ASUS isn’t limiting itself to just three ZenFone 3 models. Since the original ZenFone 3 is much more premium with its US$249 (currently about RM982) base price, they have just announced two more models in Vietnam for the price-conscious consumer.
Meet the new ZenFone 3 Laser and ZenFone 3 Max, which will succeed its current ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone Max smartphones.
ZenFone 3 Laser
The ZenFone 3 Laser appears to be the budget alternative to the standard ZenFone 3. It is interesting that it still uses the “Laser” moniker considering Laser Auto Focus is now standard across the earlier announced ZenFone 3 trio. Instead of glass, the ZenFone 3 Laser gets a metal unibody exterior while the front gets a premium feeling 2.5D glass.
Like the ZenFone 3, the new Laser also gets a 5.5″ Full HD display and it has a 13MP Sony IMX214 camera (used by most 2014 flagships) that’s also assisted by OIS and EIS. Underneath the camera it also gets a vertically aligned fingerprint scanner which claims to unlock within 0.2 seconds.
There’s still no mention on the processor and other specs yet. However with 4GB RAM and 32GB of on-board storage, the ZenFone 3 Laser is priced at 5,990,000 VND which is about RM1,059.
ZenFone 3 Max
For those looking for the best battery life, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max boasts 20 hours of 4G LTE web browsing or 15 hours of video playback from its 4,100mAh battery. Surprisingly that’s lower than the original ZenFone Max that came equipped with a larger 5,000mAh capacity battery.
Unlike the other ZenFone 3 models, the ZenFone 3 Max gets a more compact 5.2″ IPS display with a 2.5D glass on top. There’s also no mention on the screen resolution and processor but it is listed to have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage.
Being a more budget device, it lacks Laser AutoFocus but it still gets a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The ZenFone 3 Max is priced at 4,490,000 VND which converts to RM794. So what’s next after this? ZenFone 3 Zoom?
The ASUS ZenFone 3 series will be launched in Malaysia next month. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our first impressions of the ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe and ZenFone 3 Max.
