Asus started selling the ZenFone at the beginning of September and are happy with the sales so far, highlighting, “huge demand and sales growth rate of 414% over the first 7 weeks.” The business had now decided to sell the ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6 at a selected, but growing, number of Currys PC World stores starting this week. Asus is set to increase the numbers of stores selling the handset to capitalize on the holiday season.
These ZenFone models were announced in January 2014 so are getting a little long in the tooth. Both models are based around a dual core Intel Atom processor but Asus have released a number of different models. Currys PC World are selling the 8 GB Zenfone 5, which is based around the 1.6 GHz dual core Intel Atom Z2560 processor with 2 GB of RAM and a 2,030 mAh battery for £149.99. This ZenFone model comes with a 720p 5.0-inch screen, a MicroSD slot and a 8 MP rear camera. For the money, the ZenFone 5 is similar to the Motorola Moto G; it has a slightly smaller battery and a different processor, plus it’s not likely to be updated as quickly (this is more because Motorola update their devices very quickly). It’s available in black, white, red and gold.
They’re selling the higher specification ZenFone 6 model, which comes with a dual core (plus hyperthreading) Intel Atom Z2580, clocked at up to 2.0 GHz (Android sees this as a 2.0 GHz quad core processor), 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage plus a MicroSD card, a large 3,300 mAh battery and a 13 MP rear camera, for £249.99. As you might expect from the name, the ZenFone 6 has a 6.0-inch, 720p display. The ZenFone 6 is quite a bit more expensive at close to Nexus 5 money (PC World are selling the 16 GB Nexus 5 for £280), although you do get a lot for your money and it’s available in the same color choice as the ZenFone 5 (black, white, red or gold). You get a big capacity battery, a powerful processor, plenty of RAM and the ZenUI interface, which I have to write is perfectly usable, but you don’t get Qi wireless charging, that 1080p screen and the promise of frequent and timely software updates.
My experience of Intel Atom-powered Android devices has been positive and these two handsets are reasonably well priced, more so the ZenFone 5. I don’t dislike the interface and I like the sound of a 3,300 mAh battery. At the price, who else might be interested? Hit us up in the comments below.