Asus announced a set of multi-unit wireless routers, HiveSpot and HiveDot, at CES 2017. The HiveSpot is a tri-band AC2134 router while the HiveDot is a dual-band AC1300 router with comparatively lower speeds. These mesh wireless routers can primarily be used to assure that there is no signal loss in any part of your home or office.
At least three nodes of either HiveSpot or HiveDot (up to five nodes are possible) are required for a system to be set up and any one of the nodes can be configured to be the router device and connected to your Gigabit LAN port, while the others are slave nodes. In the case users already have a router, they can opt to connect the master device to the existing router.
The HiveSpot mesh wireless router comes with seven smart antennas and apart from 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz networks, it also features a 5GHz band that provides an 867Mbps connection between its nodes.
The new mesh wireless routers from Asus make use of company's "AiRadar" beamforming tech to point wireless signals towards the devices using them. Each system is capable of supporting up to five separate nodes but it has not been made clear if users can use a combination of HiveSpot and HiveDot nodes for their setup. The company has not announced the pricing of the routers either.
Setting up and installation of the routers can be done through the Asus Hive mobile app. Further, there is a 'Smart Family Insights' feature that provides parental controls for monitoring and restricting web access.
Asus may be the next smartphone manufacturer to launch Google Tango-ready smartphone. According to a report, the company is gearing to launch the 'ZenFone AR' at CES next year.
Asus CEO Jerry Shen was cited to say the "ZenFone AR will come with advanced functionality and performance at a competitive price." The Taiwanese company is expected to exhibit the Google Tango-enabled device at CES 2017, reports Digitimes, though there's no word on whether the company will work on multiple smartphones or just one like Lenovo.
For those unaware, Google's Project Tango is centred on machine vision, with a camera and sensor setup that provides motion tracking, depth perception, and area learning. This can enable augmented reality applications like indoor navigation, search, and gaming.
Shen also claimed that the ZenFone 4 range of smartphones will be unveiled in the "second quarter of 2017". He teased that the new models will feature improved camera. Shen also acknowledged that Asus suffered loss due to "lower than expected shipments".
Earlier this month, the world's first Tango smartphone - the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro - finally went on sale priced at $499 (roughly Rs. 33,300). It is the first commercial product from Google's Project Tango team that was working on machine vision in mobile devices.
The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro features a 6.4-inch QHD IPS display and a total of four cameras. It bears an 8-megapixel front camera, a 16-megapixel rear RGB camera, a depth-sensing infrared camera with an imager and an emitter, as well as a motion tracking camera. At launch, a special Tango app store was also revealed that was ready with 25 apps, with the hope to reach 100 apps by year-end.
Expanding its lineup, Asus has introduced two new Republic of Gamers (ROG) laptops in India, the new ROG Strix GL502VS, and ROG G752VS both powered by Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series graphics card.
As mentioned, the big highlight of the two laptops are the VR-ready Nvidia GeForce GTX 10-series graphics cards, and they include Nvidia G-Sync technology as well.
ROG G752VS is powered by a sixth-generation Intel Core i7 processor paired with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card and up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM. The unlocked processor comes along with an overclocking toolkit, allowing users to overclock the system to speeds of up to 4.0GHz. Additionally, it has a backlit anti-ghosting keyboard with 30-key rollover. The ROG G752VS comes in Armor Titanium and Plasma Copper colour variants.
Asus also launched the comparatively cheaper ROG Strix GL502VS comes with the GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, a 15-inch display with 178-degree viewing angle, and weighs approximately 2.3kg. It offers up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and is designed in a way to maximise cooling efficiency. In addition, there is also the company's in-built GameFirst III technology to ensure lag-free gaming and an interface that lets users choose between four preset package priority modes (Optimization, Game, Media Streaming, and File Sharing).
The laptops will be available at a starting price of Rs. 1,81,990 and Rs. 2,47,990 respectively across all online and offline leading retail outfits.
Asus on Thursday began sending media invites for the 'Z3nvolution India' event, to be held in New Delhi on August 17.
The event, will see Asus CEO Jerry Shin in attendance. While the invite does not mention ZenFone 3 in particular, it is safe to presume given the naming of the event.
To recall, Asus had first unveiled the ZenFone 3 series at its Zenvolution event in May in Taipei. At that time, the company had unveiled three smartphones in the series - the ZenFone 3, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe, and the ZenFone 3 Ultra.
Since then, the company unveiled the ZenFone 3 Deluxe with a Snapdragon 821-based variant in July, and then, the ZenFone 3 Laser and ZenFone 3 Max the same month.
When launched in Taipei, the Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) was priced starting $249 (roughly Rs. 16,800). It features a 5.5-inch full-HD Super IPS LCD display, a Snapdragon 625 processor, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of inbuilt storage, microSD card support (up to 128GB), a 16-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, USB Type-C port, and a 3000mAh battery.
The Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL) was priced at $499 (roughly Rs. 33,600), and sports a 5.7-inch full-HD Super Amoled display, a Snapdragon 820 SoC, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of inbuilt storage, microSD card expansion (up to 256GB), a 23-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 3000mAh battery. The Snapdragon 821 model launched in July featured a TWD 24,990 (approximately Rs. 52,000) price tag.
The ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) was priced at $479 (roughly Rs. 32,200), and features a 6.8-inch full-HD IPS LCD display, a Snapdragon 625 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB inbuilt storage, microSD card support (up to 128GB), a 23-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front camera, and a 4600mAh battery.
The ZenFone 3 Laser was launched in Vietnam at VND 5,990,000 (roughly Rs. 18,000), and bears a 5.5-inch full-HD display, an octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of inbuilt storage, microSD card expansion, a fingerprint scanner, and a 13-megapixel 'PixelMaster' rear camera.
The Asus ZenFone 3 Max on the other hand was priced at VND 4,490,000 (approximately Rs. 13,500) in Vietnam, and features a 5.2-inch full-HD IPS LCD display, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of inbuilt storage, a fingerprint scanner, and a 4100mAh battery.
Asus, as promised, has revealed the availability details of the ZenFone range of smartphones. At an event in Taiwan on Tuesday, the company also unveiled a new ZenFone 3 Deluxe variant which will be the first commercial smartphone featuring the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821. The Taiwanese company also unveiled the ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) tablet.
The all-new Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe has been priced at TWD 24,990 (approximately Rs. 52,000) and will go on sale later this year. Other ZenFone 3 Deluxe variants featuring Snapdragon 820 will go on sale early next month in Taiwan. No word on other markets as of now. Asus confirmed that ZenFone 3 is now available in Taiwan while the ZenFone 3 Ultra is up for pre-orders and is expected to be available by end of this month.
Apart from the Snapdragon 821 SoC, the new ZenFone 3 Deluxe also packs massive 256GB of built-in storage. Rest of the specifications of the new ZenFone 3 is identical to the 'regular' ZenFone 3 Deluxe models. It features a 5.7-inch full-HD Super Amoled display and packs a whopping 6GB of RAM and supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 128GB). The rear camera sports a 23-megapixel Sony sensor with 4K video support and also packs an 8-megapixel front camera. There is 3000mAh battery on board. It measures 156.4x77.4x7.5mm and runs Asus Zen UI based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Additionally, there's a ZenFone 3 Deluxe variant with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage as well.
Apart from the new ZenFone 3 Deluxe, Asus on Tuesday also launched the ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) tablet featuring a 9.7-inch LCD display with a screen resolution of 2048x1536 pixels. The tablet packs 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It supports expandable storage via microSD card. There is an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. The tablet runs Asus Zen UI on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It is powered by a hexa-core MediaTek (MT8176) processor clocked at 1.7GHz and also sports a fingerprint scanner. According to Engadget, the Asus ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) has been reportedly priced at TWD 10,990 (approximately Rs. 23,000). It is expected to go on sale in August.
Asus at the global launch in May had revealed pricing of the some ZenFone 3 models, the Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) was priced starting at $249 (roughly Rs. 16,800), the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL) priced at $499 (roughly Rs. 33,600), and the Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) priced at $479 (roughly Rs. 32,200).
If you know me well, you may have an idea that I've always been an ASUS fanboy! So the Zenvolution was very important to me. Though I wasn't at the Humble House Taipei, for the launch I watched the whole event live! So go and follow me on Twitter as i live tweeted the whole event! So let's get started.
ASUS at its Zenvolution event on Monday, unveiled the Zenbook 3, 2 Transformer 2-in-1s, 3 variants of its Zenfone series and a home robot, Zenbo. Here is all the details on the products announced at Computex Taipei by ASUS.
Zenbook 3
Asus isn't shying away on its battle with Apple. It has announced its new ultra portable ZenBook 3, an 11.9-millimeter device ASUS chairman Jonney Shih described as the "the world's most prestigious laptop." ASUS at the Zenvolution was comparing it directly to MacBooks, promising an aluminum alloy device that weighed less than Apple's lightest laptops, and a processor "two times faster than MacBook."
The ZenBook 3 will also feature the company's highest screen-to-body ratio of any of its laptops — 82 percent. That screen is 12.5 inches, and is coated in gorilla glass. The body of the laptop has a full-size keyboard, a glass-covered touchpad, and a fingerprint reader that supports Windows Hello to make logging in possible without needing to type in your password.
"Something thinner that the MacBook and more powerful than it" available starting at $999 USD #Zenbook3#Zenvolution
The laptop will come in three Royal Blue, Quartz Grey, and something to compare with Apple, Rose Gold. A ZenBook 3 with an i7 processor and a 1TB solid state drive will be available for $1,999, or $1,499 with a 512GB SSD.
Transformer 3 Pro & Transformer 3
After Macbook, ASUS is setting its sights on the Surface Pro 4 with its latest Transformers 2-in-1s. The Transformer 3 Pro and Transformer 3 feature 12.6-inch displays with a resolution of 2880 x 1920 resolution with a pixel density of 275 ppi, and come with an integrated kickstand as well as portable keyboards.
Both 2-in-1s offer USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 connectors, as well as a full-size backlit keyboard with 1.4mm travel, a glass trackpad and fingerprint sensors. As you'd expect, the Transformer 3 Pro is the high-end offering, with a Core i7 CPU, up to 1TB PCIe SSD, 16GB of RAM, and 13MP cameras at the front and rear.
The Transformer 3 Pro will start from $999, while the Transformer 3 with 256GB SSD and keyboard cover will be available starting $799. You'll be able to pick up the 2-in-1s in grey or gold.
ASUS also unveiled its new ZenFone 3 series with three variants: ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe, and ZenFone 3 Ultra - varying in different sizes and specifications.
The regular Zenfone 3 is positioned as a mainstream phone with strong design at a low price; the Zenfone 3 Deluxe goes for high-end performance and build quality; and the Zenfone 3 Ultra is centered around entertainment with a gigantic screen. All three of the models look to be far better built than the plastic Zenfone 2.
Starting with the base model, the Asus ZenFone 3 is priced at $249, and features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Super IPS LCD display.The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor paired with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of inbuilt storage. On the camera front, there is a 16-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX298 sensor. It packs a 3000mAh battery, and offers connectivity options like Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Cat 6 LTE, and USB 2.0 Type-C connector. The ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) will be available in Gold, Blue, Black, and White colour options.
The second variant is called the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe. It is priced at $499, and comes with a "full metal body with an invisible antenna design", which Asus claims is the world's first. It features a 5.7-inch full-HD (1080 x1920 pixels) Super Amoled display, and is powered by the Snapdragon 820 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. The smartphone stores 64GB of inbuilt storage, with expansion via microSD card (up to 256GB).
The Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe sports a 23-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX318 sensor with 4K video support. It packs a 3000mAh battery that supports fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0) It supports connectivity options like WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Cat 6 LTE, and USB 3.0 Type-C connector. The Deluxe will be available in Gold, Silver, and Grey colour options. It is expected to hit the market in the third quarter of this year.
And lastly, a larger brother of both the phones, Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra that comes with a 6.8-inch full-HD (1920x1080 pixels) IPS LCD display. It is priced at $479, and is powered by a Snapdragon 625 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. The inbuilt storage is 64GB, which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB).
The smartphone houses a 23-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX318 sensor. The ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) packs a nice 4600mAh battery with Quick Charge technology. The connectivity options include WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Cat 6 LTE, and USB 3.0 Type-C connector. The smartphone will be available in Grey, Silver, and Pink colour options.
This is something different, and maybe on trend: a home robot. The robot can roam around independently, and take directions by voice command. ZenBo's face also acts as a touchpad interface: you'll be able to place video calls, shop online, as well as stream video content, when it's not blushing!
#Zenbo is here! Personal assistant, entertainment system, companion and storyteller by @ASUS
Zenbo looks a lot like a Eve from Wall-E, but appears to work like Amazon's Echo, providing recipe recommendations and similar services in response to voice queries. Users can also Zenbo to buy goods online, logging into accounts and inputting passwords with their voice, and take photos like an autonomous selfie stick.
The robot can also sing songs, dance to music, and tell stories, even promising to work as a tutor to children. The device stands about knee height to an average adult, comes equipped with a robotic voice that's somehow already grating, and will cost $599 when it rolls into homes.
