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ASUS unveils 5.5-inch ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom at CES 2015

By Cookie Monster - on 6 Jan 2015, 12:23pm

ASUS unveils 5.5-inch ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom at CES 2015

The ASUS ZenFone 2. <br> Image source: ASUS

One year after debuting the ZenFone series, ASUS today unveiled two new members to the family at CES 2015. They are the ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom. Both devices sport 5.5-inch 1080p displays, run on a new ZenUI with Android 5.0 Lollipop, 4G LTE connectivity and dual-micro SIM card slots. 

ZenFone 2

It's not hard to see where ASUS gets its inspiration for the new design of the ZenFone 2; it has a brushed metal finish on its curved back and the volume controls are shifted from the side to the back as well. Unfortunately, the Power button is located in the middle on the top side of the device.

The ZenFone 2 also has a 72% screen-to-body ratio, which makes its 5.5-inch 1080p display almost edge to edge with a 3.3mm thin bezel. ASUS also reinforced the display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for resistance against scratches and impacts.

Powering the ZenFone 2 is a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core processor. There are two models for the ZenFone 2; one will run the 1.8GHz chipset with 2GB RAM and the other will have a 2.3GHz processor with 4GB RAM. ASUS claims that the ZenFone 2 delivers up to 7X faster gaming performance compared to its predecessors.

ASUS also preloads the ZenFone 2 with a new version of ZenUI which is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company claims that the new ZenUI offers "a simpler, smarter, more personalized" experience.

The ZenFone 2 comes with a 13-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture, PixelMaster imaging technology, 5-element lens and dual-color Real Tone flash for warm skin tones and accurate colors. Its front-facing camera is no slouch either; there is a 5-megapixel camera sensor with f/2.0 aperture and wide angle (85-degree) lens.

Other specs include a 3,000mAh battery with fast-charging technology (0 to 60% in 39 minutes), LTE CAT 4 support and dual micro-SIM card slots. Storage options include 16GB (for the 2GB RAM model), 32GB and 64GB for the 4GB RAM model. There is also microSD support up to 64GB. The ZenFone 2 measures 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 ~ 3.9mm and weighs 170g.

The ASUS ZenFone 2 is available in five colors: Glacier Gray, Osmium Black, Glamour Red, Ceramic White and Sheer Gold. <br> Image source: ASUS

 

ZenFone Zoom

ASUS is getting serious about mobile photography with the release of the ZenFone Zoom. It is touted as the world's thinnest 3X optical zoom smartphone with an impressive suite of imaging hardware.

The ASUS ZenFone Zoom. <br> Image source: ASUS

Similar to the ZenFone 2, it has a 13-megapixel camera sensor with a narrower aperture of f/2.7 to f/4.8, a 10-element lens, optical image stabilization, laser autofocus and dual-color Real Tone flash. It also has PixelMaster imaging technology which offers Low Light mode, Backlight (HDR) mode, Enhanced Beautification mode, Manual Mode and Zero Shutter lag.

ASUS has not revealed the type of processor and amount of RAM used in the ZenFone Zoom although it is likely to be an Intel chipset. The rest of its specs remain similar to the ZenFone 2; a 5.5-inch 1080p display, new version of ZenUI with Android 5.0, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, LTE CAT 4 support, dual micro-SIM card slots and a 3,000mAh battery.

The ZenFone Zoom is slightly bigger in physical dimensions compared to the ZenFone 2. It measures 158.9 x 78.84 x 11.95mm and weighs 185g. Storage capacity is stated to be up to 128GB. It will be available in two colors: Meteorite black and Glacier white.

ASUS Singapore states that the price and availability of the new ZenFone models will be announced at a later date.

Find the rear of the ASUS ZenFone Zoom familiar? <br> Image source: ASUS

Source: ASUS (1) (2)

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