ASUS ZenFone 2 / Zoom

[kpkp]

ZenFone 2

Official page
UI and camera demo on the ZF2.
Tap to wake & LED notification light

ZenFone Zoom

AP article
The Zoom will apparently have an aluminum body/mid-frame, so it's not just the camera.

 

[shabby]

Specs look great, now make a 5" phone for the same price.

 

[Kaido]

Excited, but curious to see how useful a 3x optical really is...

 

[gmaster456]

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that the $199 Zenfone 2 is the 8gb/2gb RAM version. And that the 16gb/32gb versions are the models with 4gb.

 

[sweenish]

How is ASUS with updates and releasing their sources and blobs?

From what little what I've seen of their UI, I don't like it at all.

 

[kpkp]

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that the $199 Zenfone 2 is the 8gb/2gb RAM version. And that the 16gb/32gb versions are the models with 4gb.

There is no 8GB version, so 16GB + SD is solid solution for $199.

Only big issue I see so far is the power button placement and the possible lack of tap to wake functionality.

 

[Bateluer]

How is ASUS with updates and releasing their sources and blobs?

From what little what I've seen of their UI, I don't like it at all.

Those of us in North America wouldn't know . . . no prior Zen phone product has been available in the US without importing.

 

[sweenish]

Which is why I asked. Or are we all NA residents here?

That would make me a little sad.

 

[kpkp]

The Zoom will apparently have an aluminum body/mid-frame, so it's not just the camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znleHMkPpAw

UI and camera demo on the ZF2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YBwOQpRyrs

 

[mmntech]

Those specs are so beefy it borders on obscene.

Doesn't say what the battery life is like though. I'm also assuming that it will be significantly more expensive if you want one off contract.

 

[kpkp]

The prices are off contract without taxes.

 

[mmntech]

The prices are off contract without taxes.

That's actually pretty sweet. Gives the OnePlus One a run for it's money in the candidacy for my next phone, even if you don't get Cyanogenmod.

 

[gmaster456]

There is no 8GB version, so 16GB + SD is solid solution for $199.

Only big issue I see so far is the power button placement and the possible lack of tap to wake functionality.

My bad. In the CES coverage I saw, someone mentioned an 8gb model.

 

[tipoo]

Their product page is a bit funny with how many numbers are thrown out there, which I admit are interesting to me and most readers here, but it still reads like what an Engineer would write in a Marketers position, heh.

One thing that did please me though was that they bothered saying the screen response time of 60ms, glad to see some phone companies caring about this. The HTC One M8 and the Note 4 were some of the few Android phones to get faster than the iPhones response time.

http://www.asus.com/Phones/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/

ALso lists the GPU there, same as the iPhone 5S, which is still really good. Really, hardly behind the iPhone 6. And the processor cores offer good performance too, close to high end ARM.

Seems appealing. Now my only question is if we can get it easily in the US/Canada. If it's not too much cost to import, it might be a Moto G beater.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

man id be more than happy to switch to intel phones at those prices but im sure verizon wont allow this on their network

 

[senseamp]

Price differential for the Zoom seems excessive.

 

[kpkp]

Price differential for the Zoom seems excessive.

We do not know yet what will be the base model for the Zoom.
If we take the ZF2 base model and compare it with a theoretical Zoom model:
ZF2/Zoom
SoC: Z3560/Z3580
RAM: 2/4GB
Storage: 16/32 (we know the Zoom models will go up to 128GB of internal storage, so it's reasonable to expect the base model to be 32GB)
Camera: the obvious
Build: plastic/aluminum core (mid frame), ASUS called it unibody

If you take all this differences into the consideration the price difference seems reasonable and a bargain for Apple upgrade standards. After all it's what an 32GB Nexus 5 costs.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Seems appealing. Now my only question is if we can get it easily in the US/Canada. If it's not too much cost to import, it might be a Moto G beater.

Hahaha guess you didn't read the fine print of "from $199". Isn't that like $400+ in no-contract pricing in U.S?

 

[senseamp]

We do not know yet what will be the base model for the Zoom.
If we take the ZF2 base model and compare it with a theoretical Zoom model:
ZF2/Zoom
SoC: Z3560/Z3580
RAM: 2/4GB
Storage: 16/32 (we know the Zoom models will go up to 128GB of internal storage, so it's reasonable to expect the base model to be 32GB)
Camera: the obvious
Build: plastic/aluminum core (mid frame), ASUS called it unibody

If you take all this differences into the consideration the price difference seems reasonable and a bargain for Apple upgrade standards. After all it's what an 32GB Nexus 5 costs.

Yes, if it's not just camera, then differential would make sense. I do like the Zoom. Any compatibilty issues with using x86 chips on Android?

 

[soccerballtux]

man id be more than happy to switch to intel phones at those prices but im sure verizon wont allow this on their network

so get on straight talk att

 

[kpkp]

Hahaha guess you didn't read the fine print of "from $199". Isn't that like $400+ in no-contract pricing in U.S?

What are you talking about?
Of course it's from $199, since there are different storage/RAM/SoC options.

 

[kpkp]

Only big issue I see so far is the power button placement and the possible lack of tap to wake functionality.

Apparently it has double tap to wake and sleep, so the power button placement is not a big issue. And I see a little LED light too.
http://youtu.be/8mSoagu5ylU?t=1m28s

 

[MtSeldon]

I got to see and try one first.

A few days ago , i used a Asus Zenfone 5 for a few mins. While its a good phone for its price. The screen was mediocare at best. I wouldnt buy one.

 

[senseamp]

No band 12 LTE for T-mo is the biggest issue for me.

 

[MtSeldon]

I got to see and try one first.

A few days ago , i used a Asus Zenfone 5 for a few mins. While its a good phone for its price. The screen was mediocare at best. I wouldnt buy one.

2-3 days after i posted this message. I bought an Asus Zenfone 5 .

I'm using it for the last few days. And its quite a good phone. If the camera wasn't mediocore, i would be an amazing phone for the price.
Actually i was going to buy a LG G3 , it costs more than twice of Zenfone , and it wasnt worth it since i am going to use this for a few month.

It has an Intel Atom cpu. It is quite fast for browsing and app use. I havent encounter any incompability issue because of x86. But some users complaning about problems in 3D games. There is a Geek Factor in having phone with a Intel Inside logo .

Battary life is a bit problem. Again its midrange.

If Asus Zenfone 2 has a better camera , and better battary life , i m going to buy it .