and it even shares the same 1920×1080 resolution.
Like the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus – and many new phones – there’s a dual-camera setup at the rear.
Unlike the majority, though, Asus has gone for a 12Mp main camera and a secondary 8Mp sensor with a wide-angle lens.
The former uses Sony’s flagship IMX362 sensor and it focuses using dual pixel phase-detection autofocus (PDAF). Asus says at 0.03 seconds, it’s the world’s fastest.
The camera also benefits from optical stabilisation on four axis which allows long(ish) exposures of 1/4 sec.
and image processing is handled by a Qualcomm Spectra 160 chip.
The wide-angle camera isn’t ultra-wide like LG’s recent phones, but it has a 120° field of view which lets you fit a fair bit more in the frame without introducing too much distortion.
There’s plenty of flagship-level components including Cat 12 LTE, Bluetooth 5, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and you get extras missing from the ‘Max’ version such as USB-C, hi-res audio, stereo speakers, a fingerprint sensor and NFC.
Asus keeps the price down by sticking with a full HD screen rather than quad HD, and there’s no waterproofing.
ZenFone 4 Max
Similar in name and design, but very different inside, the Max is intended to offer huge battery life for those on a tighter budget that don’t care so much about having the best cameras and fastest processor.
The ZenFone 4 Max can act as a power bank and charge other devices thanks to the included OTG USB cable.
It has a similar dual camera setup to its pricier stablemate, but although the 13Mp main camera has extra resolution, it doesn’t have optical stabilisation.
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.