CES 2017: Asus is not slowing down with new Android phones

While smartphones have taken a bit of a backseat to other more exciting technology at the consumer electronics show Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017, Taiwanese giant Asus is in no mood to let up.

The first phone is the ZenFone AR, which supports Google’s Tango AR technology. Simply put, Google’s Tango platform is all about a bunch of hardware sensors aided by computer-vision software which enables unique AR user experience on a smartphone using apps, such as AR gaming, AR utilities and navigation indoors. To drive the AR experience, the phone packs in Asus’s TriCam which uses a triple sensor 23-megapixel camera to track movement as well as area and depth perception.

The ZenFone AR is not a slouch in terms of other specifications either. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, and is paired with 8GB RAM—yes, we are not kidding! The 5.7-inch WQHD Super AMOLED display packs in a resolution of 2,560x1,440 pixels. Asus suggests that the phone will be sold with Android 7.0 (Nougat) out of the box. Pricing details are awaited.

The second phone from Asus is the ZenFone 3 Zoom. The highlight is the dual-camera system which is basically a set of dual 12MP cameras, one with a f/1.7-aperture, 25mm wide-angle lens and the second with a 59mm lens. Users can switch between either camera, and will get 2.3x optical zoom as well. Asus has focused on the camera software and algorithms for their recent phones, and that doesn’t change—the TriTech+ autofocus technology includes switching between Dual Pixel PDAF, subject tracking autofocus and second-generation laser focus.

It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, and has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with Full HD resolution. But there is no confirmation yet about the memory and storage configurations yet.