Asus ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe, ZenFone 3 Ultra Launched: Price, Specs, and More

Asus at its Zenvolution event on Monday at the Humble House Taipei, unveiled the new ZenFone 3 series. The new series has been launched with three models - ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe, and ZenFone 3 Ultra - varying in different sizes and specifications.

The ZenFone 3 variants don a full metal design makeover, and fingerprint support embedded on the back of the phones. All the models sport an 8-megapixel selfie camera (85-degree wide-angle lens), and support hybrid dual-SIM slots. The rear cameras feature optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation for better handheld photography.

Starting with the base model, the Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) is priced starting $249 (roughly Rs. 16,800), and features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Super IPS LCD display. It is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and back. The smartphone (seen below) is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage - a 4GB of RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage model will also be available. Storage can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB). On the camera front, there is a 16-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX298 sensor. It packs a 3000mAh battery, and offers connectivity options like Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Cat 6 LTE, and USB 2.0 Type-C connector. The ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) will be available in Gold, Blue, Black, and White colour options.

The second variant is called the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL). It is priced at $499 (roughly Rs. 33,600), and comes with a "full metal body with an invisible antenna design", which Asus claims is the world's first. It features a 5.7-inch full-HD (1080 x1920 pixels) Super Amoled display, and is powered by the Snapdragon 820 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. The smartphone (seen below) stores 64GB of inbuilt storage, with expansion via microSD card (up to 256GB).

The Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL) sports a 23-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX318 sensor with 4K video support. It packs a 3000mAh battery that supports fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0) It supports connectivity options like WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Cat 6 LTE, and USB 3.0 Type-C connector. The Deluxe (ZS570KL) will be available in Gold, Silver, and Grey colour options. It is expected to hit the market in the third quarter of this year.

Lastly, the company also announced the large Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) that comes with a 6.8-inch full-HD (1920x1080 pixels) IPS LCD display. It is priced at $479 (roughly Rs. 32,200), and is powered by a Snapdragon 625 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. The inbuilt storage is 64GB, which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB).

The smartphone (seen above) houses a 23-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX318 sensor. The ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) packs a nice 4600mAh battery with Quick Charge technology. The connectivity options include WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Cat 6 LTE, and USB 3.0 Type-C connector. The smartphone will be available in Grey, Silver, and Pink colour options.

Disclosure: Asus paid for the correspondent's flight and accommodation for its event in Taipei.