In late September, ASUS started recruiting Android 11 beta testers for its 2020 flagship smartphone – Zenfone 7 Pro. Now, almost a month later, the company has begun to roll out the first-ever beta build for selected users. This smartphone has now become the second device from the brand to receive Android 11 beta update after Zenfone 6.

A number of OEMs are running Android 11 beta program for select devices worldwide. Some of them like OnePlus has already begun to seed stable builds. On the other hand, ASUS was one of the last companies to kick start beta initiative in late August starting with Zenfone 6.

Once the company rolled out the first Android 11 beta build for Zenfone 6, it began to recruit testers for Zenfine 7 Pro. Now, the latter device has also started receiving its initial beta build.

According to XDA Developers, the first-ever Android 11 beta build for Zenfone 7 Pro comes with build number 30.04.31.30 and weighs around 1.1GB in size. 

As per the changelog, in addition to Android 11-specific features, the update also brings revamped Mobile Manager, Contacts, Phone, File Manager, Calculator, Clock, Gallery, Weather, Sound recorder, Settings, Data Transfer, and Local backup apps. Further, the update also removes screenshot option from the power menu.

Having said that, ASUS is yet to announce Android 11 eligible devices. Also, it is not sure when it will roll out stable builds for Zenfone 6 and Zenfone 7 Pro.

UP NEXT: Asus Zenfone 7 Pro grabs top spot in DxOMark rankings for video recording

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Asus Zenfone 7 Pro, the company’s flagship smartphone continues with the unique flip-camera setup that was introduced with its predecessor. Thanks to the flip camera, it can be used as the main camera or front camera.

The phone offers a triple-camera setup that includes a 64-megapixel Quad-Bayer primary sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens with a 16.6 mm focal length, and an 8-megapixel tele lens that offers an 80 mm focal length.

Now, DxOMark has reviewed the smartphone’s camera and has given an overall score of 101. With the photo score of 104, the Zenfone 7 Pro grabs the second position in the list, just after Huawei P40 Pro.

Surprisingly, in the video department, the device has scored 96 points, making it the best smartphone for video recording according to the DxOMark rankings. It has taken the top spot in the rankings for the video department.

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The review says that the Asus Zenfone 7 Pro gets all the basics right when it comes to still photography, including good exposure in all conditions, wide dynamic range, and accurate colors with nice skin tones.

For the video, the review adds that the smartphone provides excellent texture and detail rendering, and good exposure even in very low light conditions. It captures natural skin tones and nice colors with very little image noise.

As for the drawbacks, the phone has a limited depth of field and a slightly unnatural rendering of skin texture. When looked closely at images captured, some detail looks a little oversharpened and too contrasty.

To know more about the flip camera setup on the Zenfone 7 Pro, check out our post that sheds light on the camera mechanism based on a teardown video.

UP NEXT: DxOMark announces it will hold a special event on October 20

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The Asus Zenfone 7 Pro is the company’s latest flagship device, which was recently seen in a new teardown video. This disassembly reveals the smartphone’s internals, revealing the new flip up camera design.

The video was shared on YouTube by PBKreviews, and it showcases the device being taken part. In the video, one can observe that the motor that powers the flip mechanism is housed within the camera module, which is different from the Zenfone 6 that had it’s motor housed next to the camera module and not built into it. Apart from this not a lot of unique design changes have been made on the internals.

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The PCB stack design has also remained unchanged, with two boards being stacked on top of each other. Both boards are cooled via thermal paste and copper, through two heat pipes, which take the heat away from the chipset and into a copper block that has been stuck behind the display. The Asus Zenfone 7 Pro was relatively easy to dismantle for the most part as per the video, but the use of adhesives made things difficult in certain areas.

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Not only gaming phones: Asus launched two other flagship phones this year, with the most advanced variant named Asus Zenfone 7 Pro. It brings extremely powerful hardware and innovation to the market without carrying an extremely high price. After comparing the vanilla Zenfone 7 to the Realme X50 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 10, we think it is time to compare the Pro variant with its main rivals in the same price segment. For this comparison, we chose the OnePlus 8 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, hoping it will help you understand all the differences between them.

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro vs OnePlus 8 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro

Design

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro carries an extremely innovative form factor with its flip-up cameras, but the sleekest device of this trio is the OnePlus 8 Pro, in my honest opinion. It has a higher screen-to-body ratio, a thinner body and it is lighter. Last but not least, it is the only waterproof phone of this comparison: with the IP68 certifications, you can put it underwater up to 1.5 meters deep without damaging it. On the other hand, Asus Zenfone 7 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro are smaller because of their smaller displays.

Display

The most stunning display belongs to the OnePlus 8 Pro: this handset features a 10-bit panel that is able to show up to one billion colors, a higher Quad HD+ resolution and even a 120 Hz refresh rate. The panel is even wider than its rivals. With the Asus Zenfone 7 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro you get a classic Full HD+ panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate, definitely inferior to the OnePlus 8 Pro. All of the handset feature OLED panels, but the Asus Zenfone 7 Pro does not have an in-display fingerprint scanner. Instead, it features a side-mounted sensor.

Hardware/Software

While OnePlus 8 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro are fueled by the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform, the Asus Zenfone 7 Pro features a more powerful Snapdragon 865+: an upgrade which offers a 10% performance boost with both CPU and GPU. Further, it gets faster UFS 3.1 internal storage instead of UFS 3.0. Unlike the OnePlus 8 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro packing up to 12 GB of RAM, the Asus Zenfone 7 Pro comes with just 8 GB of RAM, but its better chipset is definitely a more interesting feature. OnePlus 8 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, and Asus Zenfone 7 Pro run Android 10 out of the box.

Camera

The most advanced cameras are on board of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro. The handset is equipped with a 108 MP sensor supporting 8K video recording, two telephoto sensors with 12 and 8 MP resolution (and optical zoom up to 3.7x), and a 20 MP ultrawide sensor. The second place goes to the OnePlus 8 Pro with its quad camera including two 48 MP sensors, an 8 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 5 MP color filter camera. On the paper, Zenfone 7 Pro looks less impressive, but it has an important advantage: the flip-up camera. You can regulate the position of the camera in order to shoot photos from different angles and you can even use the rear cameras to shoot selfies.

Battery

The winner of the battery comparison is the Asus Zenfone 7 Pro thanks to its bigger 5000 mAh battery. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and OnePlus 8 Pro offer a similar battery life, but the former has a faster charging technology.

Price

The global price of the Asus Zenfone 7 Pro is yet to be announced. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro has a €999/$1181 listing price, while OnePlus 8 Pro starts from €919/$1086. However, they are actually a lot more affordable thanks to street prices. My choice would actually be the OnePlus 8 Pro due to its better display, waterproof design, and more. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro has better cameras. Zenfone 7 Pro offers a more advanced chipset and a longer battery life. Which one would you pick?

• Read More: Xiaomi shares Mi 10 Pro samples from China’s latest Mount Everest expedition

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro vs OnePlus 8 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro: PRO and CONS

OnePlus 8 Pro

PROS

• Waterproof IP68
• Amazing display
• Wider display
• Amazing software

CONS

• No micro SD

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro

PROS

• Great audio
• Good street prices
• Fastest charging
• 8K video recording

CONS

• No micro SD

Asus Zenfone 7 Pro

PROS

• Better chipset
• Flip-up cameras
• Bigger battery
• UFS 3.1 storage
• Micro SD slot

CONS

• No wireless charging

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After launching the ROG Phone 3 gaming smartphone worldwide last month, ASUS schedules an event for August 26 to unveil Zenfone 7 series in its home country Taiwan. Ahead of it, this smartphone was benchmarked by someone on Geekbench earlier today revealing it to come with Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) chipset and 8GB RAM.

Last year’s Zenfone 6 aka ASUS 6Z is one of a kind smartphone with a motorized flip camera. Also, it debuted at a much lower price tag than flagship smartphones from other companies. Hence, its successor is one of the most anticipated smartphones by a niche audience.

Unlike the previous generation, the Zenfone 7 series is expected to have two models – regular and pro. These devices were spotted on multiple certification bureaus in the past few weeks. However, their design is still a mystery, which is kind of odd in today’s world of leaks.

Anyway, today’s Geekbench listings of the handset with model number ASUS_I002D, which could be either Zenfone 7 or Zenfone 7 Pro based on certifications confirms it to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) paired with 8GB RAM.

The listings were first spotted by 91Mobiles and they were also the one to confirm the chipset to be Snapdragon 865+ (Plus) and not the standard variant by digging inside the source code. This makes us believe this model be Zenfone 7 Pro and not the regular model.

That said, as per previous reports, the Zenfone 7 (Pro) will retain the flip camera and will feature WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 5,000mAh battery, and 30W fast charging.

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ASUS launched the ROG Phone 3 as its third generation gaming smartphone worldwide last month. Now, the company quietly schedules Zenfone 7 series launch event for August 26. However, this launch will be limited to its home country Taiwan. The live stream for the official announcement is already live on the firm’s Taiwanese YouTube channel.

The upcoming ASUS Zenfone 7 series is one of the least leaked smartphones of 2020 so far. Though the devices have passed through multiple certifications, the details about their design and specifications are scarce.

Anyway, according to previous reports, the Zenfone 7 is expected to retain the flip camera from its predecessor Zenfone 6 aka ASUS 6Z in India. Also, it is said to feature a larger 6.7-inch display compared to 6.4-inch on its predecessor.

Further, it may be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 instead of Snapdragon 865+ (Plus), which is present inside the ROG Phone 3. Like any other flagship these days, it will also feature a massive battery, 5,000mAh to be exact with support for 30W fast charging as per TÜV Rheinland certification.

Whereas, according to NCC, it will come with WiFi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and 512GB internal storage. However, there could be variants will lower storage configuration as well.

Unfortunately, nothing else is known about this smartphone, especially its design. That said, since we are still a week from the launch, the handset may leak in the coming days as it might have probably shipped to retailers and media by now.

UP NEXT: DxOMark ranks ROG Phone 3 as second best in audio performance

(Via)

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