CES 2015: ASUS introduces ZenFone 2 & camera-centric ZenFone Zoom with 3x optical zoom

The ongoing Consumers Electronic Show (CES) 2015 in Las Vegas has already seen a number of interesting product launches by the likes of HTC, LG, and Lenovo. In this article, we are going to talk about a series of products launched by ASUS. The company has further expanded its ZenFone range of smartphones with the launch of two new devices called ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom.

Unlike its predecessors that were modest devices, this time around the company is offering high-end specifications in the smartphones. ZenFone 2 will be priced starting at $199 (Rs 12,644) and it will go on sale in March this year. In comparison, ZenFone Zoom will be available for $399 (Rs 25,352) and will be launched in the second quarter of 2015. According to ASUS, it is the world's 'thinnest smartphone with a 3X optical zoom camera'.

Here is a look at the specifications of the devices.

ZenFone 2 for $199

The smartphone sports a 5.5 inch full HD IPS capacitive touchscreen display (1920×1080 pixel resolution) with 403 ppi pixel density and runs on the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system (with ASUS ZenUI). It is powered by a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3560/Z3580 (running at 1.8/2.3GHz) quad-core processor. Users will have the option of choosing between 2 and 4GB of RAM, as well as 16, 32 and 64GB of internal memory. The internal memory of the smartphone can be further expanded up to 64GB with a microSD card, and the company is also providing 5GB of ASUS WebStorage with it.

ZenFone 2 has a 13 megapixel autofocus rear camera with dual-colour Real Tone Flash, and a 5MP front facing camera for video calling. Additional features of the camera include enhanced beautification mode, low light mode, and high dynamic range (HDR), among others. On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G LTE (depending on the region), as well as a microUSB port and a microSD card slot.

The dimensions of the device are 152.5 mm x 77.2 mm x 10.9 mm and its weight is 170 gm. The company has provided a 3,000 mAh battery in the device, which the company claims can be charged up to 60 per cent in just 39 minutes. The smartphone also comes with dual-SIM capability, Near Field Communication (NFC), and GPS (with A-GPS support). It will be available in glacier gray, osmium black, glamour red, ceramic white, and sheer gold colours.

ZenFone Zoom for $399

The device sports a circular hump on the back- which will remind you of Nokia Lumia 1020- and will compete directly with the likes of Samsung's Galaxy K Zoom. Primarily a camera-centric smartphone, ZenFone Zoom has a 13 megapixel rear camera with dual-colour Real Tone Flash, and a 5MP front facing camera for video calling.

The rear camera comes with 10-element lenses with 3x optical zoom, optical image stabilisation (OIS), and laser auto-focus assist. Additional features of the camera include enhanced beautification mode, low light mode, and high dynamic range (HDR), among others.

The smartphone sports a 5.5 inch full HD IPS capacitive touchscreen display (1920×1080 pixel resolution) with 403 ppi pixel density and runs on the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system (with ASUS ZenUI). Interestingly, ASUS has kept details like the processor, RAM and internal memory of ZenFone Zoom under wraps as of now.

On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G LTE (depending on the region), as well as a microUSB port. The dimensions of the device are 158.9 mm x 78.84 mm x 11.95 mm and its weight is 185 gm. ASUS has provided a 3,000 mAh battery in the device, which also comes with dual-SIM capability and GPS (with A-GPS support). This one will be available in glacier gray and meteorite black colours.

Keep track of this space for more dope on CES 2015.