By Gerard Ramos / Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor
THE Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and electronics company headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Asus started the week commanding no small amount of attention from the global tech media—and with good reason.
In Taipei at the annual Computex—properly known as the Taipei International Information Technology Show, one of the largest tech showcases in the world—Asus unveiled a slew of hotness for the personal technology market, including the ZenWatch 2 and a couple of ZenPad tablets, the former easily winning a lion’s share of the kudos for Asus’s stylish and wholly accessible rendering of Android Wear.
It was only a couple of weeks ago when the the tech and lifestyle media around these parts, along with a strong contingent from the retail community, converged at the World Trade Center (WTC) for the launch of the Asus ZenFone 2. No less than Asus CEO Jerry Shen flew in to bang the drum for the company’s flagship smartphone, touting such attention-grabbing features as the 5.5-inch Full-HD IPS+ screen that makes it fabulous for media consumption; a 13-megapixel PixelMaster camera with f/2.0 wide-aperture lens for high-resolution captures with zero shutter lag; and a 3,000 mAh battery that can not only power the phone throughout the day in typical everyday usage scenarios, but also be powered at less time with the company’s BoostMaster technology.
Shen first took the wraps off ZenFone 2 in January at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and four months later, it was easily apparent at the Philippine launch that the Asus CEO had lost of his enthusiasm for his flagship. Play around with the smartphone at your favorite gadget shop, and no doubt you will quickly share Shen’s enthusiasm and perhaps even open your wallet.
We have been able to play around with the ZenFone 2 for a week or so now, and while we’ve already mentioned that it packs in a 5.5-inch IPS+ display, we should add that the screen runs at 1920×1080 resolution and with a 403 ppi pixel density. Sure, the numbers don’t quite add up to the Samsung Galaxy S6’s 5.1-inch display with a 1440×2560 resolution and a 577 ppi pixel density, but they do measure up to the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Of course, some will argue that iPhone 6 Plus’s display is brighter but then again, that comes down to preference. That said, it should be noted that despite sharing the same screen size, the ZenFone 2 is noticeably smaller than Apple’s flagship—and the reduced size makes for a much better ergonomic experience.
The ZenFone 2 is available in three iterations varying in processor speeds (1.8GHz or 2.3GHz), internal memory, built-in storage capacities (16 gigabytes, 32 GB and 64 GB; yes, there is a microSD slot to expand storage capacity), and, of course, price. All, however, are powered by an Intel Atom processor, PowerVR G6430 GPU, and Google’s market-leading Android mobile OS (V5.0, also known as Lollipop). The specs are certainly nothing to sneeze about, and all these come together to bring about a truly pleasurable, smooth-as-butter experience.
The shooter that Asus has shoehorned into the ZenFone 2 is obviously something the company takes great pride in, as the launch event at the WTC not only focused on the various gee-whiz features of the primary rear-facing camera (Low Light mode, Backlight [Super HD] mode, and Super Resolution mode, among others, all ensuring incredible photos even when taken in dimly lit situations), but even had a live demo that did side-by-side comparisons of images captured—yes, right there on the stage during the presentation—by the ZenFone 2 on the one hand, and rival smartphones on the other. A live demo indeed. Whew! Asus definitely has balls.
Guess which shooter turned out better images?
While Asus’s choice of button placements (power/sleep/wake button on top, volume rocker in the back a la LG) will no doubt draw mixed reaction from the market (as far as we’re concerned, it only takes a few days of getting used to), many among two smartphones-wielding consumers around these parts will be pleased to know that all the ZenFone 2 variants are a dual SIM affair. Alas, only one SIM can leverage the smartphone’s 4G/LTE muscle but, hey…you can simply use your so-called black SIM on the strictly 2G slot. That way, you can continue to send and receive those hot-and-heavy messages from not-your-wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner without having to whip out another phone in the middle of a meeting, right?
While the Asus ZenFone 2 comes in only three variants, there are a plethora of accessories available that will especially delight those who are deep into personalization, including at least 10 back covers that can quickly change the look of the phone. Of course, if you ask us, the real deal-closer here is the aggressive pricing the company has adopted for its flagship. At its priciest configuration (that would be a 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor and 64 GB built-in storage capacity), the ZenFone 2 is pegged at P14,995 SRP, still a tad less than what other nascent Chinese smartphone brands are commanding.
How’s that for putting your mind in a state of Zen when deciding whether to go for the 32 GB variant or the 64 GB, hmmm?
