How durable is the Asus Zenfone 6 camera motor?

Android phones are steadily veering towards bezel-less screens and motorized front cameras. In fact, we thought we are ushering an era of the motorized pop-up front cameras, especially after the launch of the OnePlus 7 Pro.

We couldn’t have been more right.

Cue the entry of Asus ZenFone 6 and it’s 48MP and 13MP dual flip-up camera that acts as both the primary and secondary shooter. Asus calls this phone the world’s first controllable motorized camera because of all the stunts and acrobatics its willing to perform to get us great photos.

This camera’s motor does way more than flipping back and forth between being the primary and secondary camera. The volume button — as well as an icon in the camera app — can be used to control the angle of the camera which means you can hold the phone flat and get pictures from angles that are impossible for other phones.

Asus ZenFone 6-1

Also, this camera has an auto-panorama feature, so you can hold your phone still while the motorized camera captures panorama shots both from a vertical and horizontal angle. The camera also does an excellent job with motion tracking when you’re recording videos. The stability is really good.

This flip camera has been made from amorphous alloy, an advanced metal that is incredibly strong. Its motor is driven with tiny powerful gears, so the camera flips in a second when required. This whole system is protected by a G-sensor that enables the camera to flip back into place if the phone drops.

But let’s get to the one place where we must all question the camera – it’s durability. The motorized camera has mechanized parts that are susceptible to damage and attrition, also how quick and responsive is the G-sensor?

Stress test

We’re going to refrain from giving you any absolute conclusion since neither Asus nor a popular reviewer has tested the camera on video. Asus, however, did announce that they have tested 100,000 flips on the phone and it was just fine. So the motor of this camera is definitely reliable.

But is 100,000 flips enough? What do you think?

Well, it surely doesn’t sound like a not-achievable lot. Flipping the camera 50 times a day, the 100,000 flips claim gives you a guarantee for about 5.5 years. But if you reply on face camera a lot, besides a thing for selfies, then you may be flipping the camera more than 50 times on some days.

When you know even the company’s test claims hand around the border of your usage, it’s not very cool. Nevertheless, we think the camera motor should hold up good for at least 3-4 years.

Drop test

Reviewer SMARTmania.cz performed a basic drop test for the pop-up camera to test its reaction speed. The phone was dropped on a sofa from just a few feet. From the looks of the video, we don’t think the camera popped back into place in time (it takes a second to get back in place).

Asus ZenFone 6-13

As of now, it is still unclear if the camera can survive in water. There are also no reports about the quality of the lens and whether it can survive scratches. But it’s highly unlikely that Asus has skimmed on the durability aspect of this camera because of its dual function.

We will keep you updated about any new developments regarding the camera and its durability. Stay tuned.

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