Published in Mobiles

Intel-based Asus Zenfone 2 up for pre-order

by on11 April 2015


$289 for 2GB version, $367 for flagship 4GB model

The new Asus Zenfone 2 is coming soon, and you can already pre-order two versions of the Intel-based flagship. 

Announced earlier this year, the Zenfone 2 stands out from the competition due to the company’s choice of SoC. The quad-core processor comes from Intel rather than Qualcomm and MediaTek.

Intel silicon with 4GB of RAM

The cheaper version features the Atom Z3560 clocked at 1.8GHz and 2GB of RAM, while the flagship model comes with a Z3580 clocked at up to 2.3GHz, backed by 4GB of RAM. The cheaper model has 16GB of internal storage, while the Z3580 variant packs 32GB, and you also get a microSD slot.

The rest of the spec is practically identical. You get a 1080p 5.5-inch panel with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and 400 nits of brightness, 13-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and dual flash, along with Android 5.0, skinned with Asus ZenUI.

Other highlights include dual-sim 4G support, 3000mAh battery and a choice of several attractive colours, although we reckon the grey one still looks best. Due to the oversized screen, the phone measures 15.25 x 7.72 x 1.09cm and weighs 170g.

Zenfone 2 might be Asus’ bestselling smartphone to date

The 2GB version is priced at $288, while the 4GB model goes for $367. Both prices include free shipping, but keep in mind that customs and other expenses may apply since we are talking about imports.

Asus is expected to bring the new Zenphones to western markets, but for the time being the focus is on Asia. Just a few days ago, the company announced that it already scored about 2 million pre-orders in China, and most of them were for the flagship 4GB model. It appears that most of these early batches were scooped up by resellers. 

Given the specs and pricing, this is not very surprising. After all, this is a big brand phone with a sleek design and mid- to high-end specs, but it costs a few hundred dollars less than HTC’s and Samsung’s latest flagships.

 

Last modified on 11 April 2015
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