Preorder the Asus ZenFone 5Z

Okay, so one of the lesser known brands for smartphones is Asus.

Chances are if you're an enthusiast in the PC realm, you may have a few items around your desk that are by Asus; but you may not know their phones.

We've reviewed a few over the years (I have the 5Q currently queued up for review at the moment) and I've been impressed.

Moreso the price impresses me.  For what you get out of it, the $499USD seems to be a great option.

Now, just waiting to hear if it'll come to Canada.

Check out the specs and the presser from Asus below.  The device is up for pre-sale now with availability (i.e. when it'll start shipping) for August 6th.

Quick look at specs:

  • 6.2" 2246x1080
  • Snapdragon 845
  • 2.7GHz x4 + 1.7GHz x4
  • 6GB RAM
  • 64GB storage + microSD (512GB max)
  • 12MP (f/1.8, 1/2.55", 1.4µm) + 8MP (f/2.0, 1/4", 1.12µm, 120°)
  • 8MP (f/20, 1/4", 1.12µm)
  • 3300mAh
  • Android 8.0

Press release below:

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ASUS ZenFone 5Z Now Available 

-- Pre-order now, on sale August 6th. Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-powered smartphone with dual Sony IMX363 cameras delivers flagship performance and AI-enhanced features at $499 --

Key Points
  • Flagship performance: Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform and paired with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage
  • Intelligent cameras: Dual AI-enhanced cameras powered by flagship Sony IMX363 sensors with 1.4um pixels, 120° wide-angle camera, and AI Scene Detection
  • Immersive display: Ultraslim-bezel, all-screen 6.2" display with a 90% screen-to-body ratio for a bigger and all-screen viewing experience in a compact 5.5"-class body
  • All-round intelligence: New convenience and communication features for display management, charging, ringtones and ZeniMoji live-animated avatars

Fremont, CA (July 30, 2018) — ASUS today announced the immediate availability of pre-orders for the ZenFone 5Z with product availability set for August 6th. The ZenFone 5Z is a high-performance 6.2-inch dual-camera smartphone that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI). The ZenFone 5Z delivers the ultimate smartphone performance at a groundbreaking price.

Equipped with the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 Mobile Platform with its smooth, responsive, power-efficient performance, the ZenFone 5Z includes a full suite of AI-enhanced features powered by the Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE). With 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the ZenFone 5Z is priced at $499 USD, delivering the best available smartphone performance at an incredible value.

The ZenFone 5Z has an intelligent dual-camera system that adapts and learns, delivering perfect photos every time. With the latest flagship Sony® IMX363 sensor, a 120° wide-angle secondary camera and AI-enhanced camera features — including Auto Scene Detection, real-time portrait effects, AI Photo Learning and real-time beautification — the ZenFone 5Z encourages creativity and frees the user to concentrate on the subject rather than the camera.

Crafted to perfection with premium materials, the ZenFone 5Z has a strikingly beautiful ultraslim-bezel, all-screen design, featuring a stunning 6.2-inch display with a 90% screen-to-body ratio in an all-metal, glass-covered body that's as small and compact as most standard 5.5-inch phones.

Flagship Performance 

The high-performance ZenFone 5Z is powered by the latest Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with AI Engine (AIE), featuring a 3rd Generation AI platform that includes the Hexagon 685 Vector DSP, Adreno 630 Graphics, and Kryo 385 CPU. Combined with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the ZenFone 5Z delivers the most accelerated AI experiences, as well as breathtaking performance combined with outstanding energy efficiency for long-lasting battery life.

For maximum on-the-go stamina, the ZenFone 5Z has a high-capacity 3300mAh battery with ASUS BoostMaster fast-charge technology. The ZenFone 5Z also introduces AI Charging to maximize the battery lifespan and provide total protection. AI Charging dynamically adjusts the charging rate by monitoring the user’s charging habits, slowing down the battery's aging process.

For maximum flexibility and superb call quality, the ZenFone 5Z supports dual 4G LTE SIMs with Dual SIM, Dual VoLTE (DSDV) capabilities. This allows both SIMs to be on active standby, and also supports enhanced HD voice calls over 4G LTE on both SIMs.

Intelligent Cameras 

The intelligent dual-camera system in the ZenFone 5Z has an advanced hardware specification, featuring the flagship Sony® IMX363 image sensor with large 1.4µm pixels and a bright f/1.8 wide-aperture six-element lens that captures up to 5X-brighter and clearer photos in low-light conditions, as well as enabling dramatic Night HDR shots. The 120° wide-angle secondary camera has a field of view that’s 2X wider than a standard smartphone camera, for capturing more expansive landscapes, more natural group shots, and easier photos in cramped spaces. The ZenFone 5Z can record video in stunning 4K UHD resolution, with smooth and steady videos assured by three-axis electronic image stabilization (EIS).

To provide near-instant focusing in any situation, the ZenFone 5Z has a dual-pixel phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) system that locks on the subject in just 0.03 seconds, and a four-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) system keeps the lens rock-steady for sharp, blur-free photos.

For truly intelligent photography, the camera system incorporates advanced AI algorithms and advanced big-data analytics, so the ZenFone 5Z is always evolving to constantly improve photos. The special AI-enhanced features in the ZenFone 5Z adapt and learn the more they are used, delivering perfect photos every time and creating a truly personal experience for the user.

AI Scene Detection: AI Scene Detection takes the guesswork out of photography. The ZenFone 5Z uses the power of AI to rapidly analyze the subject and match it to one of its 16 scene types, optimizing the camera settings for almost any kind of shot from sunsets to pet pics. The result is effortlessly perfect photos, anytime and anywhere. The ZenFone 5Z uses advanced big-data analysis to constantly enhance the scene-detection AI algorithms, for ever-smarter photography.

Real-time Portrait: The ZenFone 5Z lets users take professional-looking close-up shots of people or objects, without the hassle. Real-time Portrait with AI technology ensures that the main subject stays pin-sharp, while the background is given a sense of depth with a graduated bokeh effect — created using depth information intelligently analyzed from the subject — for a beautifully artistic photo. Real-time Portrait uses both cameras simultaneously to capture gorgeous portraits and close-ups that make the subject stand out with a real sense of depth, rivaling those taken with high-end DSLR cameras.

Pro mode: The ZenFone 5Z includes the powerful Pro mode that gives users full control of all the camera settings, including white balance, exposure, focus, ISO, and an impressive range of shutter speeds from 1/10000 to 32 seconds. With its support for unprocessed RAW files, the ZenFone 5Z is also the ideal choice for users who prefer to fine-tune their images using photo-editing software.
All-screen Display 

By using an ultraslim-bezel, all-screen display, the 6.2-inch ZenFone 5Z is as small as most standard 5.5-inch phones. It’s the ultimate ergonomic design that not only lets users see more, but is much less bulky and is more comfortable to hold. The 6.2-inch Full HD+ all-screen display, with its 90% screen-to-body ratio and gorgeous 2.5D-curved glass, delivers a totally immersive visual experience. The ZenFone 5Z’s all-screen display also supports the DCI-P3 color space, with a wide color gamut that enhances color saturation for amazingly vivid image reproduction. With the ZenFone 5Z, photos, videos, movies and games look better than they've ever looked before.

For optimized visuals with natural-looking colors and good readability in any environment, the ZenFone 5Z features intelligent display technology. This uses smart sensors to automatically adjust the display’s color temperature in real time according to the ambient lighting. It also features Smart Screen On, which prevents the screen from turning off when the user's face is detected, avoiding the problem of the screen turning off when the user is reading content for extended periods without touching the screen.

Immersive Audio 

The ZenFone 5Z has two five-magnet stereo speakers that deliver deep, rich and expansive stereo sound. These are driven by dual smart amplifiers that ensure maximum volume while intelligently protecting them from damage. The ZenFone 5Z supports Hi-Res Audio files encoded at up to 24-bit/192KHz sample rates — 4X better than CD quality. For an enhanced listening experience right out of the box, the ZenFone 5Z is supplied with a set of premium Hi-Res Audio-capable earbuds. The ZenFone 5Z also supports DTS Headphone:X™ for 7.1-channel virtual surround-sound over headphones, for a truly immersive experience when watching movies or playing games.

All-round Intelligence 

In addition to the AI-enhanced cameras and the AI Charging, AI Ringtone intelligently adjusts the ringer volume according to the ambient noise level, so users won’t miss calls even on a busy street or in a noisy restaurant, and calls received in the middle of the night won’t disturb sleepers.

ZeniMoji is a fun new ZenFone 5 feature — exclusive to ASUS — that lets users animate cute avatars using their own voice, facial expressions and head movements. Uniquely, ZeniMoji avatars can be used in video chats or live-streaming, as well as in text chats, to make them more entertaining.

The ZenFone 5Z can be unlocked in just 0.1 seconds using face unlock, or 0.3 seconds using the rear fingerprint sensor, and the integrated NFC capability allows the ZenFone 5Z to be used securely with Google Pay™ .

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AVAILABILITY & PRICING 
The ASUS ZenFone 5Z in Midnight Blue (ZS620KL-S845-6G64G-BL) is immediately available for pre-order at a MSRP of $499 USD from the ASUS Store, Amazon, B&H, and Newegg, with product availability August 6th. 

The ASUS ZenFone 5z in Meteor Silver (ZS620KL-S845-6G64G-SL) is immediately available for pre-order at a MSRP of $499 USD from the ASUS Store, Amazon, B&H, and Newegg, with product availability August 6th.

SPECIFICATIONS¹ 

ASUS ZenFone 5Z
(ZS620KL-S845-6G64G-BL/SL)

Colors
  Midnight Blue, Meteor Silver
Design
  Front and rear 2.5D curved glass display
  90% screen-to-body ratio
  155g weight
Display
  All-screen 19:9 aspect ratio
  6.2" Full HD+ IPS display, supports DCI-P3 color space
  Capacitive touch panel with 10-point multitouch (supports Glove Touch)
  Blue-light eye care filter
CPU
  Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 Mobile Platform with 10nm, 64-bit octa-core processor and Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE)
GPU
  Qualcomm® Adreno™ 630
RAM/ROM
  6GB RAM / UFS 2.1 64GB ROM
Main Rear Camera
  12MP Sony® IMX363 image sensor
  Auto (with Night HDR and Portrait)
  f/1.8aperture
  83° field of view
  24mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera 
  Softlight LED flash
  16-scene AI Scene Detection
  AI Photo Learning
  Instant camera switching
Second Rear Camera
  120° wide-angle camera
  6p lens
  2X-wider view for more friends and scenery in the frame
  12mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera
Front Camera
  8MP
  f/2.0 aperture
  84° field of view
  24mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera
  Instant camera switching
  PixelMaster camera modes: Auto (with low light and HDR features), Real-time Beautification,  Real-time Portrait
  Face unlock
Video Recording
  4K UHD (3840 by 2160) video recording at 60fps for main rear camera 
  1080p Full HD video recording at 30 / 60fps
  3-axis electronic image stabilization for front and rear camera shake-free videos
  Take still photos while recording video
Wireless Technology
  WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 
  Bluetooth® 5.0
  Wi-Fi Direct
  NFC with Google Pay™
Connectivity
  USB Type-C® 
  Rear fingerprint sensor, 0.3-second fingerprint unlock, supports 5 fingers 360° recognition, damp fingerprint recognition
SIM Cards
  Triple Slots: Dual SIM & one MicroSD card
  Slot 1: 3G/4G Nano SIM card
  Slot 2: 3G/4G Nano SIM card or up to 2TB MicroSD card
  Both Nano SIM card slots support GSM/GPRS/ EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA+/DC-HSPA+, FDD-LTE, and TD-LTE DSDS network bands. Both Nano SIM cards can connect to VoLTE 4G calling service. But only one can connect to FDD-LTE, and TD-LTE data service at a time.
Navigation
  GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDSS
Operating System
  Android™ Oreo™ with new ASUS ZenUI 5.0
Battery
  3300mAh capacity with ASUS BoostMaster & AI Charging
Audio
  Dual 5-magnet speakers with dual NXP smart amplifiers
  PMIC internal dual amplifier
  Triple internal microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction 
  Hi-Res Audio 192kHz/24-bit standard output with HRA-certified earbuds
  DTS Headphone:X™ support
  Audio CODEC integrated into PMIC
  FM radio
  AudioWizard+ with listening profile

¹ Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Full specifications are available at http://www.asus.com