Case

Asus calls the ZenFone 2 "... the best looking smartphone, ever." As subjective as that may be, it's hard to argue against the attractive brushed metallic look of the back cover, especially in those inevitable macro shots of the device. The curved back only accentuates the reflections and shares visual similarities to the costlier LG G3 and HTC One M9. Meanwhile, the front face is the usual Gorilla Glass glossy fare with a 72 percent screen-to-body ratio and more brushed metallic texture work on the bottom for good measure. Users who have had hands-on time with the ZenFone 5 or ZenFone 6 will know exactly what to expect here as the overall design philosophy and appearance remain largely unchanged. The notable exception is the Volume rocker, which is now on the back of the device a la the LG G2 and G3.

Unfortunately, "metallic look" in this case is just a fancy way of saying "plastic" or "polycarbonate". When removed, the back cover bends and twists as easily as any other plastic cover and is not a true aluminum alloy as are the covers on the HTC One M8 and M9. Edges and corners feel soft and will ding more easily than alloyed smartphones. With that said, the ZenFone 2 is still rigid with no creaking or visible depressions and only minimal twisting overall. As is a common feature with removable back covers, multiple colors are available for added customization.

Its arched back gives the ZenFone 2 a maximum thickness of almost 11 mm (or 3.9 mm around the thin edges), which is thicker than all other 5.5-inch smartphones in our comparison graphic below. Weight is luckily in line with what we expect from a device this size at about 170 g compared to the iPhone 6 Plus (172 g), OnePlus One (164 g), and LG G Flex 2 (152 g).