POCOPHONE, a new sub-brand from Xiaomi, made its debut today with the launch of the POCOPHONE F1 smartphone! Here are the full details!
Xiaomi Unveils The POCOPHONE F1 Smartphone!
Created by a highly-experienced team within Xiaomi, POCOPHONE seeks to redefine the smartphone experience by offering the ultimate performance with no frills.
Its very first smartphone unveiled today is the POCOPHONE F1, which features the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 platform, a LiquidCool Technology cooling system, up to 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage and a long-lasting 4000 mAh battery.
The new powerhouse will be available at an irresistible price tag of just RM 1,237 (~US$ 309) here in Malaysia on 30th August.
The POCOPHONE F1
POCOPHONE F1 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with a highly-efficient LiquidCool Technology cooling system, which is 300% more effective than conventional, non-liquid cooling solutions.
The POCOPHONE F1 also features a 4000 mAh battery that can sustain 8 hours of non-stop gaming. Coupled with 6 GB of LPDDR4x memory and up to 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage, the POCOPHONE F1 easily achieves an AnTuTu score that exceeds 290,000.
AI Dual Camera + 20 MP Front Camera
POCOPHONE F1 boasts an AI Dual Camera built around the 12 MP Sony IMX363 primary sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus. On the front, it deploys a 20 MP sensor featuring Super Pixel technology that combines the information of four pixels into one large 1.8 μm pixel for clearer images with less noise.
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Both the rear and front cameras are supported by AI features for photos, such as AI Portrait, AI Beautify, and AI Scene Detection.
It also comes with an infra-red illuminator and infra-red camera on the front, allowing the AI face unlock feature to securely unlock the device both in pitch-dark conditions as well as in bright daylight.
MIUI for POCOPHONE
MIUI has been deeply customized on POCOPHONE F1 for a lighter, faster, and smoother experience. it also introduces a system optimization feature called “turbocharged engine”, This allows the POCOPHONE F1 to deliver faster app startups, faster gaming performance, as well as a faster swiping experience due to enhancements in the screen response and animation frame rate.
It also features a new POCOPHONE Launcher, with an app drawer that can automatically categorize apps. Based on Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI for POCOPHONE also prioritizes security with regular patches and updates from Google. It will receive the Android P update in the near future.
POCOPHONE F1 Price + Availability + Offers
Starting from 30 August 2018, POCOPHONE F1 will be available in two versions at the following pricing :
6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage : RM 1,237 / ~US$ 309, available on Lazada
6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage : RM 1,428 / ~US$ 357, available at Authorised Mi Stores and Lazada.
Effective 10 September when the SST kicks in though, they will be repriced at :
6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage : RM 1,299 / ~US$ 325, available on Lazada
6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage : RM 1,499 / ~US$ 375, available at Authorised Mi Stores and Lazada.
Both versions will come in two colours, Graphite Black and Steel Blue.
To celebrate the release of POCOPHONE F1 in Malaysia, Xiaomi Malaysia will hold a special promotion at the new Mid Valley Authorised Mi Store on 30 August 2018. The first 200 customers to purchase POCOPHONE F1 will receive a free Mi Sports Bluetooth Earphones (RRP: RM 93) and a game holder.
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The ASUS ZenFone 5Z smartphone is almost here! We had earlier shared the leaked price of the 6GB ZenFone 5Z. We can now confirm the ASUS ZenFone 5Z price and availability of both the 6GB and 8GB models! Check out the full details below!
ASUS ZenFone 5Z
The ASUS ZenFone 5Z is a extreme-performance dual-camera smartphone, with a 6.2-inch all-screen display with a 90% screen-to-body ratio.
It is powered by the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile platform, with the Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE). Launch with a base price of €479 / $499, it will come with up to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash storage.
Its dual-camera system is built around the latest flagship Sony IMX363 sensor with large 1.4µm pixels, an f/1.8 wide-aperture lens, 120° wide-angle secondary camera, four-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) and AI-enhanced camera features.
In our exclusive interview with top ASUS officials, we were told that the ASUS ZenFone 5Z was in short supply due to high global demand, and would only launch in Malaysia in early Q3 2018. Well, it’s about time!
Thank Lazada For The ASUS ZenFone 5Z Price Leaks!
Even though we have no word when ASUS will officially launch the ASUS ZenFone 5Z, Lazada Malaysia “accidentally” leaked the 6 GB and 8 GB ASUS ZenFone 5Z price list :
8 GB with 256 GB of storage :RM 2,299
6 GB with 128 GB of storage :RM 1,899
As you can see, this page was created by the official ASUS store on Lazada, so the leaked price is completely legit!
The leaked 6GB ZenFone 5Z price of RM 1,899 is RM 50 cheaper than the price in India, while the 8GB ZenFone 5Z price of RM 2,299 is RM 75 cheaper.
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ASUS ZenFone 5Z Availability
We learned from a reputable source that ASUS will officially launch the ZenFone 5Z on 30 July 2018.
Instead of a physical launch event, it will be live streamed. Sale of both models will kick off on the same day. ASUS Malaysia just confirmed this today!
ASUS ZenFone 5Z Specifications
Here is a comparison of the ASUS ZenFone 5Z against the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) and two ZenFone 5 Lite models.
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The new ASUS ZenFone 5 (ZE620KL) takes on the recently-launched Honor 10 and Huawei nova 3e (P20 Lite) smartphones. How well will it do against them? Let’s find out!
The ASUS ZenFone 5 Family
ASUS launched the ZenFone 5 family of smartphones at CES 2018, consisting of the ZenFone 5Z, the ZenFone 5, the ZenFone 5 Lite and the ZenFone Max Pro M1.
Here is a comparison of their key specifications :
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Unboxing The ASUS ZenFone 5 (ZE620KL)
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) comes in a premium dark blue box. ASUS made some variants Be sure to check the label on the bottom for the actual model (ZE620KL), and specifications, including the colour of the device inside (Meteor Silver).
The complete ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) kit will consist of the following items :
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One ASUS ZenFone 5 (ZE620KL) smartphone
One ASUS ZenFone 5 soft TPU bumper case
One set of ASUS ZenFone 5 User Guide + Warranty Information
One set of ASUS ZenEar Pro Hi-Res Audio earphones + spare earbuds
One 10 W ASUS USB charger + USB Type C cable
One SIM tray ejector pin
The inclusion of the ASUS ZenEar Pro earphones are a really nice touch. They support Hi-Res Audio and have a gold-plated jack. Note that the TPU bumper case is an optional freebie that may not be available in other countries / regions.
ASUS ZenFone 5 (ZE620KL) Up Close!
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, just like the ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Price Check). It has 4 GB of the latest LPDDR4X memory, and 64 GB of internal flash storage.
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) comes with a large 6.2″ IPS display, with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels. The ultra-wide 18:9 aspect ratio and bezel-less design allow ASUS to fit this 6.2 display in the form factor of a traditional 5.5″ smartphone. Believe it or not – it is actually smaller in size than the ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Price Check), which has a smaller 6″ display!
ASUS ZenFone 5 (ZE620KL) Tech Briefing
Li Huai Pin, ASUS Malaysia Business Development Manager, explains the key features of the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check), while Andrew Chan, Senior Manager of the ASUS Global Product Team, showcases the photographic capabilities of the ZenFone 5.
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The ZenFone 5 Cameras
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) has an 8 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens. This should offer better low-light performance, which would be useful since it does not come with an LED flash.
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) has dual cameras at the back. The main camera has a 12 MP Sony IMX363 sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus capability, and 4-axis, 4-stops optical image stabilisation. This camera has a fast and bright f/1.8 lens, which means great performance in low-light conditions.
The secondary camera is a 120° wide-angle camera designed for group shots. It has an 8 MP sensor, which is very likely from Omnivision, and is paired with f/2.2 lens. Both cameras are supported by a single LED flash.
Fingerprint Sensor + Face Unlock
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) has a Goodie FP fingerprint sensor built into the back. It is a fast and accurate sensor that takes 13 finger presses to register a fingerprint, and less than a second to identify it. It is rated with a 0.3 second unlock speed, and supports up to 5 fingerprints.
Its rear location allows you to quickly unlock the smartphone with your fingerprint, but prevents it from being unlocked while it is in a car mount. This is where its Face Unlock feature comes in handy.
Face Unlock uses the front camera and facial recognition algorithms to authenticate your identity, so it will work even with the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) mounted on your car’s dashboard.
Hybrid SIM Tray
To keep the ZenFone 5 compact, ASUS opted for a hybrid SIM tray. This allows you to use a second nano SIM card, or add a microSD card. You can’t use two nano SIM cards with a microSD card though. The good news is – the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) comes with 64 GB of internal flash storage, so there is plenty of storage space for your apps, photos and videos.
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Display Notch
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) has a Full HD+ display, with an aspect ratio of 18.8:9 and a resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels. It features the display notch made popular by the iPhone X, albeit much smaller in size. This gives it a lot more space for notification icons.
Although the notification icons nearest to the notch can appear “cut-off”, the ZenFone 5 is smart enough to work around the notch. In games and applications that don’t support the notification area, it just displays the main 1080 x 2160 section.
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LTE + WiFi Capabilities
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, whose X12 LTE modem is capable of :
LTE Cat12 downlink speeds of up to 600 Mbps
LTE Cat13 uplink speeds of up to 150 Mbps
802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) capability
Unlike the ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Price Check),the ZenFone 5 supports the full LTE and WiFi capabilities of the Snapdragon 636 platform.
AI Ringtone + AI Call
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) has AI Ringtone – a feature that every smartphone should have! It will dynamically adapt the ringtone volume to the ambient noise level. This relieves you of the need to keep adjusting the ringtone volume, and ensures that you will never miss that important call, or needlessly disturb your partner or baby at night!
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) uses two additional microphones to monitor ambient noise levels. The data is used to cancel out the ambient noise when you make calls, so your voice will always be heard clearly, even in noisy environments.
Hi-Res Audio
Audio is an oft-neglected aspect of modern smartphones. The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) supports Hi-Res Audio playback (sadly, not recording). It even comes with Hi-Res Audio-capable ASUS ZenEar Pro earbuds, so you can enjoy 24-bit / 192 kHz audio on the go!
There is also another advantage in using earphones – the ZenFone 5 supports DTS HeadphoneX, which delivers 7.1 channel virtual surround sound over earphones / headphones. Now you can enjoy a truly immersive experience with your movies and games!
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) also boasts two 5-magnet speakers with metal coils, and 36″ larger sound chambers (compared to the ZenFone 4). These stereo speakers are driven by the latest NXP 9874 low-distortion smart amplifiers, delivering a louder and richer audio output.
BoostMaster Battery With AI Charging
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) has a 3,300 mAh lithium-ion battery with BoostMasterfast charging capability. In fact, it supports up to 18 W fast charging, even though it only comes with a 10 W fast charger.
Even with the 10 W charger, it only needs a quick 5 minute charge to gain 2 hours of talk time. A 38 minutes charge would get the battery up to 60% capacity. If you need even faster charging, you can upgrade to an 18 W charger.
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) also supports AI Charging, a feature that doubles the lifespan of its battery! It accomplishes this feat by intelligently maintaining the battery at 80% capacity throughout the night, and only charging it to 100% just before you wake up in the morning.
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Setting Up The ASUS ZenFone 5
Setting up the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) is easy, and takes no more than 10 minutes if you are setting it up as a new device. The Goodix FX fingerprint sensor was fast and accurate, so it was a breeze to setup.
Ergonomics
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) is a surprisingly small device. It is actually smaller than the ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Price Check) which has a smaller display! Not surprisingly, it is thinner and weighs just 165 g. It is a better fit for those with smaller hands and pockets.
The 6.2″ Super IPS+ display is bright and vivid, with 500 nits of maximum brightness, and a wide 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut. The non-standard 18:9 aspect ratio of. the main display section, while useful in giving you more screen space, will result in some pillarboxing for movies.
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Available Memory + Storage
For a mid-range smartphone, the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) comes with rather large memory and storage capacities. It has 4 GB of LPDDR4X memory, of which 1.9 GB (47.5%) is available for use. That’s plenty to run several memory-guzzling apps at the same time. In fact, the ZenFone 5 has more free memory than the Samsung Galaxy S9!
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) comes with 64 GB of eMMC 5.1 flash storage, of which just over 51 GB (80%) is available for use. That’s enough for over 12,000 photos, or 5.5 hours of 1080p videos, or 2.5 hours of 4K videos.
If you see the storage type listed as eMCP, that’s short for Multi-Chip Package. It merely means the eMMC flash storage was combined with the LPDDR4X memory in a single package to allow for thinner form factors.
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Camera Performance – Photos
ASUS used the excellent 12 MP Sony IMX363 sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus capability, with a secondary 120° wide-angle camera that is most likely using an 8 MP Omnivision sensor.
Photos from the main camera have a 4:3 aspect ratio, with 4032 × 3024 pixels and an average file size of between 2 MB and 3 MB.
Photos from the wide-angle secondary camera have a 4:3 aspect ratio, with 3264 × 2448 pixels and an average file size of between 4 MB and 5 MB.
Here are 10 high-resolution samples from the main 12 MP camera for you to check out. Click on them to load the full-sized photos, which you can also download to examine.
As you can see, the camera itself is excellent – it can really produce really awesome photos. The detail and image quality is simply quite amazing.
However, we noticed that it has trouble focusing on objects that are in close proximity. A laser sensor (used in previous ASUS smartphones) would have helped, but we didn’t see the cheaper ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Price Check) did not have similar issues.
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Camera Performance – Video Recording
Despite its humble price point, the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) supports 4K video recording. Surprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be a time-limit for 4K video recording, although the file size for each clip is still limited to 4 GB.
Video Recording Test #1 : Piano (1080p)
The ZenFone 5’s 4-axis optical image stabilisation is simply amazing. It works almost as well as a dedicated gimbal, giving you a silky smooth video. The audio recording, while not Hi-Res Audio, is good, with a wider range and richer tone than we have seen in other smartphones of the same price range.
The only downside – the highlights are overblown. Note how the interior of the Padini Concept Store in the background is completely “white out”.
Video Recording Test #2 : Piano (4K)
The 4K resolution is amazing, but the highlights are noticeably overblown. There is a little more jerkiness because the electronic image stabilisation is less effective at this high resolution.
Video Recording Test #3 : Street Market (1080p)
The 4-axis image stabilisation is just amazing. It ironed out most of the shaking in this video walkthrough of the street market. But note again the blown highlights.
Video Recording Test #4 : Street Market (4K)
The 4K resolution is really awesome, but there is noticeably more shaking. The electronic image stabilisation is obviously having trouble coping with the high resolution.
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Work Performance – PCMark
We tested the ZenFone 5’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) has a 3,300 mAh battery, which gave it a battery life of just under 10.5 hours. This gave it a clear 13-15% advantage in battery life over the Samsung Galaxy S9 (Price Check) and Honor 10 (Price Check).
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Battery Recharging Performance
The ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) supports 18W charging, but only comes with a 10W fast charger. Take a look at how fast it recharged its 3,300 mAh battery.
It took the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) 104.5 minutes (1 hours 44.5 minutes) to recharge its battery from 20% to 100%. This gives it a battery life : recharging ratio of just under 6:1.
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Gaming Performance – 3DMark
We tested the ZenFone 5’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.
It boasts a larger, brighter 6.2″ display with Gorilla Glass protection in a smaller, thinner and lighter form factor; with the full LTE and WiFi capabilities of the Snapdragon X12 modem. To top it off, it has a really good Sony IMX363 main camera with fast f/1.8 lens and 4-axis optical image stabilisation.
We can see why the main camera scored a DXOmark score of 93. ASUS basically put a flagship-class camera into this midrange smartphone. Best of all, they did not cripple it to protect their flagship ZenFone 5Z – you can record 4K video with no restrictions!
It also has surprisingly good audio recording quality, and very good optical image stabilisation performance. If you want to record silky-smooth video without using a gimbal, the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) is a great choice.
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It’s not perfect, to be sure. Its excellent video recording capability is marred by overblown highlights; and its camera has trouble focusing on objects in close proximity. But seriously – did you even expect to find a flagship-class camera at this price point?
That brings us to deal closer – its unbelievable launch price of RM 1,299 / US$ 326. For a fraction of what you would pay for any flagship device, you get a great combination of good performance, great display, and an excellent camera with optical image stabilisation.
For those reasons, the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) deserves our Editor’s Choice Award! Great work, ASUS!
Price + Availability
Here is the official announcement on the Malaysian price and offers for the ASUS ZenFone 5 and ZenFone Max Pro M1 smartphones.
Here’s a summary of the recommended retail prices :
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At MWC 2018, ASUS CEO Jerry Shen unveiled three new ASUS ZenFone 5 Series smartphones, as well as the ZenFone Max (M1). Get the low-down on these new smartphones, and watch the full ASUS ZenFone 5 launch event!
The ASUS ZenFone 5 Launch Event
The ASUS ZenFone 5Z and the ASUS ZenFone 5 are both 6.2-inch dual-camera smartphones, and the first ZenFone models to harness the power of artificial intelligence, and feature all-screen displays with a 90% screen-to-body ratio.
The ASUS ZenFone 5 Lite, on the other hand, is a 6-inch smartphone with a quad camera system!
ASUS ZenFone 5Z
The ASUS ZenFone 5Z is a extreme-performance dual-camera smartphone, with a 6.2-inch all-screen display with a 90% screen-to-body ratio.
It is powered by the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile platform, with the Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE). Priced at just €479, it will come with up to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash storage.
Its dual-camera system is built around the latest flagship Sony IMX363 sensor with large 1.4µm pixels, an f/1.8 wide-aperture lens,120° wide-angle secondary camera, four-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) and AI-enhanced camera features.
ASUS ZenFone 5
The “standard” ASUS ZenFone 5 is the first smartphone in the world to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 mobile platform.
Like the ZenFone 5Z, it also has a dual-camera system built around the latest flagship Sony IMX363 sensor with large 1.4µm pixels, an f/1.8 wide-aperture lens,120° wide-angle secondary camera, four-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) and AI-enhanced camera features.
ASUS ZenFone 5 Lite
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The ASUS ZenFone 5 Lite features the world’s first true four-camera system. That quad-camera system consists of a high-resolution camera and a 120° wide-angle camera on both front and rear aspects! Unlike rival systems, each camera works independently.
The 6-inch Full HD+ IPS display has a Full View 18:9 aspect ratio and an ultra-slim bezel, making it as compact as a standard-aspect-ratio 5.5-inch phone. The ZenFone 5 Lite runs on the Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform, and has a 3300 mAh battery.
ASUS ZenFone Max (M1)
The ASUS ZenFone Max (M1) is the latest model in the new ZenFone Max Series. This is the (slightly) smaller brother of the ZenFone Max Plus M1 smartphone that launched in December 2017.
The ZenFone Max has a 5.5-inch full-view display, yet comes packed with a high-capacity 4000 mAh battery. It also boasts dual rear cameras with 120° wide-angle lens, and fingerprint-based unlocking.
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