Asus has finally announced the launch date of its flagship, the Zenfone 9. The company announced that the smartphone will be released in global markets on July 28. The launch event will take place in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, and will be live-streamed as well. Globally, the smartphone will be launched as the Zenfone 9, but in India, it will be known as the 9z.
Asus has teased that the Zenfone 9 will be “Compact Size”, hinting at its size. Last year’s Zenfone 8 was a delight, compact and one-hand usable, like the android equivalent to the iPhone 13 mini. Unlike last year, Asus may not launch two phones, with the Zenfone 9 launching only as reports suggest.
Asus Zenfone 9: Specifications
Specifications of the Asus Zenfone 9 are yet to be confirmed. However, a leaked video from last week revealed a number of features and specs. Powering the Zenfone 9 will be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The display is a 5.9-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate while the battery is a 4300 mAh unit with 65W fast charging support.
Video Via GSMArena
The two biggest talking points from the leak are the cameras and Zentouch. The Asus Zenfone 9 will use Sony’s 50-megapixel IMX766 sensor as the main shooter. Though the sensor is used by a lot of other smartphones, its Asus’ integration of a 6-axis hybrid gimbal stabilizer that makes it unique. Gimbals are mainly used to give increased stability to cameras. It will be interesting to see how it performs in the Zenfone 9.
The other big feature is what Asus has dubbed the Zentouch. It allows the power button (itself dubbed the Smart Key) to essentially work as a scroll wheel to slide up and down webpages. It has been ages since scroll wheels on phones went extinct, and this could be the best way to make a comeback. The power button also works as a fingerprint sensor.
Other features include a 3.5mm jack (always welcome), dual speakers, and an IP68 water resistance rating.
Asus Zenfone 9: Price
Though prices for the Asus Zenfone 9 haven’t been revealed yet, a tipster suggested the Zenfone 9 could cost between EUR 800 (INR 64,700) and EUR 900 (INR 72,800. The leaked video also showed off the colour choices for the Zenfone 9, red, white, blue, and black. What do you think of the Zenfone 9? Would you be interested in buying it? Tell us in the comments below.
Following the success of its original gaming smartphone, Asus has launched the ROG Phone 2. Like its predecessor, the newly launched device has unique features that make it stand out of the bunch. Few of those features include an enormous 6,000 mAh battery, UFS 3.0 storage and the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC.
Asus ROG Phone 2 Specs and Features
The front of the Asus ROG Phone 2 is dominated by a 6.59 inch AMOLED display that has Full HD+ resolution. The display panel has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a response time of just 1 ms (millisecond). Noteworthy, it is the world’s first handset to feature an AMOLED display of this high refresh rate.
Under the hood, the Asus Rog Phone 2 is kitted with the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC which has 4 percent higher CPU speed and 15 percent high GPU speeds than the standard variant that is found on devices like the Redmi K20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 (US and China Variant). The chipset consists of an Octa-Core CPU with the prime core being clocked at 2.96 GHz and the Adreno 640 GPU which is clocked at 675 MHz.
The Asus Rog Phone 2 has a single 24 MP camera on the front and dual rear setup which is comprised of a 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor and a 13 MP sensor with an ultra-wide viewing angle of 125 degrees. The device can also capture 2160p videos from the rear setup and 1080p videos from the selfie sensor.
As previously mentioned, the Asus Rog Phone 2 is powered by a mammoth 6,000 mAh battery which supports 30-watt fast charging. In terms of memory and storage, it has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of UFS 3.0 memory. Besides the Asus Rog Phone 2, the OnePlus 7 Pro is the only commercially available to pack this super high-speed storage chip.
Other notable features of the Asus Rog Phone 2 include an In-display fingerprint sensor, 3.5 mm audio jack, dual front-firing audio speakers, quad microphones with noise cancellation support and LED-lit logo on the rear. Connectivity options on the smartphone include Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ad, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G VoLTE, GPS, NFC and dual USB Type C ports for charging, data syncing and connecting accessories.
Speaking of accessories, Asus offers a whole host of these. Some of the accessories purpose-built of the ROG Phone 2 include an Active Cooler with inbuilt fan, TwinView dock, attachable gamepad and mobile desktop dock.
The smartphone runs on the latest Android OS which is 9 Pie. For the first time, Asus allows the user to select between two different UI which include the customised ROG UI and bloatware-free ZenUI which was last seen on the ZenFone 6. Talking about ROG UI, one noteworthy feature of the ROG Phone 2 includes “X mode” which is Asus marketing term for a gaming mode.
Like the Google Pixel 3, the ROG Phone 2 also supports toggling apps by simply squeezing its sides. However, unlike former, Asus’ offering does allow to manually configure apps based on the user’s wish.
To sum it up, Asus ROG Phone 2 is an absolute beast of a smartphone which is targetted towards gaming enthusiasts. While the mass consumers may find it a bit bulky and heavy as per their liking.
The price of the smartphone is not yet revealed and will be publicised on the 23rd of July at a joint event held by Asus and Tencent, developer of PUBG.
It was revealed a while ago that Taiwanese electronics giant Asus is working on the second generation of its gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone 2. The upcoming device is expected to be a notable improvement over its predecessor, the ROG Phone in terms of specifications and features; while costing significantly less. The handset will be launched on the 23rd of July in China but the design of it has already been leaked. Now, the smartphone has been listed on Chinese certification website TENAA which confirms key details about the device.
Asus ROG Phone 2
The latest leak on TENAA’s official website, the upcoming gaming smartphone from Asus; the ROG Phone 2 will have the model numbers I001DA and I001DB depending on the markets they will be available in. According to the listing, the device will measure 170.99 x 77.6 x 9.78mm and will have a similar design to its predecessor, albeit with a few changes. The fingerprint sensor, which was present on the back on the ROG Phone may be moved under the display in the ROG Phone 2. This will mean that the handset will be the first mobile device from Asus to have an In-Display fingerprint sensor.
Other specifications of the Asus ROG Phone 2 include a 6.59-inch display. While it is not clear what type of display will be used in the smartphone, since the predecessor has an OLED display, the upcoming device may also use the same kind of display technology. One notable aspect of the handset will be the display’s refresh rate, which has been revealed to be 120Hz. It is claimed that the ROG Phone 2 will be first in the world to have a 120Hz OLED display.
The Asus ROG Phone 2 has also been revealed to be powered by a massive 5800mAh battery according to the TENAA listing. This would make it one of the largest battery capacity sporting smartphones, and the biggest cell in any gaming device on the market. Along with the mammoth battery size, the handset will also support 30W fast wired charging. It is also known that the upcoming smartphone will run on the latest chipset from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 855 Plus. Unfortunately, more details about the device are not available yet. However, as the launch of the handset is just around the corner, we will not have to wait too long to find out.
Asus was one of the first companies to launch a purpose built gaming smartphone which is dubbed the Asus ROG (Repulic Of Gamers) Phone. The handset has a variety of features that make it stand apart from conventional Android smartphones. Some of the said features include a display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and multiple USB C ports for connecting various accessories simultaneously.
Asus ROG Phone 2 120 Hz Display
Follwing the success of the orignal gaming smartphone, Asus is bracing for the launch of its second handset which will carry the “ROG Phone 2” moniker. The upcoming smartphone is set to be unveiled on the 23rd of July and a week before the official announcement, real life images of the upcoming flagship have surfaced online.
As per the leaked images, the ROG Phone 2 will have a similar design language to its predecessor. Accordingly, the front of the smartphone accomodates a large display which has considerable bezels on the top and bottom. The upcoming device retains dual front firing speakers and a single selfie camera which is housed in the bezel above the display.
Asus ROG Phone 2 Display
Noteworthy, the ROG Phone 2 is the world’s first smartphone to feature a 120 Hz refresh rate which is a significant step up from its preceding device. However, the display technology that the device will incorporate is not yet know. It will either be an OLED panel like the original ROG Phone or a Super AMOLED panel.
Furthermore, the big bulky reviewer box of the Asus ROG Phone 2 has also leaked which is expected to be packed with gaming focused accessories like detachable gamepad controller and rear mountable cooling fan.
Asus ROG Phone 2 Reviewers Box
Beside being the world’s first smartphone with 120 Hz refresh rate display, it will also be the world’s first smartphone to feature the Snapdragonn 855 Plus SoC which is upto 15 percent faster than the standard variant. Other specifications of the device are currently unavailable, nonetheless, assumptions can still be made. The ROG Phone 2 is expected to have the following features:
Conclusively, the precise details incluing specifications and price of the ROG Phone 2 will be publicised at the official launch event which is set for the 23rd of July.
Its been a while since Asus was confirmed to have been working on the second iteration of ROG Phone (Republic Of Gaming). Asus ROG Phone 2 is going to be the latest device in the gaming smartphone lineup from the company. Previously, many leaks showed an uncertain launch date, but the official release has finally been revealed for the date of 23rd July.
The Taiwanese company teased an image on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. According to the teaser, date, time and venue location of the ASUS’ press conference has been officially revealed. Notably, Tencent Games will be in collaboration, known for its massively popular multiplayer title, PUBG Mobile. It is expected that the company will showcase other gaming related peripherals which will also be available alongside the Asus ROG Phone 2.
Asus will probably be seen flaunting its smooth 120Hz display on its upcoming gaming flagship; a noticeable jump over last gens 90Hz screen. ROG Phone 2 is expected to run an optimized version of PUBG Mobile to fully utilize the 120Hz panel, which is twice the refresh rate found on traditional smartphones. The device was recently reported to have received the 3C Certification in China which also revealed a 30W charger being planned for the device. It will be the second brand after Razer and its Razer Phone lineup to feature such a high refresh rate display panel on its smartphone.
Asus ROG Phone 2 is expected to feature top-end specs similar to its predecessor. It will likely sport at least 6GB of RAM alongside 128GB of ROM run by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC. The upcoming smartphone will be unveiled in China on 23rd July, however, its pricing is still unknown. It will be a great addition to the gaming lineup of smartphones from the company and in the market for gaming enthusiasts.
It was revealed a while ago that Taiwanese technology giant Asus is working on the next generation of its gaming smartphone; the alleged ROG Phone 2 in partnership with China’s Tencent corporation. Subsequent leaks revealed that the device will be launched on the 23rd of July. The handset will be the successor to the ROG Phone launched last year and is expected to feature top tier specification aimed towards mobile gaming. Now, the ROG Phone 2 has passed China’s mandatory 3C certification which reveals it will support 30W fast charging.
Asus ROG Phone 2
As mentioned above, the alleged ROG Phone 2 by Asus will feature 30W Fast Charging. This will be achieved by a voltage ranging anywhere from 5V to 10V and 3A of current. So, in theory, the upcoming gaming device may be topped off at the 30W maximum capacity; but the speed may be reduced in accordance to the temperature of the CPU. Notably, the previous generation of the smartphone also supports the charging speeds mentioned above. Unfortunately, the listing does not mention more details about the handset.
Past leaks of the Asus ROG Phone have already confirmed the presence of a 120Hz refresh rate display on the smartphone. This will be an upgrade from the 90Hz display on its predecessor. It will also be the third mobile device in the world to support the said refresh rate, after the Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2. Unfortunately, the rest of the specifications of the ROG Phone 2 are not known yet. But if it manages to pack in top tier specifications at the aforementioned price tag, it may be a compelling buy over its rivals like the Nubia Red Magic 3 and Xiaomi Black Shark 2. The upcoming gaming handset may be launched at a price of CNY 4,399 (Rs. 44,400); which is lower than the Chinese price of the ROG Phone which was CNY 5,999 (Rs. 60,600) at the time of launch.
Taiwanese electronics giant Asus launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Asus 6Z in India on the 19th of June. The device was first launched in Valencia Spain on the 16th of May. It succeeds the ZenFone 5Z which was announced last year and boasts of notable improvements in design, camera and the performance department over its predecessor. The device offers top tier specifications and goes up against some of the best devices in the segment like the OnePlus 7. But is the Asus 6Z the new flagship killer in town or is just an underwhelming offering by the company?
The 6Z has a glass sandwich design with a metal chassis for reinforcement. The front of the smartphone is dominated by a large display with 92 percent screen to body ratio. As the front is nothing but the display, there is nothing to see here, apart from the earpiece at the top. To our surprise, Asus has accommodated a tiny LED notification light on top of the display which is becoming a rarity these days.
The right side of the device makes room for the volume rocker, the power and a dedicated Google assistant button while the left side of the device is occupied the dual SIM + microSD card slot. The bottom of the Asus 6Z accommodates the USB Type C port, 3.5 mm audio jack and the loudspeaker grille while the top of the device houses the flip camera that can be used as both front camera and rear camera.
We reviewed the Midnight Black coloured variant of the Asus 6Z which looks and feels premium. The back of the smartphone houses the vertical dual camera setup with the flash. The fingerprint scanner and the company logo is also present on the rear of the device. Overall, the device is solidly built and the design while nothing new, feels fresh. However, we recommend using a case as it can easily slip out of your palm owing to the glass back. Also, the case will prevent the fingerprints which the device easily attracts.
The Asus 6Z is a solidly built device, with a heavy yet reassuring feel in the hand. We tried to manually dislodge the camera mechanism but it did not budge. This implies what lengths the company has gone to in making sure the camera lasts a long time. One thing to note though, the Flip Camera mechanism is only rated for 1,00,000 uses. But it is a result of standardised testing done in a lab, so in real life, the longevity of the mechanism may vary depending on the user.
[section label=”Display”]
Display
The Asus 6Z has a 6.3 inch LCD display which has a resolution of 2340 x 1080px. Unlike most modern smartphones, the device has no obstructions like a notch or a punch hole cutout. This makes for an impressive 92 percent screen to body ratio on the handset, which feels immersive to watch multimedia content on. One issue we have with the display is the maximum brightness. The panel does not offer great brightness levels outdoors. This impacts the legibility and users will have to squint to make out any content on the device.
In terms of quality, the display on the Asus 6Z offers good sharpness, excellent colour reproduction and good contrasts. Unfortunately, as it uses an LCD panel, there are no deep blacks or impeccable viewing angles like in OLED displays. No fret though, as the LCD panel itself is of good quality and should be great for day to day usage.
[section label=”Performance”]
Hardware & Performance
The Asus 6Z is kitted with the latest and greatest from Qualcomm, the 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. It is coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage options. In terms of hardware alone, the smartphone is right up there with the heavyweight champions of this year. The device, along with impressive specs, has a few software tricks up its sleeve. It offers a feature called GameGenie, which will free up RAM and lets users stream content on YouTube and Twitch, turn on do not disturb mode etc. without leaving the game.
With high-end specifications, the Asus 6Z performs admirably in day to day tasks. It is also an excellent performance while gaming. Playing games like PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9 and Shadow Fight, the smartphone selected the highest settings. We did not notice any major frame drops while playing the games and the performance was smooth and consistent. However, the device does get a little warm on the back in a 30-minute session of PUBG Mobile.
Using benchmarking applications like Antutu and Geekbench on the Asus 6Z does not tell a different story either. While testing the Antutu benchmark, we got an impressive score of 3,74,021 which is on par with the competition. In Geekbench, the device registered a single core score of 3,448 points and a multi-core score of 10,509 points. As is evident from the numbers, the handset will go through everything thrown at it without breaking a sweat.
[section label=”Software & UI”]
Software, UI & Multimedia
The Asus 6Z runs the company’s custom UI version 6 by the company on top of Android 9 Pie. The previous generations of the software were disregarded for the excessive bloat and diverting from Stock Android. It seems like the company has taken a note of that. The smartphone’s UI is almost stock, with minimal bloatware and fast animations, which make it a joy to use.
The Asus 6Z supports the basic Android navigation gestures which are bundled with Android 9 Pie. These let users go back with the dedicated back button on the left, a single tap on the centre pill takes you home and a swipe up on it brings out the multitasking menu. Dragging the pill to the right lets users scroll across various applications open in the background.
In terms of sound quality, the Asus 6Z has a single bottom firing speaker which has decent sound output. One downside of the setup is how easy it is to block the speaker grille while holding the device in landscape mode. Audio output via the Bluetooth is great which provides for a good listening experience.
[section label=”Camera”]
Camera
The major attraction on the Asus 6Z is its unique Flip Camera mechanism. It uses a special motor made of liquid metal to rotate the camera setup 180 degrees. As a result of which, there is no selfie camera on the device as it uses the main camera for taking front facing images and videos. This serves as an advantage for the smartphone as the high-resolution sensors on the back have a lot to offer.
In terms of optics, the Asus 6Z has a dual camera setup, comprised of a 48MP primary sensor and a 13MP secondary wide angle sensor. The primary sensor is the ubiquitous Sony IMX 586 sensor also found in handsets like the OnePlus 7 Pro. The camera app bundled with the smartphone is easy to use and has most of the controls laid out on the bottom for easy access with one hand.
Asus 6Z Primary Camera
Asus 6Z Primary Camera
Asus 6Z Ultra Wide
Asus 6Z Low Light
Asus 6Z Outdoors
Asus 6Z Night Mode
In terms of quality, the 48MP primary camera takes great photos. The quality and details are top notch with excellent contrasts. The post-processing adds a little too much saturation but it may fit the taste of some people. An added advantage with the camera is the wide-angle camera, which allows it to fit a lot more in the frame. Like most modern smartphones, there is also a dedicated night mode. This takes a while to take the image but increases the exposure. Images clicked in this mode have better detail but it is no match for Pixel’s Night Sight.
Asus 6Z Primary Camera Selfie Sample
Asus 6Z Primary Camera Selfie Sample
As the flip mechanism allows for the camera to take front facing shots too, selfies on the Asus 6Z are excellent. The images are as good (because it is the same camera, duh!) which makes for a really fun experience. Portrait mode provides great subject separation and video output is one of the best out there. While the smartphone does not have Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), it uses Electronic Image Stabilisation which churns out stable footage. In terms of Video recording, the device can record in 4K resolution at up to 60fps.
Additional features
There are also some neat tricks that you can do with the Flip Camera on the smartphone. The camera can be placed at a custom angle from 0 to 180 degrees. To do this, there are two options, one via dragging the selfie camera icon up or down or by toggling the volume rockers. It also allows for an auto panorama mode, which as the name suggests taking automatic panoramas with you in it. There is also a neat motion tracking feature, but it is a little slow and doesn’t work every time.
Side Note: While the camera on the Asus 6Z is commendable and offers many features, the housing becomes too hot to touch after a few minutes of usage. The use of moving parts on the smartphone may affect its life in the longer run.
[section label=”Battery”]
Battery and Connectivity
The Asus 6Z is powered by a mammoth 5000mAh battery which can be charged using the bottom mounted USB Type-C port. The battery life of the device is great, with us getting a screen on time of about seven hours on medium usage. The massive battery, combined with stock Android provides the smartphone with acceptable battery life.
In terms of connectivity, the Asus 6Z has WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0 and also supports 4G VoLTE. The smartphone faced no problems in latching on to Wi-Fi networks and performed as expected. Call quality on the device was excellent, with the earpiece producing loud, crisp audio. The handset was able to perform equivalent to its rivals when it is about network and connectivity.
[section label=”Other Features”]
Other Features
The Asus 6Z has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports the ever popular face unlock technology. In our usage, we found the fingerprint scanner to be quick in unlocking the smartphone. As the biometric sensor is placed on the rear, it is inaccessible when placed on a flat surface. For those occasions, face unlock usually serves as a handy feature. Although as the smartphone uses a flip mechanism, this is also useless while laying flat on a table. Face unlock also takes a good second to work, as the machine needs to work fully and retract after detecting your face.
The dedicated Google Assistant button is one of the key highlights of the Asus 6Z. Like mentioned above, the button can be pressed to summon the digital voice assistant. With the smartphone, three individual functions have been mapped to the button. Pressing it once will bring up the Google Assistant which can be used to input commands. Clicking the button twice brings up the Assistant dashboard to glance through updates, while a long press on the button turns on the microphone until the key is pressed. This function works like a walkie talkie and is a good addition for quick or longer commands.
[section label=”Verdict”]
Verdict
The Asus 6Z is a worthy flagship that offers everything you can ask for in a smartphone. It has a big, beautiful display, great software, capable cameras and a solid design. However, there are a few caveats to it, like not enough brightness outdoors and the use of mechanical parts, which may affect the longevity of the device. While the parts feel well built and will not wear off anytime soon, there is still a percentage of uncertainty with moving parts. But, if we ignore all of that and focus on the present, then the smartphone does give the OnePlus 7, even the 7 Pro a run for its money.
If you are in a market for a smartphone under Rs. 40,000, the Asus 6Z will not disappoint you. It is truly the newest Flagship Killer in town. However, there are also excellent options such as the aforementioned OnePlus 7, Nubia Red Magic 3 and the Black Shark 2. The latter two of which are gamer oriented and will also offer a lot more if you are into mobile gaming.
The rise of mobile gaming has led to an unprecedented demand for gaming smartphones. Over the past few years, many major OEMs have launched a gaming handset of its own. One such company is Taiwanese electronics giant Asus; which launched its first gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone last year. It was revealed a while ago that the company is working with Tencent, a major Chinese conglomerate for the successor of the device, the ROG Phone 2. Now, the launch date and the expected pricing of the handset has been leaked online.
Asus ROG Phone 2
As mentioned above, Asus may launch the ROG Phone 2 at an event on July 23. The launch event will be held in Beijing, China according to the reports; after which the smartphone will be showcased by the company at the ChinaJoy 2019 digital entertainment expo scheduled for the month of August. Apart from the launch date, the report also mentions the expected starting price of the device. It is believed that the ROG Phone 2 by Asus will be priced significantly lower than its predecessor. The upcoming gaming handset may be launched at a price of CNY 4,399 (Rs. 44,400); which is lower than the Chinese price of the ROG Phone which was CNY 5,999 (Rs. 60,600) at the time of launch.
Past leaks of the Asus ROG Phone have already confirmed the presence of a 120Hz refresh rate display on the smartphone. This will be an upgrade from the 90Hz display on its predecessor. It will also be the third mobile device in the world to support the said refresh rate, after the Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2. Unfortunately, the rest of the specifications of the ROG Phone 2 are not known yet. But if it manages to pack in top tier specifications at the aforementioned price tag, it may be a compelling buy over its rivals like the Nubia Red Magic 3 and Xiaomi Black Shark 2.
Taiwanese electronics giant Asus has launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Asus 6Z in India. The device was first launched in Valencia Spain on the 16th of May. It succeeds the ZenFone 5Z which was announced last year and boasts of notable improvements in design, camera and the performance department over its predecessor.
Asus 6Z
The Asus 6Z is the latest flagship offering by the company and measures 159.1 x 75.44 x 8.4mm with a weight of 190g. The smartphone has a glass design on the front and back with a metal chassis for reinforcement. It has a 6.4 inch LCD display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The screen to body ratio of the device stands in at an impressive 92 percent which is achieved by implementing a flip up camera mechanism. Like the Samsung Galaxy A80, the Asus 6Z has a rotating camera setup which can be used to take pictures from the rear as well as the front. For biometric security and rapidly unlocking the handset, the device has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face unlock.
Under the hood, the Asus 6Z is kitted with the 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC which is comprised of an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a dual camera setup which consists of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 48MP primary sensor and a secondary f/2.4 aperture equipped 13MP Ultra wide angle sensor. As mentioned before, the device uses a flip camera mechanism to click pictures at different angles. For memory and storage, the handset has been launched in the following variants.
6GB RAM and 64GB ROM
8GB RAM and 128GB ROM
8GB RAM and 256GB ROM
The Asus 6Z is powered by a massive 5000 mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging. It has a unique Google Assistant button on the top right which can also be configured to open any application based on the user’s choice. In terms of connectivity, the handset supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC, 3.5 mm jack and bottom mounted USB Type C port. It is available in two colours, namely Twilight Silver and Midnight Black.
The Asus 6Z has been launched for the price of Rs. 31,999 for the base variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The model with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard memory has been priced at Rs. 34,999 while the top end variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage will cost Rs 39,999. The smartphone will exclusively available for purchase on Flipkart starting on the 26th of June.
The Asus 6Z is the latest flagship smartphone from the Taiwanese electronics giant. It is the successor to the ZenFone 5Z of last year and features notable improvements over its predecessor. The current device has an innovative Flip Camera system that lets the users take selfies from the main dual camera system. This provides the handset with an obstruction-free, all screen look.
In the month of May, Asus unveiled its 2019 flagship, the Asus ZenFone 6 in Valencia, Spain. The device has a modern look accrediting to a high screen-to-body ratio display on the front and a unique flip camera that also doubles as a selfie camera. The device is set to make its way into the Indian market, however, it will launch with a different name in the country. Due to a copyright conflict with Indian smartphone maker Zen Mobiles, Asus had to rename the device as 6Z for the country.
What’s In The Box?
Asus 6Z
In-Ear Headphones
USB Type C Cable
Power Adapter
SIM Ejector
Protective Case
Design
The Asus 6Z has a 6.4 inch display with a 92 percent screen to body ratio. The right side of the device makes room for the volume rocker, the power and a dedicated Google assistant button while the left side of the device is occupied the dual SIM + microSD card slot. The bottom of the Asus 6Z accommodates the USB Type C port, 3.5 mm audio jack and the loudspeaker grille while the top of the device houses the flip camera that can be used as both front camera and rear camera. The rear of the device has an attractive look with a glass build that houses Asus branding and fingerprint sensor.
Display
The Asus 6Z sports a 6.4 inch LCD display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080px and a pixel density of 403 ppi. The display of the device is surrounded by very thin bezels with no obtrusions like a notch or a hole-punch. To prevent the device against scratches and accidental drops it is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 6.
Processor
The Asus 6Z runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC which is a top of the line chipset. The Snapdragon 855 is manufactured using 7 nm fabrication process and it consists of Octa-core CPU and Adreno 640 GPU. The eight CPU cores are composed of three different clusters which have the following clock speed:
1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485
3×2.41 GHz Kryo 485
4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485
Memory & Storage And Battery
The Asus 6Z will be available in two storage variants which include 6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM. In addition to the internal storage, it also supports memory expansion upto 1 TB via a dedicated MicroSD card slot. The Asus 6Z is powered by a mammoth 5000 mAh battery which also supports 18 W fast charging via the bottom mounted USB Type C port.
Camera
The Asus 6Z has a dual flip camera setup which can be used for clicking pictures and capturing videos from both the front and back. The camera setup consists of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 48 MP sensor and an f/2.4 aperture equipped 13 MP wide sensor. The smartphone can also capture 4K videos at 60fps from the hybrid rear and front flip camera setup.
Notably, Asus is touting the 6Z as the world’s first smartphone with a controllable motorised camera. Even though companies like Oppo in the past have released similar devices with automatically rotating cameras, they could only capture images and videos at two angles. Uniquely, the flip camera of the 6Z can be set to any angle ranging from 0 to 180 degrees proving Asus’ claim factually correct. Except for conventional features, it can capture a panorama without the user having to actually move from their position. The flip automatically rotates with the help of motors which helps in capture a well stitched panorama.
Talking about its operation and durability, it has a motorised operation which can be used to toggle the selfie camera with the simple click of a button. The mechanism inside the camera setup is built in a manner that if the flip is forcefully moved, the gears inside would not resist and move along with the motion. This, in turn, would prevent the internals from going bad while being manually moved. However, it is recommended not to intentionally move the camera forcefully.
Connectivity & Other Features
Connectivity options on the Asus 6Z include dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11 Wi-Fi, GPS and a bottom mounted USB Type C port for charging and data syncing. Unlike several other flagship handsets, it has a 3.5mm audio which is mounted on the bottom. The device runs on the latest Android 9 Pie which is skinned with Zen UI that provides for a stock Android like experience with minimal bloatware.
With the rise in popularity for mobile gaming, the demand for gaming smartphones has also seen an upward trend. In the year 2018, Taiwan based Asus launched the ROG Phone which is packed with features that are designed and incorporated while keeping gamers in mind. As time passed, the device’s specification seems to fall short in comparison to its competitors including the Nubia Red Magic 3 and the Xiaomi Black Shark 2.
To take on its competitors that pack flagship worthy features from 2019, Asus has been anticipated to launch a successor to the original ROG phone. Pleasingly, the company has officially revealed that the second generation ROG Phone is in the works and it will have a feature that is a segment first. ROG’s official account on Chinese social media website, Weibo confirmed that the Asus ROG gaming Phone 2 will have a praiseworthy 120 Hz refresh rate display. The said display provides for an enhanced viewing experience which is more pleasing to the eye. Noteworthy, it is not yet confirmed whether the future smartphone will use an LCD display or an AMOLED display. As AMOLED technology with this high refresh rate is yet to be unveiled by any company.
To boost the hype around the upcoming device, Asus has also collaborated with the game developer, Tencent which is renowned for the wildly successful PUBG Mobile. Other specifications of the upcoming smartphone will be revealed at the time of launch, however, following are the expectations from the device.
Asus ROG Phone 2 Expectations
Snapdragon 855 SoC: Being a 2019 flagship grade Android smartphone, the apparent choice for the chipset on the Asus ROG Phone 2 is Snapdragon 855 which is seen on most other flagship devices from leading OEMs.
4,000 mAh+ Battery: Running resource hungry tasks like games on a smartphone takes a jab on the battery draining it at a comparatively faster pace. Even though the original Asus ROG Phone has a large 4,000 mAh battery, an even larger capacity battery would be appreciated by the consumers. Also, with the ZenFone 6, Asus has managed to accommodate a 5,000 mAh battery. Therefore, the upcoming gaming focused device is also predicted to have a similar size battery.
In-display Fingerprint Sensor:
The original Asus ROG Phone has a rear mounted fingerprint sensor which was found on almost every 2018 flagship device. However, with the advancement in technology, the industry has shifted to an in-display fingerprint sensor which is concealed under the display. Accordingly, the Asus ROG Phone 2 is also expected to have an in-display fingerprint sensor.
6 Inch+ Display:
The original Asus ROG phone Phone has a 6.0 inch AMOLED display with Full HD resolution. With the most mid-range and premium smartphones from 2019 having a display larger than 6 inch, the upcoming Asus ROG Phone 2 is predicted to have a display larger than its predecessor. It is expected to have a display which can range somewhere from 6.3 inch to 6.6 inch.
To conclude, the expectations and predictions about the Asus ROG Phone 2 will be verified in the coming future with precise specifications being revealed at the time of official launch. The upcoming gaming centred device is expected to launch in the Q3 of 2019.
Asus launched its latest flagship smartphone, the ZenFone 6 at an event in Valencia, Spain on the 16th of May. The device features top tier specifications at a more affordable price than similarly specced handsets available currently. It has been long speculated that the company will launch the latest smartphone in India soon, but no announcements regarding it were made. Now, it has been revealed the ZenFone 6 will be launched in India with the name Asus 6Z on the 19th of June. The change of name is allegedly due to a legal battle in the Delhi High Court against the ZenFone branding.
About the case
The aforementioned lawsuit against Asus was filed by Telecare, which owns the trademark for the Zen and Zen Mobiles name. To not cause confusion between products of the two companies, the Delhi High Court ordered Asus not to sell any product which is identical or deceptively similar to the trademark “Zen” and “Zen Mobile”. Notably, this decision will affect the company’s product lineup only in India at the moment. Interestingly, Telecare alleges that it started selling products under the registered name in the year 2008; while Asus began the sales of its ZenFone lineup starting in year 2014.
Asus 6Z
The Asus 6Z is the latest flagship offering by the company as mentioned above and will succeed the ZenFone 5Z. It measures 159.1 x 75.44 x 8.4mm and weighs 190g. The smartphone has a glass design on the front and back with a metal chassis for reinforcement. It has a 6.4 inch LCD display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The screen to body ratio of the device stands in at an impressive 92 percent which is achieved by implementing a flip up camera mechanism. Like the Samsung Galaxy A80, the Asus 6Z has a rotating camera setup which can be used to take pictures from the rear as well as the front. For biometric security and rapidly unlocking the handset, it has a rear mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face unlock.
Under the hood, the Asus 6Z is kitted with the 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC which is comprised of an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a dual camera setup which consists of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 48MP primary sensor and a secondary f/2.4 aperture equipped 13MP Ultra wide angle sensor. As mentioned before, the device uses a flip camera mechanism to click pictures at different angles. For memory and storage, the handset may be launched in the following variants.
6GB RAM and 64GB ROM
8GB RAM and 128GB ROM
8GB RAM and 256GB ROM
The Asus 6Z is powered by a massive 5000 mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging. It has a unique Google Assistant button on the top right which can also be configured to open any application based on the user’s choice. In terms of connectivity, the handset supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC, 3.5 mm jack and bottom mounted USB Type C port. It is available in two colours, namely Twilight Silver and Midnight Black.
As mentioned above, the Asus 6Z will be introduced on the 19th of June in the Indian market. It will be exclusively available online on Flipkart and offline in select retail stores across the country. While the company has not revealed its Indian pricing yet, it is expected to cost starting at Rs. 40,000 for the variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB of onboard memory may cost Rs. 44,000; while buyers may have to shell Rs. 47,000 for the version with 8GB RAM and 256GB Internal storage.
Computex 2019 is at its full swing and Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, Asus has unveiled a wide variety of products at the event which includes laptops and gaming accessories. One notable device that Asus has unveiled is the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo laptop which features dual displays. Other products launched by the company are as follows:
ROG Strix XG17 Portable Gaming Monitor
As the name suggests, the ROG Strix XG17 is a portable gaming monitor with an inbuilt battery. The device features a 17.3 inch display with Full HD resolution. Noteworthy the display panel has a refresh rate of 240 Hz which provides for an ultra smooth gaming experience. The Asus ROG Strix XG17 supports Adaptive sync technology which eliminates choppy frame rates and screen tearing. It supports video input via the built in Micro HDMI port and the USB Type C port. The display can be used for playing games from mobiles, computers and consoles like Nintendo Switch. The aforementioned inbuilt battery is claimed to provide a battery backup of three hours. To keep the display of the Asus ROG Strix XG17 secure against scratches, it features a flip style cover which also doubles up as a stand.
Asus ZenBook 13/14/15
Asus has updated the ZenBook lineup of laptops for the year 2019 with latest innards while retaining the established name. The screen size of the three laptop models corroborates with the suffix in their name. The device is available in three different screen size options which include 13 inch, 14 inch and 15 inch. One key highlighting features of the ZenBook trio is the trackpad which doubles up as a secondary 5.65 inch display. The said display which is similar to one present on modern smartphones can be enabled or disabled by pressing the F6 key. The notable features this display can be used for include playing music, watching videos or play games like candy crush.
Talking about the specifications, the Asus ZenBook trio can be configured with Intel Core i7 CPUs along with Nvidia GTX 1650 Max Q GPU. In terms of memory and storage, the laptops support upto 1 TB of SSD storage and 8 GB of RAM. Input/Output ports on the three laptops are as follows:
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ (up to 10Gbps)
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A (up to 10Gbps)
1 x USB 2.0
1 x Standard HDMI
1 x MicroSD card reader
1 x Audio combo jack
1 x DC-in
Asus ROG Theta Gaming Headsets
The company has unveiled two new pairs of flagship gaming headphones under the Theta sub brand which include the ROG Theta and ROG Theta Electret. The former has 8 Essence drivers with the largest being 30 mm in size. The headphone produces 7.1 surround sound output and supports AI powered noise cancelling microphones. On the other hand, the ROG Theta Electret is a pair of Analogue headphones with an impedance of 32 ohms and silver plated copper cables.
Asus VivoBooks
In addition to the ZenBook Pro Duo laptops and ZenBook laptops, Asus also unveiled updated VivoBooks. Like the ZenBooks, the new VivoBooks also have a ScreenPad 2.0 secondary display. Notably, the VivoBooks are economical than the ZenBooks, however, they still pack worthy features. They can be kitted with upto Intel Core i7 processors and Nvidia MX 250 GPU. The laptops feature Harman Kardon speakers that are claimed to have impressive sound output. They also have an ErgoLift hinge which raises the laptop from the surface for better airflow resulting in cooler temperatures while running heavy tasks.
Taiwan based electronics manufacturer, Asus has unveiled yet another innovative lineup of laptops at the Computex 2019. The said event is held in Taipei, Taiwan and it is one of the world’s biggest PC convention. Taking the Touch Bar from Apple’s MacBooks a step further, Asus unveiled the ZenBook Pro Duo which features dual displays.
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo Specs & Design
As previously mentioned the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo has a distinctive design accrediting to two display. Out of the two displays, one is the primary screen while the second display is placed above the keyboard. The company has unveiled two models of the laptop which carry the following model numbers:
UX581
UX481
The key differences between the two models are disparate CPU, GPU and screen size. The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 features a 15.6 inch touch screen main display along with the 14 inch ScreenPad Plus (secondary display). On the other hand, the more affordable Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX481 has a 14 inch main display along with 12.6 inch ScreenPad Plus display. Notably, the beefed up UX581 features 4K display while the UX481 has a display with FHD resolution.
In terms of processor, the Asus ZenBook UX581 is offered with two options a) i9-9980HK and b) i7-9750H. While the UX481 is offered only with the i7 option. The former features the Nvidia RTX 2060 GPU 6 GB of DDR6 RAM while the latter features Nvidia MX250 with 2 GB of RAM. The UX581 can be kitted with upto 32 GB of DD4 2666 MHz RAM while the former supports 2133 MHz DDR3 RAM upto 16GB.
Both the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo laptops can be configured with similar storage options which include 1 TB PCIE x4 SSD or 512GB / 256GB PCIe x2 SSD. The primary difference between the two storage options is dissimilar read and write speeds. The x4 SSD are upto twice as fast as the x2 variant. Features including connectivity, webcam and I/O port are identical on two variants of the Asus ZenBook. They support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 along with an IR webcam with Windows Hello Support. I/O ports on the two laptops are as follows:
1 x Thunderbolt
3x USB-C
2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A
1 x Standard HDMI
1 x Audio combo jack
1 x DC-in
Notably, the economical Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX481 also has a Micro SD card slot. The former is powered by a 70 Wh battery while the UX581 is powered by a 71 Wh battery.
Talking about the ScreenPad it is mainly targetted towards content creators who can use the secondary display to control or monitor additional controls in certain apps. One example of the ScreenPad would controlling additional features in video editing programs.
All in all, the newly launched Asus ZenBook Pro Duo ultrabooks laptop seem highly innovative. However, the price of the two devices is yet to be unveiled which can be expected in the near future.
