A known device with a few changes and the same great starting price.
ASUS today announced the U.S. release of the ZenFone 2 Laser, a follow-up to the successful launch of the original ZenFone 2 earlier this year. To clarify from the start, this isn't the same ZenFone 2 Laser that was already released earlier this year internationally — that phone is a bit on the lower end of the spectrum and is actually a smaller device. The U.S. version of the ZenFone 2 Laser (model ZE551KL) is much higher end, with comparable specs and price to the original ZenFone 2.
The ZenFone 2 Laser coming to the U.S. shares quite a bit with the original ZenFone 2 — including nearly the same external design, a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 13MP rear camera, dual SIM slots, base 16GB of storage and 3000 mAh battery. The ZenFone 2 Laser switches processors to an octa-core Snapdragon 615, drops quick charge, and moves to a static 3GB of RAM. Both of its SIMs now offer full LTE connectivity, the battery is now removable, the screen has Gorilla Glass 4 on it, and the rear camera now sports laser autofocus (hence the name).
More: Hands-on with the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser
Rather than change out the RAM and processor in two different models, the ZenFone 2 Laser offers all of the same specs aside from storage in its two options. You'll get 16GB of storage in the $199 model, and 32GB in a $249 model — both of which offer an SD card slot for up to 128GB cards.
ASUS is putting the new ZenFone 2 Laser on sale starting today from its own store, along with Newegg, Amazon and B&H.
ASUS Releases ZenFone 2 Laser
ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser delivers a premium phone with laser auto focus, octa-core performance, dual active SIM, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and removable battery to value-conscious users
KEY POINTS
- Lightning-fast laser auto focus 13 mega-pixel PixelMaster 2.0 camera
- Dual active SIM with selectable LTE data connectivity
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with Adreno 405 graphics
- Removable battery
Fremont, California (November 2, 2015) -- ASUS today releases the unlocked ZenFone 2 Laser for users seeking a premium phone with an excellent camera, dual active SIM, expandable storage and removable battery. The latest addition to the ZenFone 2 lineup features an ergonomic design for greater comfort and a 5.5-inch 1080p display protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for unprecedented damage protection.
Powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 with Adreno 405 graphics delivers an excellent performance without sacrificing battery life. The high-performance processor is matched with 3GB of RAM for fluid multi-tasking and snappy system responsiveness.
New to the ZenFone 2 Laser is an enhanced PixelMaster 2.0 camera with laser auto-focus for lightning-fast and laser-sharp images. The 13-megapixel rear camera packs a wide-angle F/2.0 aperture lens composed of 5-elements for crystal clear images. Dual LED real tone flash enables the ZenFone 2 laser to capture images in low-light situations while maintaining natural skin tones.
The ZenFone 2 Laser supports dual active SIM for simultaneous connectivity to two cellular networks. Dual active SIM is perfect for users that want to consolidate two phone-lines into a single device. Selectable LTE data connectivity enables users to switch which SIM card is used for data through the Android settings, which makes the ZenFone 2 Laser perfect for international travelers.
Expandable memory and a removable battery makes the ideal for enthusiast users that want greater control of storage and power. A micro SDXC slot supports 128GB memory cards for quick and easy storage expansion to accommodate music, movies and select applications. The removable 3000mAh high-capacity battery ensures the ZenFone 2 Laser gets excellent battery life that lasts through the entire work day. Power users that desire longer runtimes can quickly swap out a fully charged battery for extended periods away from a power source.
Pricing and availability
The ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE551KL) 16GB will available for $199 and the 32GB for $249 at Newegg and the ASUS Store in November.
Reader comments
ASUS announces new ZenFone 2 Laser for the U.S., on sale today starting at $199
I assume this phone will not work on Verizon?
You assumed correctly
Posted via Nexus 6P
I don't understand why these companies don't make phones like this work on all networks. Don't they realize how many people on Verizon's network would buy these phones?
Posted via my Nexus 6
And then, they'll release it in Canada and it'll cost like 500$ for 16gb and make no sense to buy.
Posted via the Android Central App
I see, so asus are just supposed to ignore the weak canadian dollar and sell the phone at a loss because it offends you...
It's $269 CDN for the 16gb
Buy it stateside and pay $20 for shipping and problem solved?
So $220 USD
Be cool to see a comparison of this to the Moto G and the Nexus 5X (though that is slightly above this entry point, but close).
A difference of +150 USD doesn't seem close to me (moto g goes from 180 to 220, this one goes from 200 to 250, the 5x starting price is 379, closer to the moto x pure edition, the one plus 2, and so).
Posted via the Android Central App
This, is the new normal. Solid mid-range specs starting at $200. From a consumer's perspective, I love it. Manufacturers like Asus is already blurring the lines between "flagship" phones and the rest with aggressive price points. Now, if only all OEMs would stop launching a new phone with a generation old software. Bring on Marshmallows, Asus!
Posted via the Android Central App
Eek! Dropping down to the Snapdragon 615 from the Intel CPU in the previous Zenfone 2? Big mistake! The previous Zenfone 2 had awesome performance, yet phones like the Moto X Play stuttered and lagged like crazy.
I could say something about dropping quick charge support for no reason, but I'll let others take on that one.
Posted via the Android Central App
No quick charge for me is lame...I mean I guess swapping the battery works also. I would still love me some quick charge though :)
Posted via the Android Central App
Yeah, you are right, it is a big mistake. I don't own a ZF2 simply because of the size. I was hoping they would do a 5" this year, because that Intel was a beast. Another company bites the dust.
I would take a hit on the performance if the battery-life were improved. The Zenfone 2 was smooth as could be, but it was dead by 4 PM most days I used it. A 615 with a 3000mAH battery should go all day. As for the performance, the 615 *should* be powerful enough for a midrange device. I don't know that all Snapdragon 615 phones stutter the same was that reviewers of the Play noted. The Moto G performed pretty smoothly, and it has a 410. It's possible that the Moto X Play was just really poorly optimized.
Quick charge was not available on the $199 Zenfone 2 because of cost (they have to pay to license the technology). Same deal here -- they don't want to pay whatever it will cost to license it from Qualcomm, or they're using crummy batteries that don't allow it. Could be that Qualcomm doesn't offer the license for devices with removable batteries, but I have no idea.
LG G4 has quick charge, so the removable battery theory is out. Could be they didn't want to license it due to cost.
Only 200, thats so cheap, was not expecting that price point
Posted via the Android Central App
You expected them to raise the price? Wouldn't the defeat one of their main selling points?
They just killed the best feature of the phone that made it so popular. The previous Intel kicked ass and is what made it unique and popular. Now it is just another mid-range 5.5" phone with a 615. Clearly they think this will sell more phones.
I was really waiting for them to take the Zenfone and hit the 5" to 5.2" size even with the previous phones specs. Maybe toss in a metal frame and possibly a nicer screen.
I know the Intel chips they are using are aging a bit or possibly Intel has indicated that they won't continue to make them or something, but at least they could have gone to the 617.
These companies are just all starting to follow the same recipes. If they dump Intel and follow the other mid rangers a year from now Asus will just be another company announcing that the phone market just didn't pan out for them. Wow, it doesn't take a marketing genius to figure out what the phone buyers want and yet they keep doing this crap. Oh well.
Well processor is slower but I guess removable battery and dual lte sim makes up for it.
This needs to be compared to alcatel idol 3!
Posted via Android Central App on 1+1
I think this device is solid. For the price it can't be beat. I mean come on, this has a 3000 mAh REMOVABLE battery, it's dual LTE capable SIM, expandable storage, 3 gb RAM for $199! That is amazing! You could buy 3 of these for the price of a Note 5 or BB Priv and still have money left over for accessories, extra battery, etc.
So what if it has the SD615. It's a decent processor and what ends up being important is actual performance not benchmarks. If the day to day use of this phone is smooth I can't see why anyone would think this is a bad deal.
Note 4 vs Note 5 Speed Comparison: http://youtu.be/MYkTxA7dcEY
Oh man! Gonna start saving up for this!