ASUS is releasing a new software update for the ZenFone 2 variant bearing the model number ZE550ML. The update began rolling out on June 29 and, as expected, it is distributed over-the-air (OTA), which means that availability will continue to expand and reach more units over the course of the next few days. As to what the update brings new to the table, the official changelog only mentions better stability for Bluetooth connections and improved ZenMotion sensitivity.
The latest software package is identified by the version number 4.21.40.311 and doesn’t include any major bumps to the version of Android OS. In other words, the update is still in the Android 6.0 Marshmallow category, but nevertheless, any improvements are usually welcomed. Aside from Bluetooth stability fixes, the update will apparently make some changes to improve gesture sensitivity while using the ZenMotion application, which allows users to perform touchscreen gestures and issue commands while the phone is in sleep mode. As per the usual case, the OTA update will be preceded by a notification, however, ASUS ZenFone 2 owners can always try and trigger the update manually from the phone’s ‘System Update’ screen within the settings menu. It’s recommended to download the update over an active Wi-Fi network and ensure that the smartphone has at least 50 percent battery life left before proceeding.
The ASUS ZenFone 2 was released in March 2015, and at that time the smartphone ran Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. Nearly one year and a half later, the smartphone made the jump to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, improving the handset’s battery life and stability, and cleaning up some of the pre-loaded applications from the on-board memory. While ASUS has been launching Android Nougat on some of its more recent devices including the ZenFone 3 Zoom, at this point in time it seems rather unlikely for the company to be able and push the ZenFone 2 into the realm of Nougat. Spec-wise the ASUS ZenFone 2 makes use of an Intel Atom Z3560 system-on-chip (SoC) housing four CPU cores clocked at 1.8GHz, 2GB of RAM, and a PowerVR G6430 graphics chip. It accommodates a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, which conceals 16GB of integrated storage and a 3,000mAh battery underneath.