ZenFone 3 series lands in India, along with Snapdragon 821-toting ZenFone 3 Deluxe

At a media event in New Delhi, ASUS has launched the ZenFone 3 series in India. All three models in the series — the ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe, and ZenFone 3 Ultra — will be going up for sale shortly. The highlight in the series is the ZenFone 3 Deluxe, which is the first phone to ship with the Snapdragon 821 SoC and 256GB internal storage.

ASUS has had remarkable success with the ZenFone line in India, selling over 4 million units to date. Here's what you get with its latest offerings:

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CategoryZenFone 3ZenFone 3 DeluxeZenFone 3 Ultra
Display1080p 5.5-inch SuperIPS+ LCD
77.3% screen to body radio
1080p 5.7-inch SuperAMOLED
79% screen to body ratio
1080p 6.8-inch IPD LCD
79% screen to body ratio
ConstructionFront and rear Corning Gorilla Glass panels with 2.5D contoured edges and metal frameFull aluminum alloy unibody with "invisible antenna"Full aluminum alloy unibody with "invisible antenna"
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 625
Octa-core 14nm
8x1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A53
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821Qualcomm Snapdragon 652
Octa-core 28nm
4x1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A72
4x1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A53
GPUAdreno 506Adreno 530Adreno 510
RAM4GB6GB4GB
Main camera16MP ASUS PixelMaster 3.0 (Sony IMX298 sensor)
f/2.0, 6-element Largan lens
0.03 second TriTech autofocus
4-axis OIS
3-axis EIS
Color correction sensor
Dual-tone LED flash
23MP ASUS PixelMaster 3.0 (Sony IMX318 sensor)
f/2.0, 6-element Largan lens
0.03 second TriTech autofocus
4-axis OIS
3-axis EIS
Color correction sensor
Dual-tone LED flash
23MP ASUS PixelMaster 3.0 (Sony IMX318 sensor)
f/2.0, 6-element Largan lens
0.03 second TriTech autofocus
4-axis OIS
3-axis EIS
Color correction sensor
Dual-tone LED flash
Front camera8MP, 85-degree wide-angle lens8MP, 85-degree wide-angle lens8MP, 85-degree wide-angle lens
Wireless802.11ac Wi-Fi: 5G/2.4G, MIMO
Cat 6 LTE
802.11ac Wi-Fi: 5G/2.4G, MIMO
Cat 13 LTE + 3CA
802.11ac Wi-Fi: 5G/2.4G, MIMO
Cat 6 LTE
Fingerprint sensorRear sensor, 5-finger registration, 360 degree recognitionRear sensor, 5-finger registration, 360 degree recognitionBelow screen sensor, 5-finger registration, 360 degree recognition
ConnectibityBluetooth 4.2
Type-C USB 2.0
Bluetooth 4.2
Type-C USB 3.0
Bluetooth 4.2
Type-C USB 2.0
SIM/SD slotsSlot 1: MicroSIM (4G)
Slot 2: NanoSM (3G) or MicroSD
Slot 1: MicroSIM (4G)
Slot 2: NanoSM (3G) or MicroSD
Slot 1: MicroSIM (4G)
Slot 2: NanoSM (3G) or MicroSD
GPSGPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BEIDOUGPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BEIDOUGPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU
OSAndorid 6.0 Marshmallow
ZenUI 3.0
Andorid 6.0 Marshmallow
ZenUI 3.0
Andorid 6.0 Marshmallow
ZenUI 3.0
Battery3,000mAh3,000mAh with Quick Charge 3.04,600mAh with Quick Charge 3.0
AudioHi-Res Audio
New 5-magnet speaker
NXP Smart AMP
Hi-Res Audio
New 5-magnet speaker
NXP Smart AMP
Hi-Res Audio
New 5-magnet speaker
NXP Smart AMP
DTS Headphone: X 7.1
DTS HD Premium Sound
Video Processor  ASUS Tru2Life+ featuring PixelWorks 4K TV Grade processor
DisplayPort over USB Type C
Other features Always on panelPower bank capability with 1.5A rapid charge
ColorsShimmer Gold
Aqua Blue
Sapphire Black
Moonlight White
Titanium Gray
Glacier Silver
Sand Gold
Titanium Gray
Glacier Silver
Rose Pink

As always, ASUS is launching several configurations of each handset, so here's what you need to know about the pricing of the ZenFone 3 in India:

  • ZenFone 3 Laser (ZC551KL) - ₹18,999 ($285)
  • ZenFone 3 (ZE520KL) - 5.2-inch FHD display/3GB RAM/32GB storage - ₹21,999 ($330)
  • ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) - 5.5-inch FHD display/4GB RAM.64GB storage - ₹27,999 ($420)
  • ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) - ₹49,999 ($745)
  • ZenFone 3 Deluxe - Snapdragon 820/64GB storage - ₹49,999 ($745)
  • ZenFone 3 Deluxe - Snapdragon 821/256GB storage - ₹62,999 ($940)

The ZenFone 3 Deluxe with the Snapdragon 821 SoC will be costlier than the Galaxy Note 7 in the country, which has a street price of ₹59,900 ($900). You're getting a lot for your money with either phone, but it is unlikely ASUS has the brand cachet to entice buyers. That said, it is great to see the Taiwanese manufacturer bring the highest spec variant of the ZenFone 3 Deluxe to India (looking at you, Xiaomi).

The ZenFone 3 is up for sale on Amazon India right now, and other variants will be available from next month.

See at Amazon

Harish Jonnalagadda
Senior Editor - Asia

Harish Jonnalagadda is a Senior Editor overseeing Asia at Android Central. He leads the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, contributing to reviews, features, and buying guides. He also writes about storage servers, audio products, and the semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.