ASUS Unveils 2 Versions of Zenfone 2 for US Markets
ASUS, the Taiwanese technology company, is targeting the smartphone market in the U.S., when it recently announced two versions of its latest flagship phone, the Zenfone 2, which will only be available in North America. The company made the announcement through a special launch event in New York City.
The ASUS Zenfone 2, which was launched early this year at the CES 2015, has been extremely popular among customers in Asia and Europe, according to ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih. He also said that the company is "very excited to bring this empowering luxury to North America." He also describes that the smartphone "strikes the perfect balance between functionality, beauty and performance."
During the launch, Shih once again showcased the smartphone's specifications. Under the hood, it is equipped with a quad-core 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor and 4GB of RAM. Its screen is made of Gorilla Glass 3, is 5.5-inch in size and has a 1920x1080 pixel resolution. This is the first version of the phone that will be available in the US, and it will be priced at $299, unlocked or without a contract with a mobile carrier.
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The second version of the phone that will be made available will have lower specifications and a lower price. It will reportedly have a 1.8GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and internal storage of only 16GB. It will be priced at $199.
Both versions will have a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It will also have a 72 percent screen-to-body proportion and a physical rear key for easier navigation. It will be one of the thinnest smartphones in the market, at 3.8 millimeters.
Color variants that will be available to customers are black, red, gold or grey for the smartphone's plastic back. The phone will come unlocked, thus allowing customer to choose the carrier they want to use, except for Sprint or Verizon, which are not included. The phones will also be equipped with the needed bands to "operate properly" in the U.S. and in other areas.
Several retailers will carry the phones, among them include Amazon, B&H, Groupon and Newegg in the US, while in Canada, included are Canada Computer, NCIX, Newegg and Memory Express.
According to the report, Intel-powered smartphones such as the ones that ASUS has are not too popular in the US. ASUS hopes that the release of these special versions of their flagship phone, the Zenfone 2, will change this. Right now, the Zenfone 2's competition are the Google Nexus 5, the Nexus 6, and the OnePlus One for unlocked smartphones.
