ASUS announced the ZenFone 3 Deluxe sometimes back alongside the rest of the ZenFone 3 series. However, this high-end variant of the ZenFone 3 series had not seen light just yet.
But this is no more as the Taiwanese company has took the decision to finally unveil the ZenFone 3 Deluxe to the world, but at the moment, it is only available in Taiwan. When ASUS announced the ZenFone 3 series, it was speculated that there was still a high-end version of the ZenFone 3 Deluxe coming – something that has indeed materialized.
Apparently, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe is actually the first smartphone in the world to come powered by the newest Snapdragon 821 SoC. This is an enhanced version of the current flagship Snapdragon 820, meaning you get a higher clock speed as well as enhanced performance in general. The company is selling the phone for a whopping $800, meaning it is about the same price as the Galaxy Note 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. As for the color variants, ASUS is selling the ZenFone 3 Deluxe in Gold and Silver color variants and while the latter variant will start shipping on September 12, the former will start shipping on September 23.
Boasting a huge 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display panel with a Full HD resolution of 1080p, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe also happens to pack a massive RAM of 6GB as well as onboard storage of 256GB. Despite the change in processor from Snapdragon 820 to 821, the graphics processing unit remains an Adreno 530. Still, there is no signs of Android 7.0 Nougat on the flagship as it comes preinstalled with last year’s Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, which is still a great driver for your day-to-day smartphone needs.
Camera-wise, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe went for a Sony-made IMX318 sensor that boasts 23 megapixels, laser autofocus, PDAF, OIS and an aperture of f/2.0. The front-facing panel has a capable 8MP snapper with an aperture of f/2.0 and ability to record up to 1080p videos. Being a dual-SIM phone, you will be happier if you are on different carriers, for various reasons. There is also support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology that ensures the 3000mAh battery unit is fully-charged in a shorter period. You also get a USB-C port as well as a fast-enough fingerprint scanner.
On paper, there is no doubt that the ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the most powerful Android handset on the planet, but this should only be proved with real-world tests once the phone is available in more markets.