It’s a Zenvolution: ASUS unleashes ZenFone 3 series, ZenBook 3, Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro in Malaysia

ASUS Zenvolution

ASUS Malaysia took the no holds barred approach in its Zenvolution event on Saturday, 6 August, where it unveiled a plethora of next generation devices. The smartphone series that propelled it to mobile stardom–ZenFone, is now in its third iteration, bringing premium design and cutting edge tech. The Taiwanese tech giant continues to drive innovation in its portable notebook range with the debut of some stunning contenders–ZenBook 3, Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro.

ASUS Zenvolution

Towards #1

ASUS doesn’t beat around the bush when it says it wants the #1 spot in the Malaysian smartphone race. Its highly-successful ZenFone series was instrumental in propelling the brand into its current #2 position, taking just two years.

ASUS corporate vice president Eric Chen thanks ASUS fans for their loyal support and promises even more cutting-edge products in the near future. In a closed door interview with him after the launch, Chen said ASUS will continue to deliver quality products that meet customer demands in all price points. He pointed that quality, technology and customer experience are key focus for the brand.

The ZenFone 3 Deluxe and ZenBook 3 are testament of what ASUS is capable of, in line with its aspirations and ambitions to occupy more premium ground.

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ASUS Zenvolution

It’s a pleasant surprise that ASUS has brought its entire ZenFone 3 portfolio to Malaysia. This consists of ZenFone 3 Deluxe, ZenFone 3 Ultra, ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Max and ZenFone 3 Laser. The range-topping ZenFone 3 Deluxe is a stunning amalgamation of aesthetics and cutting-edge technology.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra

ZenFone Ultra

For those who love it big, the ZenFone Ultra delivers that in that it truckloads. Winner of the Computex 2016 Best Choice Golden Award, the device boasts a massive 6.8-inch Full HD display with 95% NTSC colour gamut. It’s the world’s first smartphone to have the ASUS-exclusive Tru2Life+ video enhancement tech.

Audio enthusiasts (yours truly included) will love that the ZenFone 3 Ultra features two powerful five-magnet stereo speakers and NXP smart amp. It packs Hi-Res Audio and supports virtual 7.1-channel surround with DTS Headphone:X. The finely-tune ZenEar S earphone are bundled with the multimedia behemoth.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser

ZenFone 3 Laser

ASUS remains laser-focused on camera performance across its ZenFone 3 range. The ZenFone 3 Laser packs a 13MP camera with a Sony IMX214 sensor and super fast 0.03-second laser autofocus.

ASUS ZenFone 3

ZenFone 3

The award-winning ZenFone 3 is the ZenFone for the masses. The feature-packed, premium-built device sports a 5.5-inch Full HD Super IPS+ display. Housed in metal and glass, it’s the world’s first smartphone to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor.

ZenFone 3 Max

Live-wire and beautiful in metal, ZenFone 3 Max sports a 5.2-inch IPS display with 2.5D glass. Its large built-in 4100mAh battery may not be the biggest in the market, but will deliver an astonishing standby time of up to 30 days. You’ll get 20 hours of 3G talktime, 87 hours of music playback and up to 15 hours of video playback. Impressive.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe

ZenFone 3 Deluxe

This is the crème de la crème. This is without a doubt, the best, most premium smartphone ASUS has ever built. Impeccably built, the light aluminum alloy unibody is just 4.2mm thin at its edge and the first smartphone to have an invisible antenna design.

It packs a 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display with 100% NTSC gamut. It’s the world’s first smartphone to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. With up to 6GB RAM and a whopping 256GB of onboard storage, nobody can accuse the ZenFone 3 Deluxe as a beauty without substance.

On the camera front, it uses the latest Sony IMX318 image sensor–a 23MP unit with large f/2.0 aperture lens and four-axis OIS. If that isn’t enough, it also has three-axis electronic image stabilization (EIS) for steady 4K UHD videos.

It supports Quick Charge 3.0 and packs a USB Type-C port.

ZenBook 3 ZenBook 3

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ZenBook 3

One word to describe the ZenBook 3: Stunning. Completely redesigned, the ZenBook 3 is ultra-sleek, measuring just 11.9mm thin and weighing a mere 910g. Coming in three colours–Royal Blue, Rose Gold and Quartz Grey, the notebook is crafted from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy that is 50% stronger than conventional allow on other notebooks.

Expect blazing performance with up to an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of 2133MHz RAM, up to 1TB PCIe 3.0×4 ultra-fast SSD, USB Type-C port and quad-speaker audio system by Harman Kardon.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro ASUS Transformer 3 Pro

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro

ASUS literally invented the 2-in-1 convertible notebook with its original Transformer device. The new Transformer 3 Pro is the original convertible made better. Crafted from aluminum, the device is only 8.35mm thin, and available in Icicle Gold and Glacier Gray.

Its integrated Surface-inspired metal kickstand uses a step-less hinge that let’s you set viewing angles of up to 170 degrees.

The included ASUS Transformer Cover Keyboard is backlit, with notebook-grade 1.4mm key travel. Available in four colours–Stone, Charcoal, Taupe and Amber.

The Transformer 3 Pro boasts a beautiful 12.6-inch display with 3K resolution (2880×1920). Under the hood, it’s powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, up to a 1TB PCIe x4 SSD and 16GB of 2133MHz RAM.

The device supports an array of accessories including the ASUS Pen, ASUS Universal Dock, ASUS Audio Pod and ROG XG Station 2.

Audio Pod ASUS Transformer 3

ASUS Transformer 3

The ultra-compact Transformer 3 weighs just 695g, and measures just 6.9mm thin. Crafted from aluminum, the 2-in-1 device has a 12.-6inch display with a similar 3K resolution as its ‘Pro’ sibling.

The ASUS Transformer Sleeve Keyboard comes in Stone, Charcoal, Taupe and Amber, and features a keyboard with 1.4mm key travel. The sleeve has an integrated two-position display stand and a glass-covered precision touchpad.

The Transformer 3 is powered by 7th Generation Intel Core processors, up to 512GB SSD and up to 8GB RAM. It also features a built-in fingerprint reader that works hand-in-hand with Windows Hello.

Like the Transformer 3 Pro, the device is also expandable with accessories including the ASUS Pen, ASUS Universal Dock, ASUS Audio Pod and ROG XG Station 2.

ASUS Zenvolution

Pricing and availability

  • ZenFone 3: 5.2”/4GB/64GB – MYR1,499/US$371
  • ZenFone 3: 5.5”/4GB/64GB – MYR1,699/US$421
  • ZenFone 3 Deluxe: 5.7”/6GB/256GB – MYR3,299/US$817
  • ZenFone 3 Deluxe: 5.7”/6GB/64GB – MYR2,599/US$643
  • ZenFone 3 Ultra: 6.8”/4GB/64GB – MYR2,599/US$643
  • ZenFone 3 Max: 5.2”/3GB/32GB – MYR799/US$198
  • ZenFone 3 Laser: 5.5”/4GB/32GB – MYR999/US$247
  • ZenBook 3 – MYR7,999/US$1,980
  • Transformer 3 Pro – MYR6,999/US$1,733
  • Transformer 3 – MYR3,199/US$792

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Vernon
Vernon is the founder and chief editor of Vernonchan.com. A graphic designer by profession, he has a deep love for technology, cars, gadgets, food, and travel. He tweets too much and is also known as a caffeine bacterium ("life's too short for bad coffee"). Bleeds Blue (go Chelsea FC!) and considers BMW, Porsche, Alfa Romeo cars to have in the garage--hallmarks of a true petrolhead.