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ASUS' camera-flipping ZenFone 6 goes on sale in the US
ASUS' ZenFone 6 is now available in the US, a few months after the phone went on sale in Europe. The device starts at a fairly competitive $499.99 and you can pick it up from the ASUS Store, Amazon, B&H and Mobile Advance.
ASUS' ZenFone 6 has a flippable camera and giant battery
It's no secret that ASUS had been struggling in the smartphone world, but following the resignation of its previous CEO, the company has since shifted its focus from the masses to power users, with last year's ROG Phone already hinting at a new direction. That said, ASUS also needs to offer something that's less niche but still stands out from the crowd. This is where the new ZenFone 6 comes in: It's a flagship all-screen device with a flipping camera. It's an implementation once used by the likes of Oppo and Huawei years ago, and more recently, Samsung.
Watch ASUS' Zenfone 5Z launch in under 9 minutes!
When you're going up against serious mobile heavyweights, carving out a little bit of MWC for yourself can be tough. Maybe that's why ASUS held its Zenfone 5/5Z launch on the second day of the show (and that's not counting the pre-event press days). Either way, company CEO Jerry Shen was more than happy to enjoy his time on stage and tell us all about what's new with Zenfone. Catch up on the whole affair right here. Catch up on the latest news from MWC 2018 right here.
ASUS' Zenfone 5Z flagship looks the same as its mid-range cousin
ASUS's Zenfone 5 just made its first official appearance at MWC, and aside from overenthusiastic claims about its AI prowess, it's still a solid little machine. It isn't a flagship-level powerhouse though, which is why ASUS cooked the ZenFone 5Z -- it uses the exact same body as the more affordable Zenfone 5 but holds within it a Snapdragon 845 and up to 8GB of RAM.
ASUS’ ZenFone 5 stretches the limits of the term ‘AI’
As expected, ASUS officially revealed its new ZenFone 5 in Barcelona today, and if you don't mind I'm going to skip my usual meandering intro. The company talked up a handful of AI features in its latest midrange smartphone, but I think ASUS is throwing around the word "AI" haphazardly. More on that later though: Let's get the usual hands-on stuff out of the way first.
ASUS' latest ZenFone and its big battery will hit the US next month
ASUS' ZenFone line is still pretty fresh in our minds, but that didn't stop the company from showing off yet another new smartphone here at CES 2018. The awkwardly named ZenFone Max Plus (M1) -- yes, ASUS is insisting on the parentheses -- is set to launch in the US next month for $329, and its claim to fame is its 4,130mAh battery. Sure, it might not be quite as capacious as ASUS' own ZenFone 3 Zoom from last year, but that battery is still bigger than any you'll find in a normal flagship phone. Not bad at all, considering the asking price.
ASUS ZenFone AR review: A 'better' Tango phone doesn't mean much
Google's Tango augmented reality technology isn't new, and its debut last year on Lenovo's Phab2 Pro left a lot to be desired. I mean, honestly, as neat as AR apps can be, an enormous phone with a mid-range chipset wasn't the best vehicle for them. Meanwhile, ASUS was fine with waiting, and that has made all the difference. The new ZenFone AR ($599+) is better than Lenovo's earlier Tango phone by almost every measure that matters, and it supports Google's Daydream VR platform, to boot. The idea of a phone that's as good at augmented reality as it is at virtual reality is tantalizing, but I'm not convinced the ZenFone AR is going to make a believer out of anyone.
Asus leaks four ZenFone 4 models on its own website
Last year's Asus' ZenFone 3 line of mobile devices included a ton of spinoffs, including the ZenFone 3 Deluxe, ZenFone 3 Laser and the dual-camera ZenFone 3 Zoom this past January. Apparently the potentially confusing naming conventions are going to continue, as Asus just accidentally leaked four new ZenFone 4 models onto its own website, including updated basic, Selfie and Max models. What's new here is the Selfie Pro, an upgraded handset with two cameras on the front and upgraded specs inside. Does the world really need a professional selfie phone, though?
ASUS' Tango-powered ZenFone AR will hit the US in July
We already knew from Google I/O earlier this month that ASUS' ZenFone AR, the second-ever Tango phone (and the first to also support Daydream), was getting close to its official launch, and that it's coming to the US as a Verizon exclusive this summer. Thankfully, we now know when people will actually be able to buy one. Right after ASUS' pre-Computex keynote today, I sat down with CEO Jerry Shen who revealed that this device will finally be launching in Taiwan in mid-June, followed by a US launch as soon as late June or early July.
The ZenFone AR feels better than it should
ASUS had a subdued kind of CES this year, announcing just two new products on-stage during its press conference: the ZenFone AR and ZenFone 3 Zoom. Each phone offers its own brand of innovation. For instance, the ZenFone 3 Zoom has two cameras, a powerful 5,000mAh battery and a range of professional-grade photography options. However, the ZenFone AR is the real star of ASUS' show. It's the first phone to support both Google's Tango 3D-mapping tech and Daydream VR platform, paving the way for a new level of augmented reality.
ASUS's ZenFone AR handles both virtual and augmented reality
While ASUS's ZenFone AR might have been leaked days early, it's nonetheless a phone that's trying to drag us into the future -- whether that's virtual reality or augmented reality. ASUS says its ZenFone AR will be compatible with both Google's Daydream VR platform as well as Google's Tango augmented-reality tech.
ASUS' ZenFone 3 Zoom has two cameras and a big battery
ASUS' ZenFone Zoom was an ugly phone. While the front was discrete enough, the back was a leather-clad monster with a plastic disk jutting out. The benefit, of course, was the 3x optical zoom lens that allowed you to capture detail from afar. Its successor, the ZenFone 3 Zoom, takes a vastly different approach. The circular bulge is gone and in its place you'll find a dual-camera setup reminiscent of the iPhone 7 Plus. One is a f/1.7-aperture, 25mm wide-angle lens, while the other is a 59mm version offering a 2.3x optical zoom. Like Apple's latest smartphone, you can instantly bounce between to retain clarity in your shots.
Live from ASUS's CES 2017 press event!
ASUS is back for another CES, ready to show off all its latest wares, like the Tango- and Daydream-enabled ZenFone AR. The ASUS press conference kicks off at 11:30AM PT (2:30PM ET) on Wednesday, January 4th, and Engadget will be there, live, to share all of the details as they roll in.
ASUS makes a ZenFone 2 with a whopping 256GB of storage
Smartphones with more than 128GB of storage are still extremely rare, but they just became a little more accessible... if you live in Brazil, at least. ASUS has unveiled a Deluxe Special Edition of the ZenFone 2 that includes a cavernous 256GB of storage. You won't be hunting for a microSD card any time soon if you pick this up, folks. You'll also have the choice of carbon fiber- or crystal-like backs instead of the more pedestrian shells of the usual ZenFone 2. This special run arrives in Brazil this September. There's no mention of it reaching other countries, but here's hoping that it does -- cloud storage and streaming media will only go so far when you want lots of apps and videos at your fingertips. Update: ASUS has clarified that this 256GB model actually uses a combination of 128GB onboard storage and 128GB microSD expansion. Still a pretty tempting package, though. [Image credit: ASUS Fanaticos]
ASUS' photo-centric ZenFones head to India first
Back at Computex in June, we got a first glimpse of ASUS' upcoming ZenFone Selfie and the then-unnamed ZenFone 2 Laser, both being the first phones to switch back to Qualcomm's chipset after ASUS' streak of Intel-powered mobile devices. Today, the company has finally chosen India as the first country to get the Selfie and the Laser, as well as a few surprise devices. Let's talk about the Laser first: It's obviously all about the speedy laser auto-focus on the 13-megapixel, f/2.0 main camera with dual-tone flash. Its also comes in three sizes: 5 inches (not launching in India just yet), 5.5 inches (from 9,999 Rupees or about $160) and 6 inches (from 17,999 Rupees or about $280); all with Gorilla Glass 4 and resolution of up to 1080p. Chipset-wise, these models range from the low-end quad-core Snapdragon 410 with 2GB RAM up to the octa-core Snapdragon 615 with 3GB RAM.
ASUS' lovely, low-cost ZenFone 2 hits North America tomorrow
ASUS' ZenFone 2 isn't exactly an unknown quantity -- we first saw it at CES earlier this year, and since then, the thing's been trickling onto store shelves around the world. Still, after a surreal, slightly awkward/slightly cool dance number, Chairman Jonney Shih made an appearance in New York to talk about bringing the company's newest flagship(s) to the US. Long story short, we're getting two models around these parts, one that'll cost $199 off-contract and another that'll run you $299. Read on for a better sense of that your hard-earned scratch will get you.
ASUS' new LTE phablet gives plenty of bang for the buck
It's been exactly one year since ASUS launched its ZenFone line of relatively affordable Android phones, and having shipped 8 million units so far, the Taiwanese company is keen to keep the momentum going. The new ZenFone 2 announced today isn't just better-looking, but it's also packed with great specs: 64-bit quad-core Intel processor, 5.5-inch (1080p) IPS display, Gorilla Glass 3, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, fast-charge technology, up to 4GB of RAM, microSD slot, Android 5.0 (with ASUS' pretty ZenUI) and more. Better yet, this dual-SIM LTE phone starts from just $199 unsubsidized when it hits the US in Q2. This is surprisingly aggressive -- even more so than the flagship devices from Xiaomi and OnePlus.
Here's a closer look at ASUS' low-cost Zenfone line
At today's ASUS press conference here in Las Vegas, chairman Jonney Shih unveiled a new line of low-cost Android smartphones, dubbed Zenfones. The devices, which come in a range of 4-, 5- and 6-inches, have dual-core Intel Atom processors inside and run a skinned version of Android 4.3 that ASUS is calling Zen UI. Apart from a focus on imaging software, Shih didn't elaborate too much on what users could expect from that interface. But it's clear from our brief time with the handsets that the sleek UI emphasis simplicity by means of cleaner fonts and larger icons. The real kicker, however, for these newly announced Zenfones is their pricing: $100 for the Zenfone 4, $150 for the Zenfone 5 and $200 for the Zenfone 6. And that's all off-contract.
ASUS unveils Zenfone line packing Android, Intel chips and a simple interface
It's been a while since we've seen an ASUS smartphone that wasn't meant to be used with (or as) a tablet, but the company is making up for that absence by launching the Zenfone line. The Zenfone 4, 5 and 6 all sport dual-core Intel Atom processors and a range of exotic color options. They also tout a new interface layer on top of Android 4.3, ZenUI, that promises both simplicity and a What's Next feature for tracking your daily schedule. Differences between models largely boil down to screen size and performance. The Zenfone 4 starts things off with its namesake 4-inch 800 x 480 LCD, a 1.2GHz Atom chip, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front VGA shooter. Move to the Zenfone 5 and you'll get a larger 720p display with pen and glove support, a 2GHz Atom, an 8MP back camera and 2MP at the front. The Zenfone 6 builds on this with an even bigger (though still 720p) screen and a 13MP rear camera. ASUS hasn't said when the Zenfone series hits shops, although the absence of LTE suggests that the handsets won't reach 4G-obsessed US carriers in an official capacity. They'll definitely be cheap to buy off-contract, however -- the Zenfone 4 starts things off at $99, while its 5- and 6-inch counterparts will cost $149 and $199.
