Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Taiwanese electronics maker Asus has a fascination with big phones, which explains why the ZenFone 3 Ultra emerges with an absolutely enormous 6.8-inch screen. Two years ago, I tried out Asus’ FonePad 8, an 8-inch tablet phone that felt silly-big. Compared to that, this slightly smaller 6.8-incher is at least somewhat bearable.
That said, I’m not sold. I think any handset above 6 inches is just way too much phone to use, but perhaps Asus is banking on its customers buying this as a hybrid device — one that gives you some of the large-screen benefits of a tablet without the cost of buying both tablet and phone. Anyhow, while the Ultra shares the same branding as the ZenFone 3, it’s a totally different beast.
The Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra is a huge 6.8-inch…
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Same name, different phone
Apart from its “ZenFone 3” prefix, the Ultra doesn’t share the same design as the other two ZenFone 3-branded phones. The rear camera mount is square instead of round and located on the left side instead of the center. Asus also put the fingerprint scanner on the front where the home button is, rather than on the back panel, where it might be harder to reach because of the phone’s size.
Of the three ZenFone 3 phones announced by Asus, the Ultra is the biggest and it shows.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Hardware for entertainment
The large 6.8-inch display has 1080p full-HD resolution, which understandably doesn’t look as sharp as it does on smaller screens. But in terms of density, the Ultra’s display comes in at around 324 pixels per inch. This is still sharp enough to view content without making out individual pixels — unless you bury your face deep into the display.
If you’re watching videos, nothing is more annoying than watching your image break up while trying to keep up with a panning video. Luckily for you, Asus has included a 4K TV processor inside the phone. I’ve seen the demo of this in action and I’m impressed with just how much smoother panning video becomes when it’s turned on.
Other entertainment-centric features in the phone include two superloud five-magnet speakers, as well as DTS 7.1 headphone audio which can enhance your movie-watching experience.
The Ultra was just way too big to fit in my pocket. The iPhone 6S Plus in my pocket looked small in comparison.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Other key specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor
- 4GB RAM, up to 128GB of onboard storage
- 4,600mAh battery
- 23-megapixel rear camera with four-axis OIS
- Three colors: Grey, Silver and Pink
Yay or nay?
Despite the impressive entertainment features built into the phone, my first impression is that the 6.8 monster here is simply too big to comfortably use. Right now, I happily use “smaller” phones from other manufacturers in the range of five inches in screen size. Still, it will be interesting to compare the pros and cons of all of the ZenFone 3 models when the final units come in for review.
The ZenFone 3 Ultra will be available in mid-June in Taiwan, Asia Pacific, the EU and China. There’s no word on US availability for now. It will cost $479 (converting to around £330, AU$670) for the 4GB RAM, 64GB onboard storage model, with prices increasing for models with more storage.
Canon EOS Rebel T6/EOS 1300D review – CNET
The Good The Canon EOS Rebel T6’s photo and video quality are definitely better than those of a point-and-shoot.
The Bad Its feature set is beyond minimal and it’s slow for a family camera.
The Bottom Line The Canon EOS Rebel T6 (aka the EOS 1300D) hits the basics for a low price, but that’s about it.
Why are you considering a cheap dSLR? Think it through before forking over the money for the Canon EOS Rebel T6, aka the EOS 1300D.
At $500 for the kit with an 18-55mm lens (£385, AU$650), it’s really inexpensive for a model with a press release dated 2016. But newer is not always better. Much of the camera is based on a higher-end model from 2013 that’s still available, the EOS Rebel T5i (EOS 700D), but with features stripped out and Wi-Fi added. And that model was only a minor update over its predecessor from 2012, the T4i (EOS 650D).
Like most basic dSLRs in its class, the T6 is basically a point-and-shoot with a big sensor for better photo quality; though one of the attractions of a dSLR is the ability to swap lenses, most people stick with the one that comes with the kit.
Fine for stepping up
The photos look like they were shot with a dSLR or mirrorless camera with the same size sensor, so they’re definitely a step up from a phone or point-and-shoot. And they’re about as good as its direct competitors, like the Nikon D3300 and the Pentax K-S2. But its photo and video quality aren’t nearly as good as the Sony A6000’s, either.
Asus ZenBook 3 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Aloysius Low/CNET
Asus isn’t shying away from a laptop battle with Apple, on Monday introducing its new ultra portable ZenBook 3. At the launch event at Computex here in Taipei, the company talked about how its new laptop was thinner, lighter and more powerful than Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Air ranges.
The aluminium bodied laptop sports a 12.-5 inch screen and will start at $999 (which converts to £685, AU$1,395) for the base model with 4GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 processor and 256GB of onboard storage. That puts it in a similar price range to Dell’s XPS 13 and the Razer Blade Stealth, two other strong Macbook alternatives.
Asus ZenBook 3 is slim, shiny and powerful
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The top of the line model will retail for $1,999 (£1,370, AU$2,790) and will feature an Intel Core i7 processor, a whopping 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM.
If you’re not a fan of the shiny metal on your devices, then perhaps the ZenBook 3 isn’t for you. But I liked the shininess of the ZenBook 3, especially the gold trim around the edges. It’s a bold statement and stands out in a sea of more mute-coloured notebooks.
I spent some time with the Zenbook 3 on the Computex show floor and came away impressed. The laptop was light, very portable and well constructed.
Are you a fan of shiny metal laptops, because the Asus ZenBook 3 will dazzle you.
Aloysius Low/CNET
There was one issue though — the keyboard. I tried three units, and two of them had trouble registering my keypresses. It’d be a shame if the retail model is hampered by a lacklustre keyboard.
Asus has not yet revealed when the ZenBook 3 will be available.
Key specs
- 12.5-inch full-HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) display
- 11.9mm thick
- 910g
- USB Type-C
- Price starting from $999
Asus Transformer 3 Pro Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Aloysius Low/CNET
Slim, portable and packed with power. That’s the best way to sum up what Asus wants from the Transformer 3 Pro. And no, it’s not just the name that bears a resemblance to Microsoft’s Surface Pro range. There’s also the detachable keyboard, kickstand, pen and, well, the whole thing, really.
On the top of the range, an Intel Core i7 processor provides the power, you can get up to 16GB of RAM and an impressive 1TB of storage via an SSD drive, and there’s also a Thunderbolt 3 port for connectivity.
Specs
- 299 by 210 by 8.5mm thick and 795g (11.7 by 8.3 x 0.3 inches and 1.7lbs)
- 12.6-inch display with 2,880×1,920-pixel resolution display and a 275ppi pixel density
- Core i5/i7 processor
- Up to 16GB RAM
- Up to 1TB SSD storage
- Thunderbolt 3 port
Meet the family: Asus unveils 3 new Transformer…
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Gamers get a nod as well, with an external GPU option from Asus’ gaming arm ROG. The ROG XG Station 2 has the brand new GTX 1080 graphics card that’s currently wowing the gamer world. Asus even says that the 3 Pro will be ready to deliver high-end VR experiences, which until now has been the domain of the big and bulky desktop PCs.
Nic Healey/CNET
In the mere minutes of hands on time I had with the 3 Pro (after bullying my way passed the thronging photographers) I was impressed with the combination of durable design with low weight and thin profile. I was even more impressed, in a different way, with just how much it looks like a Surface, even down to the connectors on the keyboard. I get that there’s not much you can do with a 2-in-1 design by its sheer nature, but if it wasn’t for the Asus logo on the back you might not tell the difference at first.
In the same family is the Asus Transformer 3. That’s also using Intel’s 7th generation processors, offers up to 512GB of SSD storage and also has a Thunderbolt 3 port. Asus hyped the battery life of the Transformer 3, claiming a solid 9 hours.
The 3 drops thickness and weight down to just 6.9mm and 695g (0.27 inches and 1.5lbs) but still has the same screen size and resolution.
The third family member is the Transformer Mini. This ditches the Core processor for an Atom X5, but that in turn boosts the battery life
Both the Transformer 3 and the Pro have Harmon Kardon speakers for an improved sound experience despite the small form factor. Asus also offers an universal dock with an array of ports, including USB-C 3.1, USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, RJ45 LAN, and a 3-in-1 SD card reader.
Pricing for the Transformer 3 Pro starts at $999 (that converts to AU$1,395 and £685) but you can be sure it’ll go up from there. The Transformer 3 is a little cheaper, starting at $799 (AU$1,115 or £545). There was no pricing immediately available on the Mini.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Asus ZenFone 3 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
With the new ZenFone 3, Asus has come a long way in handset design. Where previous models sported plastic bodies, the newly revamped ZenFone 3 series of phones — which also includes the high-end ZenFone Deluxe and big screen ZenFone Ultra — comes packing premium materials such as glass and aluminum.
In particular, the midrange ZenFone 3 has a beautiful glass design that’s reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S7, especially the rear camera, while sporting curves that are somewhat similar to the iPhone 6S. If anything, it seems that Asus has taken the best of both designs and combined them into what should be a relatively affordable device.
The Asus ZenFone 3 will have a starting price of $249 (around £170 or AU$350) for the 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage model. It seems very competitively priced and will be launched globally in Q3, so expect to see the phones in July or later.
Asus ZenFone 3 gets a beautiful new glass…
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Brand new hardware
The ZenFone 3 is the first device to sport Qualcomm’s new 14 nanometer Snapdragon 625 octa-core chip, and the one thing you need to know about this new chip is that it is a lot more power-efficient than the previous model, Asus says — by up to 35 percent due to a new manufacturing process.
That’s a good thing, and seeing how the previous Snapdragon 600 range of processors have usually held up well in terms of performance, the new 625 should do well too.
The ZenFone 3 doesn’t skimp on the other aspects of the hardware, either. It packs a full-HD 5.5-inch IPS display (1,920×1,080 pixels), up to 4GB and 64GB of onboard storage, a fingerprint sensor on the back and USB Type-C support.
The 16-megapixel rear camera of the ZenFone 3 sits just above the rear fingerprint sensor.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Shooting capabilities
Midrange devices usually chuck in a pretty good camera and leave it at just that, but Asus couldn’t help but up the ante. The ZenFone 3 adds four-axis optical image stabilization to its 16-megapixel rear camera and it’s rare to see such a feature in this price category. It means that photos will be more in focus when there’s motion, like jittery hands or a strong breeze. On the front, you get an 8-megapixel shooter for selfies.
Key specs
- 5.5-inch display, full HD resolution (1,920×1,080 pixels)
- 3,000mAh battery
- Dual-SIM 4G support
- New Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor
- Five magnet speaker and NXT amp
- Four colors: Gold, Blue, Black and White
Asus has done a very good job in revamping its ZenFone line. From the looks of it, we won’t be plagued by a wide range of similar devices with just minor spec changes like with the ZenFone 2 lineup.
Instead, Asus told me that it will keep such variation low by injecting the higher-end Deluxe and larger Ultra. It’ll be interesting to see how these pricier phones will affect Asus’ marketshare in emerging markets hungry for cheaper handsets.
I can’t wait to get my hands on a review unit. I’m impressed with the ZenFone 3’s promise, and this new phone reassures me that Asus still has plenty of room to grow in the future.
The new Asus ZenFone 3 packs impressive features into its beautiful new glass body.
Aloysius Low/CNET
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Mercedes-Benz C220d AMG Line Coupe first drive: Covering all bases
What’s in a name? For their medium-sized executive coupes, both Audi and BMW have chosen to position their more sporting offerings as stand-alone to the saloon versions, with the respective A5 and 4-Series. That means a different name and different styling.
Mercedes? Well, despite a sometimes bewildering array of CL- and SL- models which have all just been renamed, the coupe version of the C-Class doesn’t become the CLC, it’s still just a C-Class coupe. Shortly, you’ll be able to get a cabriolet too.
But this is our first drive of the C-Class coupe on UK soil. Plus we got our hands on what’s likely to be the biggest-selling version: the C220d in sporting AMG Line trim. Priced from £30,995, the range includes C200, C300 and C63 AMG petrols as well as this C220d and the higher-powered C250d diesels.
The C220d is just the sort of car that higher-end company car drivers will like. It produces 170bhp, but more importantly 400Nm of torque, which makes it feel a lot faster than it sounds. Both 6-speed manual and 9-speed automatic gearboxes are available, and there’s no CO2 penalty for choosing either — both kick out an impressively low 106 g/km of CO2 which makes them benefit-in-kind tax friendly. That potentially makes the C-Class far more attractive than a BMW 420d (124g/km CO2) or an Audi A5 2.0 TDI ultra, which although close at 109g/km is less powerful.
Pocket-lint
Our test car featured the automatic gearbox, which always feels a lot more suited to the Mercedes approach to life than a 6-speed manual. It gives a suitably easy, waft-like drive. If that makes the C-Class coupe sound like it’s a bit of soft barge to drive, that’s not exactly true. This car’s ace card is its ability to cosset and smooth road imperfections, while at the same time being quite “up for fun” when you pick up the speed on a country road. And laying some weight to the idea that if feels punchier than its on-paper figures, you always seem to be travelling 10-15 miles per hour faster than you expect to be.
A look at the spec sheet of our car gives a key clue to the way this car drives — it includes the steering, transmission and suspension package (an £895 option). It includes airmatic suspension which self-levels the car, and variable dampers which can firm or soften things up. It works very well, but it made us curious as to what a regularly sprung and damped C-Class would be like.
Inside the C220d AMG it’s no surprises if you’ve already seen the new C-Class saloon or GLC interior. Which means to say that it feels much fresher than an Audi A5 and much more special than a BMW 4-Series. You still need to spend extra to get the larger, 8.4-inch Comand online system, but we’re big fans and think it’s worth it.
Here the Comand system was bundled as part of Mercedes’ Premium Plus package, which for a fiver short of £3k also brings a Burmester stereo, keyless go, memory seats and a panoramic glass roof. If you don’t feel like you need all of those bits, Comand is available as a standalone option for less money. Combined with the grey leather upholstery option (£795) and leather upper dash and door beltline (£400) on our car, it makes for an extremely pleasant place to while away the time.
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And even if you don’t want to go shelling out on options, the C-Class coupe is a well-equipped car. LED headlamps, sports seats, DAB radio, 19-inch alloys and Artico leather seats are all things you might expect to spend extra for on a Merc. But not here. If you wanted this specific model, you could maybe add the Airmatic handling pack and Comand, then for a shade under £40k this would be a car that wants for very little in terms of performance or equipment.
It looks impressive too. Well, with the exception of the odd, contrast chrome strip running along the underside of the front bumper, which clashes with our car’s blue metallic paint. The C-Class coupe is an elegant shape; longer than the car it replaces, with a longer wheelbase for a better ride and more rear legroom.
Although it’s called a C-Class, the differences compared to the saloon are similar to those of a BMW 4-Series relative to a 3-Series. The C-Class Coupe is noticeably lower and wider-looking than the saloon — and in terms of the body panels, it shares only its front wing and bonnet.
First Impressions
With many buyers of this type of car looking for a premium badge, elegant looks, a refined drive and high levels of efficiency with decent performance, the C-Class coupe is a car that has all the bases covered. More than that, it appeals to both heart and head, too.
ASUS’ ZenBook 3 is thinner, lighter and faster than the MacBook
How much more can ASUS shave off of the ZenBook, its flagship ultraportable? Apparently, quite a bit. The company’s new ZenBook 3, announced today at Computex, clocks in at just 2 pounds and 11.9mm (0.46-inches) thick. In comparison, the previous ZenBook UX305 weighed 2.64 pounds and was 12.9mm thick (0.51-inches). Sure, those might just seem like incremental improvements, but they’re remarkable when you consider just how insanely thin and light the previous model was. Most impressively? The ZenBook 3 just barely edges out Apple’s svelte MacBook, which weighs 2.03lbs and is 13.2mm (0.52-inches) thick, all the while packing in a larger 12.5-inch display.
ASUS attributes the ZenBook 3’s weight loss to a new “aerospace-grade aluminum alloy,” which it says is 40 percent stronger than what’s typically used in laptops. Honestly, that just sounds like marketing fluff, but there must be something special about the laptop’s new material to lose 0.6 pounds from the last gen. ASUS is still sticking with its “spun metal” style, so hopefully you’re a fan of the concentric metallic rings on its cases. It’ll be available in “Quartz Grey,” “Royal Blue,” and the seemingly ubiquitous “Rose Gold.”
Unlike the MacBook, the ZenBook 3 won’t be under-powered. At the top end, you’ll be able to configure it with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD (which should be faster than a typical SATA drive). The display is covered in Gorilla Glass 4, and it looks like Asus was also able to slim down the bezel (now it covers 82 percent of the laptop’s front). The ZenBook 3 packs in a Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port for charging (which it says can juice the laptop’s battery up to 60 percent in 49 minutes), and it should last around 9 hours of typical battery life. As for cooling, Asus says it’s developed the “world’s thinnest” fan at just 3mm. There’s also a built-in fingerprint sensor with Windows Hello support.
In my brief hands-on time with the ZenBook 3, after wrestling through the crowds at Computex, I can confirm that it’s seriously thin and light. ASUS’ numbers don’t lie — it definitely feels on-par with Apple’s MacBook. I didn’t feel much of a difference with the new metal case, compared to older ZenBooks, but it still felt sturdy, with little flex when I tried to bend the laptop. After handling it, I’m even more impressed that ASUS managed to cram a Core i7 processor into such a thin case.
Unfortunately, the ZenBook 3’s keyboard feels incredibly shallow, to the point where I couldn’t imagine using it to type much. That’s particularly strange, since ASUS made a big deal about having even more key travel space than the MacBook. From what I can remember, though, the MacBook’s keyboard simply felt better.
The ZenBook 3 will start at $999 with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. Stepping up, you can get it with a 512GB SSD for $1,499, and you can add a Core i7 processor, 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM for $1,999. ASUS isn’t talking about availability details yet. We’ll definitely be paying attention to this ultraportable.
ASUS’ latest Transformers take heavy cues from Microsoft’s Surface
ASUS has just unveiled a line of new Transformer 2-in-1 PCs that look suspiciously like a certain product from Microsoft. With their touchscreens, kickstands and portable keyboards, they do remind us a lot of, you guessed it, the Surface. And, of course, they all run Windows 10, which makes the Surface connection even more undeniable. Of the new announcements, the Transformer 3 Pro is the most advanced of the lot, the Transformer 3 sits somewhere in the middle, while the Mini is the lightest.
Both the Transformer 3 Pro and the Transformer 3 have a 12.6-inch display with a 2880 x 1920 resolution and 275 ppi pixel density. There are other similarities as well: Both feature USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 connections, Harmon Kardon speakers, and USB 3.0 and HDMI ports. They both also have built-in fingerprint readers. As you might expect, both 2-in-1s are also compatible with ASUS accessories such as the Pen, a Universal Dock, an AudioPod (a quad speaker with surround sound) and the ROG XG Station 2, a graphics dock that gives the humble tablet PC the power of a desktop computer (and it’s VR-ready to boot!). Both tablets are available in Icicle Gold as well as Glacier Gray.
Of the two, the Transformer 3 Pro is the heftier one at 8.35mm thick. Its kickstand has a “stepless hinge” that lets you set the device at any viewing angle up to 170-degrees. The 3 Pro also comes with a Cover Keyboard that’s backlit and offers “laptop-grade 1.4mm key travel” which ASUS says will provide a typing experience similar to that of a normal-sized notebook. It also boasts an Intel Core i7 processor and up to 1TB PCIe x4 SSD and 16GB of 2133MHz RAM. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera plus a front-facing one as well.
While the Transformer 3 has the same display size as the Transformer 3 Pro, the 3 is thinner and lighter with a thickness and weight of 6.9mm and 695 grams respectively. The Transformer 3 features a 7th generation Intel Core processor plus up to 512GB SSD and up to 8GB of RAM. Its display stand is not quite as flexible, with only two positions. It ships with a Transformer Sleeve Keyboard, also with 1.4mm of key travel and is available in the same four colors as the Cover Keyboard (Stone, Charcoal, Taupe, and Amber).
If you think both of these tablets are just too big for your tastes, ASUS also offers the Transformer Mini. It has a 10.1-inch display, is 8.2mm thin and weighs 790 grams with the keyboard attached and 530 grams without. Like the Transformer Pro 3, it also has an integrated kickstand with that stepless smart hinge design that lets you view it at any angle you like. It too has a built-in fingerprint reader.
The keyboard is a little smaller with 1.5mm key travel but it does have an integrated palm rest. Other features include a ZenSync smartphone integration that lets you sync up your text messages much in the same way you can with iOS and OS X El Capitan. The Transformer Mini and keyboard will ship in a variety of different colors such as Quartz Gray, Pearl White, Amber, Mint Green and Icicle Gold.
Pricing for the ASUS Transformer 3 Pro starts at $999 while the Transformer 3 will start at $799. No word on availability just yet, but we’ll update you when we know.
ASUS ZenFone 3 looks and feels twice its price
Intel may have already quit the smartphone market, but its buddy ASUS continues to fight the good fight with a slightly different approach this year. At Computex, the Taiwanese giant announced not just one, but three new Android M smartphones: ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe and ZenFone 3 Ultra. These share a common design language, though in our opinion, it’s the $249 base model that has the best appearance thanks to the 2.5D Gorilla Glass on both sides, as well as the spun-metal finish on the back (underneath the glass). Together, these work well with any of the four color options: “Shimmer Gold,” “Aqua Blue,” “Sapphire Black” and “Moonlight White.” The sandblasted metallic frame around it adds a nice touch, too.
While the ZenFone 3 doesn’t feature Qualcomm’s top chipset, it’s the first phone to officially pack the mid-range Snapdragon 625 which is based on a 14nm process and has eight Cortex-A53 cores capped at 2 GHz, so its 3,000 mAh battery should last quite some time. You also get Cat 6 LTE (300 Mbps downlink, 50 Mbps uplink), dual-SIM support (one Micro SIM and one Nano SIM), 802.11ac MU-MIMO WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2 and a mid-range Adreno 506 GPU as part of the package. The aforementioned $249 price point offers 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and you can add more storage with a microSD card via the second SIM slot.
Like its plastic predecessor, this model features a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS screen, though its speaker at the bottom has been upgraded with a loud “5-magnet” driver powered by an NXP smart amp, and it’s Hi-Res Audio-certified for headphone output. Next to the speaker you’ll find a USB Type-C port — a first for ASUS phones — with USB 2.0 connectivity. Another addition is the new fingerprint sensor on the back, where it doubles as the center of the spun-metal finish.
The cameras play a big part on the ZenFone 3. The main one is now powered by Sony’s 16-megapixel IMX298 sensor (as featured on the Xiaomi Mi 5, Huawei Mate 8, Vivo Xplay5 and Oppo R9 Plus) with f/2.0 aperture, second-gen laser autofocus, phase detection autofocus, color-correction RGB sensor, dual-tone LED flash, 4-axis optical stabilization for stills and 3-axis electronic stabilization for video. Alas, the trade-off here is that you’ll have to make-do with the camera bump.
The same old low light mode (combines four pixels into one to boost sensitivity) and super resolution mode (produces 64-megapixel shots) are here to stay, and you can do long exposure of up to 32 seconds or even play with the full manual mode. As for the front imager, it’s now an 8-megapixel camera with an 85-degree wide view, and the usual beautification features are there for you selfie addicts.
The fancier ZenFone 3 Deluxe looks similar to the base model, except it uses a subtly curved metal unibody instead of a glass back, and ASUS is somewhat proud of the fact that it’s managed to hide most of the plastic antenna bands, leaving just a bit on the chamfer. For the sake of consistency, the spun-metal look is applied to the ear pillow and the chin instead of the back. It also uses a 5.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display instead, thus offering 100-percent NTSC color space, as well as enabling an always-on screen feature for some handy information.
As you’ve probably guessed, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe is powered by a Snapdragon 820 so it also does Cat 13 LTE with tri-band carrier aggregation (150 Mbps uplink), USB 3.0 connectivity and Quick Charge 3.0. It also has a sharper camera; in fact, it’s the first smartphone to use Sony’s 23-megapixel IMX318 sensor, and apart from the added 4K video recording support plus the fact that the super resolution mode has been bumped up to 92 megapixels, the feature set is otherwise identical to that on the ZenFone 3. Starting at $499, you get 6GB of RAM plus 64GB of UFS 2.0 internal storage, and there’ll be a 256GB variant arriving later.
Last but not least, the big daddy that is the ZenFone 3 Ultra is a 6.8-inch phablet with a 1080p LCD (95-percent NTSC gamut), a PixelWorks iris2+ TV grade processor (for optimized 4K playback), two speakers at the bottom and DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound (a world-first, apparently), so it’s clearly made with multimedia entertainment in mind. As a bonus, there’s a larger 4,600 mAh battery that can act reverse charge other devices over a 1.5A current.
To keep it relatively affordable ($479 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage), though, the ZenFone 3 Ultra uses just an octa-core Snapdragon 652 (which is slightly more powerful than the ZenFone 3’s chipset) so there’s no USB 3.0 here, but you still get Cat 6 LTE, 802.11ac WiFi and Quick Charge 3.0. The cameras are also identical to those on the ZenFone 3 Deluxe, and the fingerprint reader is here to stay, though it’s been moved from the back to below the screen. Not bad at all for this price point, so it’s just a matter of whether you are fine with carrying such a beastly phone.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for release dates for all three models. Until then, stay tuned for our hands-on.
AIVAnet 