Sight beyond sight: The ASUS Zenfone 2 breaks new ground

 

Now this is truly a phone of omens—all good ones, to be sure.
 

One of the newest and most ambitious mobile offerings of ASUS, the Zenfone 2, was officially launched for Southeast Asian (SEA) markets last April. “See What Others Can’t See” heralded the brand’s premiere phone, with spacefaring astronauts as part of the launch motif. Over a thousand industry partners, dealers, media practitioners and tech enthusiasts witnessed the festivities at the Grand Ballroom of the Pullman Jakarta Central Park in Indonesia.

 

While the Zenfone 2 has already quietly and informally surfaced in various markets, the SEA launch gave it the lively welcome it deserved. ASUS made sure that everyone in attendance understood exactly what they were releasing in the Zenfone 2: not just a new flagship cellular phone, but a real monster of a mobile device.

 

Welcome to 2Morrowland

 

ASUS stood by its “Experience 2Morrow” tagline for the launch, making full use of the Grand Ballroom’s facilities. A slew of powerful projectors installed and positioned specifically for the launch allowed for a nearly 360-degree rendering of a fluid starscape around the ballroom during idle moments, and provided selective camera views of the main stage during presentations. Translation receivers were distributed to many of the guests, with dedicated translator booths installed in the ballroom.

 

The area outside the ballroom was also extensively prepared, with Zenfone 2 promotional assets strategically positioned as if it were a mini-convention. Dedicated zones were installed to showcase specific features of the device, such as its extensive camera functions and its high-powered gaming capabilities, aside from the standard displays for general user testing. ASUS demo agents encouraged guests to try out Zenfone 2 units, even suggesting outright performance comparisons with other phones. Of particular note was a VR simulation that utilized actual Zenfone 2 units in cardboard goggle constructs, demonstrating both the unit’s display fidelity and its finely tuned internal gyroscopes.

 

The program for the launch involved speeches and presentations regarding both the ASUS brand and the Zenfone 2 itself, but the rhetoric felt anything but typical. ASUS CEO Jerry Shen was clearly enthusiastic, and he sounded less like a corporate CEO than he did a tech geek who was thrilled to be part of a burgeoning trend: increasingly powerful technology in the hands of consumers for progressively lower prices. The other VIPs who spoke, such as Robby Swinnen, Intel President and General Manager in the Asia Pacific and Japan region, were similarly enthused, talking about how the Zenfone 2 marked the latest achievement in a decades-long partnership of companies that have always wanted to push the boundaries of IT and end-user capabilities.

 

An optional afternoon technical briefing covering the major aspects of the Zenfone 2 provided additional details regarding what made the Zenfone 2 special, and a cut above the rest. The in-depth presentations were well-received by the guests who were more particular about what goes on under the hood, and how the Zenfone 2 compares against the high-end models of other manufacturers. While the discussions were already more specific and explanatory than the general presentations earlier in the day, their real merit was in how the speakers were able to entertain questions and address particular inquiries outside the coverage of standard press releases.

 

'See what others can’t see'

 

The Zenfone 2’s slogan, while ostensibly referring to the complex feature set and advanced capabilities of the onboard cameras and their supporting software, implies that there is much more to the device than meets the eye. At first glance the Zenfone 2 follows the same aesthetics that contemporary mobile phones maintain, but closer inspection yields details that add up to a carefully considered and engineered device.

 

Both the launch presentations and the demonstration areas highlighted aspects of the Zenfone 2 that are best appreciated up close, and with a careful eye. The impressively ergonomic design of the unit is supplemented by delicate etched patterns of concentric circles on the face, and customizable back covers with a similar attention to miniscule details. The brushed-metal look of the Transfusion series of back covers, for example, are reminiscent of now-classic Apple iMac sensibilities, lending a discreet sense of style that you can appreciate both with your hands and your eyes.

 

The massive Full HD display is a treat to view as well, using much more real estate of the phone’s face for the actual screen. Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 shields the entire face, resulting in an exceptionally tough and smooth viewing and contact surface, eliminating the need for any sort of screen protector. Colors are vivid and accurate, and contact response times get as quick as 60ms.

 

Within the device is a cavalcade of desirable features: dual active dual-sim functionality, 64-bit Intel Atom quad-core processing , a discrete PowerVR 6430 GPU that supports OpenGL 3.2, noise-canceling dual microphones, 5-satellite navigation support, and the much-ballyhooed PixelMaster 2.0 cameras at 13MP and 5MP.

 

There’s a lot more to the Zenfone 2 than can be covered in this article, and it’s worth perusing both official ASUS marketing materials and detailed reviews to explore just how much ASUS has managed to pack into its monster phone. The Zenfone 2 does come in several models, however, with the ZE551ML the one that truly lives up to everything the company promises. It’s no small feat to deliver the world’s first smartphone with 4GB of RAM and the latest in Intel microprocessors.

 

The Zenfone 2 launch did showcase more than just the phone, however. It also formally announced a selection of official ASUS accessories with similar forward-thinking engineering.

 

The external Zenflash and Lolliflash camera accessories extend the Zenfone 2’s camera capabilities even further, and the specialized deluxe cover pairs neatly with the Zenfone 2’s UI for a seamless experience that also provides ample protection. Of exceptional interest to people who have any sort of mobile device is the Zenpower Power Bank, packing 10,050mAh and up to 2.4A of temperature-monitored output. More details can be found on their ASUS site page.

 

The officially announced SRP of the ZE551ML Zenfone 2 in Indonesia is at Rp4,499,000, or approximately PhP15,360, with the lower-tier models ranging from Rp2,699,000 to Rp3,999,000 (PhP9,215 to PhP13,653). Local dealers expect pricing in the Philippines to be within the same ranges. — TJD, GMA News