Asus has announced two new smartphones for the mid-range category. Both phones were unveiled yesterday in Brazil and are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon SiP 1, a new processor derived from a collaboration between Qualcomm Technologies (a subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc.), Universal Scientific Industrial (Shanghai), Ltd. (USI). ) and the Brazilian government.
This announcement comes to highlight the relationships that the company is doing and strengthening in Latin America, more than anything in the telephone segment, as it is well known that the brand does not have much presence in that segment.
Snapdragon SiP 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon SiP 1 processor
First, let's talk about the Snapdragon SiP 1: 'SiP' is short for 'System in Package, a new processor that integrates all major components in one package. So you have the application processor, modem, RF front end, audio codec, RAM, and storage in one single component.
The advantage it presents is a smaller motherboard, which boils down to slimmer devices. The extra space can be used for a larger battery or more components, such as an additional camera or a dedicated microSD card slot. It has been reported that RAM and storage can be changed on the same SiP.
The SiP 1, the processor found and debuted in new Asus devices, is said to be has the same specs as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450. It's a 14nm chipset with eight cores clocked at 1.8GHz with an Adreno 506 GPU.
Asus ZenFone Max Shot
Asus ZenFone Max Shot
The brand's new ZenFone Max Shot has a 6.26-inch diagonal FullHD + screen with a notch at the top center. It comes in two variants: 3 GB of RAM + 32 GB of ROM and 4 GB of RAM + 64 GB.
On the back of the phone is a Sony IMX486 primary sensor with 1.8 MP f / 12 aperture, an 8 MP ultra-wide angle camera at 120 ° and a 5 MP depth sensor. An LED flash is located below the triple camera setup. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The front of the Zenfone Max Shot is home to an 8-megapixel selfie camera with its own LED flash. The cameras have AI features, such as scene recognition.
The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo, which can be a bit disappointing for some users hoping to at least enjoy Android Pie. However, Asus says that Android Pie will be launched in the future for this terminal.
On the other hand, the Max Shot has a 4,000 mAh battery under its metal back and charges through a microUSB port (10W maximum).
Price and Availability
The device is priced at 1,349 Brazilian reais (~ 310 euros) for the 3GB RAM variant and 1,699 Brazilian reais (~ 391 euros) for the 4GB RAM variant.
It is available in red, blue, silver and black. It can be purchased through the company's official Brazilian website
ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M2
Asus ZenFone Max Plus M2
The ZenFone Max Plus M2 shares most of its specifications with the ZenFone Max Shot. However, it comes with only 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage space version.
The terminal has only two rear cameras- Sony IMX486 12 MP primary sensor and 5 MP depth sensor for capturing photos with bokeh effect. The selfie camera is also the same as that of the Zenfone Max Shot and so is the battery capacity. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Price and Availability
The Zenfone Max Plus M2 comes in red, black, blue and silver and It will be sold for 1,299 Brazilian reais (~ 300 euros). As well as the ZenFone Max Shot, the phone is now available for purchase on the official Asus Brazil website.