Jonney Shih, ASUS Chairman and Jerry Shen, ASUS CEO launching the ASUS ZenFone smartphones in South East Asia
The ASUS ZenFone smartphone range caught our attention when it was first announced at CES 2014 due to it's design, price and performance. Now ASUS already have several smartphone devices in the market, but the ASUS ZenFone smartphone range look to be the first to seriously target the entry-level to midrange market with it's focus on price and performance. Rather than go for a Malaysia launch, ASUS Malaysia were kind enough to invite us for the ASUS Regional launch where the ASUS ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6 smartphones were announced by Jonney Shih, ASUS Chairman, with each priced below RM1000. According to him the ASUS ZenFone smartphones are the luxury device that will empower the masses. Check out the tech specs below for a refresher of the ASUS ZenFone 4, ASUS ZenFone 5 and ASUS ZenFone 6:
- ASUS ZenFone 4
- 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 processor
- 1GB RAM
- 4GB storage + up to 64GB microSD
- 4-inch TN TFT
- 5MP rear camera
- 124.4 x 61.4 x 11.2mm | 115g
- supports Dual-SIM, 3G, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, MicroUSB
- 1170 mAh battery
Introducing the ASUS ZenFone 4
- ASUS ZenFone 5
- 2.0GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor
- 1GB RAM
- 4GB storage + up to 64GB microSD
- 5-inch LCD (IPS, 720p, gloves and stylus ready)
- 8MP PixelMaster rear camera (f/2.0, PanoSphere)
- 148.2 x 72.8 x 10.3mm | 140g
- supports Dual-SIM, 3G, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, MicroUSB
- 2050 mAh battery
Introducing the ASUS ZenFone 5
- ASUS ZenFone 6
- 2.0GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 processor
- 2GB RAM
- 8GB storage + up to 64GB microSD
- 6-inch LCD (IPS, 720p, gloves and stylus ready)
- 13MP PixelMaster rear camera (f/2.0, PanoSphere)
- SonicMaster Audio
- 166.9 x 84.3 x 9.9mm | 200g
- supports Dual-SIM, 3G, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, MicroUSB
- 3240 mAh battery
Introducing the ASUS ZenFone 6
From the tech specs above, it is obvious that the ASUS ZenFone 4 is targeting the entry-level market especially as it will be priced at a phenomenal RM299. Most smartphones at that price point have fairly lower-end tech specs which you can see from our comparison tool of RM300 or so smartphones in Malaysia while the ASUS ZenFone 4 packs in a 5MP rear camera with 1GB of RAM.
The ASUS ZenFone 5 on the other hand clearly targets the upper entry-level and entry-midrange user with some fairly powerful tech specs and features at RM599. You won't find many smartphones at that price point packing features like an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5-inch screen with a scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 layer. Check it out with our RM600 or so smartphone comparison tool.
Gunning for the phablet and midrange crowd is the ASUS ZenFone 6 with it's 6-inch screen and higher-end tech specs all for a confirmed price point of RM899. While this pricing may differ somewhat from pricing in other regions, we feel that it is still very good price to performance as you will not find a phablet with the same tech specs, like a 13MP rear camera and 2GHz Intel Atom processor for the same pricing here in Malaysia. Check out our tech specs comparison tool for smartphones in the RM900 price range for some more detailed information.
All of the ASUS ZenFone smartphones share similar features though like Intel Atom processors, the ASUS ZenUI interface, PixelMaster camera technology and SonicMaster audio technology which you can see explained below:
Intel Atom Z2520 ~ Z2580
While these Intel Atom processors are only dual-core, they also bring hyper-threading to the table, offering more stable multi-tasking on top of more reliable performance. They still provide the all the juice you need to do some smooth gaming or use more demanding apps but we'll cover more on that later.
ASUS ZenUI
Based on the more energy efficient Android 4.3 operating system, the ASUS ZenUI packs in simple yet concise task management along with a very zippy interface. The interface and operating system is set to get the upgrade to Android 4.4.2 KitKat with it's optimized performance very soon so this is definitely something else to look forward to.
PixelMaster Camera Technology
The PixelMaster camera technology is a combination of software and hardware working together to provide great camera performance regardless of the situation. While it offers many different camera modes such as Selfie Mode, Deptth of Field mode and Electronic Image Stabilizer, two of the more notable ones are Time Rewind and Low-light Mode:
Low-light mode
Acknowledging that we take photos and videos even when the sun goes down, ASUS have also included a special Low-light mode which offers better clarity and definition for videos and images recorded in low-light conditions. Utilizing special algorithms and a customizable camera sensor, the low-light mode works for both video recording as well as camera shots, enabling 4x light sensitivity.
Time Rewind
Offering the ability to rewind your shots and select just the right one, the Time Rewind feature is great for moving objects which move unpredictably like babies, children and animals. Capturing up to 31 frames both before and after taking the shot, you can choose to rewind or forward to the image and maintain the same resolution.
Dual-SIM support
Designed with those who have a number for work and a number for play, the Dual-SIM feature is available in all of the ASUS ZenFone smartphones.
Also on display were the ASUS PadFone Mini 2-in-1 smartphone and 7-inch tablet combo along with the ASUS FonePad 7 which we reviewed recently. While this confirms Malaysia pricing, we still haven't received exact Malaysia release dates just yet. However, we expect the ASUS ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6 to be available in Malaysia by the end of April 2014. We'll be doing in depth reviews and analysis for the ASUS ZenFone smartphones and features in the coming days so stay tuned for more updates.
The ASUS PadFone mini highlights
Introducing ASUS ZenFone and PadFone mini
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