Specs Comparison: ASUS Zenfone 3 (ZE552KL) vs Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML)

After almost a year and a half with the Zenfone 2 and its multiple versions, ASUS has finally announced its successor – the new Zenfone 3 smartphone. In this comparison, we’re going to take a look at what has changed in the specs department.

Zenfone 3 (ZE552KL)	Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML)
5.5-inch Super IPS+ LCD @ 1080x1920 pixels, 401ppi	5.5-inch IPS LCD @ 1080x1920 pixels, 401ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 quad-core processor	1.8GHz Intel Atom Z3560 quad-core processor (2GB RAM model) / 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core processor (4GB RAM model)
Adreno 506	PowerVR G6430
3GB / 4GB RAM	2GB / 4GB RAM
32GB / 64GB internal storage	16GB / 32GB / 64GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD, up to 128GB (uses SIM 2 slot)	Expandable via microSD, up to 128GB (dedicated slot)
16-megapixel f/2.0 laser autofocus rear camera w/ OIS (4-axis), dual-tone LED flash	13-megapixel f/2.0 autofocus rear camera w/ dual-tone LED flash
8-megapixel f/2.0 front-facing camera	5-megapixel f/2.0 front-facing camera
Dual SIM (Nano + Micro-SIM)	Dual SIM (Micro-SIM)
LTE Cat6	LTE Cat4
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2	Bluetooth 4.0
GPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS
-	NFC
TBC	FM Radio
Fingerprint scanner	-
USB Type-C, v2.0 w/ fast-charging support	Micro-USB, v2.0 w/ fast-charging support
3000mAh Li-Ion non-removable battery	3000mAh Li-Po non-removable battery
Android 6.0 Marshmallow w/ ZenUI 3.0	Android 5.0 Lollipop w/ ZenUI (planned upgrade to 6.0)
152.6 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm	152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 mm
155 g	170 g

What has changed:

Improved display panel
Latest processor from Qualcomm
Better GPU
Higher megapixel counts for both front and rear sensors
Additional camera enhancement, i.e. OIS (4-axis), laser autofocus
Faster LTE connectivity
Newer Bluetooth version
Fingerprint scanner
USB Type-C
Updated Android OS and ZenUI version
Slimmer and lighter

What’s the same:

Screen size
Gorilla Glass 3
Maximum RAM and internal storage option
Still up to 128GB microSD
Wi-Fi connectivity
GPS radios
3000mAh battery capacity

From the table and list above, ASUS did improve a lot of aspects for the new Zenfone 3 but what’s noticeably unchanged is the screen size which probably because they have the Deluxe and Ultra versions for those who want a bigger display. The camera department also received an upgrade with larger megapixel count and better AF system. Also, the design language of the 3 is top-notch.

In a nutshell, Zenfone 3 is definitely a better smartphone and a good upgrade from its predecessor. It’s like having all the flagship features in a more affordable package. Check out our first impressions here.

Daniel Morial

This article was contributed by Daniel Morial, a film school graduate and technology enthusiast. He's the geeky encyclopedia and salesman among his friends for anything tech.

http://www.yugatech.com

6 Comments

Zaph F. Castillo says:

8 years ago

Guys, I dunno but I hope Yugatech does have a proper comparison…. Maybe not based on spec sheets and a real freaking Comparison Article or better yet video… Oh, and you might want to check out the Huawei P9 Lite which would only cost about 12,490 and gizguide.com already hs a review about it.. The only downside I see against Zenfone 3 (base edition with 3GB RAM 32 GB Rom and 2600mAh batt) is no OIS and 16GB base storage… Other than that I think this would be a great clash between Midrangers
- Reply
Kazeo says:

8 years ago

What do you mean by still up to 128gb?

Isn’t it just advertised as up to 128gb because it’s the maximum capacity that is commercially available for consumers.

I know there are 200gb and 256gb but it’s expensive or hard to acquire.

I thought as long as your device could supports 64gb+ or a SDXC memory it would able to read up to a 2TB SDXC microsd
- Reply

Kazeo says:

8 years ago

What I meant was it was categorized as ‘What’s the same’

Which is a bit confusing considering it is almost written that Zenfone 3 didn’t improve in that department, the memory reading capability.
XY says:

8 years ago

Technically you are right about the 2TB but just to be sure and not speculating the writer puts in the up to 128 because that is the usually answer coz not all (just most) of 64GB expansion slot can handle 2TB