ASUS ZenFone 2 / Zoom

[VenomXTF]

When is it launching in the US? I could use an update to my GNex.

I'm in the exact same boat (GNex) waiting for this phone to get released in US...

 

[Strk]

I'm in the exact same boat (GNex) waiting for this phone to get released in US...

http://www.androidauthority.com/asus-zenfone-2-north-america-may-18th-605328/

 

[tipoo]

If they keep the pricing the same for North America, I'm in. There was word it may be more here. In that case, why not just buy an international one if you have a carrier with the right bands?

 

[senseamp]

Any word on TMO band 12 LTE support?

 

[Strk]

Any word on TMO band 12 LTE support?

Doesn't look like it

 

[mmntech]

We have a US launch date! May 18th.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/asus-zenfo...nt-reaches-india-top-reasons-handsets-1499400

 

[elitejp]

hopefully i can get some feedback. Im looking at 2 different phones the zenfone 4gb ram 2.3ghz cpu 64gb rom and the galaxy s6. I will be coming from a s4 which is slowly beginning to have its problems of losing signals, powering off for no reason and basically just wanting to not do things, so hence the upgrade. Im sure the s6 is an awesome phone but for twice the price I just dont know if I need it. Im a basic user but I do like having a good camera. Other than that as long as the phone is snappy and does what it should do I should be content.

 

[Goi]

The Zenfone 2 is snappy. However, despite the Pixelmaster marketing, the camera is definitely not its strong point. It'll suffice for the average user. I've never seen/used the S6 but from what I've read it seems to have pretty much the best camera on and Android smartphone now.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

You can also consider Alcatel Idol 3. Slightly cheaper than Asus with a MUCH better camera.

Here is how it looks like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9PRNoA_eAI

 

[mmntech]

You can also consider Alcatel Idol 3. Slightly cheaper than Asus with a MUCH better camera.

Here is how it looks like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9PRNoA_eAI

Interesting. It's almost identical to the HTC Desire 820, except with a higher res screen, better camera (Sony sensor), and dual-SIM support. So it's basically what the 820 should have been. Geekbench shows a slight edge over the Zenfone 2 in performance as well, though real world is probably going to be identical.

Some users have been reporting the occasional performance stutter though. Don't know if that's a software issue that can be patched.

A lot of good competition now for high performance phones at mid-range prices. A lot of good options to choose from.

 

[senseamp]

Idol 3 also lists band 12 LTE, so I am now leaning towards pre ordering one instead of Zenfone.

Band Compatibility
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS: B 850/1700/1900/2100
LTE Bands:B 2/4/5/7/12/17

 

[darkswordsman17]

Shame the camera turned out to be a dud on this. Wonder where the issue lies, maybe it's software and can be improved? When is the Zoom due out?

The Alcatel looks decent. Wouldn't mind a comparison between it, the Lumia 640s, maybe add in the LG G2, and some of the slightly older Android phones (Moto X) in this $150-350 mid-range bracket.

 

[TzNader]

If they keep the pricing the same for North America, I'm in. There was word it may be more here. In that case, why not just buy an international one if you have a carrier with the right bands?

Asus confirmed that the $199 model will have a 1080p display/2GB RAM/1.8GHz CPU (And that's for the unlocked model). Sounds like they'll be keeping their word from CES despite all the rumors to the contrary in the last few months.

 

[mmntech]

Shame the camera turned out to be a dud on this. Wonder where the issue lies, maybe it's software and can be improved? When is the Zoom due out?

The camera's not horrible, especially at that price point, but Asus was stupid to try and position it as a big selling point.

 

[bonkers325]

Ugh it's too bad the US release is so delayed. Too bad, I would have bought the top end model... but seeing the LG G2 off-contract and so cheap at Best Buy made me pull the trigger on the LG G2 instead.

 

[slackerinabox]

Ugh it's too bad the US release is so delayed. Too bad, I would have bought the top end model... but seeing the LG G2 off-contract and so cheap at Best Buy made me pull the trigger on the LG G2 instead.

Which is what's so strange about this current generation of android phones. The G2 and the moto g, while great values, makes a lot of middling phones pretty unnecessary. I have an s6 edge and feel that the premium's worth it, but the premium between a g2 ($190) and a g4? m9? Asus zenfone (even though it's slight)? Not worth it in my opinion - if I didn't have a great t-mobile deal then I'd get a g2 and save myself a ton of money. Heck, if the moto g reboot has a slightly bigger screen and a better camera, why pay more? I got my mom a moto g and I'm a big fan - days and days of standby battery life, super impressive! Why pay more for less endurance? I think manufacturers are finding the happy middle ground between price and performance, and then it's all a race to the bottom.

Android tablets are commodity items now (40 bucks!), android phones are getting there in a generation or 2. Seriously, the s6 edge was a breakthrough in hardware and design (not software, there are glitches) - you can't expect that every year, then the market will stall and the high end handed over to apple. I'm not sure what the answer is. Flood the low-to-mid end and conceded the high end to apple? Sorta like what happened with windows/mac laptops (other than boutique brands, obviously).

 

[elitejp]

What was is that sold you on the s6 edge?

 

[poofyhairguy]

Flood the low-to-mid end and conceded the high end to apple? Sorta like what happened with windows/mac laptops (other than boutique brands, obviously).

Kinda. Galaxies will remain the sole premium Android brand due to brand value (aka boutique). The rest will turn into modern Dells.

 

[slackerinabox]

What was is that sold you on the s6 edge?

To be honest with you, boredom with the iPhone 6 (which I kinda regret, the iPhone 6 was a great, no nonsense phone and the s6 has some quirks that annoy me). The thing I liked about the edge was that it showed that people other than apple can care about design and at least attempt to innovate. I love the marriage of tech and design and it seemed like apple and htc were the only ones that cared for a while (until the rehash m9).

 

[bonkers325]

Which is what's so strange about this current generation of android phones. The G2 and the moto g, while great values, makes a lot of middling phones pretty unnecessary. I have an s6 edge and feel that the premium's worth it, but the premium between a g2 ($190) and a g4? m9? Asus zenfone (even though it's slight)? Not worth it in my opinion - if I didn't have a great t-mobile deal then I'd get a g2 and save myself a ton of money. Heck, if the moto g reboot has a slightly bigger screen and a better camera, why pay more? I got my mom a moto g and I'm a big fan - days and days of standby battery life, super impressive! Why pay more for less endurance? I think manufacturers are finding the happy middle ground between price and performance, and then it's all a race to the bottom.

Android tablets are commodity items now (40 bucks!), android phones are getting there in a generation or 2. Seriously, the s6 edge was a breakthrough in hardware and design (not software, there are glitches) - you can't expect that every year, then the market will stall and the high end handed over to apple. I'm not sure what the answer is. Flood the low-to-mid end and conceded the high end to apple? Sorta like what happened with windows/mac laptops (other than boutique brands, obviously).

Many refer to the Snapdragon 800 as the chip that became the "good enough" benchmark for modern smartphones. Everything beyond that has been incremental upgrades.

If the S6 edge weren't so darn expensive I'd have shelled out for it... but it is about 5x the price of the LG G2 that was on sale at Best Buy last week. Other than the screen quality (which IMO the LG G2's panel is good enough @ 1080p) and the fingerprint sensor, I don't see today's smartphones as much better than the generation of phones that were released 2 years ago. I can't justify buying a $700+ smartphone unless you game heavily and require the latest and greatest SOC and GPU.

 

[slackerinabox]

. I can't justify buying a $700+ smartphone unless you game heavily and require the latest and greatest SOC and GPU.

That's the funny thing (and what I miss most about ios- I paid the premium for a s6 for beefier internals, right (and design)? There doesn't seem to be much in the app store that takes advantage of that beefy cpu and gpu! There just aren't a lot of top tier games to enjoy on android, so I'm wondering what the point is really.

 

[bonkers325]

That's the funny thing (and what I miss most about ios- I paid the premium for a s6 for beefier internals, right (and design)? There doesn't seem to be much in the app store that takes advantage of that beefy cpu and gpu! There just aren't a lot of top tier games to enjoy on android, so I'm wondering what the point is really.

There aren't many compelling reasons to switch to a beefier specced phone unless it improves day-to-day user experience. The biggest thing most phones need to improve upon is battery life, which greatly enhances user experience. Imagine being able to use your phone for the whole day and not having to worry about running out before the day ends? A long-lasting phone with premium build quality will be the next big hit. We'll see who hits the nail on the head with that one because they'll be taking my money when it happens!

 

[dawheat]

Many refer to the Snapdragon 800 as the chip that became the "good enough" benchmark for modern smartphones. Everything beyond that has been incremental upgrades.

If the S6 edge weren't so darn expensive I'd have shelled out for it... but it is about 5x the price of the LG G2 that was on sale at Best Buy last week. Other than the screen quality (which IMO the LG G2's panel is good enough @ 1080p) and the fingerprint sensor, I don't see today's smartphones as much better than the generation of phones that were released 2 years ago. I can't justify buying a $700+ smartphone unless you game heavily and require the latest and greatest SOC and GPU.

Fingerprint scanner and camera IMO. Everything else is in the diminishing returns curve.

I think keeping 1gb of memory was a hugely calculated move for Apple to put in the S update since there wouldn't be a big design/display change for 2 years.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Release date in the US still today for this?

 

[mmntech]

Release date in the US still today for this?

Yes, in fact it's launching as we speak (1pm EDT). Check out Android Central's live blog.
http://www.androidcentral.com/were-live-today-asus-north-american-launch-1-pm-edt

UPDATE: US Pricing confirmed

$199 for the base model
$299 for the 4GB model with 64GB storage

Available on Amazon, NewEgg, B&H, and other retailers starting May 19th. They're also throwing in 100GB of Google Drive storage for free.