We are ready to put this to bed. In China during the Zenfone 3 release event, we believe we spotted the ZS550KL for the first time. There have been various reports out there, none of which properly explained what Asus unveiled.
With a bit of backtracking and investigation, we are going to prove once and for all that the smaller, cheaper Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS550KL) is for real and it has already been shown off. The thing is, we may be the only ones properly reporting this!
We need to first thank PCPop.com for their hands-on images. Without those, there would still be some questions. We are going to cross reference with the Asus.com product page (tech specs) which shows the diagrams of the ZS570KL vs. ZS550KL. From these two sources, it should leave zero doubt in anyone’s mind that this is the new Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS550KL).
Note in the image below, the placement of the two circles near the top speaker grill. On the 5.7-inch model, there is a circle to the far left but the 5.5-inch model has the circle much closer to the speaker grill.
Now check out these two images from PCPop.com of the two different Zenfone 3 Deluxe models and note the dot placements near the top speaker grill.
That is match #1. Let’s move on.
Check the details of the ports on the bottom of the two Zenfone 3 Deluxe phones. This is from Asus.com.
Thanks again to PCPop.com for taking some terrific and telling photos. Just compare the real images to the Asus.com diagram and it’s clear that the phone being photographed is indeed the Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS550KL).
First the bottom of the ZS570KL:
Next is the bottom of the mystery phone, the ZS550KL:
These subtle features help distinguish what we’re looking at. The question is what other markets outside of China will be getting this cheaper and smaller Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS550KL) model. Stay tuned for those details!
[source for images: PCPop.com and Asus.com]
