Asus announced two new smartphones at CES, the Zenfone AR and Zenfone 3 Zoom. Asus Zenfone AR is the only second ever handset to come with support for Google’s Tango AR (Augmented Reality) system. Lenovo Phab2 Pro was the first phone to feature Tango tech. However, the Asus model takes things one step further, it also supports Daydream, Google’s VR.
The Zenfone AR features a 5.7-inch QHD AMOLED touchscreen, and powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 chipset. The phone also includes 8GB of RAM – a world first. The main camera is a 23 MP with OIS, EIS, and 4K video recording. There’s also a motion tracking camera and a fisheye depth-sensing camera.
The phone will be available in the second quarter of this year, so at some point in April, May, or June. Until then we should also learn its pricing and the rest of its specs, hopefully.
Next phone is Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom 2017 edition. The 2017 edition of Zenfone 3 Zoom smartphone comes with dual camera setup. However, the magnification is just 2.3x compared to 3x in the original Zenfone Zoom. Like in the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, the new device’s lenses work together to create the bokeh effect that blurs the background of your pictures while keeping the subject in focus.
The Zenfone Zoom is 7.83mm thin and weighs 170g. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 5 on top, the Snapdragon 625 SoC, and a huge 5,000 mAh battery. It will become available in February.
