Asus Zenfone 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy A80

Video recording

The Zenfone 6 has outstanding video recording creds, being able to capture 4K video at 60fps with electronic stabilization. Meanwhile, the midrange Galaxy A80 has no such aspirations and is capped at 4K at 30fps, while its EIS only works at 1080p. The Galaxy does have Live focus video - a faux bokeh mode for video as well.

Seeing how this is one of the A80's defining features, we gave it a try back at the original review time, and now once more with the latest hardware/firmware combo. While we could say it's been improved slightly, we still consider it more of a novelty than a truly useful mode - the end results look artificial after anything longer than a passing glance.

Going back to where the Zenfone shines brighter, we're unpleasantly surprised by what appears to be faulty stabilization in 4K at 60fps. Our previous experience was that 4K60 footage was very well stabilized, while now we're seeing jittery clips. If they had it right then, they'll probably get it back right in a future update, but that's just how it is right now. On a positive note, 4K30 videos out of the Zenfone are really smooth.

That can't really be said of the Galaxy's 4K capture from the main camera - the lack of EIS shows and watching clips filmed while walking is borderline unbearable.

The Galaxy also has issues in 1080p where the stabilization can leave you with a really unpleasant wobble. The Zenfone shows poise here as well.

Both phones happily stabilize footage from their ultra wide angle cams, but the Zenfone has another advantage - it can capture in 4K with its ultra wide, while the A80 is capped at 1080p. The Galaxy does have a Super steady mode that crops in further and should be better suited to shooting in while running, for examples. For general purposes the regular mode is just fine.

The following are all playlists, so make sure you click in the top right corner to see all the different modes we shot in.

When mounted on a tripod, both phones will deliver excellent 4K videos. For what it's worth we even like the Zenfone's 60fps capture better than its 30fps - it has more natural processing and better dynamic range.

The Galaxy cannot turn off its 1080p stabilization so you're getting the narrower field of view of that the EIS processing results in. Coverage aside, the quality is comparable in terms of detail and sharpness, and the Galaxy's colors are a bit more vivid.

In the ultra wide angle contest there's no contest really. The Zenfone's 4K capability is unmatched by the Galaxy, but it's some really good looking ultra wide 4K in absolute terms as well. While both phones can capture 1080p videos, the ones out of the Galaxy are nowhere as crisp as the Zenfone's.

Wrap up

At no point was this piece meant to conclude with buying advice - the Zenfone 6 and the Galaxy A80 are so different in their target audiences that we don't think anyone is actually faced with such a dilemma. It was conceived as more of a showcase of what can be done with outside-the-box thinking and how an unconventional solution to one problem can lead to an improved experience elsewhere.

Having said that, we can still summarize that they capture virtually identical photos with their main cameras, the Galaxy takes better portraits (when the stars align), while the Zenfone's ultra wide angle shooter is superior and Asus' video capture capabilities are more versatile, though the A80's exclusive Live focus video is cool to have.

But this falls short of being a recommendation to get either one, because of the simple fact that it doesn't take into account other key aspects that make a smartphone worth your money. We just went out shooting with a couple of flippy cams.