Asus shared some glorious sales numbers at CES 2015 mentioning that it shipped over 1.5 million Zenfones per month during the past quarter (Q4 2014). Alongside this mighty achievement, Asus also announced two new smartphones – the Zenfone 2 and the Zenfone Zoom to join the Zenfone series. Zenfone 2 is a nice upgrade over Asus’s previous Zenfone devices which were launched at their CES event last year. Let’s take a closer look at the specifications, price and availability of Zenfone 2.
Specifications of Asus Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML/ZE550ML/ZE500CL)
The name might turn out to be a confusion as there was no Zenfone 1, instead there were Zenfone 4, 5 and 6. For those who are feeling that Zenfone 2 is a downgrade over the last gen devices, it is not. Same can be confirmed from the specifications listed below.
| Category | Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML/ZE550ML) |
Zenfone 2 (ZE500CL) |
| Display | 5.5″ 1920×1090 (Full HD, IPS, Gorilla Glass 3) w/ 403 PPI [ZE551ML]5.5″ 720p (IPS, Gorilla Glass 3) [ ZE550ML] |
5.0″ 720×1080 (IPS) w/293 PPI |
| Processor (CPU) | 2.3 Ghz Intel Atom Z3580 (Quad Core) [ZE551ML] 1.8 Ghz Intel Atom Z3560 (Quad Core) [ZE550ML] | 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom Z2560 (Dual Core) |
| Graphics (GPU) | PowerVR G6430 | PowerVR SGX544MP2 |
| RAM | 4GB (LPDDR3) – ZE551ML 2GB (LPDDR3) – ZE550ML |
2GB LPDDR2 |
| OS | Android 5.0 (Lollipop) ZenUI |
Android 5.0 (Lollipop) ZenUI |
| Storage | Internal: 16GB, 32GB & 64GB (3 versions) Expendable upto 64Gb via MicroSD Card Cloud Storage: 5GB on Asus WebStorage (Lifetime) |
Internal: 16GB Expendable upto 64Gb via MicroSD Card Cloud Storage: 5GB on Asus WebStorage (Lifetime) |
| Camera | Primary: 13MP Pixelmaster f/2.0 w/ AutoFocus Front: 5MP Pixelmaster f/2.0 Pixelmaster Features: Low Light mode / Backlight (HDR) mode / Enhanced Beautification mode / Manual mode / Zero shutter lag |
Primary: 8MP Pixelmaster f/2.0 w/ AutoFocus Front: 2MP Pixelmaster f/2.0 |
| Network | Dual-SIM (Dual Active) 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE Cat. 4) support |
2G, 3G and 4G (LTE Cat. 4) support |
| Connectivity | WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm audio jack MicroUSB (w/ OTG Support) |
WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm audio jack MicroUSB (w/ OTG Support) |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity, ambient-light, gyroscopic, digital compass and Hall-effect sensors | Accelerometer, proximity, ambient-light, gyroscopic, digital compass |
| Colors Available | Glacier Gray / Osmium Black / Glamour Red / Ceramic White / Sheer Gold | Osmium Black, Glamour Red, Ceramic White |
| Battery | 3000 mAh | 2500 mAh |
| Dimensions | 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 ~ 3.9 mm Weight: 170gms |
148.1 x 71.5 x 10.9 mm Weight: 155gms |
The overall design hasn’t changed much and the Zenfone 2 makes even more use of the similar brushed metal finish which is popularized by the last gen Zenfone devices and loved by the users. The phone’s back is curved and is as thin as 3.99 mm at the edges making it easier to hold and makes the phone look pretty slim. The navigation keys are capacitive and not on-screen if this matters to you.
The power button is located at the top, which might not be an easy access for such a large phone. The pack sports the 13MP Pixelmaster camera and the Dual-LED flash. The volume controls are also pushed to the back in order to keep the sides thinner.
Coming to the features, there are some key additions such as the Kids mode (Parental Controls), Zenmotion (tap to switch to single-handed use), SnapView (Secure apps, photos and files. Also keep separate personal and business stuff),
Price and Availability of Asus Zenfone 2
The Zenfone 2 is scheduled to be made available in March 2015, but it will surely take Asus till end of April or early May before all the target markets start receiving a supply of new Zenfone devices. If you’re from Taiwn, you can already start ordering some of the versions of the phone.
Update: During the official launch in Taiwan, Asus has released pricing of other models as well. Here’s a rough conversion of the same into other currencies. However do note that official prices in different regions can be slightly lower or higher than the ones listed below.
| Model | Price (NTD, Taiwan) | Price (USD) | Price (INR) | Price (PHP) |
| 2.3Ghz + 32GB + 4GB RAM ( ZE551ML) | 8990 | $285 | ₹17999 | ₱12599 |
| 1.8Ghz + 32GB + 2GB RAM ( ZE551ML) | 6990 | $220 | ₹13999 | ₱9799 |
| 1.8Ghz + 16GB + 2GB RAM ( 720p display – ZE550ML) | 5990 | $190 | ₹11999 | ₱8499 |
| 1.6 Ghz +16GB +2GB RAM (5″ 720p display – ZE500CL) | 4990 | $160 | ₹9999 | ₱6999 |
Do the specifications, features and price of Zenfone 2 devices excite you enough? Let us know below 🙂