News & Reviews:   ASUS ZenFone 5

Got an ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone recently? Thinking about getting the accessory smart cover as well? We managed to get some hands-on time with a smart cover for the ASUS ZenFone 5 and showed off a little of the features available to it which included wake on and wake off, checking notifications, turning on the flash light and even asking it random questions magic 8 ball style. Check out our hands-on video for the smart cover of the ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone in this article.

The Android 4.4 KitKat update for the ASUS ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6 is now available for download. Do note that ASUS Malaysia will be releasing the update in batches so if you haven't received the update notification yet, wait a while and it should be available soon. To update go to Settings > About > System Update > Check for update. As before, the update is supposed to be available for original ASUS Malaysia sets so do make sure which version you have first.

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.

The ASUS ZenFone range of smartphones are selling quite well here in Malaysia, which could be the reason why they may be bringing in new models for it. This includes the ASUS ZenFone 5 LTE (A500KL) and the ASUS ZenFone 4 (A450CG). The major differences in these two new models is that the ZenFone 4 (A450CG) will sport a 4.5-inch display while the ZenFone 5 (A500KL) will have 4G LTE connectivity. Still no word from ASUS Malaysia on the exact tech specs for these smartphones but it could have tech specs that include an 8MP rear camera, 8GB storage, larger 1740 mAh battery and weigh in at 134g as opposed to the 115g of the ASUS ZenFone 4. Based on direct distributors, it seems that the ASUS ZenFone 4 (A450CG) is already available in the Malaysian market but the ASUS ZenFone 5 LTE has yet to be officially available.

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.

The ASUS MeMo Pad 8 ME181C remains the world's first 64-bit Android tablet and we've been getting quite a few leaks recently as to the performance and tech specs for this tablet. Truth be told we were quite curious how the real life performance of the tablet really is and our Anonymous tipster obliged with some screenshots of Asphalt 8: Airborne and a description of his or her experience with it. According to this tipster, the performance doesn't match with the performance on the benchmarks as the game lags and stutters trying to run. This doesn't match with the performance of tablet having an AnTuTu score of 32000+ so we concluded that the firmware for the tablet still hasn't been optimized completely yet. We have noticed similar performance when trying out the engineering sample for the ASUS ZenFone 5 where the real-life performance does not match with the benchmark performance. There are also camera samples as well which show similar problems as well that you can check out for yourself below:

Confirming rumours and appearances at the recent Computex 2014, ASUS have officially announced the ASUS PadFone S and an ASUS ZenFone 5 with 4G LTE capabilities. A refresh of the earlier released ASUS PadFone X, the ASUS PadFone S now offers a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, wireless charging and a splash-proof coating. It still retains the same sleek features of a 5-inch smartphone and 9-inch tablet dock along with Android 4.4 KitKat. The 4G LTE ASUS ZenFone 5 on the other hand gets a different processor altogether. Unlike other ZenFone smartphones, this version is running a 1.2GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, 5-inch display with 720p pixel resolution 8MP PixelMaster rear camera and 2110 mAh battery. It will come with support for 4G LTE and Android 4.4 KitKat right out of the box. Both the PadFone S and 4G LTE ZenFone 5 are set for release in Taiwan for now, with the PadFone S going for about $500 (RM1588) while the 4G LTE ZenFone 5 is going for $234 (RM743). No news on Malaysia release dates or pricing but we expect the 4G LTE ZenFone 5 to come soon so stay tuned for more information.

The Nokia XL is the bigger brother in the range of Nokia X smartphones designed to bring the Windows Phone experience to the masses through an Android smartphone. As such, it features a simplified interface and Nokia's tough Lumia polycarbonate design that should make it great for everyone to use. The main question here is, does it deliver for you? Read our full review on the Nokia XL below to find out.