Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D

     Hello dearies! After weeks of anticipation, ASUS Philippines unveiled the latest smart phone models in a launch dubbed as Zenvolution PH. It's one of the grandest launch as of the moment and I was one of the lucky few who got the first dibs on the latest models that ASUS is offering in the market now. One of the smart phones launched that day was the ZenFone 3 5.2 and ZenFone 3 5.5

    ASUS surprised me weeks ago when I received a beautiful and elegant grayish box. It's a ZenFone 3 without a doubt. So when I opened the box, a beautiful and sleek sapphire black phone that's lighter than my ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser greeted me. I'm so giddy that I can't contain my excitement because there will be another baby in our ASUS family. The question is, will it trump the previous models of ASUS ZenFone that I have and will be rightful in their tagline #IncredibleIsNow? Read more on my first impressions + unboxing video below :)

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 

     Three weeks have passed and up to know I can't believe that I have a new baby -an ASUS ZenFone 3. It came in a sophisticated grayish box that is handy, fits my palm, and has a gold logo of ZenFone 3. There's no color indicator outside the box so if you're planning to give this as a gift, the receiver would be surprised once he/she opened it.

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D
ASUS ZenFone 3 5.2"

Unboxing

Inside the box of my review unit are as follows:

1. ASUS ZenFone 3 5. 2" (Z017D) Unit in Sapphire Black

2. AC Adapter Charger

3. USB Cable Type C

4. ZenEar Headphones with Spare Ear Buds
5. Sim Card Ejector

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
Inside the ASUS ZenFone 3 5.2" Box

First Impressions

     Upon opening the flip top box, I immediately checked the phone. Slide off the wrap and inspected the overall appearance of the unit. The first thing I noticed was the shape of the phone. It's different from ZenFone 2. Very light and thin! The texture is smooth and I love the color that I got because it's black and not an ordinary black- Sapphire Black to be exact. A color that exudes class and and elegance that's why I can say it has a premium look indeed.

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
ASUS ZenFone 3 Slim bezel, premium crafted-metaalic diamond cut bevel, and thinnest edge

Beauty Inside and Outside
Front
     Even without holding the phone, you can see the elegant appearance and what embodies this smartphone. The combination of glass and metal is sublime on its own. It's not an ordinary glass but a 2.5D Contoured Corning Gorilla Glass. If you're phone is always in good hands like you're not clumsy like ninja, (hahaha) no need for a tempered glass. But for added protection, a tempered glass wont hurt.

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
ASUS ZenFone 3 front

     Facing in front, is the 8 MP PixelMaster Camera. The capacitive buttons are placed at the bottom of the phone and still no backlight like the previous phone models which sometimes I dislike but it's not a big deal for me. I can go in a well-lit place at night if I have to, right?

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D  
ASUS ZenFone 3 front top and bottom 

Back

     Here's the back of ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser- the 16MP rear camera is located at the center and it's slightly protruding at the back. This is the reason why the phone will not lie flat on a table. The finger print sensor is situated below the rear camera.

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
ASUS ZenFone 3 back

     Again, the back is covered with 2.5D Contoured Corning Gorilla Glass with silver accent on the side. The logo of ASUS is placed at the bottom. The dual LED real tone flash is on the right side while the Laser AF is on the left side of the camera.

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
ASUS ZenFone 3 upper back 

Top, Bottom, and Sides

     The 3.5mm jack is located on the top while the USB Type C connector is at the bottom.

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 

     The keys for the power and volume can be seen at the right side of the phone. It's back to the place where I'm used to so hooray for that. This doesn't have a removable battery though.

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 

     The left side is where you'll place the sim card. Is this kind of a sorcery because there are no slot or button for sim cards and expandable memory? Well, there is but it's hidden and that's where you'll use the sim card ejector. 

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
Sim Card Tray with Sim Card, Micro SD, and Sim Card Ejector

Slot 1 Micro SIM

Slot 2 Nano SIM/Micro SD up to 128 Gb

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
Sim Card and Micro SD Card Tray

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
Sim Card and Micro SD Card Slots

    I use only one sim and a 32 Gb memory card. So far so good. The display is bright and clear. The photos are beautiful and crisp. I thank ASUS for the 2650 mAh battery that lasted me for more than 10 hours while Data or WiFi is on. ZenFone 3's performance is simply amazing when it comes to scrolling and loading websites and multi-tasking. It's Octa-core, baby!

Clarity

     The design, color, and build is love at first sight. Second love? the camera and the features like depth of field, beautification, and super resolution. Some of my favorite shots here:

Auto Mode

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
Meiji Chocolates in Auto mode

Super Resolution

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 
Flowers in Daang Bakal shot in Super Resolution

Effects in Gray Scale

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D
Kenzo inside Himpilang Daang Bakal, San Fernando Pampanga 

     I'll be musing more of my experiences on ZenFone 3's phone features, gaming, and over-all entertainment on my next post and that will be one of the parts for the full review of ASUS ZenFone 3. Before I end this post, let me share a short unboxing video. Oh by the way, this is how my beauty arsenal looks like now :)

Unboxing and First Impressions: ASUS ZenFone 3 Z017D 

Unboxing Video

For more information about ASUS  Philippines, visit their website:

https://www.asus.com/ph/

Like them on Facebook: ASUS Zenfone Philippines

Follow them on Twitter: @ASUSph

Follow them on Instagram: @asusph

Good Times!~

Product Review: Pest-Off Insect Killer

     The news on Dengue here in our country is very alarming. Every month, there are cases of Dengue being reported on national television, I know that there are also other cases unreported and it saddens me because some don't get the proper treatment during those times that Dengue Vaccine is not yet available. This mosquito-borne disease is fatal because the virus that the female mosquito inflicts in its victim causes the platelets to drop and if not treated immediately, the patient will die.

     Are you going to let Dengue harm you and your loved ones? Yes, there's a vaccine now but prevention is always better than cure. We need to keep our house clean and kill those pesky mosquitoes at home all year round! How do you make your home Dengue-free? Well, it starts with cleaning and using an insect-killing product that works. I've discovered Pest-Off Insect Killer and I want to share my thoughts on this product below :)

Pest-Off Insect Killer

     While doing our grocery shopping early this week, I visited household cleaning and insecticide products section at Robinsons Supermarket Novaliches because we ran out of insect killer at home. My son is prone to insect bites- mosquito bites to be exact that's why I need to have a back-up bottle of insect killer ready to use anytime of the day.

Product Review: Pest-Off Insect Killer

     I was browsing the products on display and saw the brand Pest-Off. Pest-Off Complete Insect Killer is a special formulated odorless aerosol spray that kills any flying or crawling insects such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, houseflies, fleas, and other insects that cause many diseases. In other words, this product is not only for mosquitoes but for all the pesky insects as well. The odorless formulation and the function got me sold!

Product Review: Pest-Off Insect Killer
175g (260 ml) and 350g (520 ml )

size: 350g (520 ml ) and 175g (260 ml) 

price: 188.25 php (Around $3.93+) and 134.75 php (Around $2.80+)

place bought: Robinsons Supermarket Novaliches

Available in Shopwise, Puregold, SM Hyermarket, and Cash & Carry

ingredients: Neo-Pynamin Forte 0.10%, Gokilaht-S 0.15%, Inert Ingredients 99.75%. Also contains Petroleum Distillates.

instructions for use: Close all the windows and doors. Directly spray on the flying insects. Spray in hiding places, sinks, and other places where they live. Spray a few seconds or until it is wet. Do not re-enter the room for 30 minutes.

precaution: Avoid contact with ski, eyes, mouth, and nose. After spraying, avoid inhaling excessively. Do not spray on food, utensils, and tables. Do not spray on humans, rooms with babies, or directly on pets. After using, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. Harmful if swallowed. Can is pressurized, do not puncture. Do not reuse container when empty.

Product Review: Pest-Off Insect Killer
350g (520 ml)

How it works?

• Pest-Off Insect Killer drives those insects out of their hiding places and eliminates them. Pest-Off Complete Insect Killer is ozone friendly because it does not contain CFC or Chlorofluorocarbons, which may be harmful in our environment.
• Pest-Off Insect Killer is an aerosol kind of insect spray and if you're concern in our environment, this product is safe and do not harm the earth's ozone layer. According to studies, eerosol products do not harm the earth's ozone layer because they do not contain CFCs although a recent survey showed that 7 out of 10 thought the chemicals were still used in the products. CFCs were removed from most aerosol products in the early 1970s even before their use in aerosols was banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1978.

Product Review: Pest-Off Insect Killer
175g (260 ml)

What I like:

• Pest-Off Insect Killer is affordable.
• It comes in two sizes.
• I like that it has less noise when spraying compared to other aerosol sprays in the market today.
• It's odourless.
• The mist coming from the spray nozzle is fine and targets the area where it needed. 
• This is a not only for mosquitoes, but for other crawling and flying insects too.
• The can is complete with product information.
• Easily accessible.
• There's an expiry date printed at the bottom of the can.
• It is FDA Philippines approved!

What I don't like:

• None so far

Will I repurchase? Yes!

Recommendation.

     I give this a 4.75/5 rating. As what I've said above, prevention is always better than cure. I strongly advise you to keep your houses clean at all times. Invest in affordable insect killing products to protect you and your loved ones not only from mosquitoes but in all kinds of pesky insects that may bring germs inside the household. 

How do you combat pesky mosquitoes and other insects at home? Share your thoughts below :)

To know more about Pest-Off and other products from Global WindsCorporation,

visit their website: http://www.globalwinds.com.ph/

Like them on Facebook: Pest Off
Follow them on Instagram: @pestoff_ph

Follow them on YouTube: pestoffphilippines

#PestOffPH

Good Times!~

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Mondays Made Better

     Do you know the song "Manic Monday?" Monday should always start with positive vibes but for some, this is the day where some are still day dreaming of the past weekend. I have a friend who hates Monday because there is still a hang over from chill-party weekends.

     Did you know that Mondays are every successful individual's secret weapon? While the first day of the workweek may be a source of dread for some, others choose to see it as a fresh start, full of exciting possibilities. Seeking to inspire its customers to make Mondays better, the country's authority on premium coffee and tea, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, is celebrating some of today's most admired achievers by sharing snippets and stories of their success. Read more and be inspired after the jump!

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Mondays Made Better