ASUS ZenFone 3 Philippine Launch

SMARTPHONES make life easier. You see, communication are better and really faster nowadays. Busy women can do multitasking while taking care of their family and sending a report to her boss at the same time. With smartphones and stable internet connection, I can work anytime, anywhere. Even doing the grocery is just a click away using free shopping applications. In a few hours, the items I bought were delivered at my doorstep. I even go out of the country and work as long as I have the right tools. So I'm glad that leading smartphone brands continues to innovate. ASUS, recently launched it's latest smartphones and laptops at the chic Sofitel Manila about two weeks ago.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe

ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the “World’s First Full-Metal Smartphone with Invisible Antenna Desig". Moreover, it features a 5.7-inch Full HD (1920 by 1080), high-contrast Super AMOLED display with a wide color gamut of over 100% NTSC for rich, vibrant colors, even in harsh, outdoor lighting. It comes in a compact package with ultra-thin bezel gave the ZenFone 3 Deluxe a 79% screen-to-body ratio for a maximized display.

ZenFone 3 Deluxe is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, Adreno 530 GPU, integrated X12 LTE modem, as well as up to 6GB RAM and 256GB ROM to deliver the best performance and capacity for demanding apps, games, and media.

Here's a summary of ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe Specs

• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• ASUS ZenUI 2.0
• 5.7 Inch Full HD 1080p AMOLED Display
• ASUS Tru2Life technology
• Gorilla Glass 4
• 2.15GHz Snapdragon 820 Quad-Core Processor/
• 2.4GHz Snapdragon 821 Quad-Core Processor (Special Edition)
• Adreno 530 GPU
• 6GB RAM / 64GB / 256GB Internal Storage (Special Edition)
• Expandable via MicroSD (Hybrid Slot)
• 23MP Rear Camera
• Sony IMX 318, f/2.0 aperture, 6P Largan Lens, 4-axis 4 stops OIS, EIS, Manual Mode
• Color Correcction Sensor
• 4K Video Recording
• Dual Real-Tone LED Flash | 8MP Front Camera
• f/2.0 aperture, 85˚wide-angle
• Dual Sim Dual Standby Dual LTE (Hybrid Slot) | LTE Cat 12/13 (Special Edition)
• FDD: Band: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28/29/30
• TD: Band: 38/39/40/41(support 2545 ~2655MHz)
• / HSPA+ / 3G WCDMA: Band: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 TD-SCDMA: Band: 34/39 / 2G
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac /, 5 Ghz 1×1 SISO, Miracast | Bluetooth V 4.2, +A2DP, +EDR | GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS
• NFC | USB Type-C 3.0 |Supports USB-OTG
• 3.5mm audio jack | 5-Magnet Speakers | ASUS SonicMaster 3.0
• NXP Smart AMP technology | Hi-Res Audio 192kHz/24-bit standard | FM Radio
• Sensors: Accelerator, E-Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity,
• Hall sensor, Light sensor, RGB sensor, IR sensor, Fingerprint
• 3000mAh Lithium Battery | Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
• Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver, Sand Gold

ASUS ZenFone 3

• 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 by 1080) 
• Super IPS+ display with up to 500cd/m2 brightness
• Narrow bezel provides a 77.3% screen-to-body ratio for a maximized viewing area in a slim and compact body. 
• The front and rear of the phone are encased with scratch-resistant, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D contoured edges that gently curve to make the sides of the phone completely smooth.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra has large screen size which looks elegant featuring a 6.8-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display with a 95% NTSC color gamut for rich, vibrant images even outdoors in harsh lighting. A winner of a Computex 2016 Best Choice Golden Award, ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is a smartphone designed for multimedia lovers and is the world’s first smartphone to have ASUS-exclusive Tru2Life+ video-enhancement technology. It harnesses a high-end 4K UHD TV-grade image processor to optimize every pixel in each frame before it is displayed, resulting in superior contrast and clarity.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra Philippine Price: Php 32,995 (4GB RAM; 64GB ROM)

The ZenFone 3 Ultra also excels at audio with its two new powerful five-magnet stereo speakers and a NXP smart amplifier that provides clear, defined sound and protects the speakers from damage. When listening over certified headphones, users can enjoy Hi-Res Audio (HRA) that provides up to four-times-better sound quality than CDs and the world’s first smartphone with virtual 7.1-channel surround-sound with DTS Headphone:X. Like the Zenfone 3 Deluxe, the Zenfone 3 Ultra will also have a finely-tuned ZenEar S earphones are also bundled with the unit.

ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra Specs

• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• ASUS ZenUI 2.0
• 6.8 Inch Full HD 1080p IPS Display
• 4K TV-Grade Processor
• ASUS Tru2Life+ technology
• Gorilla Glass 4
• 1.8GHz Snapdragon 652 Octa-Core Processor
• Adreno 510 GPU
• 4GB RAM | 64GB Internal Storage
• Expandable via MicroSD (Hybrid Slot)
• 23MP Rear Camera
• Sony IMX 318, f/2.0 aperture, 6P Largan Lens, 4-axis 4 stops OIS, EIS, Manual Mode
• Color Correcction Sensor
• 4K Video Recording
• Dual Real-Tone LED Flash
• 8MP Front Camera | f/2.0 aperture, 85˚wide-angle
• Dual Sim Dual Standby Dual LTE (Hybrid Slot)
• LTE Cat 6 FDD: Band: 1/3/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28 TD: Band: 38/40/41 / HSPA+ / 3G Band: 1/2/5/6/8/19 / 2G
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac / Miracast | Bluetooth V 4.2, +A2DP, +EDR
• GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDSS | USB Type-C 2.0
• Supports USB-OTG | HDMI | 3.5mm audio jack
• Dual 5-Magnet Speakers | ASUS SonicMaster 3.0 | NXP Smart AMP technology
• Hi-Res Audio 192kHz/24-bit standard
• 7.1 surround sound via DTS Headphone:X | FM Radio
• Sensors: Accelerator, E-Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity,
• Hall sensor, Light sensor, RGB sensor, IR sensor, Fingerprint
• 4600mAh Lithium Battery
• Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
• Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver, Rose Gold

ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser

The most affordable from the collection is the ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser. It has an ultra-fast 0.03-second laser auto focus and advanced backlight (HDR) modes to give users stunning photos. It has a 13MP camera with a Sony IMX214 sensor and color correction for superb natural-looking images even in low-light or indoor environments. The ZenFone 3 Laser has a stunning metallic design that’s just 7.9mm thin. A hyperfine sandblasting technique provides a gorgeous finish available in Glacier Silver and Sand Gold.

Also made with Corning Gorilla Glass-covered display with 2.5D contoured edges. It has a 5.5-inch Full HD display with wide viewing angles and a high 77% screen-to-body ratio. Super-quick fingerprint security with ZenMotion integration means ZenFone 3 Laser unlocks in just 0.2 seconds, and gives users access to various functions or apps with just a swipe or a tap of a finger.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Max

For heavy users, Asus ZenFone 3 Max features a 4100mAh battery with an incredible standby time of up to 30 days. It promises up to 20 hours of 3G talk time, 18 hours of web browsing with Wi-Fi turned on, 87 hours of music playback, and up to 15 hours of video playback. It can even double up as a power bank to charge other mobile devices. The 5.2-inch ZenFone 3 Max has an IPS display, and a glass cover with 2.5D contoured edge + fingerprint scanner and unlocks in just 0.2 seconds.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser Philippine Price: Php 16,995

ASUS Zenfone 3 brand ambassadors Jason Magbanua, Gabriel “Gab” Valenciano and Alodia Gosiengfiao

Zenfone 3 specs and look are notably good but I think the price points are incredibly high. Here are the latest smartphones, ASUS Zenfone 3 and Philippine prices.

• ASUS ZenFone 3 5.2″ Philippine Price: Php 16,995 (5.2″ / 4GB RAM / 64GB ROM) – now available
• ASUS ZenFone 3 5.5″ Philippine Price: Php 18,995 (5.5″ / 4GB RAM / 64GB ROM) – now available
• ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe Philippine Price: Php 34,995 (Php 44,995 Special Edition)
• ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra Philippine Price: Php 32,995 (4GB RAM; 64GB ROM)
• ASUS ZenFone 3 Max Philippine Price: Php 8,995 (5.2″ / 3GB RAM / 32GB ROM
• ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser Philippine Price: Php 16,995 (5.2″ / 4GB RAM / 64GB ROM) - availability to be announced

From five new Asus ZenFone - ASUS ZenFone 3 Max, ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser, ASUS ZenFone 3, ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra, and ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe, I am eyeing for the latter. Which Asus Zenfone do you think fits your lifestyle and budget?