Asus unveiled the latest products in its ZenFone line, unveiling three devices including premium and phablet smartphones.
ZenFone 3
ZenFone 3 was described by the vendor as a “feature-packed smartphone that brings premium design and empowering performance to everyone”. It has a 5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixel) screen and narrow bezel, to deliver a 77.3 per cent screen-to-body ratio “for a maximised viewing area in a slim and compact body”.
The smartphone has a 16MP camera with laser focus, “to achieve focus in just 0.03 seconds, resulting in sharp images in any condition”. It also has a front-facing 8MP camera.
Zenfone 3 is also said to be the first smartphone powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 2.0GHz octacore processor, showcasing the Snapdragon 600 line with 14nm FinFET process technology, and integrated X9 LTE modem, and 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi connectivity. Also trumpeted were PC-grade graphics and 4GB of RAM.
It also features a fingerprint sensor.
ZenFone 3 Deluxe
Further up the line is ZenFone 3 Deluxe, a new flagship device “with advanced camera technology that takes mobile photography to the next level” – it was described as “the ultimate expression of Asus smartphone design”.
The device has a “strong and light aluminium alloy unibody”, with “a rear surface free of unsightly antenna lines”. It features a 5.7-inch full HD screen, with 79 per cent screen-to-body ratio.
ZenFone 3 Deluxe is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 process, Adreno 530GPU and integrated X12 LTE, as well as up to 6GB RAM, “to deliver the best performance and fast connectivity for demanding apps, games and media”.
The 23MP camera uses a Sony image sensor and includes optical image stabilisation – including “3-axis electronic image stabilisation for steady 4K UHD videos”. Front camera is 8MP.
Also on the spec sheet is fingerprint sensor and USB Type-C port.
ZenFone 3 Ultra
ZenFone 3 Ultra (pictured) is a phablet device with 6.8-inch full HD screen. It is said to be the first to include Asus’ Tru2Life+ Video technology, which uses a “high-end 4K UHD TV-grade image processor to optimise every pixel in each frame before it is displayed, resulting in superior content and clarity”.
It also includes “two new powerful five-magnet stereo speakers and a NXP smart amplifier,” and when used with “certified” headphones, supports “Hi-Res Audio”, which offers four-times better quality than CDs, and is the world’s first smartphone with virtual 7.1-channel surround sound with DTS HeadphoneX.
As with its siblings, it has a full-metal unibody chassis, and is “the world’s first to have no antenna lines”. It also has the same 23MP camera as ZenFone 3 Deluxe.
ZenFone 3 Ultra is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octacore processor, with up to 4GB of RAM. It has a fingerprint sensor and high-capacity battery, with quick-charge and the ability to work as a power bank.
Zenbo
While Asus also used its event at Computex 2016 to unveil a number of new computing products, perhaps the most eye-catching was Zenbo, which resulted from an ambition “to enable robotic computing for every household”.
The company said it is “a friendly and capable home robot designed to provide assistance, entertainment and companionship to families and meant to address the needs of each family member in this ubiquitous computing era”. Capabilities include the ability to move independently and understand spoken commands.
Among the uses mooted is the ability to help older family members safeguard their health and wellbeing “as well as enjoy a connected digital life”. As a home care assistant, Zenbo provides spoken reminders of important information, such as doctors’ appointments, medication and exercise schedules, and monitor for home emergency situations.
A Zenbo developer scheme gives access to software development tools and documentation, to enable partners to create use cases for Zenbo.
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