ASUS considering spinning off handset department according to report

October 1, 2018 Categories: News by 0 Comments

We heard rumblings some time ago about the inner turmoil that is the ASUS handset business among top executives. Of course reports and speculation aren’t always factual in nature. The inside sources at that time suggested that ASUS was putting everything into the ZenFone launch here in 2018 to see what the future would hold. Seems that ASUS has spoken to this speculation.

According to a report from Digitimes, ASUS is considering spinning off its handset department. What this entails? Hard to say. It’s hard to think of it as an optimistic future however. We are hoping that if it comes to “spinning off” the handset department there is enough for us to keep going.

“Asustek has also been considering spinning off its handset department, but the plan is still in discussion, the sources said.” — Digitimes.com

So as a website that is 100% dependent on ZenFone news and products, it’s safe to say the future is uncertain. Terrific mobile phones don’t always get the ears of the tech media and that certainly has been an issue. It’s a tough nut to crack and to say there is a lot of competition would be a serious understatement.

We are only a tiny insignificant grain of sand when it comes to ASUS product coverage, but we have data over the course of a number of years where we can gleam some indicators on how the ZenFone releases are faring.

Stay tuned folks!

[source: Digitimes]

Pre Order ZenFone 5Z in US – In Stock so Buy Now

August 1, 2018 Categories: 5z, News, Shopping and Deals, US, Zenfone 5z, ZS620KL by 0 Comments

It has taken some time, but the top-end ZenFone 5Z is now being released into the US market. If you are considering what is the fastest and most versatile flagship on the market right now, this is the phone you should be looking at. If you live outside of the US, we have a post for buying a ZenFone 5Z with international shipping here.

Shopping Link: $499 – ZenFone 5Z (Snapdragon S845, 6GB RAM, 64GB) from Amazon.com

If Amazon is showing shipping delay, we have an alternate option:

Shopping Link: $499 ZenFone 5Z – In Stock B&H

The available colors include Blue and Silver. Units are shipping even though you may see Temporarily Out Of Stock showing. You can add to cart now and it will ship faster than checking back later. ASUS typically doesn’t designate a lot of units to North America so it’s best to get in now rather than wait it out.

A lot of people have been debating how the ZenFone 5Z compares to the OnePlus 6. A big advantage for ASUS here is that you get a microSD card slot and the ZenFone 5Z is cheaper at $499 vs. OnePlus 6 at $529. What ASUS doesn’t have is an AMOLED display. Otherwise both phones a close equals in terms of specs and speed. ASUS also adds a darn good accessory in the box as well, in addition to a clear case. In the box you a ZenEar Pro Hi-Res earphone with microphone earbuds as well.

The ZenFone 5Z is compatible with GSM Networks including AT&T, T-Mobile, Straight Talk, Walmart Family Mobile, MetroPCS, Simple Mobile, Brightspot, Net10, h20 Wireless, and Cricket Wireless.

ZenFone 5Z North America Bands:

GSM 2G GSM, GPRS, EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
GSM 3G/3.5G UMTS, HSPA+: 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
4G LTE LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41

 

ZenFone 5Z now available to buy – International Shipping

June 8, 2018 Categories: 5z, News, Shopping and Deals, Zenfone 5z, ZS620KL by 2 Comments

Whelp, the time has arrived. Many people have anticipated the pre order phase of the ZenFone 5Z, the flagship of this generation. Forget the pre order phase, right now for the first time you can buy one out of Taiwan.

Shopping Link:

ZenFone 5Z in-stock from eBay click here to shop now

So far we see both the silver and midnight blue (looks black) colors available to buy. There are currently listings for either the 6GB/128GB ($631.68 USD or less) and 6GB/64GB ($557 USD or less) models and we expect there to be more options in the coming hours (literally). Because these ship out of Taiwan, check the available network bands as they relate to your carrier of choice and country.

Of the listings we currently see, you’re going to pay $12 USD for expedited international shipping which believe us, is worth it. When you’re wanting the newest product out there, you don’t want to wait while it ships. If you have the choice of free standard shipping vs. paying for expedited shipping, we highly recommend just paying a bit extra for the faster shipping.

The ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 5Z share the same exterior design. Where things really change though is inside. The ZenFone 5Z is packing the fastest Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 processor along with higher quality cameras, even though the ZenFone 5 rated 93 on DXOMark.

 

Ultra cheap ZenFone Live L1 shows up at FCC – Coming to US and Canada

June 5, 2018 Categories: Canada, FCC, News, US, Zenfone Live, ZenFone Live L1 by 0 Comments

We did read a story a couple weeks ago suggesting the ZenFone Live L1 was coming to Canada at a price of $149. However without a source, it wasn’t a bit suspect to treat it as fact. And just keep in mind that if a price tag of $149 CAD is being reported, this phone is going to be even cheaper in the US market. Either that or the actual price is $149 USD which will be higher than that in the Canadian market. Either way, this will be the lowest price phone that ASUS has brought into the North American Market.

The ZenFone Live L1 is running Android Go or ZenUI depending on the variant. At this point it’s too early to say which one is coming to Canada and the US markets. Our guess is that it’s likely NOT the Android Go Edition because that particular model has 1GB of RAM and that seems and unlikely configuration for the US or Canadian market.

Other specs are to include a Snapdragon 425, 16GB storage, 5.5-inch display, 3000mAh battery, 13MP rear/5MP front cameras, and a 18:9 HD IPS display.

With the ZenFone Live L1 showing up at the FCC, a release date eight weeks from now is the most likely scenario.

This is an interesting offering because there is a market for prepaid customers who want a smartphone that offers modern day features without a big investment. Overall the ZenFone Live L1 in North America may have an interesting niche because it’s not competing with Apple or Samsung in this price range. More details to come!

ROG phone may be teased once again by ASUS

June 4, 2018 Categories: Ares, Computex, News, ZS572KL by 0 Comments

Would ASUS show a second teaser image of an apparent ROG phone? The ZenFone gaming phone? We suggest that it’s true that ASUS just teased this phone again. Here is what they said in this tweet:

Think small, play big! Last chance to get your guesses in before the big reveal!

Think small? Yes we can do that and because we follow mobile phones, let’s take a guess and assume a phone is what we’re talking about.

Next up? Here is the original image from the tweet:

So….let’s assume these are fan or heat dissipation grills. It has been suggested (and expected) that any ROG phone will have a robust cooling system and this teaser certainly points towards something that special. We are guessing this is the rear of the phone.

Some cool guy in the tweet replies did some photo tweaking and came up with this:

As was pointed out by other comments, that sure does look like a camera lens up to the top left of the photo. You can also see a some different textures or layers running along the right side. There seems like some roundness to this which again suggests the rear side of a smartphone. Others have suggested this is a ROG tablet. Naw. We say it’s the ROG ZenFone. What do you think about it?

[source: ASUS ROG Twitter]

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