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LineageOS 15.1, based on Android 8.1 Oreo, is slowly rolling out to more devices. Last month, Oreo builds for the OnePlus One, Galaxy S5 Plus, and other devices became available. Since then, more phones have been added to the LineageOS 15.1 build roster, including Motorola's 2017 flagship and the Sony Xperia XA2.
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- The 5.5" version of the Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE550KL) has just also received the Marshmallow update, almost a month after the ZE500KL.
The ZenFone 2 was one of the best budget phones to launch last summer, and the Laser variant (named after a laser auto-focus module) was a good follow-up. Now the latter (ZE500KL model) is getting its Android 6.0 update, WW_13.10.6.16_M3.6.44.
Owners of some of Asus' camera-oriented smartphones are getting a nice surprise today with the announcement of sizable OTA updates. The OS version isn't changing, but both the Zenfone Zoom and Zenfone Laser 2 are getting big updates with tweaks, new features, and bug fixes galore.
Asus plans to bring Marshmallow to the Asus ZenFone 2 and its variants, but the when is still up in the air. Thanks to the CyanogenMod project, Asus ZenFone 2 Laser and Selfie owners can say the time is now. CM 13 nightly builds have arrived for the two devices, bringing with them Android 6.0.
Operating system updates don't come quickly in the Android world. They show up fashionably late, nevermind that parties where everyone looks forward to a new software release aren't the kind where people care how anyone is dressed.
Still looking for that perfect gift? Well, I don't know about perfect, but the Zenfone 2 is pretty cool and it's on sale right now for $30 off the usual $299 price. You can get this deal at most retailers including Amazon, B&H, and the Asus shop.This deal covers is the "good" variant of the phone with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. The Zenfone 2 has a solid Intel Atom processor and an unlocked dual-SIM setup. It runs Lollipop with a skin, which is okay as far as such things go.All colors are eligible for the discounted price, but it looks like Amazon is out of the gold model, so you're stuck with a higher price from a third party. B&H and Asus both have it in stock, though. Also be aware the $50 off Zenfone 2 Laser deal that was only on Newegg has expanded to Amazon and B&H as well.Source: Asus, Amazon, B&H
ASUS has been getting more invested into the smartphone market, both in the US—where we recently talked about the ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone 2—and in their closer-to-home markets in the Eastern Hemisphere. This review will focus on two models that will not make it to the US, but should be of interest to those in Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. The main focus will be on the ZenFone Selfie, which is much like the familiar ZenFone 2 and ZenFone 2 Laser but with a high-quality front-facing camera sensor. I will also discuss the ZE550KL model of the ZenFone 2 Laser, which is available in some non-US markets.
The Asus ZenFone 2 is one of the better phones to arrive this year for under $300, delivering 4GB of RAM before the competition. But it had an Intel processor. Folks looking for a more standard Qualcomm processor can look to the ZenFone 2 Lazer. Newegg is currently offering the 3GB model packing a Snapdragon 615 for $199.99. That's a discount of $50.
Think of a smartphone manufacturer. Did you think Asus? Okay, maybe you did, but only because you just read the headline. The company makes phones, but they're hardly the best selling. That said, it attracted a lot of eyeballs this year with the release of the ZenFone 2, an affordable phone offering up to 4GB of RAM. And now Asus has announced that said device will get Android 6.0.
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ASUS in the recent past has been pushing harder into Western markets and into smartphones in general with the ZenFone product line and its associated ZenUI software layer. Those who remember the Transformer tablets of yesteryear may be surprised at the non-geeky, colorful, feature-filled approach of these devices. Now well into the second generation of ZenFones, ASUS has announced the ZenFone 2 Laser for wide release, including the USA.