Asus ZenFone 5Z Gets RAW File Support, Panorama Feature, and More via OTA Update

Asus ZenFone 5Z has started receiving a new software update that is designed to improve its overall experience. Asus on Friday announced that it has started rolling out the update as a firmware over-the-air (FOTA) package with a list of camera enhancements and system-level performance improvements as well as all bug fixes. The latest update comes just days after the Taiwanese company launched the ZenFone 5Z 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant in India with a price tag of Rs. 36,999. Notably, this isn't the first new software version after the ZenFone 5Z debuted in India. The smartphone last month received a major update that enhanced the experience and brought the June Android security patch.

As per the official changelog provided by Asus to the press, the latest software update for the ZenFone 5Z brings RAW file support to the Camera app. There is also a Panorama feature that helps users take panoramic shots through the default Camera app. Further, the update adds an option to enable or disable the EIS (electronic image stabilisation). There is also an ability to enable the built-in LED flash in the Pro mode. Asus has additionally upgraded the preset filters to real-time filters.

Alongside the enhancements, the latest ZenFone 5Z update brings several camera improvements as well. There are improvements on the part of HDR, camera stability, auto exposure, photo sharpness, and autofocus functionality. Likewise, the slow-motion quality and file size for HD (720p) have also been improved. The company has also boost audio quality in videos to 192kbps bitrate. Similarly, the update improves general video quality.

The software update for the ZenFone 5Z is also claimed to improve Wi-Fi stability. Furthermore, there are bug fixes to uplift the overall performance.

Since the update is available in the form of a FOTA package, it should be seeded to your ZenFone 5Z automatically. However, you can manually check its presence by visiting Settings > System > System update

Asus ZenFone 5Z specifications

To recall, the dual-SIM (Nano) Asus ZenFone 5Z runs ZenUI 5.0 based on Android 8.0 Oreo and features a 5.2-inch full-HD+ (1080x2246 pixels) Super IPS+ display along with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. There is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, coupled with an Adreno 630 GPU and up to 8GB of RAM. The smartphone has a dual rear camera setup with a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor along with an f/1.8 aperture lens and OIS support and an 8-megapixel OmniVision 8856 sensor along with a fixed-focus, f/2.2 aperture lens that has a 120-degree field of view. An 8-megapixel sensor is available at the front that also supports a Face Unlock feature.

The ZenFone 5Z has up to 256GB of onboard storage that is expandable via microSD card (up to 2TB). In terms of connectivity, there is 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/ 5GHz), NFC, Bluetooth v5.0, FM radio, USB OTG, GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, USB Type-C (Gen1), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light, electronic compass, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and an RGB sensor. Besides, the handset has a 3300mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 and measures 153x75.6x7.7mm.