Asus Malaysia rolls out ZenFone 2, world's first 4GB RAM smartphone
By Digital News Asia May 19, 2015
- Updated ZenUI provides simpler and smarter user experience
- 72% screen-to-body ratio packs 5.5in screen into a compact body
ASUS Malaysia has announced the availability of the ZenFone 2 series at its recent ‘Incredible Zen Day’ consumer event in Kuala Lumpur.
ZenFone 2 has a luxurious metallic hairline finish and is 3.9mm at its thinnest edges, and with a 72% screen-to-body ratio, it packs a 5.5-inch screen into a compact body similar in size to most 5-inch smartphones, Asus Malaysia said in a statement.
“Our aim in 2015 is to become the No 2 smartphone brand in Malaysia, as we were No 3 last year,” said Asus Malaysia country manager Jimmy Lin (pic above), without citing his source.
The Asus ZenFone 2 features an ergonomically curved rear cover with an intuitive button that functions as the volume control as well as the camera shutter button when snapping selfies, the company said.
The ZenFone 2 comes with the 64-bit Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system, and the Asus ZenUI 2.0 user interface.
It has 13-megapixel rear-facing and 5-megapixel front-facing PixelMaster cameras. The latest PixelMaster 2.0 technology features a wide range of enhancements, including Low Light mode on both the rear and front cameras, allowing users to capture up to 400% brighter photos and videos at night or in dimly lit scenes, Asus Malaysia said.
When a flash is preferred, the ZenFone 2 is equipped with a Real Tone Dual LED flash to ensure warm skin tones and natural colours, the company claimed.
The camera also features an enhanced HDR mode and a blue glass infrared filter, making it the ZenFone 2 one of the best smartphones for capturing challenging backlit scenes, such as sunset portraits. The camera’s zero shutter lag lets users take photos instantly.
ZenFone 2’s front-facing camera features a wide, 85-degree field of view engineered for taking selfies, and comes with built-in real-time beautification tweaks. When taking a selfie with a group of friends, or including scenery in the shot, ZenUI Selfie Panorama mode lets users capture panoramic selfies with up to a 140-degree field of view.
For those seeking fine-grained control over camera settings like ISO, shutter speed and more, the Manual mode offers users a DSLR-like experience right on their smartphone, Asus Malaysia said.
The ZenFone 2 is powered by the latest 64-bit Intel Atom Super Quad Core processor and is the world’s first smartphone with 4GB of 64-bit dual-channel RAM (random access memory), delivering super-fast, PC-like data transfer speeds, the company said.
ZenFone 2 dual-SIM slot with Dual Sim Dual Active (DSDA) technology ensures that users will never miss important calls. While making or receiving a call on SIM 1, users can switch seamlessly without disconnecting SIM 1 if another caller tries to contact them on SIM 2.
Its high-capacity, 3000mAh battery provides more than a full day of use on a single charge, while its BoostMaster technology enables two times faster charging, letting users charge ZenFone 2 from 0% to 60% in just 39 minutes.
Personalised interface
The Asus ZenUI has been updated to provide a simpler and smarter user experience, Asus Malaysia said.
To ensure ZenUI is always up-to-date, Asus put more than 30 ZenUI apps on Google Play, so each app can be updated separately without having to wait for a system update like on most other Android smartphones, the company said.
With ZenUI Instant Updates, developers can make ZenUI updates available immediately, avoiding delays between app releases and ensuring the best experience for ZenFone 2 users, it added.
Asus Launcher, also available on Google Play, features enhancements such as easy customisation and ZenMotion, a collection of intuitive touch gestures, each providing a new way of interacting with ZenFone 2 – such as double-tapping on the screen to wake the device.
A collection of touch gestures can be enabled to instantly launch different apps even when the screen is off. For example, when a user swipes the screen as if writing the letter C, the camera app will open; swiping as if writing a lowercase letter E will open the email app.
Entertainment features
Asus ZenFone 2’s 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 resolution) IPS display with a wide 178-degree viewing angle and Asus-exclusive TruVivid technology deliver amazing brightness and brilliant colors for gaming and video, the company claimed.
It is equipped with SonicMaster technology for better sound quality. The included Audio Wizard application lets users customise ZenFone 2’s sound. When AudioWizard is turned on, users can choose from six different output modes to give them the type of sound they desire.
Asus ZenFone 2 is immediately available in Malaysia, at local resellers and authorised Asus stores, with prices ranging from RM599 to RM1,299 (US$168 to US$365). They are also available at Digi stores nationwide, and can be paired with the Digi SmartPlan.
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