This time we are not reviewing one of the latest smartphones because we thought that this publication might appeal to users who are on a budget. We are talking about ASUS ZenFone Go (ZC500TG), which is one of the best deals in the low-end market segment. The model offers the traditional for the Taiwanese company design and some very decent specs.
Of course, we must not forget that this price range has a lot of competitors such as Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016), which we recently reviewed. The current article, however, is dedicated to ASUS ZenFone Go (ZC500TG). Actually, ZenFone Go has another cheaper and newer version but we decided to discuss the more interesting (in our opinion) model that comes with a 5-inch IPS HD display, quad-core processor, and an 8MP main camera. Of course, this is not all that this phone has to offer, so if you want to learn more about it, this is the right place – read on.
If you are interested in ASUS ZenFone Go (ZC500TG), you can check its current price and availability here: http://amzn.to/2aCkCbk
Contents
Design and construction
Display and sound
Specs sheet
Battery
Software
Performance
Temperatures
Camera
Verdict
Design and construction
Although it’s a budget device, ZenFone Go preserves the ZenFone lineup design language. Its back is slightly rounded along the edges for better grip. Because of this, the profile thickness of 10 mm seems thinner. Holding ZenFone Go in one hand is comfortable, and it feels lightweight (it weighs only 135 grams).
The back cover is matte plastic, and at least with the white version we are testing fingerprints are hard to find, although you may see some from a particular angle. This side holds the main camera (in the center) and its LED flash. Right above them, you can find an integrated microphone for background noise cancellation. Slightly below, and again in the center, there are inscriptions saying ASUS and Zenfone, and the loudspeaker (placed further below).
On the front, you may notice the slightly thicker side bezels, which is negligible in a budget device. Below the display, there are the three Android capacitive buttons (not part of the screen and without LED backlighting). Above the screen, there is the front-facing camera, earpiece, another ASUS inscription, and the barely noticeable ambient light and proximity sensors.
On the right, you can find the volume controls and Power button (right below them). They are thin and slightly protruding. We find them comfortable to use with just enough key travel and uneven texture for ease of use. On top, there is only a headphones jack, and on the bottom – the main mic and microUSB port for charging and data transfer.
Under the hood
Furthermore, the back is removable with the help of a small notch in the lower corner. Once it’s out of the way, you will find two microSIM card slots and one microSD card slot. You can also easily remove the battery.
Display and sound
ZenFone Go (ZC500TG) features 5-inch HD display (1280 x 720p). This translates into a pixel density of approximately 294 ppi, and the image will display maximum detail when you are looking at the screen from a distance of 30 cm or more. In other words, you get good image detail for the money. Additionally, ZenFone Go uses an IPS panel that brings more contrasty and vivid colors. Viewing angles are always good, and depending on the angle you are looking from, the colors may be a little warmer (yellowish) or colder (bluish).
What’s more, the smartphone comes with the MiraVision technology that improves image quality by a number of adjustments. For example, you can customize brightness and contrast levels, as well as color saturation. In the advanced settings, you can also adjust sharpness and color temperature. At the lowest end of the menu, there is a dynamic contrast option which enhances the image.
Specs sheet
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OS
Android 5.1 Lollipop
CPU
Mediatek MT6580 (4-core, 1.30GHz, Cortex-A7)
RAM
2GB
Interna storage
8GB
GPU
Mali-400 MP1
Display
5-inch IPS LCD capacitive multitouch display (1280 x 720 p)
Connectivity
Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, A-GPS
Cameras
8-MP autofocus camera with an LED flash (rear), 2MP (front)
Features
two SIM cards(Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
microSD card slot supports up to 64GB)
microUSB v2.0 port
integrated loudspeaker
3.5 mm audio jack
accelerometer
proximity sensor
Battery
2070 mAh
Dimensions
71 x 144.5 x 10 mm
Weight
135 grams
Battery
This model features a 2070 mAh battery, and nobody seems to expect outstanding performance from it. Nonetheless, it has to supply a 5-inch IPS HD display, along with other components. Its settings menu does not offer additional power saving modes apart from the standard Battery saver, which comes with the Android platform. Of course, we examined this phone’s durability in five different tests – a phone call, Wi-Fi and 3G Web browsing, video playback and 3D gaming. The settings we used were the usual – screen brightness of 120 cd/m2, Wi-Fi module turned on, 3G turned off (except the 3G Web browsing test), Bluetooth and GPS turned off.
Talk Time
Web Surfing - Wi-Fi
Web Surfing - 3G
Video Playback
3D Gaming
In this test the screen doesn’t affect the battery life, since the proximity sensor turns it off during phone calls.
Smartphones
Results (min.)
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG 2070 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, MediaTek MT6580
836
0 %
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Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) 2050 mAh, 4.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
1082
29.43 %
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Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
1718
105.5 %
Check price
LG Spirit (H440N) 2100 mAh, 4.7-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
1166
39.47 %
Check price
Coolpad Modena 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
1280
53.11 %
Check price
Prestigio Grace S5 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P
763
- 8.73 %
Check price
We run our Web surfing test with a custom-made script, which browses through 70 popular web pages.
Smartphones
Results (min.)
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG 2070 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, MediaTek MT6580
555
0 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) 2050 mAh, 4.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
706
27.21 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
660
18.92 %
Check price
LG Spirit (H440N) 2100 mAh, 4.7-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
598
7.75 %
Check price
Coolpad Modena 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
597
7.57 %
Check price
Prestigio Grace S5 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P
509
- 8.29 %
Check price
This test uses the same custom-made script, but we use 3G connection instead of Wi-Fi.
Smartphones
Results (min.)
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG 2070 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, MediaTek MT6580
451
0 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) 2050 mAh, 4.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
415
- 7.98 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
524
16.19 %
Check price
LG Spirit (H440N) 2100 mAh, 4.7-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
381
- 15.52 %
Check price
Coolpad Modena 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
447
- 0.89 %
Check price
Prestigio Grace S5 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P
366
- 18.85 %
Check price
For this test we use a looping 720p movie.
Smartphones
Results (min.)
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG 2070 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, MediaTek MT6580
344
0 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) 2050 mAh, 4.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
911
164.83 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
724
110.47 %
Check price
LG Spirit (H440N) 2100 mAh, 4.7-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
682
98.26 %
Check price
Coolpad Modena 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
620
80.23 %
Check price
Prestigio Grace S5 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P
583
69.48 %
Check price
In order to simulate 3D gaming, we use Epic Citadel cycles at High Quality setting.
Smartphones
Results (min.)
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG 2070 mAh, 5.0-inch, IPS, MediaTek MT6580
223
0 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) 2050 mAh, 4.5-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
371
66.37 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) 2600 mAh, 5.0-inch, Super AMOLED, Spreadtrum SC8830
379
69.96 %
Check price
LG Spirit (H440N) 2100 mAh, 4.7-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
248
11.21 %
Check price
Coolpad Modena 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
354
58.74 %
Check price
Prestigio Grace S5 2500 mAh, 5.5-inch, IPS, Mediatek MT6735P
278
24.66 %
Check price
Software
ASUS ZenFone Go operates with Android 5.1 Lollipop, although the latter is heavily customized and complemented by a number of features and apps thanks to the ZenUI. From the first time you power up the phone, you will see several pages of pre-installed apps. Fortunately, you can sort them into folders. Additionally, the menus have a specific layout as well. An example is the drop-down menu that has undergone a change in design but also brings more options and shortcuts. By long-pressing or swiping downwards, you will open the Manage Home menu where you can choose a Theme, Wallpaper, Scroll effects, edit pages, a shortcut to the system settings, and more.
Pre-installed apps
Here is what you can expect in terms of pre-installed apps. MiniMovie allows you to create short videos with your photos and some text. PhotoCollage can be used for putting together your pictures into a collage with many effects. Quick memo, on the other hand, can come in handy for note taking. Via Zinio you can avail of an online store for magazines of all types. Tripadvisor will help you organize your vacation by giving you a detailed information about hotels, restaurants, landmarks, etc. ZenCircle is a kind of alternative social network where you can tag at and share different events and moments. Do it Later is an app in which you can note all future tasks and conveniently monitor your success. Share Link allows to easily share almost all kinds of files. Clean Master helps you check on the available RAM storage and options for ensuring more of it. Amazon Kindle is there for reading and buying books. Also available are a file manager, radio, flashlight, and many other apps.
Settings menu
ZenMotion
In comparison to other ASUS smartphones we’ve tested, the settings menu here is slightly more simplified and does not contain Kids mode or Easy mode. However, there is the ZenMotion submenu that has two sections – Motion Gesture and Touch Gesture. The former allows you to take a screenshot or add a new task in Do it Later by shaking the smartphone. On the other hand, the latter gives you the option to double tap in order to unlock or lock the screen, as well as five options of drawing a letter on a locked screen which will serve as a shortcut to an app.
Performance
ASUS ZenFone Go (ZC500TG) works with the Mediatek MT6580 mobile CPU, which has four Cortex-A7 cores ticking at 1.3 GHz. This is a 32-bit chip manufactured through a 28nm technological process. It supports HD displays, up to 13MP cameras, 1080p video recording, and Bluetooth 4.0. Along with it comes a Mali-400 GPU that ensures GPU performance, and 2 GB of RAM. Undoubtedly, this isn’t among the most powerful chips on the market but most important here is that it ensures smooth and snappy enough operation, and we did not register any serious stuttering or lag.
The internal storage you get with this phone is 16 GB, 10.5 GB of which are available for the user, the rest is occupied the system files and pre-installed apps. However, as it was already mentioned, there is a microSD card slot which supports up to 64 GB cards.
CPU
Geekbench 3.0 (Multi-Core)
Vellamo 3 Metal
Vellamo 2 Metal
Geekbench 3.0 is Primate Labs cross-platform processor benchmark which simulates real-world scenarios and gives a combined score, based on the results of integer, floating point and memory performance.
Smartphones
Results
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG MediaTek MT6580 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 2GB RAM
1188
0 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz), 1GB RAM
1165
- 1.94 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz), 1.5GB RAM
1296
9.09 %
Check price
LG Spirit (H440N) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1GB RAM
1463
23.15 %
Check price
Coolpad Modena Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1GB RAM
1199
0.93 %
Check price
Prestigio Grace S5 Mediatek MT6735P (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1GB RAM
1571
32.24 %
Check price
Metal 3 is the latest version of Vellamo’s CPU benchmark.
Smartphones
Results
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG MediaTek MT6580 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 2GB RAM
771
0 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz), 1GB RAM
841
9.08 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) Spreadtrum SC8830 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 1.5 GHz), 1.5GB RAM
820
6.36 %
Check price
LG Spirit (H440N) Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1GB RAM
778
0.91 %
Check price
Coolpad Modena Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz), 1GB RAM
843
9.34 %
Check price
Prestigio Grace S5 Mediatek MT6735P (4-core, Cortex-A53, 1GB RAM
928
20.36 %
Check price
Vellamo 2 Metal measures the CPU subsystem performance of mobile processors.
Smartphones
Results
Result
difference
Price
Asus Zenfone Go ZC500TG MediaTek MT6580 (4-core, Cortex-A7, 2GB RAM
600
0 %
Check price
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) S