ASUS Booth Tour at CES 2016: 10G Switches, External GPU Dock, USB-C Monitor and more
by Ian Cutress on January 19, 2016 9:00 AM ESTASUS ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition
If you caught our review of the CUBOT H1 smartphone, you may have read the paragraph where I (Ian) was interested in the ZenFone 2 for a long time as a potential upgrade device from the HTC One max. When the ZF2 was announced, at $200 for 2GB/16GB with a quad core Bay Trail-based Atom processor and 5.5-inch 1080p screen with dual-SIM functionality, I was certainly interested. Unfortunately, the availability of the 128 GB ZenFone 2 Deluxe model was spotty outside of India and Brazil at best, and even here in the UK my attempts to purchase the right model for a family member ended up in the Chinese version being delivered. Fast forward a few months, and it turns out there is a reason why the 128 GB model didn’t have a big reach – ASUS is now producing an even higher up model.
The ZenFone 2 Deluxe now gets the Special Edition treatment, featuring a more powerful processor in the Z3590 (quad core, up to 2.5 GHz) as well as 256 GB of storage. The 4 GB of DRAM and other specifications stay the same, with the same color styles as the ZF2 Deluxe, but I’m pretty sure that most users will never need more storage in their phone after this, negating the need for a micro-SD card.
Prices and dates were not said, though I’d imagine this to be north of $350 when it hits the shelves. There was another model next to it for which I forgot to take pictures, called the ZenFone 2 Max, which a larger 5000 mAh battery but Snapdragon 410 and only a 720p screen. I’m all for larger batteries, and this one sounds like a direct competitor to my CUBOT. GSMArena has the device listed as due on shelves in January.
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SirKnobsworth - Wednesday, January 20, 2016 - link
I was under the impression that not all devices support all 4 lanes, but I might have been mistaken.extide - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
It IS coming from the GPU. As mentioned above, there is a multiplexer that basically unplugs the high speed lanes in the USB type C connector FROM the USB bus and then connects them TO the displayport signals directly. USB alternate mode doesnt use the superspeed usb bus. So it is basically displayport with a different cable/connector, but otherwise the same.JimmaDaRustla - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
Looking forward to the Z170 S - hopefully it is priced well. I kind of find it odd that it has like a dozen fan plugs, but only one M.2 slot though.damianrobertjones - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
The monitor shape looks like a Microsoft Surfa.... Nope, never, ever seen that design before.DanNeely - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
USB2 powered laptop screens with that sort of case have been around for longer than there was a surface. They might pre-date the ipad as well; I'm not sure exactly how long ago I first saw one.ddriver - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
I'd get one, at a good price and with touch input. This one doesn't seem to have touch, which is quite silly IMO. They target it as a second monitor for laptops and tablets, but I reckon it will be more useful as a touch display for a desktop system with a big non touch screen.zeeBomb - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
Wow these are dope!xthetenth - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
I definitely like the looks of the keyboard having a numpad but being able to move it. I'd prefer it to the left a lot of the time just because the keyboard and mouse are awfully wide otherwise.lucam - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - link
Still no IPad Pro review in the horizon?Shadow7037932 - Wednesday, January 20, 2016 - link
Just like the Moto X review...