An Asus device with the codename of Z012D has got the thumbs up at Wi-Fi Alliance certification agency. Earlier, we’ve seen Asus Z012D make an appearance on geekbench and gfxbench listings too, and it’s allegedly believed to be none other than the Zenfone 3. Which model though, well, that’s not a sure thing right now.

This news is good to hear, though, as it means that the device is nearing its release, and is going through the final touches.

It should be noted that Wi-Fi certificate (the image above) lists the Wi-Fi component as WCN3680B under ‘Hardware Version’. Our little research shows that the said component WCN3680B is found on Snapdragon 600 line of processors. See the image below.

zenfone 3 z012D

Now, both Zenfone 3 and the bigger Zenfone 3 Ultra feature a SD600 CPU, with the regular Z3 using a SD625 chip while Z3Ultra employs SD652. (If you are wondering, the Zenfone 3 deluxe is powered by SD820 chip.)

Because Zenfone 3 is regular, and thus should be up for testing before other variants, we believe the Asus Z012B is the regular Zenfone 3.

So, what could be the expected release date of Z3 then? Well, the Zenfone 3 could release this month.