Asus announces new Zenfones with 4GB ram and optical zoom

Asus announced two new Zenfones at CES in Las Vegas. Both new Zenfones are equipped with Intel-socs and no less than 4GB of RAM. The Zenfone Zoom has a 13 megapixel camera with optical zoom.

The Zenfone 2 succeeds the first generation Zenfones and features a brushed metal housing. The screen has a diagonal of 5.5 “with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. According to the manufacturer, the IPS panel must have a maximum brightness of 400cd/m². An Intel soc takes care of the calculations of the two new Zenfones. There will be a choice between an Atom Z3560 that taps at a maximum of 1.83GHz and an Atom Z3580 at a maximum of 2.33GHz.The RAM is 4GB in dual channel setup, and Asus would be the first manufacturer to offer so much RAM in a single channel. The storage memory is 16, 32 or 64 GB and it is possible to expand this capacity using SD cards.

The hardware of the Zenfone 2 is powered by a battery with a capacity of 3000mAh. Thanks to the quick-charging functionality of the charger, the battery can be charged from zero to sixty percent in 39 minutes. The camera on the Zenfone 2 has a resolution of 5 megapixels on the front, while the sensor on the back has 13 megapixels.

The Zenfone Zoom also has a 13 megapixel camera, but it can zoom in up to 3x with the help of optical zoom. The opening ratio therefore varies from f/2.7 to f/4.8 and the lens is equipped with optical image stabilization. The Zoom has a maximum of 128GB of storage, although it is not clear in which other storage capacities the phone will be available. The screen and soc of the Zenfone Zoom are the same as the Zenfone 2.

Both Zenfones are equipped with Android 5.0, on which Asus runs its own ZenUI shell. The Zenfone 2 will be available in March for a starting price of USD 199, while the USD 399 Zenfone Zoom will have to wait until the second quarter of 2015. Whether the Zenfone will come to the Benelux, and at what price, is not yet known.