The Asus Zenfone 3 isn’t expected to launch for a few more months, but Asus has added a new Zenfone 2 model to its lineup, and it’s got a faster processor than any of the models launched in 2015.
The new Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition will be available with up to an Intel Atom Z3590 quad-core, 64-bit processor, up to 256GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM.
When Asus launched the original Zenfone 2, it was one of the first phones to ship with 4GB of RAM… which was a bit surprising, since the phone also had 64GB of storage, a relatively speedy Atom Z3580 processor and a mid-range price tag of just $299.
While I was underwhelmed by the modified version of Google Android Asus includes on the phone I reviewed last year, I was very pleased with the performance.
The new model should be a little faster.
Both the Atom Z3580 and Z3590 are quad-core processors based on Intel’s “Moorefield” architecture, and both feature PowerVR G6430 graphics and support for up to 4GB of LPDDR3 1600 memory.
But the Atom Z3580 has top CPU burst speeds of 2.33 GHz and support for GPU burst speeds up to 533 MHz, while the Z3590 tops out at 2.5 GHz for the CPU burst frequency and 640 MHz for graphics.
The Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition has a 3,000 mAh battery, a 5.5 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display, a microSD card slot for up to 128GB of removable storage, dual SIM card slots, support for 4G LTE, 802.11ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0.
Right now it looks like the best Zenfone 2 model to date… but I haven’t found any stores selling it yet. And it might not be the best for long: The upcoming Asus Zenfone Zoom has many of the same features and a camera with a 3X optical zoom lens.
Asus told me at CES that the phone will ship with an Atom Z3590 processor, but so far I’ve only seen a version with Z3580 chips up for pre-order. That may change in the future.
via xda-developers