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| ZenUI interface |
Look out, Samsung, LG too HTC, there's a novel too compelling Android peel on the market, courtesy of ASUS. At its CES press event, the Taiwanese manufacturer announced 5 phones, all of which volition sport the company's novel ZenUI, which adds a colorful expect too experience too 200 split enhancements on move past times of the Android OS. While nigh every Android hardware vendor makes around changes to Android's expect too feel,ASUS has added around actually compelling features to the world's most pop mobile operating system, turning the habitation concealment into a daily planner too allowing yous to salve whatsoever item (emails, calls, spider web pages) for later.
We had a peril to pass a few moments alongside an ASUS Padfone mini running the ZenUI too were impressed non entirely alongside the clean, colorful expect too experience of the operating system, but likewise alongside its mightiness to seat your most of import appointments front end too center, its mightiness to plough anything into a futurity chore too its powerful photographic television camera app.
Unlike HTC too Samsung which offering habitation screens filled alongside social too intelligence updates alongside their BlinkFeed too My Magazine features, ASUS focuses on your 24-hour interval ahead. The lock concealment shows a handful of your upcoming events, along alongside the conditions too shortcuts to the camera, telephone too messaging apps.
When nosotros unlocked the phone, nosotros were treated to a habitation concealment alongside a much longer listing of chore along alongside the fourth dimension too weather. We could scroll upward too downwards the listing piece our shortcut icons remained at the bottom of the screen. This characteristic reminded us of Google Now but, different Google's daily planner, this 1 is correct at that spot on your habitation screen, non a unmarried tap away.
Opening around other app called "What's Next" provided us alongside a to a greater extent than consummate listing of upcoming events along alongside a check of missed calls too unread messages. We peculiarly liked the clean, colorful lok of the greenish too white app too the "borderless" blueprint which makes the notification bar the same color every bit the app then it blends in.
Swiping to the correct of the habitation screen, nosotros saw a listing of folders alongside iv shortcuts inside each. Icons for the post service customer too chore app each had small-scale ruddy circles showing the divulge of unread emails or pending tasks. Having these numbers is peculiarly convenient but non unique every bit we've seen them inwards other Android skins such every bit Samsung's TouchWiz.
Under the "Do information technology Later" folder, nosotros flora the post service app too the Tasks app. When nosotros opened the Tasks app, nosotros were treated to a listing of items that mortal had marked every bit follow-up items for later. These included non entirely emails but likewise missed / rejected calls, photos too spider web pages. By selecting Tasks from the portion bill of fare inwards whatsoever shareable app -- the browser, the gallery, etc -- whatever yous are looking at volition move saved for after activity on your chore list.
This "Do information technology Later" functionality is our favorite characteristic of the ZenUI too undoubtedly its most compelling. It's likewise tightly integrated into ASUS's preloaded apps.The ASUS post service client, for example, has a "Read Later" pick that adds your messages to the chore list.
In a demo on stage, ASUS Chariman Jonney Shih pretended he was getting a telephone phone telephone from the company's CEO, Jerry Shen too that he was rejecting the telephone phone too saving it to his "Do information technology Later" listing alongside a unproblematic swipe.
ASUS's ZenUI software is keen at keeping yous organized, but the society realizes that all piece of work too no play makes for a wearisome phone. The company's integrated photographic television camera software features a slew of creative shooting modes, including an animated GIF mode, a low-light trend that promises a 400 per centum brightness improvement inwards nighttime videos too photos too a divulge of colorful filters.
In Time Rewind mode, the photographic television camera captures stils from 2 seconds earlier yous hitting the shutter push too 1 2d after. After taking a photo, the primary picture appeared on our concealment along alongside a circular dial nosotros could utilization to frontward or rewind through the other three seconds worth of shots. Time Rewind seems similar an improvement over LG's Time Machine characteristic which captures 5 shots from earlier yous hitting the shutter button. An ASUS rep likewise showed us a self portrait trend which allows yous to cause got a selfie alongside the dorsum photographic television camera past times beeping when yous indicate it at yourself too it detects your face.
Overall, nosotros were real impressed alongside both the expect too functionality of ASUS's ZenUI. We can't hold back to cause got a closer expect at this software when it ships on ASUS's occupation of ZenFones, along alongside the Padfone Mini too Padfone X.
By Avram Piltch, LAPTOP Online Editorial Director
