The selfie craze now seems to be getting old and giving way to the latest trend of going 'live'. Various social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter now allow users to broadcast live videos. And people are loving it.
However, recording a live video is not as easy as clicking a selfie. Many live videos have poor audio quality. Also, many people hesitate in going Live because they feel they won't look good on it.
Catching on the rising trend of Live videos, ASUS has launched ZenFone Live which is equipped with world's first live stream beautification technology.
Commenting on the launch, Peter Chang, Region Head - South Asia & Country Manager of ASUS India said, "Live-streaming is currently the darling of the social media space, praised by 'thought leaders' and 'gurus' alike as the next phase of evolution via social networks. With the advent of live streaming capabilities on almost all social media platforms, we realized that our customers needed a smartphone which would enable them to ace their live casts. ASUS ZenFone Live is a result of a stellar combination of innovative technology, consumer feedback, and latest trends."
Let's check out how ZenFone Live helps users to record better Live videos:
BeautyLive App:
Photo editors are old news now. Most smartphones now come equipped with beautification features. There are more such apps available for free on Google Play too. But the specialty of the BeautyLive app is that it adds beautification to live videos. That is, as you go live, you can adjust the beautification settings and enhance your skin tone, brightness etc. BeautyLive effects are a result of smart software algorithms and hardware acceleration. It can be used with both front and the rear camera and integrates well with Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. This app also has a hover button for quick access.
Having used and tried several ZenFones ( check out my review of ZenFone 3), I'm already familiar with the beauty mode of ZenFone's camera apps. What I like about it is that the beauty effects it applies are very subtle and natural, yet very effective. It's the same with the BeautyLive app. It makes you look better, without revealing to the audience that you are using a beautification filter.
Camera:
The rear camera of ZenFone Live is 13MP with f/2.0-aperture and five-prism rear lens. This PixelMaster camera is equipped with low-light technology that increases light sensitivity by up to 400 percent. It is also said to be capable of reducing noise and boosting color contrast by up to 400 percent. It supports up to 12 different camera modes. These are: Real Time Beautification, Low light, Selfie, HDR Pro, Super Resolution, Night, Effect, Panorama, Time lapse, Children, QR code, Auto.
ZenFone Live has 5 MP front camera with large, 1.4μm pixels which give 200 % more light sensitivity, compared to usual small pixels. The front camera is equipped with a wide-angle lens with an 82° field of view. ZenFone Live has soft-light LED flash on the front for better selfies in low light. It has 7 camera modes. These are: Real Time Beautification, Night, HDR Pro, Effect, Low-light, Time Lapse, Auto.
Dual MEMS Microphones:
ZenFone Live is equipped with two MEMS (Micro-electrical-mechanical system) microphones positioned at the top and bottom of the device. Combined together, they help in capturing better audio for Live videos.
Five-magnet speaker and smart amplifier:
The speaker of ZenFone Live has a five-magnet design and metal voice coil to produce better audio. It is powered by a smart amplifier that can increase the audio resolution and loudness. The device also features DTS Headphone:X™ surround-sound technology that claims to synthesize a full 7.1-channel virtual surround-sound experience. As per ASUS, this enables ZenFone Live to produce and deliver audio that's up to 67 percent louder than the previous generation, while also extending low-frequency reproduction by up to 17 percent and reducing distortion by up to 15 percent.
Key Specifications of ZenFone Live:
DesignPremium-crafted metallic finish with 2.5D arc glass
Slim bezel: 2.36mm
Light weight: 120g
Display, Resolution5-inch High Definition (1280×720) IPS display
75% Screen-to-Body ratio
Bluelight filter for eye protection
Camera
World's 1 st Livestreaming, real-time beautification technology
5MP with large 1.4µm Pixel Sensor for 2x light sensitivity
Soft-light LED front flash for natural skin tones
82˚ wide view angle, ƒ/2.2 aperture
Real Time Beautification / HDR / Lowlight Selfie modes
13 Megapixel PixelMaster camera
ƒ/2.0 aperture, 5P lens
Single LED flash for natural skin tones
7 camera modes for the Front Camera:
Real Time Beautification, Night, HDR Pro, Effect, Low-light, Time Lapse, Auto
12 camera modes for the Main Camera:
Real Time Beautification, Low light, Selfie, HDR Pro, Super Resolution
Night, Effect, Panorama, Time lapse, Children, QR code, Auto
Dual MEMS microphones for clearer voice quality & less noise
ICEpower enhanced 5-Masgnet Speaker for louder sound and less distortion
Smart Amplifier technology for up to 4X sound volume
Audio Wizard for enhanced audio experience
PerformanceQualcomm® Snapdragon™ Quad-Core Processor
Adreno 305 GPU
MemoryRAM / ROM*2GB RAM, 16GB ROM (MicroSD support up to 128GB SDXC)
100GB of Google Drive space for 2 years
Dual SIM Dual standby (2G/3G/4G)
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi-Direct, Miracast, hotspot, Bluetooth V 4.0
LTE Cat. 4
GPS/AGPS/GLONASS
Battery2650mAh Li-ion battery (non-removable)
Appearance:
ZenFone Live has 5 inch IPS HD display with 2.5D curve. It has 75 % screen-to-body ratio and feels comfortable and secure in hand. The rear camera and flash are huddled in a corner. The device has a sandblasted finish and is available in Navy Black, Rose Pink, and Shimmer Gold. The whole appearance looks plain and simple, but nothing that could be called very stylish.
Availability and Price of ZenFone Live:
ASUS ZenFone Live is priced at INR 9,999 and is available with all major E-tailers ( see on Amazon) and retailers in India.
At this price, ZenFone Live is packed with a decent set of specifications ( somewhat similar to cheaper ZenFone Go 5.5). There is no fingerprint scanner in it. You can get this set of specifications at a cheaper price in some other phones, for example Redmi 4. But ZenFone Live does carry with it the ASUS brand assurance and the unique features for better Live videos. Being a ZenFone, it has all the ZenUI features too like gesture and motion commands and various customization options. It also has the apps like Mobile Manager and Startup Manager to keep the device optimized.
I tried the device for a few minutes at the launch event. It is very light and comfortable to hold. The BeautyLive app and the dual MEMS microphones really work well to deliver better live videos. When I checked out my live video on Facebook, I found that it was much brighter and the sound was crisp and clear, with less disturbance from the noisy background.
If you enjoy going live on social networks and looking for an affordably priced smartphone, ASUS ZenFone Live is worth checking out.