My Nexus 4 started sputtering the Saturday before Mother’s day, and finally gave up on the 11th. I was phone-less, and while I prefer to have it repaired and keep on using it, I know I may have to look into buying a new phone. But which one to buy? With a limited budget (I’ll be going on a trip soon, so no big purchases), I’m pressed to find one that meets my needs, and has a UI that will not bug the hell out of me.<\/p>\n

The last part is what endeared me to the Nexus line. It’s Android as Google intended it to be, and it does not have bloatware: apps that you don’t use, but cannot uninstall. The interface is clean and straightforward, and it’s very easy to find your way around it. After my experience with other Android phones from other manufacturers, I wasn’t too excited to finding a phone to replace Miss Satsuki.<\/p>\n

The problem was taken out of my hands when I was given an Asus Zenfone 2 to review. I love you, Universe.
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First impressions<\/h3>\n

<\/a>
\nThe Asuz Zenfone2 in the midst of my desk clutter<\/em><\/div>\n

Like most smartphones coming out in recent years, it’s sleek and shiny. It has a curved back that makes it comfortable to hold, which is a feat, since it’s a huge phone. The back cover comes in four colors: black, grey, red, and gold. There was a bit of a struggle taking the cover off, which may or may not be because of my short nails. I was able to finally pry it off, and was elated that there are two slots for sim cards: I won’t have to bring an extra phone when I travel! If I’m buying a local sim at my destination, I can just slip it into the first slot, and move my Globe sim to the second sim card slot. <\/p>\n

Aside from the size difference, the power button control for the Zenfone2 wasn’t on the sides, like it was in other phones I’ve used. It’s right smack in the middle, which actually makes sense, since it’s easier to reach, no matter which hand you’re using to operate the phone. <\/p>\n

Set up<\/h3>\n

<\/a>
\nTap & Go<\/em><\/div>\n

Upon turning on the phone, I was informed that the Zenfone can copy any Google Accounts set up in another Android phone simply by tapping the two phones together (possibly via NFC transfer). It’s a nifty tool, but since I’m starting from scratch, this wasn’t an option for me.<\/p>\n

When I was trying to resurrect my Nexus 4, I did a factory reset (after making sure my phone is backed up). After the phone has been set up again, I just tapped on Restore, and all my apps are downloaded and installed on the phone.<\/p>\n

While there is no such option in the Zenfone2 (the most it can do is to restore the backed up settings and data once you have installed an app. Good enough. I can live with that.<\/p>\n