Zen power

Asus has been in the mobile phone market for a while now, and they’ve come up with some pretty competent devices in a bid to try and match up with others out there. The ZenFone line is at the forefront of their offering, so why not give it a whirl?

The Asus ZenFone 5 has features that are good enough to entice you into considering it, without causing too much pain for your wallet. This 5” screen phone has a little and big brother, the ZenFone 4 and 6 — and you can guess what their sizes are.

Anyway, power up the ZenFone 5 and you’ll be greeted by Asus’ very own ZenUI, which gives it its own identity in the market. And speaking of identity, this phone doesn’t come in only the usual black variant; there are a number of interesting colours you can choose from, and I would recommend either the red or gold one.

The UI is smooth, and the speed at which you can operate the phone is fast, thanks to its Intel Atom processor, save for some lags that you may occasionally experience when you start shifting from app to app at lightning speed. And while it ships with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, it’s now upgradable to 4.4 KitKat and, possibly, even 5.0 Lollipop.

And don’t forget the great screen it boasts of, as well as a really nice camera, which is blessed with Asus’ own PixelMaster technology, ‘combining software, hardware and optical design’ to produce clear shots. And not to be outdone in the sound department, the ZenFone 5 has what’s called SonicMaster from Asus’ Golden Ear Team.

However, the battery life is an issue for me; compared to other phones I’ve tried, the ZenFone 5 — used for your everyday stuff such as calls, messaging, videos, music and games — may struggle to reach the whole-day finish line. And one more thing: the touch keys located below the screen are oddly spaced — they seem too far away from each other — and there’s no backlight to help you out when lights are nowhere to be found.

AND SO…

While its design up front is a bit dull for me, the Asus ZenFone 5 will get the job done, although you may not want to overuse it to save your battery life for important things you may have to do later. Its best talking point is its price, as well as the excellent performance it provides. And I’m still wondering why Asus didn’t bother to provide backlight for those keys.

GAME ON!

Forza Horizon 2

I’m definitely not the best when it comes to driving games. In fact, my barely-eight-year-old son is better than me at these.

Anyway, sit back and pretend to be in the driver’s seat of the auto industry’s cream of the crop with Forza Horizon 2, which will take you to parts of France and Italy as you take part in the ‘Horizon Festival’. Well, you know the deal: participate in races and other special events, as well as challenges from rivals you come across the way, in order to progress and make it to the finale. And you get to mess up some really expensive cars along the way.

This Xbox exclusive is, in my opinion, one of the most aesthetically-impressive games that I’ve seen; from the moment it loads, you know you’re getting your money’s worth. However, comparing it to the original Forza Horizon, I’d say there isn’t much improvement when it comes to on-screen displays. The controls, on the other hand, are simple enough to use, but the steering can be a little bit sensitive; watch out especially for those sharp turns and dangerous curves, but if you fly out of the road, there’s that handy little rewind button for a do-over, albeit only for a limited backtrack.

There’s also this new feature called Bucket List, which are challenges you have to complete if you want to up yourself. And speaking of lists, there are over 200 vehicles featured in the game, and I still can’t get that Koenigsegg Agera off my mind.

Sure, driving games can be boring especially when you seemingly get tired of doing the same thing over and over, which is to drive. However, I’ll tell you this: Forza Horizon 2 is one of those games that won’t make you stop trying until you succeed in topping a race or winning a challenge.

EDITOR RATING — 8.5/10

alvin@khaleejtimes.com