CES 2017 Speculation: One phone or Two phones?

December 26, 2016 Categories: CES, CES 2017, Opinion by 0 Comments

When Asus publicly states they are making a big splash at CES 2017, it means something. It means they will be unveiling something substantial. Breathtaking even? Typically Asus leaves their big unveils for Computex in Taipei, Taiwan in the first week of June. However, based on what Asus has teased regarding CES 2017, there is at least one new Zenfone coming, but there is a bigger mystery at hand.

The only existing CES 2017 trailer by Asus shows a glimpse of one, and possibly two phones. It seems pretty clear about the Zenfone 3 Zoom based on materials and information that has found its way online lately. However we wonder out loud if there is an even bigger mystery at play here.

In the trailer, there are two main symbols shown. One would indicate dual rear cameras. It seems quite obvious from that stand point. However what about the other symbol that is like an upside down “V”? You might consider it to represent an “A” for augmented reality.

zenfone-3-zoom-ces-2017-teaser

ces-2017-zenfone-teaser

Asus CEO Jerry Shen has indicated a Google Tango certified phone coming which is AR capable. The question we’ve had is whether the Zenfone 3 Zoom will also have the AR capabilities. Based on the Zenfone 3 Zoom specs it would seem unlikely for that to be a cutting edge AR enabled phone.

Here is something to consider. Asus and Google put together the best selling Android tablet, the Nexus 7. Nexus Player was another collaboration. They also worked together more recently on the OnHub. If you look on Google you will see this being sold as the “OnHub from Asus”. The two companies do have some history together.

So is it possible that Asus and Google are coming out with an AR enabled phone? A phone that is outside of the Google Pixel and outside of the Asus Zenfone series?

The reason we are going so far outside of the box is because we’ve only seen mentions of a Zenfone 3 Zoom from Asus. This mystery AR phone has no trail associated with it. The trail goes cold as they say. We believe it’s one of two things. Either the Zenfone 3 Zoom is also AR enabled or there is indeed a partnership device between Asus and Google that is AR enabled.

If Asus does have a Google Tango certified phone coming, considering there is a certain specification that needs to be met. The only phone right now with Project Tango certification is the phab 2 Pro from Lenovo. It’s a 6.4-inch display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution. If you consider the Zenfone 3 Zoom, or at least the information that has been found at TENAA or WiFi certification papers, the Zenfone 3 Zoom is only 5.5-inches and has a 1080p resolution display and an average processor. Size and resolution almost say that the Zenfone 3 Zoom isn’t up to the Project Tango specification in order to be certified. Just our thinking of course. Are we wrong? Quite possibly.

Take a look at the two devices featured in the Asus CES 2017 trailer:

asus-ar-phone-ces-2017

Let us be clear. The images are only glimpses from a CES 2017 trailer. Scale can be off. There are a lot of visual distractions going on at the same time in the video.

One thing that jumps out to us is the size. The blue phone on the right appears wider and longer. The top bezel indicates these are different phones regardless of the scale debate. The blue phone simply seems different to us based on the short glimpses we get in the teaser.

Also consider the symbols being different on the phones. The phone of the left can easily be distinguished as being dual lense and the Zenfone 3 Zoom. The phone on the right seems to be showing us the augmented reality capabilities.

So if the phone on the right is the Project Tango certified phone, it would appear to be a size more comparable to the Zenfone 3 Ultra at 6.8-inches which lines up more with the only certified phone, the 6.4-inch Lenovo phone. Think about it too. With AR, a big screen would be almost mandatory. A high resolution display would also be a key ingredient. This is why we feel at 5.5-inches, the Zenfone 3 Zoom isn’t likely to be this rumored AR model.

Are we onto something here? Let us know in the comments section!

 

Android 7.0 Nougat spotted on Zenfone 3 (in the wild)

December 17, 2016 Categories: Android Nougat, Android Updates by 0 Comments

There is no question that the talk of Android 7.0 Nougat coming to the Zenfone 3 is heating up. We’ve seen an increase in Nougat update articles and we have now seen the first photos of Android Nougat on a Zenfone 3.

android-7-nougat-update-zenfone-3-ze552kl-first-spotted

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These photos come out of Indonesia. We found them on @PaperBoy but it’s a bit unclear to us where these are from or who posted first. Clearly though you can see the “About” settings and “Android 7.0” listed there.

We have also seen other discussions about Android 7.0 Nougat and the Zenfone 3 series so we believe that there is something happening. We are not expecting this to take six months to come.

Asus did in fact roll out an Android 7.0 Nougat update beta program way back in September. This is slated to end on December 31, 2016. Does that end date mean an immediate rollout? No. The Zenfone 2 update came out quite a long while after the ending of that beta program. However with the Zenfone 3 and the importance Asus is putting in their phone line-up, we expect them to expedite this update.

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The image above is the announcement  for the Android 7.0 Nougat beta program. Note the end date of “2016/12/31”.

 

 

Zenfone 3 Zoom (ZE553KL) shows up at FCC

December 12, 2016 Categories: FCC, ZE553KL, Zenfone 3 Zoom by 0 Comments

Asus is going full speed ahead on their Zenfone 3 Zoom. It’s at the FCC already! This would peg the earliest release date in the US being around 5 to 6 weeks from this point. That’s the earliest we would expect although usually it can be two months or more before a retail release based on the FCC first publication.

Based on TENAA documents, the specs and details of the Zenfone 3 Zoom has spread throughout the internet. To summarize those details from various certification sources, the Zenfone 3 Zoom looks like the body of the Zenfone 3 Max, the processor of the Zenfone 3 (ZE552KL) along with a dual rear camera and high megapixel front camera. The battery which is mentioned to be 5,000mAh is the real story with the Zenfone 3 Zoom because it’s a bigger battery that what’s inside the Zenfone 3 Max (4,100mAh). According to those documents, the screen is going to be 1920 X 1080 AMOLED with 2.5D glass.

Model Number: Z01HD

We wonder out loud whether this could be the Zenfone AR model which Jerry Shen, Asus CEO, talked about recently.

Expect for the official details and unveiling at CES 2017.

zenfone-3-zoom-ze553kl-shows-up-at-fcc

[souce: FCC]

Asus at CES 2017 first teaser image – Hints at Zenfone 3 Zoom?

December 7, 2016 Categories: CES 2017, News, ZE553KL, Zenfone 3 Zoom by 0 Comments

Asus has made their CES 2017 event date official. The invitations have gone out! Here is the image, then let’s analyze it.

zennovation-asus-ces-2017

So the time is 11:30am on January 4, 2017. What’s interesting is the Qualcomm logo. Asus CEO Jerry Shen indicated at the most recent investors conference that Qualcomm believed that there is a lot of potential for Asus in the smartphone business. Having this logo is an indication that a growing partnership may be underway. Asus and Intel has been the most common association. Now we see Qualcomm with Asus. This is a good thing for Asus!

So what do we see in the image? Looks like something zoomed. Magnified as it were. How about the Zenfone 3 Zoom (ZE553KL)? Certainly this is possible. It may also be an indicator of AR capabilities. Asus is on record as saying they have a Project Tango certified product coming soon.

So let’s hope for some juicy news and teasers as the lead up to CES 2017. Asus is going to be “bringing it” and we’re here to cover it all!

Where to buy Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL)? Out of Stock? We have answers.

November 20, 2016 Categories: News, Shopping and Deals, Zenfone 3 Deluxe, Zenfone 3 Deluxe Special Edition, ZS570KL by 1 Comment

We value the feedback from all of you whether it’s a social media post, an email or comment posted on one of our articles. The fact is, we hear you loud and clear. There is a growing conversation right now about the Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL) and the apparent lack of inventory/availability.

We have an answer for this. This word comes from the head person at Asus, Jerry Shen CEO of the company. At the most recent Q3 investors conference on November 11, 2016, he addressed a question from the floor of the conference. The answer to that question provides insight into stock/supply issues that you may be seeing in your country.

…And because the products are at a higher price range, we did not prepare too many materials or components. And we are fortunate in that our products have been very well received by our customers. So now our products are out of stock. We do not have enough to meet the demand. For next year I am setting a higher number. – Jerry Shen, Asus CEO speaking at Q3 investors conference, November 11, 2016.

First, this is a translated quote. Asus has a English translated version of the investors conference so the accuracy should be on point.

Second, let’s not panic just yet. If you have been waiting, then that means the wait should almost be over. Units will be coming!

In our opinion, the Zenfone 3 Deluxe was not expected to be a big seller because of the highest price point. However, guess what happened? It turns out that a lot of people want the top model. The previous Q2 investors conferences indicated that the company was very uncertain for the Zenfone 3 Deluxe sales projections because it was at a higher price point than all the other models. Asus felt that they may not sell that many due to the high price, but that was prior to pre orders. They had little resources to gauge possible demand and they haven’t had such a top end Zenfone previously which would have helped gauge possible sales volume.

So in simple terms, what seems to have happened is that Asus underestimated the demand for the Zenfone 3 Deluxe and did not have enough materials and components to meet that demand.

When stock shows up, we will post those details on the site. We cannot be everywhere all the time, so we also appreciate hearing from any of you if you happen to see stock in the US market or other markets that have been waiting.

out-of-stock-zenfone-3-deluxe-zs570kl

 

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