Asus has launched a smartphone that includes an optical-zoom camera, but of course it's chunkier than mobile phones from other makers which offer only digital zooming. The ZenFone Zoom has a 13-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom, thanks to a 10-piece lens. It includes an automated image stabiliser. Its autofocus works with a laser beam. The phone is 10 millimetres thick.
Users are also not limited to fully automated photography. Instead, they can set aperture stops and exposure times.
The Android device, which was presented at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, has a 5.5-inch HD screen as well as an extra 5-megapixel camera in the front for video chats and selfies. It is expected to go on sale in the second quarter.