The IT Nerd

ASUSRepublic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2018 season of ROG Join the Republic:Community Challenge (JTR:CC), the third season of this renowned global gaming tournament.

After a successful first season in 2016, JTR:CC expanded its second season in 2017 to include popular MOBA title League of Legends (LoL) alongside Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The 2018 season sees the debut of multiplayer online battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) in, with PUBG replacing LoL alongside CS:GO.

Starting in May, the PUBG edition of JTR:CC will feature four captains from three regions (Europe, America, and APAC) who will each seek out a squad of four team members. During the search, a content team will follow the captains to document their journey as they attempt to form their team and head to boot camp. Once all the teams have been assembled, they will meet up in Stockholm to battle it out for the championship.

JTR:CC was founded by ROG as a platform for skilled — but as yet undiscovered — gamers to showcase their talents on the global stage. Well-known gamers, serving as team captains, audition prospective team members in a reality-talent-show format. With millions of online viewers keeping tabs on the campaign and watching the various finals, JTR:CC is the ideal community platform for ambitious gamers looking to take the next step.

Here’s Season One of JTR:CC.

Here’s Season Two of JTR:CC.

For more information please visit http://jointherepublic.global

ASUS today announced the new ZenBook Pro 15 (UX550G), a high-performance 15.6-inch laptop that’s now faster than ever.

ZenBook Pro 15 offers discerning professional users the ultimate combination of serious performance and supremely elegant design, now harnessing the amazing power of up to an 8th Generation Intel Corei9 processor, up to gaming-grade NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics, the fastest PCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 x4 SSDs, high-speed 2400MHz DDR4 RAM, 802.11ac gigabit-class Wi-Fi and Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C (USB-C) ports. An integrated fingerprint sensor allows fast and secure one-touch login with Windows Hello.

State-of-the-art visuals are provided by the 15.6-inch NanoEdge PANTONE Validated multitouch display, featuring up to a 4K UHD resolution, 100% Adobe RGB and 132% sRGB color gamut, a Delta-E (ΔE) color difference of less than 2.0 and an ultrathin 7.3mm bezel that gives ZenBook Pro 15 an 83% screen-to-body ratio. Powerful immersive sound is delivered by the Harman Kardon-certified audio system.

ZenBook Pro 15 retains the same stunning compact design as the previous generation, featuring an all-aluminum unibody with a brand-new luxurious Deep Dive Blue spun-metal finish and contrasting Rose Gold diamond-cut edges.

A high-capacity 71Wh lithium-polymer battery gives ZenBook Pro 15 astonishing all-working-day endurance with up to 10 hours battery life. It also incorporates fast-charge technology to minimize recharge times.

Designed to entice. Crafted to perform.

ZenBook Pro 15 is built to deliver the ultimate on-the-go performance. At its heart is up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i9-8950HQ hexa-core processor — 29% faster than the previous generation, and with an operating frequency that can be boosted up to 4.5GHz. This amazing processor is backed with up to 16GB of high-performance 2400MHz DDR4 RAM and a blisteringly fast up to 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD.

ZenBook Pro 15 uses up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti gaming-grade graphics with up to 4GB of GDDR5 video memory. This delivers all the horsepower needed for even the most graphics-intensive tasks, such as 3D rendering, 4K UHD video playback or ultra-detailed 4K UHD gaming. Designers, developers and gamers will enjoy the best possible graphics performance with ZenBook Pro 15.

Enduring elegance, timeless style

The elegant finish and refined profile of ZenBook Pro 15 belies the power inside. Its precision-crafted, solid-aluminum unibody features the iconic Zen-inspired spun-metal finish on the lid, and comes in a brand-new luxurious Deep Dive Blue color scheme with contrasting Rose Gold diamond-cut edges

Featuring a 15.6-inch NanoEdge display with an ultrathin 7.3mm bezel that gives it an incredible 83% screen-to-body ratio, ZenBook Pro 15 is remarkably compact for such a high-performance laptop, with dimensions comparable to some 14-inch laptops. And at just 18.9mm thin with a travel-friendly weight of only 1.86 kg, ZenBook Pro 15 is a gorgeous powerhouse that can be taken anywhere and everywhere. 

Immersive audiovisual performance

With an astonishing resolution of up to 3840 x 2160 pixels — 4X more than Full HD — the 4K UHD NanoEdge display on the ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 is something to behold. The pixel density of 282ppi ensures that everything is pin-sharp — from the finest details in photos and videos to the tiniest text — and the ultrawide 100% Adobe RGB and 132% sRGB color gamut combined with a Delta-E color difference of less than 2.0 give the PANTONE Validated display incredibly accurate and natural-looking colors. Its 178° wide-view technology allows users to enjoy a perfect picture even at acute viewing angles.

ZenBook Pro 15 delivers amazing audio performance through its Harman Kardon-certified ASUS SonicMaster sound system, which features high-quality speakers powered by a smart amplifier for sound that’s 1.4X louder than the previous generation of ZenBook Pro. It also delivers a 1.6X-wider frequency response, ensuring rich, crystal-clear full-range sound even at high volume levels.

Ultrafast connections

With faster-than-wired speeds of up to 1734Mbps[iii]— up to 12X faster than 802.11n — the dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi in ZenBook Pro 15 allows smooth streaming of 4K UHD online videos, with greater range and more stable network connections.

The two USB-C ports on ZenBook Pro 15 incorporate the latest Thunderbolt 3 technology for versatile, ultrafast connections. Along with up to 40Gbps data transfer speeds — up to 2X faster than Thunderbolt 2 and 8X faster than USB 3.1 Gen 1 — Thunderbolt 3 supports power delivery and dual 4K UHD external displays, making ZenBook Pro 15 a superb choice for graphics professionals. There are also two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports and an HDMI port for the ultimate, hassle-free connectivity. An integrated fingerprint sensor in the touchpad allows fast and secure password-free login with just a single touch via Windows Hello.

ASUS has announced the publication of its first environmental profit and loss (EP&L) report. Done in collaboration with global consulting company PricewaterhouseCoopers Taiwan, the EP&L report allows ASUS to thoroughly evaluate the direct and indirect environmental impact of its corporate actions and entire supply chain, identify any hotspots that need to be addressed, and serve as an example for other companies.

ASUS EP&L project

In recent years, the trend of sustainable development has emphasized the need to understand the social and environmental impact caused by a company when engaging in business activities. To assess the overall cost and value of operations, ASUS launched its first Environmental Profit & Loss project in 2017.

The project is aimed to measure both positive (“profit”) and negative (“loss”) environmental impact of a single product line — consumer notebooks — throughout the company’s operations and supply chain. The project also aimed to provide an overall monetary valuation by assessing the economic value of each loss or profit, thus allowing different impacts to be comparable. As a result, the project provided internal decision-making units with an important reference for future product development and supply chain management strategies.

Key findings

ASUS has learned that water pollution had the most significant environmental impact in the investigated product cycle, followed by greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste and water consumption. These were largely generated in the stage of mining and manufacturing of raw materials, and the stage of major component manufacturing.

Next steps

Effective life cycle costing requires the thorough identification of all costs involved in the life cycle of a product, and the EP&L project has highlighted the importance of considering external factors when choosing suppliers.

Furthermore, the scope of the EP&L project will be expanded to include the monetary valuation of other products, including handheld devices, motherboards, desktop computers and monitors. At the same time, ASUS will continue to calculate annual environmental profit and loss in order to verify the effectiveness of new green strategies in the supply chain. By incorporating this approach into the current procurement process, it will be possible to identify hotspots and address issues throughout the company’s corporate actions and supply chain.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced it will be the official hardware sponsor of H1Z1 Pro League, the first professional battle royale esports league. ASUS will provide all of the hardware for the esports league, supplying 100 best-in-class gaming systems comprised of the ROG Strix Gl12 Gaming Desktop, ROG Swift PG248Q Gaming Monitors, and ROG Strix Flare Keyboards. Fifteen charter pro esports teams, including the ASUS-sponsored Echo Fox, will compete during the H1Z1 Pro League inaugural season beginning April 21^st, at the newly established Twin Galaxies Esports Center at Caesars Entertainment Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be streamed exclusively via Facebook Live.

Gaming Systems Designed for Pro Esports Teams

The ASUS ROG brand was founded on a desire to grow the global gaming ecosystem through sponsorships and the development of innovative hardware specifically designed for the needs of dedicated players. For the H1Z1 Pro League tournament, ROG will provide 100 of each of the following:

• ROG Strix GL12 Gaming Desktop

The ROG Strix GL12 is powered by up to a factory-overclocked 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-8700K processor (up to 4.8GHz full hexa-core), with NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 graphics for boundless gaming experiences. A transparent side panel coupled with customizable Aura Sync technology light effects let you express your gaming persona, inside and out. This gaming desktop has a striking, unconventional design and features an esports-ready hot-swap bay for a 2.5-inch SSD that allows gamers to remove and replace the drive in seconds, all without having to shut down the system.

• ROG Swift PG248Q Gaming Monitor

The ROG Swift PG248Q was designed specifically for esports, and is a competition-grade gaming monitor that provides seamless visuals and super-smooth gameplay. ROG Swift PG248Q has a 16:9 aspect ratio 24-inch Full HD (1920 by 1080) panel. In addition, it features an overclockable 180Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and NVIDIA® G-SYNC™ technology. This gives gamers ultra-smooth, fast-moving gaming visuals with no lag or motion blur, making ROG Swift PG248Q ideal for first-person shooters, racing, real-time strategy and sports titles.

• ROG Strix Flare Keyboards

ROG Strix Flare is a versatile RGB mechanical gaming keyboard outfitted with four different Cherry MX RGB switch types — red, blue, brown, and black —to deliver the precise mechanical feel and responsiveness demanded by gamers. The keyboard also features 100% anti-ghosting technology with N-key rollover to ensure all keystrokes are registered reliably, no matter how many keys are pressed simultaneously.Individually backlit keys are housed in a dual-textured case, and a row of LEDs under both sides of the case creates a vibrant underglow that extends the customizable lighting beyond the keyboard. Powered by Aura Sync, ROG Strix Flare puts the entire color spectrum and a range of dynamic lighting effects at gamers’ command, enabling them to create a unique color scheme. All onboard lighting can be synchronized with the extensive portfolio of Aura Sync-enabled devices for a truly immersive gaming environment.

Today, ASUS has announced AREZ, a new brand identity for ASUS Radeon RX graphics cards. Derived from Ares, the Greek God of War, AREZ-branded graphics cards are built using industry-leading automated manufacturing to provide AMD gamers and enthusiasts with superior cooling technology and a robust software ecosystem.

The new AREZ brand underlines the strong working partnership between ASUS and AMD that spans decades. Gamers and enthusiasts will enjoy a combination of exclusive ASUS innovations and technologies and AMD’s Radeon graphics processors and software.

Extreme durability: Auto-Extreme technology and Super Alloy Power II components

AREZ graphics cards are produced using Auto-Extreme technology, an industry-exclusive, 100%-automated production process that incorporates premium materials to set a new standard of quality, performance and longevity. Since the introduction of Auto-Extreme technology in ASUS graphics cards, reliability has improved by 30%. This manufacturing process is also environmentally friendly, eliminating harsh chemicals and reducing power consumption by 50%.

Super Alloy Power II components deliver enhanced efficiency, reduced power loss, reduced component buzzing by 50% under full load and achieve thermal levels that are approximately 50% cooler than previous designs for enhanced quality and reliability.

Hi-tech cooling: MaxContact, patented Wing-Blade IP5X-certified fans and FanConnect II

MaxContact is an industry-first GPU cooling technology featuring an enhanced copper heat-spreader that directly contacts the GPU. MaxContact utilizes precision machining to provide a 10X-flatter surface for up to 2X more contact area with the GPU than traditional heat spreaders, resulting in improved thermal transfer. Select AREZ graphics cards are also constructed with up to 40% more heatsink surface area than previous dual-slot designs, further improving heat dissipation for dramatically cooler and quieter performance.

A patented Wing-Blade fan design delivers 105%-greater static pressure over the heatsink for more efficient cooling and up to 3X-quieter operation compared to other fan designs. The fans are certified under the International Protection Marking (IP code) as IP5X dust resistant for improved reliability and a longer lifespan. This stringent certification process ensures AREZ graphics cards provide optimal fan performance, even under severe operating conditions. Additionally, 0dB technology stops the fan completely when the GPU temperature is below a set level, letting players enjoy light gaming sessions in complete silence.

ASUS FanConnect II features two four-pin hybrid-controlled headers that can be connected to both PWM and DC system fans for optimal system cooling. The connected fans reference both the GPU and CPU, and operate automatically based on the one with the higher temperature. A comprehensive set of tuning options allow gamers to tune fan speeds for efficient cooling.

Software ecosystem: GPU Tweak II, plus Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition

Redesigned with an intuitive user interface, GPU Tweak II makes gaming and overclocking easier than ever, while retaining advanced options for seasoned overclockers. With one click, the Gaming Booster function maximizes system performance by removing redundant processes and allocating all available resources automatically.

AREZ graphics cards also support the latest AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition drivers for comprehensive control over AMD GPUs. Core features include power-saving Radeon Chill technology; Radeon WattMan for profile-based custom control of voltages, engine clocks and fan speeds[i]; and Radeon ReLive for easy capture and sharing of in-game action.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS AREZ-branded graphics cards will be available from May 2018 in selected markets.

This morning ASUS ROG announced a whole new gaming system lineup – this includes the new ROG Zephyrus M (GM501), ROG Huracan desktop, an updated ROG Zephyrus, ROG G703, ROG Strix SCAR Edition, ROG Strix Hero Edition, the new ROG Strix GL12, and the H370 and B360 series motherboards.

ROG Zephyrus M (GM501)

• This is the world’s slimmest gaming laptop featuring both a 8^th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics
• NVIDIA G-SYNC technology for super smooth, seamless visuals.
• Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) helps keep the laptop cool and quiet without sacrificing performance.

ROG Huracan (G21)

• Has a magnetic side cover that opens up to increase airflow, while boosting CPU and GPU performance.
• Features an 8^th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics.
• Has a built-in ESS Sabre DAC and amplifier for a richer, more detailed audio experience.

ROG Zephyrus (GX501GI)

• The GX501 GI has a profile that tapers from 17.9mm to 16.9mm.
• Has the latest 8^th Generation Intel Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1090 (Max-Q) graphics for best-in-class performance.
• Comes with an IPS-level panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms GTG response time for minimal ghosting and motion blur. 

ROG 703

• Features an 8^th Generation Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics to rival gaming desktops.
• The ROG 703 comes with HyperDrive Extreme storage that uses exclusive technology to combine up to three NVMe PCIe 3.0×4, giving it the world’s fastest RAID 0 storage configuration available in a gaming laptop.
• Handles the latest AAA gaming titles with its 144Hz refresh rate and NVIDIA G-SYNC technology.

ROG Strix SCAR Edition

• Strix SCAR Edition is now powered by an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 32GB DDR4 memory, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series graphics.
• Has a trapezoid-cut lid that doesn’t interfere with the rear exhaust vents, high performance 12-volt fans that boost airflow to improve cooling efficiency, and a patented Anti-Dust Cooling system.
• Desktop-style keyboard designed-for-esports that features four gaming hotkeys and customizable RGB backlighting across four zones.

ROG Strix Hero Edition

• Powered by the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H six-core processor and is available with up to 32GB of DDR4 2666MHz dual-channel memory.
• The ROG Strix Hero Edition comes with trapezoid-cut lid that doesn’t interfere with the rear exhaust vents, high performance 12-volt fans that boost airflow to improve cooling efficiency, and a patented Anti-Dust Cooling system.
• Desktop-style keyboard designed-for-esports that features four gaming hotkeys and customizable RGB backlighting across four zones.

ROG Strix GL12

• The ROG Strix GL12 gives you two choices: hide the power with the Iron Grey side panel or unleash the beast with a transparent side panel.
• Features an esports-ready, hot-swap 2.5″ SSD tray that can be taken out and replaced in seconds, without having to shut down the system.
• This desktop computer can deliver up to 3x the performance of previous generation graphic cards if fitted with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080, delivering great visuals and making it VR-ready.

H370 & B360 Series Motherboards

• These motherboards not only integrate USB 3.1 Gen 2 support for next gen peripherals, but also optional 802.11ac Wi-Fi for wireless networking.
• Retain support for Intel Optane Memory, which uses ultra-fast flash storage to reduce load times.

ASUS today announced ZenFone 5 Lite, a stylish 6-inch smartphone featuring the world’s first globally-announced true four-camera system with fully independent high-resolution and wide-angle cameras at both front and rear. ZenFone 5 Lite is the perfect choice for true photo lovers who want to stand out from the crowd.

ZenFone 5 Lite removes the limits on photographic creativity, with a high-resolution main camera — 20MP at the front, 16MP at the rear — and, uniquely, a secondary 120° wide-angle camera at both front and rear. Unlike rival systems, each camera works independently for perfect shots, every time.

The 6-inch Full HD+ IPS display has a Full View 18:9 aspect ratio and an ultraslim bezel, making the pocket-friendly ZenFone 5 Lite as compact as a standard-aspect-ratio 5.5-inch phone.

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform, ZenFone 5 Lite combines incredible performance and a 3300mAh battery with advanced security and convenience features — including NFC, rapid face unlock, fingerprint recognition and dual SIMs — for a mobile experience like no other.

Creativity without limits

Designed for true photo lovers, ZenFone 5 Lite features the world’s first globally-announced true four-camera system with four fully-functional and independent cameras. Each main high-resolution camera — 20MP Sony at the front and 16MP at the rear — is accompanied by a secondary wide-angle camera with a 120° field of view that’s 2X wider than a standard lens, giving users the best of all possible worlds.

Unlike other systems where the secondary camera only works in conjunction with the main camera for special effects, in ZenFone 5 Lite each of the four cameras can be used individually, removing the limits on creativity and giving users the freedom to tailor their shots to the occasion. With a choice of standard or ultrawide shots at both front and rear, ZenFone 5 Lite makes it easier to compose the perfect selfie, wefie, landscape, portrait or group shot.

ZenFone 5 Lite includes the ASUS BeautyLive live-beautification technology with live-streaming video support for Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms. Users can choose from a range of enhancements — such as removing skin blemishes or adjusting skin tones — in real time, and they can use the handy Mirroring mode to avoid annoying mirror-image videos with unreadable text. Beautification is enhanced with the softlight LED flash, giving perfect skin tones in photos or when streaming in low-light conditions.

Expanded view

ZenFone 5 Lite has a stunning 6-inch screen, but it’s as compact as most 5.5-inch smartphones. That’s because it uses our latest edge-to-edge Full View display, featuring an 18:9 aspect ratio and ultraslim bezel. This beautiful Full HD+ (2160×1080) display has superb color accuracy — essential for photo lovers — and the wide format delivers a bigger view of everything. With full support for new 18:9 features like YouTube’s ‘zoom-to-fill’, videos and movies have never looked better, and its extra-wide display is perfect for using dual side-by-side windows in landscape orientation, or stacking multiple windows in portrait orientation.

Advanced performance

ZenFone 5 Lite is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform with up to 4GB of RAM for dramatically faster CPU and GPU performance. And for blazingly fast network connectivity in any situation, ZenFone 5 Lite supports up to 400Mbps 4G LTE download speeds, up to 75Mbps uploads, and 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi.

The optimized power efficiency of the 14µm Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform’s FinFET Low Power Plus power-saving technology combined with a 3300mAh battery gives users up to 24 days of 4G standby time, 30 hours of 3G talk time, or 4 days of music playback usage.

ZenFone 5 Lite also incorporates NFC technology for convenient and secure mobile contactless payments with Google Pay. For flexible, fast and easy access, ZenFone 5 Lite includes rapid face-unlock technology that’s ideal for unlocking the phone when hands are cold, wet or messy. It quickly unlocks the phone and can also prevent unauthorized users viewing lock-screen notifications. There’s also a handy rear-mounted fingerprint sensor that instantly unlocks the phone in just 0.3 seconds.

For the ultimate on-the-go convenience, ZenFone 5 Lite has a triple-slot tray with two SIM slots — supporting speeds up to 400Mbps — plus a microSD slot for expanding storage up to 2TB.

Stylish and chic

ZenFone 5 Lite is crafted to perfection, with 2.5D-contoured glass panels at front and rear that simply ooze luxury. Its appearance is enhanced with an optical coating to give it a deep sheen and luscious color. The dual-coated frame has 0.02mm precision-milled from the matte top coat — using an advanced NCVM laser process — to reveal brilliant contrasting highlights that emphasize the sleek and slim design. ZenFone 5 Lite is available in three luscious color selections: Midnight Black, Moonlight White, and Rouge Red.

ASUS today announced the all-new ZenFone 5, an exciting next-generation 6.2-inch dual-camera smartphone that’s the first ever ZenFone to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI). ZenFone 5 revolutionizes mobile photography, giving users a simpler, smarter way to capture and share every magic moment.

ZenFone 5 is the first smartphone available worldwide to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform with its smooth, responsive, power-efficient performance and AI capabilities. ZenFone 5 has an intelligent dual-camera system that adapts and learns, delivering perfect photos every time. With its flagship Sony IMX363 sensor, 120° wide-angle secondary camera and AI-enhanced camera features — including AI Scene Detection, real-time portrait effects, AI Photo Learning and real-time beautification — ZenFone 5 encourages creativity and frees the user to concentrate on the subject rather than the camera.

Crafted to perfection with premium materials, ZenFone 5 has a strikingly beautiful ultraslim-bezel, all-screen design, featuring a stunning 6.2-inch display with a 90% screen-to-body ratio in an glass-covered body that’s as small and compact as most standard 5.5-inch phones.

Intelligent cameras

The intelligent dual-camera system in ZenFone 5 uses the flagship Sony IMX363 image sensor, with large 1.4µm pixels and a bright f/1.8 wide-aperture six-element lens that captures up to 5X-brighter and clearer photos in low-light conditions, as well as enabling dramatic Night HDR shots. The 120° wide-angle secondary camera has a field of view that’s 2X wider than a standard smartphone camera, for capturing more expansive landscapes, more natural group shots, and easier photos in cramped spaces.

For truly intelligent photography, the camera system incorporates advanced AI algorithms and advanced big-data analytics, so ZenFone 5 is always evolving to constantly improve photos. The special AI-enhanced features in ZenFone 5 adapt and learn, delivering perfect photos every time and creating a truly personal experience for the user.

• AI Scene Detection: AI Scene Detection takes the guesswork out of photography. ZenFone 5 uses the power of AI to rapidly analyze the subject and match it to one of its 16 scene types, optimizing the camera settings for almost any kind of shot from sunsets to pet pics. The result is effortlessly perfect photos, anytime and anywhere. ZenFone 5 uses advanced big-data analysis to constantly enhance the scene-detection AI algorithms, for ever-smarter photography.
• AI Photo Learning: AI Photo Learning lets users teach ZenFone 5 how they like your photos to look. It then automatically adjusts the camera settings for future shots — so photos will always reflect the user’s unique style preferences.
• Real-time Portrait: ZenFone 5 lets users take professional-looking close-up shots of people or objects, without the hassle. Real-time Portrait with AI technology ensures that the main subject stays pin-sharp, while the background is given a sense of depth with a graduated bokeh effect — created using depth information intelligently analyzed from the subject — for a beautifully artistic photo. Real-time Portrait uses both cameras simultaneously to capture gorgeous portraits and close-ups that make the subject stand out with a real sense of depth, rivaling those taken with high-end DSLR cameras.
• Real-time Beautification: ZenFone 5 gives users their own personal beauty consultant in their pocket. AI Beautification intelligently reads 365 facial points and applies personalized beautification based on an analysis of over two million possible enhancements. It works in real time with any face — regardless of age, shape, skin tone or gender — and produces amazing natural-looking results. It works perfectly in live-streaming video, too.
• Pro mode: ZenFone 5 includes the powerful Pro mode that gives users full control of all the camera settings, including white balance, exposure, focus, ISO, and an impressive range of shutter speeds from 1/10000 to 32 seconds. With its support for unprocessed RAW files, ZenFone 5 is also the ideal choice for users who prefer to fine-tune their images using photo-editing software.

Intelligent performance

At the heart of ZenFone 5 is the latest powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform, an advanced 14µm 64-bit octa-core system-on-a-chip (SoC) with up to 6GB RAM that delivers over 40%-higher CPU performance and 10%-higher graphics performance than the Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform, while maintaining excellent battery life.

ZenFone 5 includes a full suite of AI-enhanced features powered by the AI capabilities of the Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform. For an instant blast of extra power, ZenFone 5 includes ASUS AI Boost to immediately optimize performance for games or demanding tasks. And for rock-solid reliability, ZenFone 5 has four 0.06mm-slim carbon cooling pads that efficiently dissipate heat and maintain top performance at all times.

To deliver maximum on-the-go stamina, ZenFone 5 has a high-capacity 3300mAh battery with ASUS BoostMaster fast-charge technology. ZenFone 5 also introduces AI Charging to maximize the battery lifespan and provide total protection. AI Charging  dynamically adjusts the charging rate by monitoring the user’s charging habits, slowing down the battery’s ageing process.

For maximum flexibility and superb call quality, ZenFone 5 supports dual 4G LTE SIMs with Dual SIM, Dual VoLTE (DSDV) capabilities. This allows both SIMs to be on active standby, and also supports enhanced HD voice calls over 4G LTE on both SIMs.

All-screen display

By using an ultraslim-bezel, all-screen display, the 6.2-inch ZenFone 5 is as small as most standard 5.5-inch phones. It’s the ultimate ergonomic design that not only lets users see more, but is much less bulky and more comfortable to hold. The 6.2-inch Full HD+ all-screen display, with its 90% screen-to-body ratio and gorgeous 2.5D-curved glass, delivers a totally immersive visual experience. ZenFone 5’s all-screen display also supports the DCI-P3 color space, with a wide color gamut that enhances color saturation for amazingly vivid image reproduction. With ZenFone 5, photos, videos, movies and games look better than they’ve ever looked before.

For optimized visuals with natural-looking colors and good readability in any environment, ZenFone 5 features intelligent display technology. This uses smart sensors to automatically adjust the display’s color temperature in real time according to the ambient lighting. It also features Smart Screen On, which prevents the screen from turning off when the user’s face is detected, avoiding the problem of the screen turning off when the user is reading content for extended periods without touching the screen.

Immersive Audio

ZenFone 5 has two five-magnet stereo speakers that deliver deep, rich and expansive stereo sound. These are driven by dual smart amplifiers that ensure maximum volume while intelligently protecting them from damage. ZenFone 5 supports Hi-Res Audio files encoded at up to 24-bit/192KHz sample rates — 4X better than CD quality. For an enhanced listening experience right out of the box, ZenFone 5 is supplied with a set of premium Hi-Res Audio-capable earbuds. ZenFone 5 also supports DTS Headphone:X™ for 7.1-channel virtual surround-sound over headphones, for a truly immersive experience when watching movies or playing games.

All-round intelligence

The power of AI enhances the entire ZenFone 5 user experience, with smart features that make ZenFone 5 a truly intelligent companion. The phone can be unlocked using the rapid face unlock, or in 0.3 seconds using the rear fingerprint sensor, and the integrated NFC capability allows ZenFone 5 to be used securely with Google Pay.

AI Ringtone intelligently adjusts the ringer volume according to the ambient noise level, so users won’t miss calls even on a busy street or in a noisy restaurant, and calls received in the middle of the night won’t disturb sleepers.

ZeniMoji is a fun new ZenFone 5 feature — exclusive to ASUS — that lets users animate cute avatars using their own voice, facial expressions and head movements. Uniquely, ZeniMoji avatars can be used in video chats or live-streaming, as well as in text chats, to make them more entertaining.

Price and availability are not available at this time, but stay tuned for those details soon.

ASUS today announced the ZenFone Max Plus M1, the first model in the new ZenFone Max Series. The ZenFone Max Plus M1 is the first ASUS smartphone with a 5.7-inch full-view display in an amazingly compact body that’s no larger than many standard 5.2-inch smartphones. With its expanded viewing area, compact size, dual rear cameras, convenient face- and fingerprint-recognition security, and a high-capacity 4130mAh battery — the hallmark of the ZenFone Max Series — the ZenFone Max Plus M1 offers a class-leading combination of features designed to encompass all life’s adventures. The ZenFone Max Plus M1 has the stamina to go the distance, and lets photo-lovers see the bigger picture with a wider range of creative options — all in a stylish metal design that’s ergonomic and comfortable to hold.

Introducing the new ZenFone Max Series

The new ZenFone Max Series is now a dedicated range of high-capacity smartphones. Previous generations of individual ZenFone Max models have become the company’s best-selling smartphones, with ZenFone Max, ZenFone 3 Max, ZenFone 4 Max and ZenFone 4 Max Pro achieving a combined sales volume of around 5 million units. The new ZenFone Max Series will include variants with different display sizes and system-on-a-chip (SoC) processors, but the hallmark of the range will be high-capacity, long lasting batteries.

Max display

The FHD+ 5.7-inch full-view display in the ZenFone Max Plus M1 has a 18:9 aspect ratio and ultrathin bezels that give it an 80% screen-to-body ratio. This allowed our engineers to craft an amazingly compact and ergonomic body that’s no larger than most standard 5.2-inch smartphones.

The greatly expanded viewing area makes viewing photos and watching widescreen videos incredibly immersive, and when browsing the web there’s less need for scrolling. Multitasking is also easier, as two apps fit comfortably side-by-side on the screen.

The slim and elegant size, premium metal finish and 2.5D-curved front edges of the ZenFone Max Plus M1 make it exceptionally comfortable to hold, with significantly less bulk than a standard 5.7-inch phone. It’s available in Moonlight Black and Azure Silver.

Max photos

With the ZenFone Max Plus M1, photo lovers can enjoy unrivaled creative possibilities. In addition to the front f/2.0 selfie camera, the ZenFone Max Plus M1 features an advanced dual rear-camera system designed to take mobile photography to new heights. Its 16MP PixelMaster main camera is equipped with a wide, f/2.0 aperture lens to capture clearer photos, and a phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) system that can accurately focus on the subject in just 0.03 seconds even if the subject is moving.

The secondary 120° wide-angle camera has a 200%-wider field of view than standard smartphone cameras, allowing more scenery or people to fit in the frame for dramatic landscape shots, better group photos, and a more convenient photography experience in confined indoor spaces.

Max stamina

The hallmark of the ZenFone Max Series is the huge battery capacity, designed for serious travelers and those who need maximum battery endurance. The ZenFone Max Plus M1 has a high-capacity, high-density 4130mAh battery that not only gives it incredible staying power, but also contributes to its unbelievably compact dimensions.

The ZenFone Max Plus M1 offers users up to 26 hours on standby, 26 hours of 3G talk time, up to 21 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi, or up to 13 hours of video playback. Its massive capacity also allows it to be used as a handy power bank to charge other devices.

The battery system in the ZenFone Max Plus M1 features ASUS PowerMaster, a suite of intelligent power-management technologies that work in concert to optimize battery life, ensure safety and long-term performance, provide reverse-charging capability, and more. Twelve safety checkpoints — including temperature monitoring and overvoltage protection — combined with automatic maintenance settings keep the ZenFone Max Plus M1’s battery running optimally, providing a 2X-longer average lifespan compared to other smartphone batteries.

Max security

The ZenFone Max Plus M1 is the first ZenFone — and one of the very few phones in its class — to feature Face Unlock, which gives users a quick, secure and convenient alternative to the rear fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone when wearing gloves or in inclement weather conditions.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

The ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 ZB570TL-MT67-3G32G-BL (blue) is immediately available at a MSRP of $229 from the ASUS Store, Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, Newegg and other leading retailers.

The ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 ZB570TL-MT67-3G32G-BK (black) is immediately available at a MSRP of $229 from the ASUS Store, Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, Newegg and other leading retailers.