ASUS goes all out with MWC launch, introduces new ZenFone 5 line

Taiwanese tech company ASUS does what it’s been doing in recent years, releasing multiple variants of its smartphone line to cater to specific user needs. This time around the new ZenFone 5 line gets three versions: the ZenFone 5Z, ZenFone 5, and ZenFone 5 Lite.

The first two share its physical characteristics with a 6.2-inch 19:9 LCD displays with 90% percent screen-to-body ratio, which makes it possible to fit all that phone into the body of a standard 5.5-inch phone. But the phones also share a look with another popular device from an even bigger brand in smartphones. Yes, you see it has a notch and ASUS acknowledges somewhat that they’ve taken the design cue from Apple.

“Some people will say it’s copying Apple,” said Marcel Campos, Asus’ global head of marketing, “but we cannot get away from what users want. You have to follow the trends.”

ASUS claims their notch is 26 percent smaller than what you see on the iPhone X. When you swipe from the left side you get access to the notifications and some functions, while when you swipe from the right side you get access to quick settings options. The notch houses front-facing camera and some sensors. The phones do offer the capability to unlock the device using your face but it isn’t as sophisticated as what you see on the iPhone X. Another design feature here is we get the glossy back featuring the concentric circle look ASUS phones have been sporting for the longest time.

The ZenFone 5Z is the top-of-the-line model running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with Qualcomm Artifical Intelligence Engine, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB internal storage. The ZenFone 5, on the other hand, runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor with 64GB internal storage and up to 6GB of RAM. Both phones run on 3,300mAh battery.

ASUS makes liberal use of the word artificial intelligence with the new phones. It comes with features like AI Boost, which is meant to optimize performance for when you’re playing games or doing other demanding tasks on your phone; AI Display, which does things like automatic adjustment for color temperature and a sensor that keeps the screen on while you’re looking at it; and AI charging, which is said to top up your device up to 80 percent when you charge at night and keep it there until around the time you’re about to wake up when it charges it all the way to 100.

Aside from that, ASUS is also bring “AI” into its cameras with features like AI Scene Detection for 16 different scenes and objects, AI Photo Learning, Real-time Portrait, and Real-time Beautification. It’ll learn your shooting habits as you go along. The two phones are equipped with the latest flagship 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor and an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera with large 1.4µm pixels, an f/1.8 wide-aperture lens, 120° wide-angle secondary camera, and four-axis optical image stabilization (OIS).

Now, the ZenFone 5 Lite, as its name suggests, can be considered the “entry-level” model of the new ZenFone 5 line. But ASUS has packed in some decent specs into this model, too. It has quad-camera system with a 20-megapixel Sony sensor at the front, 16-megapixel sensor at the back, both come with a secondary 120° wide-angle camera. It has a 6-inch display with Full HD+ IPS resolution and Full View 18:9 aspect ratio. ASUS was able to cram in all that phone into a standard-aspect ratio 5.5-inch phone. The ZenFone 5 Lite is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor and comes with a 3,300mAh battery. Other features include NFC connectivity, triple-slot SIM/microSD card holder, rapid face unlock, and fingerprint recognition.

No definite word yet on pricing and availability yet but it starts at €479 or around CA$750.