The ZenFone is back for a second run, bigger and better than ever
At its CES 2015 press conference, ASUS pulled the wraps off its latest Android powered smartphone, the ZenFone 2. The first ZenFone devices were announced in the very same building 12 months ago, and with the new one ASUS has come on a little with its main line of smartphones.
Design changes, beefier hardware, and some new software tricks all add up to a decent upgrade.
One of the most recognizable design changes is that the volume buttons have been moved to the rear. We liked it when LG did it and we like it again now ASUS is doing it. But, there's a catch. The power button hasn't been moved to the rear, instead being moved to the top. So it's maybe half as good as the implementation on something like the LG G3.
While moving the buttons has led to some incredibly thin edges – the curved back tapers down to a point – because it's a 5.5-inch phone it's not the easiest thing to press the power button without using your other hand. So it's good, but room for improvement for sure. But the curved back of the phone makes it really comfortable to hold, and while plastic it does boast a brushed texture.
On the hardware front, the range topper we're looking at here has, as mentioned, that 5.5-inch display at Full HD resolution. It's bright, vivid and sharp and all round pretty nice to look at. Underneath is Intel's latest 64-bit CPU and a stonking 4GB of RAM. ASUS is quite proudly boasting that they're the first Android smartphone with this much RAM underneath. First impressions of performance are good, and while pre-production trade show units aren't a great example of real world use, everything is smooth and there's no real sign of Mr Lag.
On the software side ASUS is now packing Android 5.0 Lollipop and the latest version of its Zen UI custom overlay. Visually it's a hybrid of Asus' own style and standard Lollipop, so we have the expanding notification tray and app switching window, but with a little Zen UI flavor in places. One of the big features of Zen UI is that all the custom apps are updated through the Google Play Store, meaning the latest and greatest versions arrive without the need for a firmware update.
ASUS is making a big deal out of the camera, too. While the ZenFone Zoom takes all the headlines in that regard with its optical zoom, the ZenFone 2 is no slouch, either. The 13MP camera makes some bold statements about "class leading" features such as low-light shooting and HDR, as well as a zero-lag shutter response. While the shutter response feels right on the money, we'll reserve judgment on the actual photo quality until we get one out in the wild.
The ZenFone 2 will cost from $199 when it goes on sale in March. A cheaper, lesser specced version with a 720p display is also going to be available, but the ZenFone 2 looks to be a reasonably well priced device all told. While information on retail and carrier support is currently unknown, it's definitely a decent sequel from ASUS.
Reader comments
Hands-on with the ASUS ZenFone 2
Looks great... features are top of the line.... but how can they STILL not make a backlit capacitive key?
Every one who bash this product certainly had not seen or used the 1st gen. Nope, it doesn't feels cheap. High quality, very well designed and premium felt with 3rd country price tag. It made me felt ripped off buying smartphone from other mainstream company before the 1st gen Zenfone. I have high hope for the 2nd gen.
Was it me or did jonny chi seem like he was on drugs while announcing this lmao
Posted via the Android Central App
Poor design, Top power button on a 5.5" phone? Don't you think it's crazy?? But Actually i love it only from the back... whatever about it's RAM & Processor!
Posted via the Android Central App
Yeah it's impossible to reach that power button with one hand without dropping this thing Trust me, I tried. Fail, Asus. It's a shame because I fell in love with this thing otherwise
Nothing to be proud except the RAM
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coba dech.
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World first Smartphone having 4GB RAM apart from that it have various high end features which becames its a flagship device. But one thing i don't understand why the name os this device is Asus Zenfone 2. If we look behind the history of zenfone series smartphone we easily get 2 results Asus zenfone 4 & Asus Zenfone 5 Series of zenfone smartphone named in increasing order of price and features like Zenfone 4 comes under Rs. 6000, Zenfone 5 comes under Rs. 12000. But the Zenfone 2 comes in Under Rs. 26000.It seems this time Zenfone wants to do something different.
^O^ I'm using zenfone 5 and its awesome
Posted via zenfone
My bet is Intel is heavily subsidizing these to gain marketshare
Posted via the Android Central my Rogers Note 4
Who cares at that price plus I like intel :)
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I might be interested in getting this.
Posted via the Android Central App
Yep an LG G3 ripoff.
Posted via the Android Central App
As a LG G3 owner I can say looks wise they are close. Performance wise I prefer the Asus. Oh and just about everything else I prefer the Asus too.
Most of you complaining about this phone won't have the opportunity to buy it anyway. just stick with your subsidized Galaxies. Asus did very well with the original Zenfone line in certain parts of the world. I've seen several in the wild here in Thailand. I even bought the 4 inch model ($100) for my 7 year old daughter. I'm really impressed with it. Asus does update their apps. Maybe too frequently. And most of them I would have no use for.
Why did I buy the Oneplus one! This is higher specs at lower price!
However I care more how it performs
Posted via the Android Central App
Any comment on the speakers on the phone?
I was wondering this too. i didn't even see them. Where are they located?
There's what appears to be a mono speaker on the back of the phone towards the bottom - see the HTC-like series of holes? I don't know what else it could be if not a speaker. Don't see a matching one, though, so I wouldn't expect stereo sound or anything.
Yup, speaker is on the back, and when I was using this, it was in the perfect place to get covered up by my hand.
There's no way this thing could be going for $199 for even the 2 GB variant right?? I can't believe that. Does anyone know the specifics about this Intel SoC? Is it a midrange SoC or what?
Posted Via the Unrivaled Note 4
lets put it this way. the Z2560 is on par with an S800. this is running a Z3580, so its at least got to be better than that.
though the $199 will be running a Z3560, which will obviously have a bit less CPU power
Paying only $199 for a phone with the equivalent of a Snapdragon 800 and a full HD display is an unbelievable deal
Posted Via the Unrivaled Note 4
Ur really lucky in the us I live in the uk and its garrenteed to be 199 pound here whitch is 100 dollars more that what ud pay
Posted via the Android Central App
So far, the general consensus at Android Police and /r/Android seems to be that Intel must be subsidizing their SoC's a lot in order to gain more market share in the mobile space. Also, it looks like the top of the line version, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, is going to be $299+, judging how the Zenfone Zoom is the same exact phone with a better camera package at $399, though that remains to be seen.
The original Zenfone was $199 with no contract. Too bad its battery life was really bad (like 5 to 6 hours) otherwise it would be my daily beater.
Not sure why, but it looks cheap to me.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Tablet Z
Bezel. Kinda sure it's the huge bezel (especially under the screen) that makes it look like a cheap phone of yesteryear
What I can do without is the 80 pt font size of ASUS front & back. Other than that, I would buy this for $200 unlocked as a second or backup phone to my Moto X.
Dedicated function keys? Nope.
KitKat(and before) icons on said function keys? DOUBLE-NOPE.
#notreallyotherwiseallphonesarecopiesduetoformfactor
#thatmakesnosense
Posted via the finally lag-free LG G3 on CM12
#endhashtagabuse
#irony
Sent from my Nexus 5, behind six proxies
#C-C-C-C-Combo Breaker!
#= number sign, not "hash tag", whatever a hash tag is...
Posted via Android Central App
#knockoff
#goodtrythough
Posted via the Android Central App on my T-Mobile LG G3
#$199
#Not$500+
#NiceTrollTho
#doesn'tmatterhowmuchitcostsit'sstillacopy
Posted via the finally lag-free LG G3 on CM12
+1
Posted via the Android Central App on my T-Mobile LG G3
Looks good, like a G3..think LG might sue ASUS? Lol
bitch, you can't put a power button at the top of a 5.5 inch phone. have you ever heard of ergonomics?
Double-tap to wake made me not even care on the M8. If ASUS has such a feature here, the location of the power button won't really matter.
If they don't have another way to wake the device, however, it's a really poor decision, yes.
You can't double tap to sleep however. Power button can't be on the tip of a phone that size. Even Apple moved the power to the side.
Yes, you can. Apps like All in One Gestures make it ridiculously easy to set up a double tap to sleep in the status bar.
I can certainly double tap to sleep on my M8.
You can double tap to sleep on the G3, even with a launcher like Nova installed. Just double tap the status bar.,
I own it. You can double tap to sleep.
This phone does not have double tap to wake. It does have a "lift to wake" function in the settings, but I could not get it to work on the one I used. And yes, the power button is impossible to reach unless you use two hands.
Incorrect. This phone has double tap to sleep and double tap to wake up. It also has other gesture shortcuts similar to the OnePlus One.
Any proof? Because that's not on any of the show floor models I used. Not trying to be a dick, I'd actually like to be wrong here.
Yeah actually. Under settings there is a section called Zen Motion, where there are gestures that you can enable. Tim Schofield actually uploaded a hands-on video and demonstrated them.
found the video! that section in the settings just wasn't on the one at the intel booth - but then again, that one had a soft touch back cover too, while every other shot of it i've seen has a metallic finish. maybe i used a pre-production one. *shrug*
Perhaps its the lower end, 720p model that ASUS is keeping quiet on?
nope, i would have noticed if it were 720p, it was much sharper than my note 2 screen,
Yeah that's odd then. Perhaps it was pre-production.
I own it. It does have double tap to wake.
+1
Sent from my Nexus 6
Who puts the power button at the top of any phone... Stupidity.
Sent from my Nexus 6
Viorel, calling someone a biatch is uncalled for
Posted via the Galaxy Note 4
$199 out right? Must be on contract
Posted via the Android Central App
Yeah, it didn't specify. I'm assuming that's on contract though... Also, didn't mention the SOC.
Wished they did specify it, other sites are reporting that it's not a contract price. However, we'll need to see if that is indeed true.
As for SoC, they did state Intel Atom. GSMArena is reporting Z3560/3580 depending on which SKU you buy, I'm guessing the $199 price point is for the Z3560 w/ 2GB RAM and 16GB storage.
Just looked on Android Police.. $199 is unlocked off contract! Holy Moly..
See lower spec starting device to go with starting price..
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That tells me the Intel Z3560 must not be very impressive, and a midrange SoC. I wonder how the Z5380 stacks up to high end SoC's like the SD 805-810 and A8 ??
Posted Via the Unrivaled Note 4
It looks like a mix of the g3 and HTC m8
Posted via the Android Central App
I am thinking the same thing. $199 outright....I sincerely doubt it. Another problem is Phandroid shows only 16gb of storage. Its a beast of a phone with lack of storage.
Posted via the Android Central App
16 gig seems to be confirmed. With SD card available.
It's $199 without contract. With contract you can get it for $0.
The same as ZenFone first gen.
Looks exactly like an LG G3 with the power button and flash moved, to me.
Are you sure this isn't the LG G4? ;p
Exactly. And I hate that brushed metal look. It just oops cheap. This phone won't sale in the US..... Or anywhere for that matter.
Sent from my Nexus 6
Idk where they find this one, because all the ones they had over at the Intel booth had a really nice soft touch finish.
Exactly? Not really.
The LG G3 at least doesn't waste everyone's time with fugly dedicated function keys. :-/
I thought this was a G3 and then remembers the title of the post. I'm like huh?
AC App via Nexus 5