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.
As for the Selfie, it's essentially the 5.5-inch version of the Laser slapped with a more powerful front-facing wide-angle camera: 13-megapixel resolution and f/2.2 aperture, but no laser on this side. It's powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 615 chipset and retails for 15,999 Rupees or about $250.
Launching alongside the Selfie and the Laser is the ZenFone 2 Deluxe, which is quite the looker thanks to its cool multifaceted polygonal back covers (hopefully ASUS will sell these separately for existing ZenFone 2 users). Underneath that, it's just the top spec ZenFone 2 with 128GB of internal storage, 4GB RAM, a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom chip and the same-old fast charge technology -- from zero to 60 percent in just 39 minutes. This one goes for 22,999 Rupees or about $360 which is pretty aggressive, especially given that the OnePlus 2 comes with just 3GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage for the same price in India.
For those who are looking for a new Android tablet, ASUS is also bringing the affordable Intel-powered ZenPads to India, with the 7-inch model going for 11,999 Rupees or about $190, and the 8-inch version for 14,999 Rupees or about $240. Better yet, for an extra 3,000 Rupees (about $50), you can get the quirky Audio Cover for some surround sound action on these slates.
