Asus ZenFone 2 launching in North America on May 18th

When the original ZenFone series launched at CES 2014, I personally was excited to see more competition in the low-end segment, believing Asus had what it took to compete with devices like the Moto G. Unfortunately, the original ZenFone lineup never made its way to the states. Thankfully, this isn’t the case for the ZenFone 2.

Asus has formally started sending out invites for a ZenFone 2 North American launch event which takes place in New York City on May 18th. While we had already heard talk about how the ZenFone 2 would make it stateside, official confirmation is always nice.

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The ZenFone 2 is more than just a mid-range device, it’s a high-end flagship-like offering at a mid-range price. In our review with the 4GB RAM variant of the ZenFone 2, we couldn’t help but be impressed by how well the device performed despite a few drawbacks like some battery drain issues. Now keep in mind that while we know the 2GB variant of the ZenFone 2 is sold somewhere in the $200 to $300 price range, you can likely expect the 4GB model to cost somewhere between $300 and $400 when it arrives in North America. Of course, pricing in the US isn’t official just yet.

What do you think, anyone planning on picking up this mid-ranger with a high-end flagship punch?

Asus ZenFone 2 coming to India, pre-orders kick off today

Asus’ latest low-cost flagship has now formally launched in India with pre-orders starting today, exclusively through Flipkart. As we have seen in other markets, Asus will sell multiple variants of the Zenfone 2 with differing specs, though all the models sold will be powered by Intel Atom chips.

Starting with the entry-level member of the family, the Zenfone 2 (ZE550M) comes in at 12,999 INR or about $129. This model has an Intel Atom Z3560 processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, microSD expansion, a 13MP rear cam, 5MP front cam, dual-SIM slots, a 5.5-inch 720p display, a 3,000 mAh battery, and Zen UI (based on Lollipop). Considering the pricing, this is actually a pretty impressive device — even if the relatively poor resolution, given the display size, will likely prove to be a deal breaker for some.

In addition to the ZE550M, there will also be three different configurations offered for the ZE551ML: a version featuring 16GB storage and an Intel Atom Z3560 CPU with 2GB RAM, a version featuring Intel Z3580 with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage, and a version with an Intel Z3580, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage. All three of these configurations have a 5.5-inch 1080p dislay, a 13MP rear cam, 5MP front cam, a 3,000 mAh battery, dual-SIM slots, LTE, and Zen UI (based on Lollipop). Pricing for these handsets are 14,999 INR ($236.76), 19,999 INR ($315.69) and 22,999 INR ($363.05) respectively.

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What do you think, anyone planning on picking up the Asus Zenfone 2? How does its features and pricing compare to other handsets available in your region? For those interested, be sure to chec out our full review.

4GB RAM Asus Zenfone 2 heading to India via FlipKart, release date set for April 23

The Asus Zenfone 2 is heading to India this month, a product page has appeared on the popular e-commerce retailer FlipKart. Importantly, it’s the top of the range model that will be going on sale, featuring a Full HD 1080p display, the faster Intel Atom Z3580 processor and 4GB of RAM.

The Zenfone 2 will arrive in India on April 23th, which is just a couple of days away, but a price has not been listed yet and you can’t place pre-orders. Instead, you can hand over your email in exchange for more details about the phone when it launches.

It’s not clear if FlipKart will have exclusivity over the handset in the country, or if other retailers will also stock the Zenfone 2. Asus has confirmed that they won’t be using a flash sale model, unlike some other lower cost manufacturers, so hopefully availability won’t be an issue.

Asus’ Zenfone 2 is already competitively priced in Europe and the same will apply in India. The company is looking to capitalize on the growth in the country’s lower cost, high specification smartphone market, which is already home to brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Meizu.

If you’re curious about just what 4GB can actually do in a phone, check out this video of the Zenfone 2 being put through its multitasking paces. Don’t forget to delve into our hands on review if you’re still undecided about Asus’ latest smartphone.

Video: here’s what 4GB of RAM can do for your multitasking

The Asus Zenfone 2 has a chance of becoming the sleeper hit of 2015 so far. After the affordable, but hardly impressive first generation series, Asus announced in January the Zenfone 2, featuring some interesting features and an unprecedented 4GB of RAM. But how big of a difference does the extra gigabyte(s) of memory makes when it comes to actual use? This video from YouTuber L BS seems to suggest that memory is put to very good to use.

L BS ran five graphics intensive games on the Zenfone 2 at a time, and switched between them alternatively. Not only was the Zenfone 2 able to keep all the games in the memory without closing any of them down (Android automatically closes down apps when memory is insufficient), but the games seem to be running without any lag.

Now I know what you are thinking – why would I need to run five games at once? But even if you’re not into absurdly-intense multitasking, more RAM should give you a better experience. Just being able to keep your frequently used apps in the memory for longer should cut down on loading times.

In his recent review, Lanh singled out performance of the Zenfone 2 as one of the main benefits offered by Asus’ flagship. That said, you should be careful when buying the device, as the Zenfone 2 comes in two flavors: one featuring an Intel Atom Z3580 processor and 4GB of RAM (selling for €349 in Europe) and one featuring an Intel Atom Z3560 processor and 2GB of RAM (selling for €179 in Europe). The Zenfone 2 is yet to arrive in North America, but we’re optimistic that will happen, eventually.