Asus revealed several new mobile products at Computex 2015 this month, during its ‘Zensation’ press event.
Starting with tablets, Asus chairman Jonney Shih introduced the 7″ Zenpad 7.0 (Z370C/CG/CL), 8″ Zenpad 8.0 (Z380C/KL), 8″ Zenpad S 8.0 (Z580C/CA) and 10.1″ Zenpad 10.1 (Z300C/CG/CL) (with an optional stylus). The different model numbers refer to Wi-Fi, cellular and phone functionality. All run Android.
Each of these tablets is a premium model, with an IPS display and featuring various Asus image enhancement technologies. These include Tru2Life (performs contrast and sharpness adjustments on a display’s pixels to boost dynamic range) and TruVivid (optical bonding in the display leads to improved brightness, clarity and touch responsiveness).
Asus has only shared details about the 8″ models. The Zenpad 8.0 is said to be the world’s first tablet with interchangeable covers; users can swap the back cover to one of their choice, which can provide extra features such as easier grip. The Z380KL features Wi-Fi, 4G and phone functionality; the Z380C is WiFi-only.
Featuring 1280 x 800 resolution, the Zenpad 8.0 has a 1.2GHz quad-core Intel Atom SoC and ARM Mali 450 GPU, with 1GB or 2GB of RAM.
Asus’ Zenpad S 8.0 is a more high-end unit, without the swappable rear covers. It features Tru2Life Plus; as well as dynamic range enhancements, this technology reduces motion blur. The tablet can optionally be used with Asus’ Z Stylus.
Resolution is 2048 x 1536, with 178° viewing angles. The SoC is a 64-bit quad-core (2.3GHz) Intel Atom (Moorefield) chip with 4GB of RAM; the GPU is a PowerVR unit.
Building on its Transformer Book line, Asus introduced the T100HA: a Windows model, unlike the Zenpads. The device is a hybrid running Windows 10 – Asus’ first.
The tablet, which features a detachable keyboard, has a 10.1″ display (1280 x 800) and runs Windows on a quad-core Intel Cherry Trail X5 processor, with 4GB of RAM. The USB port is of the new a Type-C standard. Asus claims a 14-hour battery life. Release is currently set for Q3.
A new smartphone focusing on the camera was introduced, called the Zenfone Selfie. It has already been termed ‘the world’s most narcissistic smartphone’ by press. The Selfie features 13MP Pixelmaster cameras in both the front and rear image sensors, with a large f/2.0 aperture lens and laser auto-focus. The ZenUI Beautification software enables digital enhancement to photos, such as softening facial features or adding vibrancy.
The Zenfone’s 5.5″ display has 1920 x 1080 resolution and 178° viewing angles. It also features TruVivid technology, as well as Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4. An octa-core 64-bit processor – the Snapdragon 615 – runs the phone.
Finally, the second generation of the Zenwatch was introduced. Asus’ Zenwatch 2 is a metallic smartwatch running Android Wear, taking lessons from the Apple Watch.
For starters, Asus has chosen to go with a curved AMOLED display, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It has a metal watch crown (‘a new way to interact with the watch’, claims Asus, forgetting that the Apple Watch already boasts the same feature) and wireless charging. The company has gone one better in at least one area, though, with IP67 certification.
Asus has not shared release details for any of its new products yet.
