Asus Reveals New Tablets, Phone and Smartwatch at Computex 2015

Computex trade show at Taipei has always been the place where the Taiwanese manufacturers show off their new and best products. The most prominent name this time was Asus. Asus used the occasion to reveal several new devices that have been in the rumor-mill for quite some time now. We have rounded up all the Asus announcements from the Computex 2015 event.

ZenPad Tablets

ZenPad is Asus’s new tablet brand. After seeing success of the Zen brand in everything from laptops to wearables, Asus has announced a series of new ZenPad Tablets that come for almost all market segments.

All of the ZenPad tablets have their own sets of accessories and come in LTE variants as well. The tablets’ sizes vary from 7-inches to 10.1-inches. Asus specifically detailed the 8-inch models which will have the same internals as the other sized tablets.

ZenPad S 8.0

The ZenPad S 8.0 is the high-end model in the new series of tablets. The tablet comes with an 8-inch QuadHD IPS display with 4:3 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2048×1536, much more suited to browse the web than playing videos.

It has a metallic finish with a hairline pattern and diamond cut edges. It also features dual speakers on both sides of the tablet’s display. Overall, the ZenPad S 8.0 weighs just 298g and is just 6.6mm thick.

The internals consist of some high-end offerings from Intel. Similar to the ZenFone 2, the tablet utilizes a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 processor ticking at 2.3GHz and 4GB of RAM to ensure top-notch performance. The internal storage sizes available are 16GB and 32GB. The tablet features an 8MP rear and a 5MP front camera.

A unique addition is support for USB Type C Connector which is a great step by Asus since that’s the connector of the future. The ZenPad S 8.0 runs on Android Lollipop based Zen UI with some specific enhancements for the tablets. There’s an optional Z Stylus that can sense 1024 levels of pressure and up to 1.2mm size writing tips.

Asus ZenPad S 8.0” Specifications

• CPU: Quad-core 2.3 Ghz
• GPU: PowerVR GPU
• Chipset: 64-bit Intel Atom 3580
• OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop based Zen UI
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE (optional)
• Design: Metallic hairline finish
  • Weight: 298g
• Display: 8” with QHD (2048×1536) resolution (320ppi)
  • Scratch-resistant glass
• Memory:
  • RAM: 4 GB RAM
  • Internal: 16 GB / 32 GB
  • Card slot: TBA
• Camera:
  • Primary: 8 MP with 1080p video, HDR and autofocus
  • Secondary: 5 MP
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC, LTE(optional)
• Battery: 15.2 Wh
• Price: TBA

ZenPad 7, 8 and 10.1

ZenPad S 8.0 is the only high-end offering from Asus. The other three tablets are mid-rangers with a lot of additional unique features which focus on productivity.

The lower sized ZenPad 7 and 8 offer removable leather back covers. The company offers black, white, silver, light green, and orange color options. Point to note here is that only the central part of the cover is removable. The covers feature a diamond pattern on the back and in no way look cheap.

The 7 and 8-inch tablets come with a 5.1 channel sound cover which provides superior sound quality by connecting to the cover via Bluetooth. There are the additional clutch style covers and a battery extending cover that will add a whopping 6 hours of battery life to the smaller tablets taking it up to 15 hours of usage. Both models are just 8.5mm thick. The 10-inch model gets a keyboard dock with additional speakers to improve productivity.

The internals are where all the three tablets get together. All three tablets will come with a 1280×800 HD IPS display. Most versions of the tablets will run on Intel Atom x3- C3200 and Mali-450 MP4 graphics. The RAM is stated to be 1 or 2GB depending on the version while the internal storage is listed as 8 or 16GB expandable via microSD card. All tablets feature 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera.

Asus ZenPad  7”,8”,10.1” Specifications

• CPU: Quad-core 1.8 Ghz
• GPU: Mali 450 MP4/PowerVR G6430(LTE)
• Chipset: 64-bit Intel Atom x3-C3200(Wi-Fi)/x3-C3230(3G)/Atom 3560(LTE)
• OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop based Zen UI
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE (optional)
• Design: Diamond chequered pattern
  • Thickness: 8.5mm
• Display: 7”/8”/10.1” with1280x800p resolution
  • Scratch-resistant glass
• Memory:
  • RAM: 1/2 GB RAM
  • Internal: 8/16 GB
  • Card slot: microSD card support
• Camera:
  • Primary: 5 MP with 1080p video
  • Secondary: 2 MP
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, LTE(optional)
• Battery: TBA/9 hours of usage
• Price: TBA

Transformer Book T100HA

Asus also unveiled the successor to the Transformer Book T100TA 2-in-1 tablet at Computex 2015. The new model will come preloaded with Windows 10. The unique feature of these transformers is that they can convert from complete laptops to a proper tablet without any hassle. It is a much more advanced method than using cases or plain docks.

The transformer will come with a quad-core Intel Atom Cherry Trail x5 processor and 4GB of RAM. Internal storage has not been mentioned though. The transformer has a 8.5mm thick chassis and weighs just 580g. The latest version of the transformer laptop-cum-tablet is slated to last 14 hours of use. The tablet will come with a metallic finish and come in Silk White, Tin Grey, Aqua Blue and Rouge Pink color options.

As seen in the tablets, the transformer also supports USB Type C port for charging and connections. The transformer book will be released in Q3 of 2015.

Asus ZenWatch 2

After being criticized by some for the size, the ZenWatch 2 will be available in two sizes. One will be the same with a 41mm face and a 22mm band while the second one will feature a smaller 37mm face and an 18mm band. The display size has not been mentioned though. The watches will use OLED displays protected by 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3.

The smartwatches will be powered by Snapdragon chipsets, quite possibly the Snapdragon 400 like the predecessor. The new ZenWatch will also feature a crown with some new functionality that is yet to be revealed. The waterproofing has been improved and the watch is now IP67 certified translating to improved dust and water resistance. The cradle charging system has been replaced with a magnetic charging system at the back of the watch.

Asus Zenwatch 2 comes in two sizes and is rated for 3 to 4 days of usage

An Asus spokesperson has stated that the battery life has been doubled from what the original could achieve. This means that the battery will be able to last 3 to 4 days of usage. That’s not it, Asus has worked hard on making battery performance the main feature of the watch which is commonly referred to as “the Achilles heel of smartwatches”.

The watch will support additional battery add-ons that will attach to the magnetic charging port on the back. Each battery extender is expected to last half a day and users can carry as many of these extenders as they like. We applaud Asus for finding an alternative method of improving the battery lives on smartwatches.

On the software side, the watch will feature an improved Remote Camera app and a redesigned Wellness app. The watch will be available in silver, gunmetal and rose-gold and come with a variety of straps made of rubber, leather, or even metal.

Asus ZenFone Selfie

The selfie thing has gotten so crazy that manufacturers are now building selfie specific models, we’ll let you decide if it’s a good thing or not. The Asus Zenfone Selfie comes with a duo of 13MP cameras.

It has a 5.5-inch 1080p display and the specs are mostly the same as the ZenFone 2. The phone utilizes the Snapdragon 615 chipset, 2 to 4 GB of RAM, and 16/32/54 GB of internal storage options with microSD card support as well.

Now coming to the main part, the phone uses two 13MP cameras with dual LED flashes. The rear camera has a laser auto focus system while the front one has an 80-degree wide angle with a f2.2 lens. Just like any other selfie phone, the phone comes with beautification mode but with the newly added real time view. The phone also supports panoramic selfies.

The phone will be available in cyan, pink and white and will come with an optional accessory called Swing which can act as a kick stand or arm extender. Price and availability have not been detailed.

Zenfone Selfie Specifications

• CPU: 64-bit 1.5GHz quad-core and 1GHz quad-core Cortex-A53
• GPU: Adreno 406
• Chipset: Snapdragon 615
• OS: Android OS, v5.0 (Lollipop) based Zen UI
• Supported Networks: 4G LTE, HSPA
• Design:
  • Dimensions: 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 mm
  • Weight: 175 g
• Display:
  • IPS capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
  • FullHD(1920×1080) pixels 5.5 inches (~403 ppi pixel density)
• Memory:
  • RAM: 2/4GB DDR4
  • Internal: 16GB / 32GB / 64 GB
  • Card slot: microSD, up to 64GB
• Camera:
  • Primary: 13 MP 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
  • Secondary: 13 MP with dual-LED flash and panoramic selfies with beautification
• Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, MicroUSB v2.0, A-GPS/Glonass, Slimport
• Battery: Non-removable 3,000 mAh
• Price/Release Date: Not yet announced

Asus ProArt 32-inch 4K Monitor

Last but certainly not least is a new Asus 4K monitor. The ProArt PA329Q is a successor to last year’s PA328Q. It has a 32-inch screen but what’s unique is that the monitor supports complete Adobe color gamut, a huge deal for designers, photographers and anyone who needs accurate color reproduction for work.

The monitor comes with 4K resolution in the common 16:9 aspect ratio. The monitor also supports BT2020 / DCI-P3 colour space. The rest of the device remains the same and comes with one HDMI 2.0 port, two HDMI 1.4 ports, one DisplayPort 1.2, one Mini DisplayPort 1.2, and four USB 3.0 ports.

The display is of the same 10-bit variety and comes pre-calibrated from the factory. According to Asus, the monitor has full compatibility with all major hardware calibrators. The new monitor is expected to go on sale for about $2,200 which is a cheap in the land of professional 4K monitors.

Asus unveiled a lot of common accessories and gadgets that were not part of the keynotes but have been mentioned in a press release which is available here.