News & Reviews:   ASUS ZenPower

ASUS Malaysia have announced that you can now get the 10500 mAh ASUS ZenPower Pro powerbank in the pastel colours of baby blue and rose pink. This doesn't change the rugged metal exterior though and you still get two USB charging ports to go with a built-in LED flashlight and LED energy meter for just RM129. Check it out on the ASUS Store Malaysia site with the other ASUS ZenPower series of powerbanks.

Soon tomorrow (22 July 2016), ASUS and their retail partner, DirectD will be officially opening ASUS Concept Store together and it's located in SS15, Subang Jaya. This is so that the company can reach out to consumers' need for a wide-range of gadgets from PC notebook to mobile devices. As this is their first exclusive retail outlet, DirectD will be having an exclusive 50% opening deals for its customers as follow:-

ASUS Malaysia have launched the ASUS ZenFone Selfie for RM1049 on preorder. Available on preorder (via Thundermatch) the first 50 to do so will get a free ASUS ZenPower 9600 mAh powerbank and an ASUS LolliFlash external flashlight at no extra charge. The ZenFone Selfie standout features remain a 13MP PixelMaster camera on both the front and back with laser autofocus and dual LED real tone flash. Other tech specs include a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The 5.5-inch display will have a full HD resolution and a protective layer of the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The ZenFone Selfie will also offer 4G LTE connectivity with Dual SIM and Dual Standby. The smartphone should be available for the general public in the next few weeks.

While we've seen a whole range of ASUS ZenPower powerbanks at the ASUS ZenFone 2 regional launch in Jakarta, Indonesia, thanks to ASUS Malaysia we managed to get our hands on the ASUS ZenPower Credit Card-sized 9600 mAh powerbank. Featuring a shiny metallic surface with rounded corners, the powerbank is indeed the size of a credit card, but a bit thicker than 10 of them. Be that as it may, it is still smaller and more compact than some other 9000 mAh and most 10000 mAh powerbanks we've seen so far. It also features a power button, four LED power indicators, a USB port and a microUSB port. Priced at just RM59, it is currently available at the ASUS Store Malaysia in metallic black, blue, pink, silver and white. Check out our hands-on video of the pink coloured ASUS ZenPower Credit Card-sized 9600 mAh powerbank in this article.

The upcoming ASUS ZenPad C 7.0 tablet packing in the latest Intel Atom x3 (SoFIA) processor pricing has been revealed via local distributor Dynamics Distribution and their Facebook Page at RM499. Tech specs include 1GB RAM, dual-SIM dual 3G standby and more. Along with the ZenPad C 7.0, it was also revealed that the ASUS ZenFone C with 2GB RAM would also be available at RM399 via SatuGadgetDotCom. Tech specs for the enhanced ZenFone C remain mostly the same though with the with the extra addition of 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. In related news, ASUS Malaysia currently have their ASUS ZenPower 9600 mAh powerbanks officially available on their ASUS Store at just RM59.

The ASUS ZenFone 2 #IncredibleZenDay launch has just happened, confirming earlier rumours about pricing, tech specs and variants for the ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphones available for Malaysia. These include the lowest-end 5-inch display ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE550CL for RM599 and the highest-end ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage for RM1299. Check out the full pricing which is inclusive of the 6% GST below:

• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE500CL - 1.6GHz Z2560, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, 5-inch 1280 x 720 HD display = RM599
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE550ML - 1.8GHz Z3560, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 5.5-inch 1280 x 720 HD display = RM74
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 1.8GHz Z3560, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM899
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 2.3GHz Z3580, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM1099
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 2.3GHz Z3580, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM1299

The upcoming ASUS ZenFone 2 launch in Malaysia on 9 May 2015 at KL Live may well be as incredible as ASUS says it will be. While registration has been closed to 1500 lucky ZenFans, the first 100 who queue up early for the 11.00am start will win brand new ASUS ZenPower powerbanks for free. Those looking to buy the 64-bit Intel Atom powered ASUS ZenFone 2 can also get it on the same day with numerous lucky draws and activities planned for the event. In addition, each activity has awesome prizes and giveaways which include what appears to be an ASUS ZenWatch or ASUS VivoWatch, ASUS laptop and ASUS ZenFone smartphones. Cute ZenPillows will also be given away along with many other products. The recent regional launch in Indonesia saw many other accessories being sold such as the 2-colour Fusion backplates, Illusion patterned backplates, flip covers, ASUS ZenFlash, ASUS LolliFlash and ASUS ZenEar headsets. With just 2 days away from the #IncredibleZenDay stay tuned for further developments as we'll be on hand covering the action.

With the upcoming ASUS ZenFone 2 launch in Malaysia just 9 days away, it seems that we could know which models and at what pricing we'll be getting them for Malaysia. The folks at MDROID were able to get in on a dealer-only event announcing both the models and pricing. Turns out, Malaysia will be getting the 5-inch display ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE500CL for RM599 (which isn't a bad thing considering it's recent performance). Check out the full pricing which is inclusive of the 6% GST below:

• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE500CL - 1.6GHz Z2560, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, 5-inch 1280 x 720 HD display = RM599
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 1.8GHz Z3560, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM899
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 2.3GHz Z3580, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM1099
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 2.3GHz Z3580, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM1299

From current teasers released by ASUS Malaysia it also appears that other ASUS accessories could also be on display and for sale come this 9 May 2015. This will likely include the ASUS ZenPower range of powerbanks along with the new ASUS ZenFone 2 2-colour Fusion and patterned Illusion covers. We also expect other accessories like the ASUS ZenFlash and Lolliflash to make an appearance along with perhaps the ASUS ZenWatch. No news on Malaysia pricing for these accessories yet though, but stay tuned as we'll be on site at the upcoming #IncredibleZenDay on 9 May 2015.

With the upcoming ASUS ZenFone 2 launch in Malaysia just 9 days away, it seems that we could know which models and at what pricing we'll be getting them for Malaysia. The folks at MDROID were able to get in on a dealer-only event announcing both the models and pricing. Turns out, Malaysia will be getting the 5-inch display ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE500CL for RM599 (which isn't a bad thing considering it's recent performance). Check out the full pricing which is inclusive of the 6% GST below:

• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE500CL - 1.6GHz Z2560, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, 5-inch 1280 x 720 HD display = RM599
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 1.8GHz Z3560, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM899
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 2.3GHz Z3580, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM1099
• ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML - 2.3GHz Z3580, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD display = RM1299

From current teasers released by ASUS Malaysia it also appears that other ASUS accessories could also be on display and for sale come this 9 May 2015. This will likely include the ASUS ZenPower range of powerbanks along with the new ASUS ZenFone 2 2-colour Fusion and patterned Illusion covers. We also expect other accessories like the ASUS ZenFlash and Lolliflash to make an appearance along with perhaps the ASUS ZenWatch. No news on Malaysia pricing for these accessories yet though, but stay tuned as we'll be on site at the upcoming #IncredibleZenDay on 9 May 2015.

While we've already had some hands-on time with the ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE550ML, this time around we managed to try out the red ZenFone 2 ZE551ML along with some gaming and even VR (Virtual Reality). As per the previous ZenFone series, low-light performance is definitely better than before with clearer images but the new additions to hardware also ensure that all the enhancements get done quickly and smoothly. The Super HDR mode in particular gets even faster autofocus than before with better backlight performance. Retaining the same rounded back with concentric circle design on the lower front panel as before the standard ZenFone 2 now comes with a brushed metal back in either black, gold, red, silver or white.  While it is still plastic, the shiny back cover is attractive enough to get a second glance or two so even if you don't get the new fusion or illusion pattern back covers, the standard covers still look and feel awesome.