Zenfone Fans Rejoice Because the Zenfone 2 is a BEAST!
We managed to get hands-on time with the new Asus Zenfone 2 and we can honestly say without any hesitation that this device is shaping up to be the best bang-for-your-buck smartphone under Php10,000.
It’s a monster piece of tech that will just satisfy hardcore techies and non-techies alike! Underneath the hood we have very competitive specifications as it runs Intel’s latest 64-bit Atom quad-core processor paired with either 2GB or 4GB of RAM. It also has LTE connectivity, dual-SIM capabilities, and runs the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop software.
For the non-techies the phone just looks ridiculously amazing and sleek thanks to the 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display and the brushed aluminum finish. The device comfortable sits in the users’ hand thanks to the curved and thin edges. There’s also a full suite of accessories that you can get for the Asus Zenfone 2.
Here’s a short hands-on and initial impressions video that we made while we were on the floor of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
ASUS Zenfone 2 specs
- Intel 64-bit Atom 1.8GHz Z3560 quadcore/2.3GHz Z3580 quadcore processor
- 2GB/4GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch full HD IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 16/32/64GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
- 13-megapixel rear camera, f/2.0-aperture, 5-element, auto-focus lens with dual-color Real Tone flash
- 5-megapixel front camera, f/2.0-aperture, wide-angle 85-degree lens with Selfie Panorama
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, NFC
- Android 5.0 Lollipop with ZenUI
- 3000mAh battery
- 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9-3.9mm
All of this you get for just… $199 (roughly Php8.8k – Php9k)***? Man that is crazy value for money. Based on our short time with it we can already say confidently that the Asus Zenfone 2 is a BEAST. If you’re on a tight budget and you want a gorgeous smartphone without breaking the bank, this is it.
*** See update below ***
Perhaps our only concern or criticism really is the placement of the power/wake button which Asus put at the top. It’s actually hard to get to since the display is big at 5.5-inches. It’s not a deal breaker but it’s definitely a hassle. We’re kinda amazed that the engineers or marketing peeps of Asus weren’t able to see that as a problem.
*** UPDATE: There’s a lot of confusion right now with regards to the pricing. Apparently the $199 price tag is for a lower end version of the Zenfone 2 (smaller display and slightly lower specs). With that said this model that we featured probably will not sell for $199 and we will have to wait and see what the real SRP will be.
As soon as we get more info re: local release, we will update all of you guys here on Unbox.
To end here are a few more photos:
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