Indie hit ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ gets limited physical release

Limited-run physical indie game releases may be an endangered species thanks to the ESRB and console makers, but that’s not stopping at least one hit title from getting the hard copy treatment. The team at iam8bit has started pre-orders for both a limited disc version of Giant Sparrow’s What Remains of Edith Finch for PS4 and a vinyl edition of Fargo composer Jeff Russo’s accompanying soundtrack. The game ships in late December for $30, and it includes reversible cover art in addition to a region-free copy of the title itself.

The vinyl won’t ship until the second quarter (i.e. spring) of 2018 for $28, but it too gets the artistic treatment. The sleeve art comes from Giant Sparrow’s own Holly Rothrock, while the disc comes in an eye-catching “brown smoke.”

As with other tangible indie game releases, this is as much about having a souvenir and showing your support as it is receiving something you can actually play. With that said, it’s easy to see why you might want to hand over some cash with Edith Finch: it’s a memorable, mysterious title that tackles death in a positive way.

Source: iam8bit

Microsoft Edge Browser for iPhone Launches on App Store

Microsoft Edge for iPhone was officially released on the App Store today following nearly two months of public beta testing.

The alternative web browser will primarily appeal to iPhone users that use a Windows PC instead of a Mac thanks to a “Continue on PC” feature that can push a website from the mobile to desktop version of the browser.

Microsoft Edge for iPhone also syncs your favorites, passwords, and reading list across your devices. Other features include an all-in-one Hub View, built-in QR code reader, voice search, and private browsing mode.

Bing, Google, and Yahoo can be set as the default search engine in Microsoft Edge for iPhone, which has a similar design as the desktop version. The mobile version doesn’t have Microsoft’s Cortana assistant or built-in ad blocking.

On iOS, Microsoft is using Apple’s WebKit engine, as required for all third-party browsers on the platform. From a compatibility perspective, Microsoft said Edge for iOS should match the version of Safari that is currently available for iPhone.

Keep in mind that, like other third-party web browsers, Microsoft Edge cannot be enabled as the default browser on iPhone.

Microsoft Edge for iPhone is rolling out on the App Store [Direct Link] now for iOS 9 and later. It’s also available for Android smartphones on Google Play. Microsoft said iPad support will be added in the future.

The app appears to be available in the United States and United Kingdom only at this time. The browser has yet to be optimized for the iPhone X’s screen size.

Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Edge
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Apple’s High Sierra security patch affected Mac file sharing

Apple’s latest update for macOS High Sierra hasn’t gone well. As revealed earlier this week, the update included a bug that made it pretty easy for anyone to gain admin rights to your Mac — an obvious privacy concern. Apple rolled out a patch for the issue, but it seems that’s not without its problems either, as some users are now unable to authenticate or connect to file shares on their Macs. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix. As Apple Insider reports:

Open the Terminal app, in the Utilities folder of the Applications folder.
Type sudo /usr/libexec/configureLocalKDC and hit Return.
Enter your administrator password and press Return.
Quit the Terminal app.

Done. The number of people affected by the new security update’s flaw is unknown. Apple jumped on the case relatively quickly when the initial problems became clear, but whether or not they’ll release yet another update for this latest issue is unknown.

Source: Apple Insider

Coinbase must share users’ cryptocurrency data with the IRS

Coinbase will be forced to share the financial information of 14,355 users with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), following a California federal court ruling. The move follows a year-long battle between the cryptocurrency company and the IRS, which believes a high number of customers are failing to report holdings on their taxes. Coinbase has some six million users, but fewer than 1,000 have officially declared cryptocurrency activity.

The data sharing affects every user who has bought, sold, sent or received more than $20,000 through their accounts in a single year between 2013 and 2015 — which Coinbase estimates to be 14,355 individuals. The company will have to turn over the user’s name, date of birth, address and taxpayer ID, plus records of all account activity.

The ruling is narrower than the original request made by the IRS, which wanted to see records on all Coinbase users over the same period. Still, Coinbase — and the cryptocurrency world in general — is none-too-happy with the result. Speaking to The Verge, Coin Center’s Peter Valkenburgh said that without better justification from the IRS about why customer accounts are suspicious, “a similarly sweeping request could be made for customer data from any financial institution”, and that it “sets a bad precedent for financial privacy”. However, the case does highlight the need for better tax reporting methods on the cryptocurrency landscape — something some users, no doubt, have been hoping to avoid.

Via: The Verge

Source: United States District Courts

LG replaces mobile chief to reverse its smartphone fortunes

LG’s mobile sales are a not only a drag on its other businesses, but an embarrassment next to its nemesis, Samsung. To address that, the company has made a “sweeping realignment” of its businesses, naming Hwang Jeong-hwan as president and CEO of LG Mobile in the place of current chief Juno Cho. It also named former Harman CTO and current software head Park Il-pyung as its new chief technology officer (rival Samsung acquired Harman last year for $8 billion). The moves are aimed at “enhancing competitiveness,” LG said.

LG is faring strongly in the television business, thanks to OLED and other models that are considered some of the best 4K TVs available, and its appliance business continues to do well, too. LG Mobile, however, managed to lose $331 million last quarter, while Samsung made over $3 billion on mobile alone, netting a whopping $12.9 billion operating profit — nearly 50 times more than LG.

The reasons for its phone woes are pretty clear. While Samsung continues to produce well-regarded devices like the Galaxy S8 and Note 8, LG’s new flagship V30 is decent, but not nearly as compelling.

New president Hwang Jeong-hwan has “years of experience in R&D [and] was closely involved in developing one of LG’s first smartphones in 2009 as head of the CTO’s Multimedia R&D Lab,” LG’s press release notes. That could signal that LG aims to fight its way out of its mobile hole via improved technology, which makes some sense. Right now, Samsung is eating its lunch in terms of screen and camera quality, for instance.

One area LG has been successful with in smartphones is on the audio side, which might explain its decision to appoint former Harman CTO Dr. Park Il-pyung as CTO. It probably doesn’t hurt that he also headed Samsung’s Intelligent Computing Lab, to boot.

LG needs to turn mobile around soon, as its other businesses are about to face new problems. Following complaints by US appliance-maker Whirlpool, the US International Trade Commission recommended anti-dumping tarifs against both Samsung and LG, with Donald Trump set to make the final decision in early 2018. Suffice to say, that probably won’t go LG’s way, and unlike Samsung with its chips and diverse businesses, it can’t afford a blow to its primary moneymaker.

Apple Supports World AIDS Day: Red Store Logos, Apple Pay Donations, and App Store Stories

Apple today announced that more than 400 of its retail stores around the world will turn their logos red over the next week in support of World AIDS Day.

For every purchase made with Apple Pay at an Apple retail store, on Apple.com, or through the Apple Store app, Apple will also make a $1 donation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

“Connecting through our products and services helps make it easy for our customers to join us in the effort to create the first AIDS-free generation,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “By working with (RED) to stop the transmission of HIV from moms to their unborn babies, we’re already seeing a significant impact in areas where help is needed most. We’re committed to continuing the fight and empowering future generations through these vital efforts.”

Additionally, on Worlds AID Day tomorrow, the App Store will feature stories dedicated to the cause, including a behind-the-scenes look at how developers are supporting the (RED) initiative, which seeks to raise awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in eight African countries.

“Apple’s commitment to the AIDS fight is unparalleled. It’s not just the staggering $160 million raised for the Global Fund that has impacted many millions of lives, it’s their ability to bring heat, awareness, energy and eyeballs to keep this issue front and center,” said Deb Dugan, CEO, (RED). “Their unwavering support cannot be underestimated, and we thank every Apple employee for helping (RED) reach the milestone of half a billion dollars delivered to help end this disease.”

Apple said it raised a record $30 million this year for the Global Fund, equating to 144 million days of medication that prevents the transmission of HIV from mothers to their unborn babies. (RED) has now raised over $500 million overall towards the fight against HIV/AIDS since its creation in 2006.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: World AIDS Day
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iPhone Batteries Could Have Apple-Designed Power Management Chips Within Two Years

Apple is designing its own power management chips for use in iPhones within the next two years, according to Nikkei Asian Review.

Apple’s new in-house power management chip would be the most advanced in the industry, according to the sources, and could have processing capabilities that allow it to better monitor and control power consumption among various components. That means iPhone users could expect devices capable of delivering better performance on lower power consumption.

Apple plans to replace around half of the main power management chips that go into iPhones with its own as early as 2018, but the transition could be delayed until 2019, according to anonymous sources cited in the report.

If the report is accurate, it could be a serious blow for Dialog Semiconductor, the British company that exclusively designs the current main power management chip for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch models. Apple reportedly accounted for nearly three quarters of Dialog Semiconductor’s revenue in 2016.

The main power management chip controls an iPhone’s battery, including charging capabilities and energy consumption. Apple’s in-house version will supposedly be “the most advanced in the industry,” which could pave the way for future iPhone models to have a better performance-to-battery life balance.

Taiwanese supplier TSMC will be the exclusive manufacturer of Apple’s in-house power management chip, according to the report.

Today’s report corroborates a prediction by Bankhaus Lampe analyst Karsten Iltgen, who earlier this year said that Apple will at least partially cut back on Dialog Semiconductor’s supply of power management chips for future iPhones. Iltgen said Apple already has engineers working on the chips in California and Germany.

Dialog responded to the report with a statement claiming that “business relationships are in line with the normal course of business.”

Dialog Semiconductor could be the second large British company to lose significant business from Apple within the next year or two. Imagination Technologies shares plunged after Apple informed the firm that it plans to stop using its PowerVR graphics technology in its devices within two years.

Apple appears to be moving towards in-house design of several components, potentially including ARM-based Mac processors and iPhone modems.

Tags: nikkei.com, Dialog
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Apple Heart Study Launching on App Store to Identify Irregular Heart Rhythms

Apple today announced it has launched a ResearchKit-based Apple Heart Study app, which uses the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor to collect data on irregular heart rhythms and notify users who may be experiencing atrial fibrillation.

As part of the study, if an irregular heart rhythm is identified, participants will receive a notification on their Apple Watch and iPhone, a free consultation with a study doctor and an electrocardiogram (ECG) patch for additional monitoring.

“Every week we receive incredible customer letters about how Apple Watch has affected their lives, including learning that they have AFib. These stories inspire us and we’re determined to do more to help people understand their health,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s COO. “Working alongside the medical community, not only can we inform people of certain health conditions, we also hope to advance discoveries in heart science.”

To calculate heart rate and rhythm, the Apple Watch’s sensor uses green LED lights flashing hundreds of times per second and light-sensitive photodiodes to detect the amount of blood flowing through the wrist.

Apple is partnering with Stanford University’s School of Medicine to perform the research.

“Through the Apple Heart Study, Stanford Medicine faculty will explore how technology like Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor can help usher in a new era of proactive health care central to our Precision Health approach,” said Lloyd Minor, Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine. “We’re excited to work with Apple on this breakthrough heart study.”

While heart arrhythmias aren’t always symptoms of a serious disease, atrial fibrillation is a leading cause of stroke, which can lead to death. Many people don’t experience symptoms, so it often goes undiagnosed.

The Apple Heart Study is rolling out on the App Store in the United States today to customers who are 22 years or older and have an Apple Watch Series 1 or later. It is not intended for people who already have atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.

Tags: ResearchKit, Apple Heart Study
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Camera showdown: Shooting hedgehogs with the iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8

The dual-lens camera is the defining feature of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, with both creating blurred background effects to your photos. Samsung calls this feature Live Focus, while Apple calls it Portrait Mode. Different names for essentially the same feature; but you’ll find quite a few differences between the two when you use them.

The cute little critters are covered in spikes, which are perfect for confusing the camera.

While ideally suited for taking pictures of people, they’re equally suited to taking pictures of other things, creating that striking look of an object isolated in the foreground of the image. The question is, how effective are these features, how do they stack up against each other, and what are their strengths and weaknesses?

To find out, we went to Harry’s Hedgehog Café in Tokyo, Japan. That’s right, a hedgehog café, where you get to spend time with cute pygmy hedgehogs while enjoying a cup of coffee. Why choose a hedgehog café? The cute little critters are covered in spikes, which are perfect for confusing the camera about what to blur out, and what not to blur out. Publishing cute pictures of hedgehogs (and rabbits) is just a happy coincidence.

Hands and hedgehogs

Look at the pictures of a hedgehog cupped in two hands. Both were shot within moments of each other, and in exactly the same position, with exactly the same lighting conditions. While both images look great, the Galaxy Note 8 performs better here. Let’s examine why. Take a look at the hedgehog’s spikes, which are better defined and more effectively picked out against the background.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Galaxy Note 8

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

iPhone 8 Plus

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Galaxy Note 8

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

iPhone 8 Plus

On the iPhone, the spikes have a halo around each one, or each clump of spikes. On the Galaxy Note 8, the individual spikes are much clearer, giving the hedgehog its iconic prickly look. The hands holding the hedgehog are also more in focus, where on the iPhone the upper fingers have been incorporated into the blurred background. Neither case here is right or wrong, but the Note 8’s picture looks more realistic.

The better cameras perform in the café, the better they will do in everyday life.

But the iPhone 8 Plus has warmer, more natural colors, and the picture is easier on the eyes. If you don’t zoom in, it’s a beautiful image. The Note 8’s picture is technically superior, and even when you manually adjust the blur intensity in the gallery, it still doesn’t turn the spikes into a blurry clump.

Obviously very few of us will regularly take pictures of hedgehogs. But it’s important for Live Focus or Portrait Mode to pick out hair, clothes, glasses, hands, fingers, or any other individual part of an image. The better cameras perform in this café, the better they will do in everyday life. We’d say the Galaxy Note 8 edges ahead of the iPhone when placed under scrutiny.

Rabbits and ears

While the hedgehogs went back to sleeping, we moved our attention to the rabbits also at the café. Like the spiky hedgehogs, rabbit ears are an excellent test of the portrait mode software; but the rabbits were considerably more active than the hedgehogs, making taking the same picture with two different cameras more challenging. By the time we picked up the second phone, the rabbit shifted its position. While direct comparisons weren’t possible, we can still see differences between the iPhone 8 Plus and the Galaxy Note 8.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Galaxy Note 8

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

iPhone 8 Plus

In the iPhone picture with the rabbit against two different backgrounds — a close-up sweater and a further away wall — the camera distinguishes between the two well, but there is a strong line effect around the face. The further away ear is also blurred at the tip. However, the fur is well defined, and the picture turns out well. The same cutout effect is also seen on the photo with the rabbit on a lap, where a complex background makes separating rabbit from clothing quite difficult.  Sharpness is affected on the rabbit’s nose too. These things aside, we really like the pictures from the iPhone.

The Note 8 took a different approach for its picture of the rabbit on a lap. It chose to keep the clothing and the person mostly in focus, and blur out things in the background. It doesn’t isolate the rabbit in the same way; but this means the fur and ears are still quite defined, and the final picture is less about just the rabbit, and more about the rabbit and the person it’s sitting on together. It’s a more realistic photo than the one taken by the iPhone.

Close up and at a distance

The Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus took very different portrait shots in the hedgehog café, but there is one key difference that’s only noticeable when you use the two cameras back-to-back. It’s shooting distance. The iPhone 8 Plus’s Portrait mode lets you get in close to the subject, really emphasising it suspended in blurry space. It makes for striking, visually exciting pictures.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Galaxy Note 8

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

iPhone 8 Plus

Samsung’s camera doesn’t work as close as the iPhone, perhaps doubling the minimum distance between subject and camera. It’s immediately obvious in many of the pictures here. We moved in with the iPhone, but had to move right back with the Note 8 to prompt Live Focus’ activation. It’s possible this greater shooting distance is the reason we don’t see such heavy software blurring around the edges of the subject.

The Galaxy Note 8 took bokeh photos we preferred.

The Note 8 has a smaller window where Live Focus operates than Portrait Mode on the iPhone generally. We could pull back further with the iPhone, although Portrait Mode’s different lighting effects wouldn’t work if we were too far away, despite the camera telling us Portrait Mode was active and the background blurring. The Note 8 prefers to shoot wider Live Focus pictures than the iPhone. We took more Live Focus pictures of larger objects in a bigger amount of space with the Note 8, than we did with Portrait Mode on the iPhone. However, for smaller objects in close up, like food and hedgehogs, we reached for the iPhone.

Which is best?

Both the Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus are excellent camera phones, and you’ll be happy with shots taken on either. In our time using both, the Galaxy Note 8 took bokeh photos we preferred in a greater amount of circumstances, and rarely did we need to choose the iPhone over the Note 8. For those close up bokeh shots that are easier on the iPhone, we usually just cropped the Note 8’s images to tighten up the photo, so we didn’t really find the smaller window of use restrictive.

The Note 8 is the first major Galaxy phone to have a dual-lens camera, and it’s a real winner. If it had been on the Galaxy S8, then we’d have preferred it even more, because the Note 8 as a phone is too large and uncomfortable. The iPhone 8 Plus is big too, but it’s easier to hold than the Note 8, and it trounces Samsung’s phone when it comes to battery life.

Samsung’s excellent dual-lens camera makes us excited for the Galaxy S9, and hopeful that Samsung will add a similar system to a more useable everyday device.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple iPhone 8 review
• iPhone 8 Plus review
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review
• Everything you need to know about the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
• Put your S Pen to good use with these Galaxy Note 8 tips and tricks

ASUS ZenFone 4 review: A good phone let down by the price

ASUS’ mid-range ZenFone 4 comes with some great features, but at a price that’s too high.

We first caught up with ASUS’ ZenFone 4 at its launch in Taiwan, but since then things have been a little quiet. Gradually it’s been made available in more locations around the world, and since it just launched in the UK, we had a chance to pick it up and spend some solid time with it.

The ZenFone 4 range has a device it seems for all needs, but it’s the regular, middle-of-the-pack ZenFone 4 we’re taking a look at here. Mid-range specs, premium design, some great features, a good camera and a price tag that’s a little too high considering the competition is a quick way to sum up this smartphone.

That you can get a phone this good looking in the middle tiers is a testament to how far Android phone makers have progressed in recent years. Indeed, ASUS has never really been one for boring, generic designs, and the ZenFone 4 is no exception.

It’s glass front and back, there’s no camera hump on its dual lenses, the sides are metal and on the front, there’s a single-touch fingerprint scanner that doubles up as a home button. The other two Android buttons flank this (in the right locations I might add) and a neat touch is that you can decide in settings if you want them permanently illuminated or not.

The ZenFone 4 has a slipperiness factor of 10.

The side effect to the ZenFone 4 being glass-backed is that we’re at slipperiness factor of 10. Likely because it’s a flat slab — no curved edges like on a Samsung phone — the ZenFone 4 slips off everything. Four minutes after leaving the box it slid off the table I’d put it on to charge up. It’s like being back in Nexus 4 days.

ASUS throws a simple TPU case in with the ZenFone 4 and I recommend you use it — unless you enjoy picking your phone up from the floor.

On the other glass side, you find a 5.5-inch 1080p Super IPS+ display with 600 nits brightness. Some will balk at ‘only’ 1080p, but at this size (and the regular 16:9 aspect ratio) it’s still plenty good enough with 400ppi. It’s sharp, vibrant and looks very nice. There are a few color settings on the phone to choose between. I went for ‘Vivid’ and colors really pop, with ASUS’ color scheme in ZenUI making the most of it.

The display has almost non-existent side bezels, too, which in turn leads to the ZenFone 4 occupying a really solid balance of screen real estate and physical size.

Lots of storage and solid specs for a mid-range phone

Other hardware features of note are the Snapdragon 630 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a respectable 64GB of internal storage. ASUS didn’t cheap out on storage, which is commendable, and there’s still a microSD card slot if you find you’re in need of more.

The ZenFone 4 lacks the highest-end internals that you’d find on the ZenFone Pro, but it’s still a great performer. I’ve been using it side-by-side with the Razer Phone and in most general use there’s no noticeable drop in performance. In heavier use scenarios, like gaming, the ZenFone 4 is a little weaker but in most cases, it’s smooth, snappy and very pleasing to use.

And the ZenFone 4 deserves a shoutout for its audio performance, too. Not only are there dual speakers, but the phone is Hi-Res Audio certified for the 192kHz/24-bit standard. The speakers are OK, but not good enough to actually want to use for extended periods, but through headphones listening to lossless audio is a definite win.

Oh, the ZenFone 4 has a headphone jack as well. That sound you hear is the angels singing.

As a piece of hardware, the ZenFone 4 is excellent. Slippery but excellent. The design is nothing groundbreaking but you get an air of the premium as well as superb build quality. Which is handy since you’ll be picking it up off the floor a fair bit if you go naked.

The camera is a particular focus for ASUS, as it is with many other phone makers, and the ZenFone 4 on paper at least has all the boxes ticked. The dual-camera setup comprises a main Sony IMX362 12MP sensor at f/1.8 and a wide-angle sensor with 120-degree field of view at 8MP.

They also operate as two independent sensors, there’s no trickery here. You can either shoot with the 12MP main camera, or simply tap a button in the camera app and switch over to the wide-angle. The camera app is packed with features, including full manual controls and the ever more standard portrait mode.

Portrait mode on the left, regular on the right. Both from front camera.

Portrait mode seems to deliver fairly nice looking photos from both the front and rear cameras. The blurring effect is fairly strong, but the ZenFone 4 seems to be able to capture the subject pretty well, as long as it’s a person. I tried it out with other objects with limited success.

Performance from the camera is on the whole very good, especially for a mid-range phone. Focus is lightning fast on both front and rear cameras, and the pro controls for manual adjustments cover every base.

Standard features like HDR and beauty mode are present and correct, and the ZenFone 4 shoots not only in RAW if you wish but can take up 32-second long exposures. For mobile videographers, the ZenFone 4 delivers 4K video at 30 FPS or 1080p video up to 60 FPS from the rear camera. There is no OIS, rather an electronic 3-axis stabilizer and while not as good, it performs pretty well at keeping shakes to a minimum.

It’s worth noting that HDR is quite aggressive but does certainly brighten up darker scenes as well. The wide-angle camera is honestly a letdown, with images losing a lot of detail over the main one. The main camera loses some detail at the edges, but the subject is usually sharp and well balanced. Auto white balance and exposure are a bit hit and miss though, so diving into the pro controls is the way to go.

For selfie enthusiasts, you can ditch the main camera app entirely and use the ASUS Selfiemaster instead. Never let it be said that ASUS isn’t serious about its selfies.

The addition of a dedicated selfie app sets the tone for the overall software experience on the ZenFone 4. It’s been a while since the UK market has experienced ZenUI and it may come as a bit of a shock. It’s based on Android 7.1 Nougat, which isn’t a massive surprise given when the phone was first announced.

The version of Android completely disappears, though, into the wall of color that is ZenUI. It has evolved over the years and is now very pleasant to use, with a smooth experience and features galore. ASUS has custom apps for everything, the menu system has been completely overhauled and it’s impossible to recognize any vanilla Android features beneath.

The version of Android vanishes into the wall of color that is ZenUI.

There is also, naturally, a theme store included and a selection of even crazier-looking ways to customize your phone. And if you don’t like an app drawer for some reason, you can turn it off and have things the iPhone way with all your apps on the home screens.

You could spend hour after hour detailing all the little things ASUS has done with its software on the ZenFone 4. The easy way to sum it up is thusly: It’s bright as all hell, customized to its core and has a lot of custom apps and features. Some you’ll like, some you won’t, but the experience of actually using the phone never feels compromised.

One feature I particularly appreciate is the Game Genie app. ASUS knows a thing about gaming, after all, and like Samsung and Razer in particular, has included a dedicated gaming tool on the ZenFone 4. It allows you to ‘boost’ your phone before gaming, lock the capacitive buttons, go live on YouTube or Twitch or just record locally, even create macros if you want to get really serious.

Battery life has been pretty solid, with ASUS squeezing a pretty sizeable 3300mAh juice pack inside the sleek form of the ZenFone 4. You’ll also be able to get a 50% charge on that battery in just 36 minutes, so even though it’s never struggled to get through the day, a quick charge feature is always welcomed. Screen-on time has averaged between 4 and 5 hours over the course of a week using this phone.

The ZenFone 4 is a very good phone and a welcome return to the British market for ASUS. Despite being ‘mid-range’, the ZenFone 4 has a premium style and swagger about it, with superb hardware, a solid camera, and great battery life.

The elephant in the room is the price, at least for the UK market. At £449 it’s too expensive, there’s no other way to really say it. The HTC U11 Life is similarly spec’d, and in its UK Android One form comes with Android 8.0 Oreo for about £100 less. The ZenFone 4 has the edge in some areas, like the battery and some of the camera features, but on the whole, it’s virtually impossible to say it’s worth £100 more.

And that’s where I feel it comes to a sad conclusion. The ZenFone 4 is an excellent phone, but it’s one that many may pass over because of its price. If the ASUS thing takes your fancy, the entry-level ZenFone 4 Max with an enormous battery is £200 less. But at £449, you’re paying a fairly high price for a mid-range device. Ultimately, that’s where it comes unstuck.

If you do buy one, you’ll enjoy using it, it’s a really nice phone. But it’s going to be too easy to pass it over.

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