Asus Zenfone Max (M1) has a 4,000 mAh battery, 18:9 slim-bezel display

Late last year Asus unveiled the Zenfone Max Plus (M1), and today at MWC the company took the wraps off its slightly smaller sibling, the Zenfone Max (M1).

This model comes with a 5.5-inch 1,440x720 18:9 IPS display capable of up to 400 nits of brightness. The phone has an 83% screen-to-body ratio thanks to its slim bezels.

It's powered by either the Snapdragon 425 or the Snapdragon 430, depending on which variation you happen to buy. Similarly, you can get it with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but there may be lower-end options in some markets.

The Zenfone Max (M1) has a 13 MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and phase detection autofocus, paired with an 8 MP 120-degree wide-angle camera for a trendy dual setup. On the front you have a single 8 MP f/2.2 sensor.

    
Asus Zenfone Max (M1)

It comes with triple slots - two for SIM cards and one dedicated to microSD cards. One of its main selling points will definitely be the beefy 4,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 8.0 Oreo with ZenUI 5.0 on top.

    
Asus Zenfone Max (M1) hands-on images

The Zenfone Max (M1) will be offered in Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold, and Ruby Red. It has a compact body close to what you'd expect from a phone with a 5" 16:9 screen, and weighs 150g. It boasts a metallic finish with 2.5D curved glass on the front, and a fingerprint sensor on the back.

Asus Zenfone 5 renders surface out of a manual

Asus has scheduled a Zenfone 5 announcement for February 27 in Barcelona, and the way the company usually does things makes us think it won't be just one Zenfone 5. If anything, the #backto5 tagline could be closer to the number of devices we may see at MWC, in addition to being a shout out to the already existing Zenfone 5s. Just Asus things.

Anyway, one of these Zenfone 5s has been revealed in a manufacturer's manual sporting an (aluminum?) unibody and a tall 18:9 display, likely in the 5.7" ballpark. Carrying an internal designation X00PD, it's unclear which model exactly this would be. Judging by the microUSB port, however, it's looking like a non-flagship device.

Even so, a dual camera on the back suggests it's not a low-end phone either. Asus has made phones with a pair of shooters on the back before; however, starting with this generation, the two sensors are arranged vertically, instead of side by side.

That's just a teaser, though - there's about three weeks until we see the real deal.

Source

Asus launches the Zenfone 4 Pro, Zenfone 4, and 5.2" Zenfone 4 Max in the US

Today Asus is significantly expanding the Zenfone 4 family of smartphones in the US. The Taiwanese company launched the 5.5" Zenfone 4 Max stateside last month, and now it's being joined by a bunch of its siblings.

Zenfone 4 Pro

Let's start with the top of the line offering, in effect Asus' flagship handset at the moment. This one features a 5.5" 1080p AMOLED touchscreen, 6GB of RAM, and the Snapdragon 835 chipset at the helm. It comes with 64GB of expandable storage and a 3,600 mAh battery.

Its dual rear camera setup consists of a 12 MP main shooter with a 1/2.55" sensor, 1.4µm pixels and f/1.7 aperture, as well as a 16 MP unit with 2x fixed optical zoom. On the front you'll find an 8 MP snapper for selfies, with f/1.9 aperture and 1.4µm pixel size.

The Zenfone 4 Pro runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is up for pre-order at Asus, Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, and Newegg. It's available in black only and will set you back $599. It will start shipping on November 6.

Zenfone 4

The Zenfone 4 has dual rear cameras too, though in this case both come with 12 MP resolution. The main sensor has f/1.8 aperture, while the secondary one has a 120-degree wide-angle lens.

This phone is powered by the Snapdragon 630 SoC, paired with 4GB of RAM and a 3,300 mAh battery. 64GB of expandable storage is in tow, along with an 8 MP f/2.0 selfie snapper, and a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD touchscreen. The Android version that's pre-installed is 7.1.1 Nougat in this case too.

The Zenfone 4 is also available to pre-order fromAsus, B&H, Best Buy, and Newegg, and will ship on November 6 like the Pro according to Asus, and November 3 according to Newegg. Oddly enough,Amazon says it already has units in stock. It is priced at $399 and should be offered in both Midnight Black and Moonlight White.

Zenfone 4 Max 5.2"

This model complements the 5.5-inch iteration that's already available. It obviously brings a smaller 5.2" display to the table, with 720p resolution. It's powered by the Snapdragon 425 chip, has 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of expandable storage. It's got a 13 MP + 5 MP dual camera setup on the back, an 8 MP front-facing unit, as well as Android 7.0 Nougat on board.

Its main claim to fame however has to be the huge 4,100 mAh battery, since that's the theme of the Max-branded Zenfones. This is sure to last one day or more on a charge for even the most demanding power users. Then again, it remains to be seen how many of those will settle for the lower-midrange specs on offer here.

The 5.2-inch Zenfone 4 Max is priced at $169 unlocked and will only be out in black. You can pre-order one from Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, andNewegg. This model will be released on November 3.

Source

New Asus Zenfone 4 update enables low light HDR, HTC U11 gets updated as well

Asus has started pushing out a new update to its Zenfone 4 (ZE554KL) smartphone. Arriving as version 14.1050.1708.45, the update brings along a couple of camera-related changes and some bug fixes.

Basically, the update includes improvements to camera quality. Not only that, it also enables low light HDR. As for bug fixes, the update fixes Contact app crash that happened "after having a call with hiding phone number." Another fix is related to receiver, which went "silent when turn on the touch sound."

Meanwhile, there's some update-related news for Sprint HTC U11 users as well. The carrier recently started pushing a new update to the device. Arriving as version 1.28.651.3, the update brings along Android security fixes for the month of August. Some usual bug fixes are included as well.

Source 1 2 | Via 1 2

Asus unveils mixed reality headset and super thin laptops at IFA

Asus took the IFA stage to unveil its new Windows Mixed Reality Headset along with a number of portable but powerful laptops.

Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset

The headset features Microsoft tech for both real-world and virtual experiences. It has displays with 3K resolution and two built-in cameras on the front. The cameras are used for six degrees of freedom position tracking without the need of additional external sensors. You can set up the headset in just 10 minutes.

    
Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset

The Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset is comfortable to wear – it weighs 400g and has premium cushioned materials (antibacterial) and a “balanced-crown design”, which lowers the pressure on your nose and face.

The headset will set you back €450.

Asus ZenBook Flip 14 and Flip 15

Measuring only 13.9mm thick, the ZenBook Flip 14 is the world’s thinnest 2-in-1 laptop. It’s fairly light too, 1.4kg. In that package you’re getting a 360° flippable touchscreen - 14” obviously, but its thin bezels make it the same size as a 13” laptop, says Asus.

    
Asus ZenBook Flip 14

The ZenBook Flip 15 has a 15.6” touchscreen with 4K or 1080p resolution. Note that the screen supports a precision stylus. It is the most powerful in the series – like the smaller model, it features an 8th gen Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, but it comes with Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics instead of an MX150.

    
Asus ZenBook Flip 15

You can get a 512GB PCIe SSD with these two, the 15 can also have an HDD up to 2TB. The ZenBook 14 boasts Harman Kardon audio and 13 hours of battery life.

The Flip 14 costs €800 while its bigger sibling is €900.

Asus ZenBook Flip S

Another “world’s thinnest”, the ZenBook Flip S claims to be the thinnest convertible at 10.9mm and is lighter than the Flip 14, weighing a mere 1.1kg. To go this thin, Asus put the keyboard on a clever mechanism that tilts and lifts it once you open the screen beyond 135°.

   
Asus ZenBook Flip S

The 4K touchscreen also supports a stylus and can flip 360°. For something this light, this convertible has plenty of oomph thanks to an Intel Core i7 8550U (quad-core) and a 1TB PCIe SSD.

Asus VivoBook Flip 14

Another convertible, this one has a 14” 1080p screen and continues the “thin and light” theme of the others – 15.4mm and 1.5kg to put numbers to it. Again, Asus claims this has the body of a 13” laptop.

   
Asus VivoBook Flip 14

The VivoBook Flip 14 is more price concious and comes with a 7th gen Intel Core i7 instead of the latest Kaby Lake Refresh. The price is €400 by the way, half of what the Flip 14 costs.

Newly-announced Asus ZenFone 4 and ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro getting updates

Asus has started pushing out updates to the newly-unveiled ZenFone 4 and ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro smartphones. For the former, the update improves WiFi connectivity as well as brings along a couple of fixes.

On the other hand, the Selfie Pro update includes changes like image quality improvement and overall camera quality enhancement.

Both these devices haven't launched yet, so those purchasing should see notification for these updates out of the box.

Source 1 2 | Via

ASUS announces six new ZenFone 4 models

In typical ASUS fashion, the company has dropped half a dozen new ZenFone smartphones all at one fell swoop. The new range includes the ZenFone 4, ZenFone 4 Pro, ZenFone 4 Max, ZenFone 4 Max Pro, ZenFone 4 Selfie and ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro.

ZenFone 4

The ZenFone 4 has 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD and has 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass on the front and back with aluminum frame. The phone is powered by a pair of new processors, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 and the Snapdragon 630, depending upon the variant you choose. Accordingly, you will get either 4GB or 6GB of RAM.

The phone also has 64GB of expandable storage. On the back is a dual camera system consisting of a 12 megapixel f1.8 25mm primary camera with PDAF and OIS and an ultra wide angle 8 megapixel 12mm secondary camera. The phone can also record 4K video. On the front is an 8 megapixel f2.0 camera.

Other features include dual stereo speakers, dual SIM support, fingerprint sensor, USB-C, headphone jack, and 3300mAh battery with fast charging. The phone will be available in Moonlight White, Mint Green and Midnight Black.

ZenFone 4 Pro

The ZenFone 4 Pro is the flagship device and has a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display with 2.5D Gorilla Glass on the front and back and aluminum frame. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM and a choice of 64GB or 128GB storage.

The dual camera system on the back consists of a 12 megapixel f1.7 25mm camera with OIS, PDAF and laser autofocus. The secondary camera is a 16 megapixel sensor with 50mm telephoto lens, giving it 2x lossless optical zoom. On the front is an 8 megapixel f1.9 camera.

Other features include dual stereo speakers, dual SIM support, fingerprint sensor, USB-C, headphone jack, and 3600mAh battery with fast charging. The ZenFone 4 Max will be available in Moonlight White and Pure Black.

ZenFone 4 Max

The ZenFone 4 Max has a 5.5-inch IPS LCD. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 or 425 processor with a choice of 2GB, 3GB and 4GB memory. You also get 16GB, 32GB or 64GB expandable storage accordingly.

On the back is a dual camera system with 13 megapixel f2.0 25mm primary camera and 12mm wide angle secondary camera. On the front is an 8 megapixel sensor.

Other features include dual SIM connectivity, fingerprint sensor, microUSB and a 5000mAh battery. The ZenFone 4 Max will be available in Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold and Rose Pink.

ZenFone 4 Max Pro

The ZenFone 4 Max Pro is largely the same device as the ZenFone 4 Max but with different cameras and memory. The ZenFone 4 Max Pro has a 16 megapixel primary rear camera and 16 megapixel front camera. Memory is limited to a choice of 2GB or 3GB and storage is limited to just 32GB.

ZenFone 4 Selfie

The ZenFone 4 Selfie has a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD with 2.5D curved glass. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

The single rear camera on the back is 16 megapixels. However, it's the front camera that's the focus here, with a dual camera setup consisting of a 20 megapixel main sensor with f2.0 aperture and 31mm focal length and an 8 megapixel 12mm wide angle camera. There is also an LED flash for low light photography.

The phone has dual SIM support, fingerprint sensor, microUSB, and 3000mAh battery. The ZenFone 4 Selfie will be available in Deepsea Black, Mint Green, Rose Pink and Sunlight Gold.

ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro

The ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro ups the game with a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display and Snapdragon 625, with a choice of 3GB or 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.

The main front camera is a 24 megapixel DuoPixel camera. Although this is just marketing speak as it is actually just a 12 megapixel Sony IMX362 sensor with dual pixel autofocus that helps the sensor focus quickly and ASUS is counting the two diodes per pixel as two separate pixels. ASUS claims this makes it 2x sensitive to light but again, that's not how it works since the light falling on each pixel is same regardless of how you split it. Moving on, the secondary front camera has 12mm focal length for wide angle selfies.

The phone also has 4K video recording, dual SIM support, fingerprint sensor, microUSB, and 3000mAh battery. The ZenFone 4 Selfie Max will be available in Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold and Rouge Red.

The exact hardware specifications, colors, prices, and availability will vary by region, which will be announced later.

Asus promises Android O updates for the entire Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 4 series

As you may already know, earlier today Asus held a special event during which it unleashed six additional Zenfone 4 models. These all run Android Nougat, but what about the future? We are, after all, most likely only a few short weeks away from the official launch of Android O (which annoyingly still doesn't have a proper name).

Well, if you're interested in purchasing one of Asus' new handsets, rest assured that they will get to taste the next iteration of Android. The slide you can see screengrabbed below was shared during the Zenfone 4 launch event.

Android O is promised to come to the entire Zenfone 4 line of devices, which is definitely good news. What's more, last year's Zenfone 3 series will receive the same treatment too. The Android O update for the Zenfone 3 line will also include Asus' newly revamped ZenUI 4.0, which the company says is simpler, more intuitive, as well as "modern and gorgeous". While we can't comment on that, it's nice to see Asus bundling less of its own as well as third party apps in this version of its skin, compared to ZenUI 3.0.

The bad news is that, as usual, Asus will be taking its sweet time in rolling out the Android O update. It's expected to hit all of the aforementioned devices "by the second half of 2018". So it pays to be patient if you're an Asus handset owner, that much is clear.

Source | Via

Asus Zenfone 4 Pro specs spotted in GFXBench: Snapdragon 835, 6GB RAM

Here’s one phone that didn’t leak on the Asus e-shop: the Zenfone 4 Pro. Good thing GFXBench covered all its specs in detail! The base Zenfone 4 is expected to cost €500 with a Snapdragon 630 chipset, so what could a Pro model offer?

A Snapdragon 835 chipset, for starters. The Adreno 540 GPU is going to fly on the 1080p resolution of the 5.5” screen. Having 6GB of RAM will help with the more demanding games and apps as well (storage, however, is unchanged from the base model – 64GB).

There will be a dual camera on the back that shoots 12MP photos. An earlier leak suggested 2x optical zoom, so this could be an upgraded camera module compared to the base model. The camera will shoot 2160p videos (duh) while the front 8MP camera will go almost as high (3,280 x 1,846px clips, claims GFXBench).

 
Asus Zenfone 4 Pro ZS551KL specs (detected by GFXBench)

Unlike the regular Zenfone 4, the Pro seems to be a single-SIM device (a microSD slot is all but certain). Also, the phone will run Android 7.1 Nougat skinned with ZenUI and should be unveiled this week.

The Asus Zenfone 4 Pro was set to cost $650, but the same rumor claimed the regular Zenfone 4 will be $400 (the €500 figure comes from the Asus e-shop site). Prices for the Taiwanese market put the Pro model at just over 70% more expensive than the non-Pro. Whichever way you look at it, “Pro” isn’t a synonym for “cheap”.

Source

ASUS ZenPad 3S 8.0 arrives on Verizon with a new name

In the end of the May, ASUS held an event at Computex in Taipei and the new ZenPad 3S 8.0 tablet appeared at the booth. Fast forward two months and the slate arrives in the United States on Verizon with a new name - ASUS ZenPad Z8s. The retail price is $249.99, but there are cheaper ways to have it tied to a contract with the carrier.

The ZenPad Z8s has a 7.9” IPS display with a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. The tablet runs on Snapdragon 652, paired with 3 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. There is also a microSD slot that can hold a card with up to 128 GB more.

There are two cameras on the Z8s - the main one on the back with a 13 MP sensor and a 5 MP selfie snappert. The OS is Android Nougat 7.0, and the whole setup is powered by a 4,680 mAh battery.

Verizon offers two additional options for purchasing. The ZenPad Z8s can be bought for $149.99 with a two-year contract. The other choice is $10.41/mo for 24 months without a down payment.

Source | Via (in Russian)

Asus teases Zenfone 4, showing the dual camera on its back

Asus has been making the rounds in social media, building up hype for the Zenfone 4. The latest is a teasing peek at the back of the phone and its dual cameras. The photo features spokesperson Gong Yoo and sets the unveiling date to August 17.

 
Asus Zenfone 4 teaser image starring Gong Yoo

This will be one of several “Zenfone 4” devices, the Zenfone 4 Max is already official and there should be two more devices – the blue Zenfone 4 Pro(S835, 5.7” QHD AMOLED, dual camera) and the single cam device in red.

By the way, the August 17 event is in Taiwan, there’s a European event (in Rome) set for the September 21.

Source