Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe 5.7
Hands-On with Asus Zenfone 3 Series
Asus is bringing its Zenfone 3 series of devices to the U.S. this month. This quartet of Android smartphones is attractive thanks to all-metal designs, good build quality, and solid specs. Asus is covering a broad range of price points by changing up the components within each phone, but all four share a commonality that makes them family through and through. Here are our first impressions of the Asus Zenfone 3.
Asus' Zenfone 3 Series Goes On Sale This Month
Asus today announced pricing and availability for its Zenfone 3 family of smartphones. The Zenfone 3 Deluxe 5.7 Special Edition, Deluxe 5.7, Deluxe 5.5, and Laser will all be sold unlocked, directly to consumers via Asus' web site. The phones share nearly identical designs, with aluminum unibody chassis, full HD AMOLED displays, rear-mounted fingerprint readers, dual SIM card and memory card support, USB Type-C, Android 6 Marshmallow, and Asus' ZenUI 3.0. The Zenfone 3 Deluxe 5.7 Special Edition is the most significant of the bunch, as it is one of the first devices to ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor aboard with 256 MB of built-in storage. The Deluxe 5.7 Special Edition and Deluxe 5.7 share most other features, including a Sony Exmor 23-megapixel camera with OIS/EIS, but the Deluxe 5.7 uses a Snapdragon 820 processor. The Deluxe 5.5 steps down the display to 5.5 inches, and includes a Snapdragon 625 processor with 4 GB of RAM and a 16-megapixel camera. The Zenfone 3 Laser is the budget-minded member of the family with a Snapdragon 430 processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 13-megapixel camera. The phones support the GSM/LTE networks operated by AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless, and MetroPCS. The Zenfone 3 Deluxe 5.7 Special Edition costs $799, the Zenfone 3 Deluxe 5.7 costs $499, and Zenfone 3 Deluxe 5.5 costs $399. These three phones are available for preorder and will ship later this month. The Zenfone 3 Laser costs $199 and is shipping today.
Asus Debuts A Trio of Zenfone 3 Smartphones
The Asus Zenfone 3 will come in not one, but three variants. Asus revealed the new lineup at the Computex trade show in Taiwan this week. Shared features include USB Type-C, fingerprint sensors, and Google's Android operating system.
- Zenfone 3: The entry-level model uses a glass design with a metal frame. It sports a 5.5-inch full HD screen, octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor with 4 GB of RAM, 3,000mAh battery, and 16-megapixel Sony sensor with OIS and EIS. It will cost $249.
- Zenfone 3 Ultra: This mid-range handset has a unibody metal design and steps up the specs a bit. The screen measures 5.7 inches with full HD resolution and it is powered by a Snapdragon 652 processor with 4 GB of RAM. The Deluxe carries over the same 3,000mAh battery found on the entry-level model, but takes advantage of Sony's latest 23-megapixel IMX318 sensor in the camera. It supports Quick Charge 3.0 and will cost $479.
- Zenfone 3 Deluxe: The top of the range has a unibody design similar to that of the Ultra, but increases the screen size to 6.8 inches at full HD. The Deluxe relies on a Snapdragon 820 processor with 4 GB of RAM. It carries over the same 23-megapixel Sony sensor from the Ultra model, but the battery capacity was enlarged to 4,600mAh. It supports Quick Charge 3.0 and will cost $499.
