Asus ZenFone 5Q Unboxing, Complete Specs, First Impressions : Quad Camera Midrange Beast

On Friday - March 16, 2018, our friends from Asus Philippines gave me a review unit of their upcoming sub-Php 20,000 Android smartphone, the much-talked-about Asus ZenFone 5Q.

Known as Asus ZenFone 5 Lite in other territories, this amazing new device gives mid-level consumers an opportunity to experience some of the key features of the company's 2018 flagship without having to shell out too much money.

Asus ZenFone 5Q

Before I show you more images of the handset, let me share a quick unboxing of my test unit to give you an idea of what you'll get should you device to eventually purchase this model.

Asus ZenFone 5Q

Asus ZenFone 5Q ships in this simple white box with a small heat-pressed, iridescent branding on the cover.


Lifting the lid and the rectangular box housing the documentation. we are greeted by the handset itself wrapped in plastic and placed neatly in a paper cradle.


My review package didn't come with the free protective case for the handset but I was informed that the standard retail package for the Philippines will definitely include one -- so consumers won't have to purchase it separately.


The ZenFone 5Q pack that I have includes the handset itself, the 2A travel charger, microUSB to USB connector cable, SIM Card Tray Ejector Pin, and headphones with medium in-ear silicone buds plus two extra pairs, large and small.


As you can see in these images, the phone's build and footprint are largely identical to that of Asus ZenFone 5 base model, which I've featured on TechPinas.

The sleek aluminum mid-frame is flanked by two 2.5D curved glass panels while the footprint remains to be the familiar rectangle with rounded corners.


Though Asus has seemingly been recycling this form factor for at least two years now, I'm not complaining because it looks nice and feels great in the hand. The old adage "If it ain't broke don't fix it." certainly applies here.

Holding this device, you'd feel that it's a well-crafted product that's right up there with the far more expensive Samsung Galaxy A8, at least, in terms of design and build.


I'd say this model's distinguishing design characteristic can be found at the back. It's the oblong module for the two rear cameras, which also contains the concentric pattern that's common in all Asus ZenFone models.

The module's middle placement in the upper section of the rear panel is quite unite among all current handset offerings of the company.


Speaking of the back camera module, let's talk about this model's imaging capabilities.

According to one of our friends from the company, Asus ZenFone 5Q's true quad camera set-up - made up of two rear cameras and two selfie shooters in front - is one its strongest points or highlights.

Unlike competing brands that merely use double optics to mimic bokeh effect, Asus utilizes this kind of module to deliver different focal lengths, which - I think - is a more practical or useful application of this imaging set-up.

To be specific, both the secondary cameras on the front and back of this handset come with a wide-angle lens, which is particularly useful for capturing landscape shots or groufies, among others.

Asus ZenFone 5Q

Another notable feature of the Asus ZenFone 5Q is its beautiful 6-inch FullHD+ IPS display with rounded corners and tall 18:9 aspect ratio that greatly increased the phone's screen-to-body ratio.

Whether you enjoy browsing your friends' photos and video posts on Facebook or watching your favorite movies and TV series via Netflix or iflix, you will surely get an enjoyable viewing experience on this massive screen.


As for the internal hardware, this Dual-SIM, 4G-enabled unit is powered by an Octa Core 2.2 GHz ARM Cortex A53 and Adreno 508 GPU based Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset that's great for mobile gaming, has 4GB of RAM for smooth multitasking, and comes with a sizable 64GB of expandable storage.

Although the phone has a rather small 3,300 mAh capacity battery pack, the 14nm energy-efficient processor should help boost the device's uptime with regular use.

Asus ZenFone 5Q

For those who value privacy and security, you'd be glad to know that this model comes with a Fingerprint Scanner at the back as well Facial Recognition feature, which both add a veritable layer of protection against those who want to secretly check your inbox, open your business email account without your knowledge, or steal photos that you took using the phone.

Alright! That's it for now. I'll be posting sample photos taken using this smartphones's four cameras as well the initial Antutu Benchmark Score of this handset in future TechPinas posts to stay tuned.

Oh, and if you're wondering, Asus has yet to disclose the ZenFone 5Q's official suggested retail price. However, personally, I'm guessing that it should be somewhere between Php 17,000 and Php 18,000. But hey, that's just me. Like you, I'm hoping that this incredible smartphone would be more affordable than that.

Now, as for the release date, I believe this one should hit store shelves nationwide within the next three to five weeks or sometime in April 2018. But then, who knows, Asus might even surprise us with an end of March launch. Don't worry. I'll keep you posted.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specifications Table
Product Name Asus ZenFone 5Q
Main Category Android Smartphone with 18:9 Display and Quad Camera Set-up
Dimensions 160.6 x 76.2 x 7.8 mm
Weight 168 grams
Display 6.0 inches, FullHD+ 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 Aspect Ratio, IPS LCD, 402 ppi
Screen-To-Body Ratio 75.9%
Screen Protection 2.5D Scratch Resistant Glass (To Be Specified)
Protection Against Elements Not Dust-and-Water-Resistant
Front Camera Dual Camera Module:

20 MegaPixels, f/2.0 Aperture, 23 mm Focal Length, 1/2.8" Sensor Size, 1.0 μm Pixel Size +

8 MegaPixels, 13 mm Focal Length

Gyro EIS, LED flash
Rear Camera Dual Camera Module:

16 MegaPixels, f/2.2 Aperture, 26 mm Focal Length, PDAF

8 MegaPixels, 13 mm Focal Length, Fixed Focus

Gyro EIS, LED flash
Operating System Android 8.0 Oreo (via Firmware Upgrade)
User Interface Asus Zen UI 5.0
Chipset Octa-Core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A53, Qualcomm Snapdragon 630
GPU Adreno 508
RAM 4GB
ROM 64GB
microSD Card Slot Dedicated
Battery Non-Removable 3,300 mAh Li-Po
Charging Port microUSB 2.0
WiFi802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.1
4G LTE Cat6
Dual SIM Capability Yes, 2X nanoSIM
Gyroscope Yes
Fingerprint Scanner Yes, Back
Facial Recognition Yes
Shell Material Aluminum, Glass
Colors Black, TBA
Price TBA

TechPinas Price Guesstimate: Php 17,000 to Php 18,000
Availability in The Philippines TBA

TechPinas Guesstimate: Last Week of March or Early April 2018
TechPinas Key Remark Known as Asus ZenFone 5 Lite in other territories, the handsome Asus ZenFone 5Q features four cameras and powerful internal specifications. 

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