As you probably know, Asus’ Zenfone 2 smartphones are powered by Intel processors, but we could see new variants show up in the future with Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets onboard. The Taiwanese giant has revealed that it’s listing both semiconductor companies to its supplier roster in a bid add more diversity.
The majority of Asus devices powered by Android are based on Intel processors and we’ve seen a few handsets show up with MediaTek chips as well. Focus Taiwan is reporting that the company’s CEO, Jerry Shen, revealed plans of launching a lower-priced Qualcomm-based variant of the Zenfone 2 sometime during Q2 of 2015.
The original Zenfone 2 handset is expected to go on sale in select Asian markets from next month and Asus will also be bringing it to the US, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Italy in April. While this is great news, potential customers in India won’t be getting the Intel powered phablet despite the previous lineup based on the Atom SOC being proven to be very successful.
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Instead, Asus plans to launch a new MediaTek powered lineup as a successor to Intel based models. Additionally, Notebook Italia has managed to get its hands on slides from the company’s investor meeting which has revealed information on a ZenPad tablet which could succeed the FonePad range, and other upcoming products such as the Chromebook (2015) and ZenBook Pro.
Asus Zenfone 2 specs:
– 5.5-inch 1080p FHD display w/ Gorilla Glass 3
– 2.3GHz quad core Intel Z3580 processor
– Android 5.0 Lollipop
– 16GB, 32GB, 64GB internal storage, microSD expandable
– 4GB RAM
– 13MP rear camera, 5MP front shooter
– 3000mAh battery
The MediaTek based Asus Zenfone 2 for the Indian market will arrive in the second half of 2015 and the company will be focusing a lot on Qualcomm models with around 40-50 percent of shipments based on the Snapdragon processor.