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ASUS isn't always the best with updates. The company often releases phones with already-outdated software, like the ZenFone 3 Zoom that came with Marshmallow. In a similar vein, the ZenWatch 2 and 3 were some of the last watches to get Android Wear 2.0. But at the ZenFone 4 launch event, ASUS promised that the entire ZenFone 3 and 4 lineup would get Android O.
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One week after Google officially released Android 7.0 Nougat, ASUS has finally upgraded the ZE551ML model of the ZenFone 2 to 6.0 Marshmallow. ASUS had originally promised that the ZenFone 2 would receive Marshmallow before the end of Q2 2016, but that deadline was clearly ignored.
Asus just announced new ZenFones, but the ZenFone 2 isn't a bad device—especially if you're talking about the ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition. It has the most storage, RAM, and the fastest hardware of any ZF2 variant, and it's on sale today as part of Amazon's Goldbox deal. It usually costs $399, which is not an amount you should pay, but right now it can be yours for just $269.This version of the ZenFone 2 has a 2.3GHz quad-core Atom SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. It's an unlocked dual-SIM phone with support for most GSM/LTE networks. Note, the lack of band 12 LTE for T-Mobile, though. The phone is black with red accents, and it comes with two different rear covers. One is carbon fiber and the other is a metallic faceted pattern.The ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition will only be on sale for the rest of the day. It has free shipping for Prime members, but delivery will take a little longer than the usual two days.Source: Amazon
The Galaxy S III, first released back in 2012, only has official software support up to Android 4.3. No matter: the folks at the CyanogenMod development team are keeping the device alive long after Samsung threw in the towel. Today the AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint variants of the GSIII all get their very first nightly ROM builds for CyanogenMod 13, which is based on Android 6.0. You can find them at the d2att, d2tmo, and d2spr listings on the CM download page, respectively.
A number of Zenfone 2 owners have been making oddly similar complaints about a lack of storage space, and it looks like this isn't a case of poor management on their part. There may be a bug in the device that clogs the internal storage with multiple gigabytes of log files. What's worse, you can't do anything about it without root.
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
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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The Asus Zenfone 2 was a solid smartphone for a reasonable price, but there are some more exotic variants of the Zenfone 2 out there. Now, you can buy them in the US. I refer, of course, to the Zenfone 2 Laser and Deluxe, which have been available internationally for a while. Asus has them in stock, but other retailers are coming soon.The Zenfone 2 Laser is similar to the regular ZenFone 2, except there's a laser autofocus module on the back. It also runs on a Snapdragon 615 instead of the Intel chip used in other Zenfones, and there's a removable battery. It comes in both 16GB ($199) and 32GB ($249) variants and is in stock on the Asus store right now. Here's everywhere it's currently listed. B&H lists November 10th or thereabouts for it to be in stock.16GB:
The Asus Zenfone 2 is one of the better mid-range unlocked phones out there thanks to the robust Intel Atom SoC lurking within. Now it looks like there's a new version of this device that ships with 16GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. It's selling for $229, which is a pretty good price for what you get.Thus far there have only been two versions of the device—one for $199 with 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, and another at $299 with 64GB and 4GB. There are two different Atom SoCs used in the Zenfone 2, and the new $229 device appears to have the slower of the two (Z3560).So you get a lot less internal storage in the new Zenfone 2 compared to the $299 version, but the price is only a little higher than the one with 2GB of RAM. That might make it worth the upgrade. This phone has a microSD card slot, so you can always add more storage. The phone is listed for sale on Newegg, Amazon, and B&H Photo.Via: Lilliputing
As I sit here in a hip Los Angeles coffee shop across from the seemingly never-ending whooshes and rumbles of LA traffic on a busy boulevard just outside the door, I wonder if $4 is a reasonable price for the latte now sitting in front of me. It does have one of those latte art fern-shaped things on it. Or, at least it looks like a fern to me.
64GB? Kid's stuff. 128GB? Paltry. Real smartphone spec-hounds will settle for nothing less than 256GB of local onboard storage (which, incidentally, is more than many laptops these days). At least they'd settle for nothing less if any of those phones were actually available. There will be one soon, in at least one location: the ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition. It's coming to Brazil sometime in the future for an unspecified price, though "quite a lot" would be a safe bet. The model was shown off on the official ASUS Brazil blog.
Competition in Android smartphones is better now than it's ever been, and not just in the flagship segment. With devices like the Moto G, the ZenFone 2, and various Blu designs, the mid-range is heating up with phones that are jam-packed with value. But how about the low-end, entry phone segment? For those people who just want a device that runs a few apps, plays a nice round of Threes, and maybe browse for some sports scores? Before a few years ago, they were limited to whatever bottom-of-the-line, low-margin phones Samsung and LG would spare.
You want to flash a custom ROM? You're going to need a solid custom recovery, and the Team Win Recovery Project happens to produce the most popular one out there. Now you can install it on four new devices that, for the most part, have little in common with one another.
Windows Phone, eat your heart out. Android is now capable of virtualizing a full and up-to-date Windows desktop operating system. Well, one phone is at least, and it's probably not one you would have guessed: the ASUS ZenFone 2. XDA-Developers forum member ycavan managed to get Windows 7 running on his phone using a variety of custom tools, some impressive technical skill, and quite a lot of patience. Check it out in the video below:
The ASUS Zenfone 2 has proven a popular device in its first few weeks on the market. It's reasonably priced and has good specs. As David pointed out in our review, the software is its biggest issue, so you know there are tons of users anxious to mod the crap out of it. Good news on that front—there's now a bootloader unlock method, and it's not terribly messy.
Asus ZenFone 2 Is Available For Pre-Order On Amazon, Auto-Notify Listings Live On Newegg And B&H Too
The Asus ZenFone 2 is one of the more interesting unlocked phones to be announced lately, and you can secure yours right now on Amazon. A few more US retailers have product pages up, but it looks like it's just Amazon taking orders. The first round will ship on May 20th.