Zenfone 3 Laser?

[skomorokh]

I'm looking for a $200-300 phone to use with PM which I can buy locally in Kelowna. What do you think of this option? http://www.staples.ca/en/ASUS-Zenfone3-Laser-55-32-GB-Unlocked-Smartphone-Silver-ZC551KL-S430-2G32GN... What alternatives might be easily obtainable in a small Canadian city?

[stonechucker]

I have contacted them, 3 times now by email.   Still no response.  As I'm not yet a paying customer, I guess I'm in the 48 hour, delayed for 21 days bucket.

[Tvisforme]

I've noticed that the web results for the ZF3 Laser omit Band 4 as well.However, it seems odd that ASUS would sell such a device in Canada, especially as a replacement for the properly compatible ZenFone Laser 2. The B& H Video website in the US mentions a US version of the Laser 3 that is compatible, so it might be worth contacting ASUS Canada to check. Assuming Band 4 compatibility exists, the phone is a good budget choice.

[stonechucker]

Thanks for your comments @thudoan63.  This, or a 2015 ZTE Axon may be my next device.  Prices are within my range, and the features I want are present on both devices.

[thudoan63]

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@stonechucker wrote:

How is the Zenfone 3 Laser for your wife now?  I'm considering buying it, however the ASUS website says no Band 4, but the BestBuy.ca site says band 4 is supported.

whar does Band 4 support, or maybe I should say, what would I miss?

i assume the connection is stable with(out) Band 4?

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Pretty much every source I've been led to for the Zenfone 3 Laser seems to point to Band 4 LTE not being supported. With this, your mobile data speeds (that would normally be 50-100Mbps on LTE) will be reduced to HSPA+ speeds (about 10-20Mbps). It sounds like a big drop but in real-world usage it does not affect things that much. Connection will be just as stable, and battery life will be slightly improved as well by not using LTE.

[thudoan63]

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@ajanda wrote:

The Moto G4 Play is a good option as well but the Moto G4 comes with a better camera, bigger screen, Snapdragon 617 vs 430. 

The Moto G4 is CNET's best budget Andriod device for 2016.

https://www.cnet.com/products/motorola-moto-g4/

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G4 Play and G4 are different. 

G4 Play only has a (rather dated) Snapdragon 410, not a 617.

[thudoan63]

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@outdoorsaddix wrote:

@bryanbreguet Link to the $149 G4 Play at Koodo? That sounds like a fantastic deal but I can't find it. 

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Still not exactly a fantastic deal. 

https://www.amazon.ca/BLU-Unlocked-Smartphone-16GB-Ram-Grey-Compatible/dp/B01LZHFSBC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=U...

$200 with free two-day shipping, and worth the extra $50. Has a better processor, better screen, better camera, and features a gyroscope which the G4 Play lacks.

[stonechucker]

How is the Zenfone 3 Laser for your wife now?  I'm considering buying it, however the ASUS website says no Band 4, but the BestBuy.ca site says band 4 is supported.

whar does Band 4 support, or maybe I should say, what would I miss?

i assume the connection is stable with(out) Band 4?

[ThisIsMyHandle]

I don't know if it helps or not, but I can confirm that the ZenFone 3 Laser works very well on Public Mobile. My wife is using one now and has not had any troubles with it.

That said the UI is nasty and the phone is full of bloatware, but at least it works.

[Tvisforme]

The ZenFone 2 Laser works very well on both Wind and Public, as well as on T-Mobile and AT&T in the US (from our roaming with Wind). The phone does come with Asus software, some of which is good and some not, but the company has been good about upgrades (Marshmallow at present) and CyanogenMod is officially supported and solid for day-to-day use. (Yes, CM has collapsed but the project will continue and the most recent ROMs are solid.)

[hopetindall]

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@WearySky wrote:

@hopetindall Liquid Zest?

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YES - it does indeed sound like a soap.

Actually not bad for a backup/test phone. It has a ***5000mAh*** battery!!!

It's dual SIM plus a Micro SD slot.

Has Band 4 support for Telus/PM.

[WearySky]

@hopetindall Liquid Zest?

[hopetindall]

I picked up an Acer Liquid Zest Plus (yep - the name is kind of crazy) at Costco for about $170.

[WearySky]

I've used Mobifree to unlock phones in the past, they're pretty solid.

And yeah, Motorola would be the one to deal with for warranty issues, not PC Mobile.

[Luddite]

Unlocks: try http://unlock.mobifree.ca or https://cellphoneunlock.net/products/unlock-motorola-moto-g-play/ There are others; Motos are not expensive to unlock.

Since PC Mobile monthly and prepaid are on different carriers their phones may be sold unlocked. Try a Public Mobile SIM; even unactivated it will say "Unsupported SIM" if locked and "No Service" if unlocked.

Warranty should still be honoured by Motorola, but don't know for sure.

If you are on a really tight timeline and live near Mississauga send me private message. I have a spare SIM you can have.

[skomorokh]

Okay, this is great, some good advice here. Axon seems perfect but I'm on a tight timeline so I'd have to express ship it and it'd still be cutting things close.

Sounds like the Asus UI is going to make supporting family a hassle, I take it things are still a bit ick even after tediously disabling the bloat?

So I'm leaning to the Play, can you suggest an unlocking service? What's a reasonable amount to pay? Is that instant? I assume I'm SOL for warranty from PC Mobile at that point? Moto is fairly reliable afaik so it's probably fine?

[bryanbreguet · Accepted solution]

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@outdoorsaddix wrote:

@bryanbreguet Link to the $149 G4 Play at Koodo? That sounds like a fantastic deal but I can't find it. 

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Actually PC Mobile: http://www.pcmobile.ca/prepaid_phones.jsp not Koodo, my bad.

It was even $139 from Best Buy on Boxing Day but the promo is over now.

Unlock codes can be found online for cheap.

[WearySky]

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@ajanda wrote:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/motorola-motorola-moto-g-4th-gen-16gb-smartphone-black-unlocked-...

I would recommend to get the Moto G4 by Motorola. It has a faster snapdragon processor than the Asus zenfone 3 laser and it runs stock android which is a lot smoother than Asus ZenUI software. The Moto G4 Play is a good option as well but the Moto G4 comes with a better camera, bigger screen, Snapdragon 617 vs 430. 

The Moto G4 is CNET's best budget Andriod device for 2016.

https://www.cnet.com/products/motorola-moto-g4/

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I'd still prefer the ZTE Axon linked above, myself.  32GB storage vs 16 in the G4, Snapdragon 801 vs Snapdragon 617, and 2 year manufacturer warranty vs 90 day warranty.  Not to mention it's $40 cheaper for a brand new one vs the refurb one you linked.

[ajanda]

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/motorola-motorola-moto-g-4th-gen-16gb-smartphone-black-unlocked-...

I would recommend to get the Moto G4 by Motorola. It has a faster snapdragon processor than the Asus zenfone 3 laser and it runs stock android which is a lot smoother than Asus ZenUI software. The Moto G4 Play is a good option as well but the Moto G4 comes with a better camera, bigger screen, Snapdragon 617 vs 430. 

The Moto G4 is CNET's best budget Andriod device for 2016.

https://www.cnet.com/products/motorola-moto-g4/

[WearySky]

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@will13am wrote:

I have a zenfone 2 in use.  The experience has been by and large good.  I would have no problem with getting a zenfone 3.  As already suggested, the ZTE axon is a good option and it's at the lower end of the price range.  It comes with 32 gigs of storage, 2 gigs ram, 5.5 inch 1080p display and a very fast snapdragon 801 CPU.  Canada Computers has it on sale at $199 (sale ends today).  They do ship cross Canada for a fee.  A colleague bought one off this sale for use on Public Mobile and has reported good initial feedback.  The G4 play only has a 720p display, which is pretty weak these days.  The 400 series snapdragon CPU is really how end.  I would avoid the Chinese brands like Xiaomi that do not really sell phones designed for the North American market.  The LTE bands will not match well and you will end up with 3G service only.  Good luck with the shopping.

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?item_id=099686 

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I'd definitely recommend the ZTE Axon that CC is selling.  I bought one for my mom for Christmas, and she loves it.  I set it up for her and I was really impressed at how snappy it is.  The only thing you want to do is disable the TouchPal keyboard app that comes with it, apparently it's got issues with ad popups.  Definitely recommend it over the G4 Play, for an extra $50 it's totally worth it.

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@bryanbreguet wrote:

I think a Moto G4 Play for $149 is a better option given the price. You can buy it prepaid for Koodo for instance and you just unlock it online.

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Just an FYI - no need to unlock a Koodo phone to use on Public Mobile.  Telus and Koodo locked phones will work on the PM network.

[will13am]

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@skomorokh wrote:
I'm looking for a $200-300 phone to use with PM which I can buy locally in Kelowna. What do you think of this option? http://www.staples.ca/en/ASUS-Zenfone3-Laser-55-32-GB-Unlocked-Smartphone-Silver-ZC551KL-S430-2G32GN... What alternatives might be easily obtainable in a small Canadian city?

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I have a zenfone 2 in use.  The experience has been by and large good.  I would have no problem with getting a zenfone 3.  As already suggested, the ZTE axon is a good option and it's at the lower end of the price range.  It comes with 32 gigs of storage, 2 gigs ram, 5.5 inch 1080p display and a very fast snapdragon 801 CPU.  Canada Computers has it on sale at $199 (sale ends today).  They do ship cross Canada for a fee.  A colleague bought one off this sale for use on Public Mobile and has reported good initial feedback.  The G4 play only has a 720p display, which is pretty weak these days.  The 400 series snapdragon CPU is really how end.  I would avoid the Chinese brands like Xiaomi that do not really sell phones designed for the North American market.  The LTE bands will not match well and you will end up with 3G service only.  Good luck with the shopping.

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?item_id=099686 

[outdoorsaddix]

@bryanbreguet Link to the $149 G4 Play at Koodo? That sounds like a fantastic deal but I can't find it. 

[outdoorsaddix]

I have heard good things about the Zenfone, they aren't the greatest spec'd phones but if that kind of stuff isn't super important to you, they will get the job done. 

If you are willing to spend about $120 more to get a much better zenfone, the Zenfone 3 (not the laser) is a good option:

http://www.staples.ca/en/ASUS-ZenFone-3-5-5-64-GB-Unlocked-Smartphone/product_SS5680895_2-CA_1_20001

But in that price range Moto G4 Play is also an option:

http://www.staples.ca/en/Motorola-Moto-G4-Play-Unlocked-Smartphone-16-GB-01011NACRTL-/product_250263...

And there is a Refurb Moto X 2nd Gen for $259

http://www.staples.ca/en/Motorola-Refurbished-2nd-Generation-Moto-X-Unlocked/product_2472396_2-CA_1_...

You might have to buy those online, but at least you will have a bricks and mortar store nearby to return it to if you don't like it. 

[bryanbreguet]

For the price, that's a relatively weak CPU. Also 2GB of RAM is a little bit low in 2017, especially for almost $300.

Finally, Asus has terrible quality control and the software is pretty **bleep** (ugly, never updated, etc).

I think a Moto G4 Play for $149 is a better option given the price. You can buy it prepaid for Koodo for instance and you just unlock it online.

[computergeek541]

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@skomorokh wrote:
I'm looking for a $200-300 phone to use with PM which I can buy locally in Kelowna. What do you think of this option? http://www.staples.ca/en/ASUS-Zenfone3-Laser-55-32-GB-Unlocked-Smartphone-Silver-ZC551KL-S430-2G32GN... What alternatives might be easily obtainable in a small Canadian city?

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Depending on what you're looking for, these phones might be worth a look and are roughly within your price range:

Zenfone 3 Max (bigger battery but lower resolution screen, less expensive than Zenfone 3 Laser)

ZTE Axon A1

ZTE Axon Pro (has 4GB of RAM)

Moto G Play (almost bloat-free Android)

Moto G 3rd (water resistant)

Zenfone 2 Laser (has a removeable battery)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (good specs and low price but limited software support and usually has to be imported from overseas)

Most of those options are from places that ship to you. But if you're in a small city and really want the ability to purchase a phone locally, you're pretty much at the mercy of whatever models the stores in your area carry.