Asus ZenFone 2 Release Date: Two New Versions Rumored, Will Feature Similar Specs, Affordable Price Tag

Considered as one of the most popular smartphones today, the Asus ZenFone 2 was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. During the event, press people were surprised to see such an affordable device with high-end specs.

But before the ZenFone 2 makes a splash in March, a new report claims that the Taiwan-based manufacturer is preparing two more smartphones that boast similar specs.

According to a report by Phone Arena, Asus itself announced that it would soon release two separate handsets that have similar specs compared to the Zenfone 2. 

In the report, the two devices feature separate chipsets - one with Qualcomm's Snapdragon while the other one is run by a MediaTek-made chipset. Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no specific details which chipsets the two devices would get. 

The two versions may have similar specs and features, but the Snapdragon version is reportedly priced lower than the Zenfone 2. In comparison, the MediaTek edition is allegedly aimed at the Indian market where 3G connections are still popular. 

In the report, the Snapdragon edition will be launched during the second quarter, while the Mediatek version is said to be released in the latter part of the year.

Meanwhile, Asus plans to sell millions of smartphones this year, and the Zenfone 2 is definitely a step in the right direction. In the report, the Taiwanese manufacturer is aiming at 17 million smartphones sold throughout the year. 

That goal may not be feasible with such a minor player in the smartphone niche, but with the right phones, the company may actually turn things around. The Zenfone 2 is one tangible example. 

In spite having an affordable price tag, the device packs a 5.5-inch display with Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, an Intel Atom Z3580 chipset and a whopping 4GB of RAM. 

The camera department is also top-notch with its 13-megapixel primary shooter and 5MP front cam. The phone runs on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop, has 64GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, and a 3,000mAh battery.

Last year, Asus wow-ed the mobile industry when it announced the Zenfone 4, Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 6. It has since then banked on the success of these smartphones to push itself higher in the bid for Android supremacy.

The Zenfone 2 is said to be available in selected markets next month, while other countries including the US would get the phone by April.