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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' PadFone X goes global: still a 5-inch to 8.9-inch transformer
The ASUS PadFone X due June 6th can be considered as a slightly rugged version of the regular PadFone Infinity flagship line, but it's only limited to AT&T customers. Luckily, for those outside the US, there will soon be a global variant dubbed the PadFone S. These two models are pretty much identical: You get the same 5-inch-phone-to-8.9-inch-tablet transformation, and the guts include the 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM, full HD displays, microSD slot, 13MP plus 2MP cameras on the phone (1MP front camera on the tablet) and 2,300mAh plus 4,990mAh batteries. The only differences are the 3G and 4G bands for obvious reasons, plus the wireless charging here follows the more popular Qi specifications, as opposed to PMA's. There's no info on pricing yet here at Computex; all we know is that it'll arrive in select markets as early as late Q3 this year.
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.
