When we recently reached the point of having to purchase a smartphone for one of our daughters, we did research and followed recommendations and eventually settled on the ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser 550KL. For the price and features included, this is a very good buy.Yet, it seems that after using said smartphone for a while, my daughter's one complaint was about the size: it was kind of big. At 5.5 inches, it is a pretty big smartphone. I thought my daughter would enjoy the large screen for reading or watching movies, but instead the realities of just carrying it around were her main concern.After purchasing my daughter's phone, I'd been shopping for a new phone for myself and had finally found one. Prior to its purchase, we asked our daughter whether she'd prefer to keep her phone, or instead take my new phone which would be smaller, but have less features. The size was important for her, so she chose to get the new phone meaning I became the owner of her ASUS phone.This weekend I've started to play with the phone, and as of this writing I've put in quite a few hours. There have been various settings to adjust, various apps to update, and time spent looking for the information I want on the phone.My main goal with this phone will be to use it as... wait for it... a phone! I have a computer that I use often for my work, plus I have an iPad which is used for both work and play. I've been told that once I start to use the smartphone I will use it for many things, so we will have to see who's correct.Right now, I'm enjoying playing with the phone. I can honestly admit that I'd have preferred to have bought an iPhone from Apple, but they are just too expensive. My ASUS phone is sim-free so I can use any carrier's sim card and I'm not tied down to any lengthy contract. I love the sense of freedom I have with this phone and the idea that I can use it anywhere with any company (well, not with anything Apple-related).I also love the price. We bought the phone for about ¥20,000 or about $200 CDN. Monthly we will pay about ¥1200 or about $13 CDN to use it. While I'll be able to do everything (phone, music, internet, messages, etc.) with the phone, the data volume is limited. Again, I have a computer and the iPad if I need to download more data, so I don't worry.With these fees, I'm paying about the same as I paid for my old phone which only really about me to make phone calls and send the most basic of messages.The future looks bright for me and the ASUS Zenfone 2. Happy smart phoning.