News & Reviews:   ASUS ZenFone 5 specification

Somehow, DiGi have managed to get their hands on some stock of the near sold-out ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphones and is now offering the ASUS ZenFone 5 for free on a DG Smart Plan 78 postpaid plan. You will have to sign up for a 24 month contract and pay an Advance or Upfront payment but the ZenFone 5 should be well worth it. The ASUS ZenFone 5 currently retails for RM599 but offers tech specs and features a bit higher than your average midrange smartphone. For more details about this deal, check out the table and links in this article.

While ASUS Malaysia have yet to make any announcements, it seems that the 16GB version of the ASUS ZenFone 5 (A501CG) smartphone may soon get a price drop down to RM519. Originally retailing for RM599 for the 1GB RAM version, this price-cut version not only offers 2GB of RAM but also the aforementioned 16GB of storage instead of the 8GB of storage space it started out with. Other tech specs and features remain the same and are listed below. While we got this information from local distributors, there is still no news yet on availability, which ASUS Malaysia will no doubt come out with soon. For now, check out the tech specs below and stay tuned for further developments.

• ASUS ZenFone 5 (A510CG)
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage + up to 64GB microSD
• 5-inch display (720 x 1280 pixel resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 3)
• 8MP rear camera (Sony BSI sensor, f/2.0, LED flash, 5-element lens)
• Supports Dual SIM, 3G, WiFi, GPS, ASUS ZenUI
• Android 4.3 (upgradeable to Android 4.4 KitKat)
• RM519

The ASUS ZenFone 5 remains one of the most wanted smartphones in Malaysia thanks to top range features and tech specs at a very affordable RM599 retail price. According to ASUS Malaysia, we will be getting the enhanced version with 2GB of RAM with no changes in pricing (the original version was priced at RM599 with 1GB of RAM). Other features include a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor, 5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass protected display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and Android 4.3. It may have taken some time to reach us, but we finally have the ASUS ZenFone 5 for review so we'll start out with an unboxing video but do stay tuned for a hands-on video and the full review later on.

ASUS Malaysia recently released a Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) update for the ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone. While it isn't the Android 4.4 KitKat update everyone is waiting for, this 30MB download offers a number of bug fixes and improvements to the existing firmware. This includes better audio quality, compatibility, stability and power efficiency. A new feature is that you can now activate the flashlight via the Flip cover. ASUS Malaysia go on to say that the update is only applicable for those who purchased the ASUS ZenFone 5 original set perhaps because the imported or AP sets don't have the same firmware. In any case, you can download the FOTA update numbered 1.15.40.35_20140715_3835 by opening About>System Update in the Settings.

ASUS Malaysia has managed to bring in the 2GB version of the ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone for Malaysia at the same price of RM599. Previously, the ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone slated for Malaysia was the version with 1GB RAM and a lower speed processor but after some wrangling with ASUS HQ, ASUS Malaysia managed to get the higher-end version to us. At RM599, the new ZenFone 5 brings a faster 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor and 2GB of RAM to users while other high-end tech specs and features like the 8MP PixelMaster rear camera, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protected display and 5-element lens remains the same. For more information on where you can get your new ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone, please contact the ASUS Malaysia Facebook page. ASUS Malaysia are now working on getting the ASUS ZenFone 6 to market soon and we're waiting for the review unit for the new ASUS ZenFone 5, but for now, do check out our ASUS ZenFone 4 review.

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 each for below RM1000. 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 + 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

Testing out the ASUS ZenFone 5 engineering sample, we found that the Intel powered smartphone offers better than average performance. On AnTuTu alone we managed to get a score of 23120, placing the ZenFone 5 in the upper range of midrange devices. For a reference point, the HTC One (M7) scores around 24000 and above on the same AnTuTu benchmark. We also ran 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited for a similarly better than average 7186 score. Check out the benchmarks for yourself in this article.

After we managed to get an early engineering sample of the ASUS ZenFone 5 we got some sample pics using the 8MP rear camera. While it had some issues with the LED flash due to still being an engineering sample, we found the camera itself to be very fast and accurate. Once we get our hands on a bug-free retail version we're quite interested to see what the ASUS ZenFone 5 can really do, especially with the company's PixelMaster technology in play. For now, check out the pictures in this article.

The ASUS ZenFone range of smartphones will be getting a regional launch very soon, but we managed to get our hands on what appears to be an engineering sample of the ASUS ZenFone 5 for a quick hands-on preview. Going for a slim but rounded back look, the ZenFone 5 feels both light and solidly built at the same time. Thanks to the curved backside, the ZenFone 5 fits nicely into the palm of your hand while the smartphone is thin enough to look both sleek and stylish. Thankfully, there isn't any protruding camera lens this time around while the back is matte, and doesn't attract fingerprints or smudges all that much.