Asus might not be known to some, but the Taiwanese company is doing some eye-catching stuff in the smartphone industry worth talking about. Part of the interesting things Asus is doing is the recent launch of Asus ZenFone 6, the successor to the impressive ZenFone 5 series and the first phone to defy the ordinary by rocking a motorized 180-degree flip-up camera module.
The ZenFone 6 has a huge edge-to-edge display screen that has no blemish and thus managing a screen-to-body ratio of 92%. Unfortunately, it’s still an LCD panel, but Asus makes up for this by adding support for HDR10, DCI-P3, 96% NTSC color gamut, Corning Gorilla Glass 6, Bluelight filter for eye care, brightness of up to 600 nits, and even support for glove touch.
It gets even better on the inside, with things like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset and a massive 5000mAh battery among the goodies stashed in there, but that’s not all.
If you are in the market for the new Asus ZenFone 6, this page has everything you’d like to know about the device, including the latest and developing news, full specifications of the device, pricing and availability, and even the state of Android Q update, among other stuff.
Related → Why Asus ZenFone 6 is making prospective OnePlus 7 Pro buyers think twice
Latest news
June 08, 2019: Asus has confirmed that they will be launched the ZenFone 6 in India as Asus 6Z, with the unveiling set for June 19.
FYI, India’s Delhi High Court recently banned Asus from using the ZenFone trademark in the country. While Asus will be fighting to claim the ZenFone brand name, the decision to release the Asus ZenFone 6 as Asus 6Z makes sense to us — after all, the ZenFone 6 is an incredible device for various reasons, including that amazing flip camera that continues to impress us.
May 22, 2019: Fresh off launching the ZenFone 6, Asus has something more for those who buy this phone and would like to fully unlock the power this thing has. As of this writing, you can already download the bootloader unlock tool and kernel source code for the device.
As usual, it’s worth noting that with an unlocked bootloader, your phone won’t be eligible for any warranties. Also, you won’t receive regular OTA updates from Asus.
The two files can be downloaded from the links below:
⇒ ZenFone 6 downloads: Bootloader unlock tool | Kernel source code
Specifications
- 6.4-inch 19.5:9 FHD+ (2340×1080) LCD display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor
- 6GB or 8GB RAM
- 64GB, 128GB or 256GB UFS 2.1 expandable storage, up to 2TB
- Dual-lens Flip Camera: 48MP (f/1.79, 79° wide, Laser/PDAF) + 13MP (f/2.4, 125° ultra-wide)
- Main camera modes: Auto (with HDR+ Enhanced), Portrait, (Auto) Panorama, Super Night, Pro (RAW file support, up to 32 seconds long exposure), AI Scene Detection in 16 types (food, sky, green field, plant, ocean, sunset, snow, flower, stage, dog, cat, people, text, tripod, QR code, night view), and 8 various filters
- Front camera modes: Auto (with HDR+ Enhanced), Portrait, Pro (RAW file support, up to 32 seconds long exposure), and 8 various filters
- Video recording: 4K at 30/60fps for main camera, at 30fps for the second camera, 1080p at 30/60fps, 720p at 30fps, 3-axis EIS, Motion tracking (1080p at 60fps), Time Lapse (4K), Slow Motion (1080p at 240fps, 720p at 480fps), and ability to take still photos while recording videos
- 5000mAh battery
- Android 9 Pie with ZenUI 6
- Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack, Stereo dynamic speakers, NFC, Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face recognition, Smart Key, Quick Charge 4.0, etc.
On paper, Asus ZenFone 6 is a great piece of hardware, but we all know a phone is more than just the specs. For anyone looking to stand out, this device will ensure you do thanks to the motorized flip-up camera that is the first of its kind on a smartphone.
Release date
Asus unveiled the ZenFone 6 in mid-May 2019 and will begin selling in Europe on May 23. The phone’s predecessor was sold in the U.S. and similarly, we expect the 2019 edition to get a nod around here too, although as an unlocked model.
Unfortunately, it’s still unknown when exactly Asus will bring this phone to the U.S., but it does mention a summer availability on the official Asus U.S. website.
Price
Asus phones are known to command great value for money and the ZenFone 6 is no different. In Europe, the phone has a price tag of €500, which is the same price the ZenFone 5Z was valued at launch.
If anything, it’s possible the ZenFone 6 will arrive in the U.S. priced at $500, same as the ZenFone 5Z when it launched in the country. Asus will reveal the official U.S. pricing when the phone is unveiled this summer.
The best selfie camera
Usually, camera lenses that appear on the back of any phone are powerful and much better than the front-facing camera. This is something ZenFone 6 users don’t get to deal with thanks to the fact that the device uses the same lenses regardless of whether its a selfie or not, which means you get the same quality photos on either end.
This makes the device the best in matters selfies, something that folks at DxOMark have approved with a score of 98, the highest ever for any smartphone selfie camera. The Galaxy S10 5G and S10+ are now too far away with scores of 97 and 96, respectively.
Android Q update
The ZenFone 6 runs Android 9 Pie out of the box with ZenUI 6 on top. Being a high-end phone, it will be updated to Android Q and in fact, it should be given the first priority ahead of the outgoing ZenFone 5 series.
Furthermore, Asus has committed to provide an update to Android R when it arrives as well as a minimum of two years of security updates, but on a bi-monthly basis.
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