ASUS isn't in the top 5 in the smartphone space, but one area the company has excelled at is value-for-money. This is where ASUS really shines and where they're making a name for themselves. Last year, we got the ASUS ZenFone 5Z, a device that managed to put some heat under what some critics considered the value kings of 2018: the OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 6T. More recently, the company launched the ASUS ZenFone 6, again adopting that same low-price mantra to challenge devices like the OnePlus 7 Pro, while not being afraid to innovate with features like a camera that flips between the front and back of the device.

Asus ZenFone 6 XDA Forum

It turns out that the Taiwan-based company is also turning 30 this year, and they want to commemorate their birthday by launching a limited edition model of their latest ZenFone 6 smartphone. But how much better is it?

Specifications

ASUS ZenFone 6 Edition 30

Dimensions and Weight

159.1 x 75.4 x 9.2 mm;190 g

Display

6.4-inch FHD+ (19.5:9, 1080×2340) LCD, full-screen design;83.8% screen-to-body ratio, Gorilla Glass 6

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 7nm processOcta-core (1 x 2.84GHz, 3 x 2.41GHz, 4 x 1.78GHz)

RAM and Storage

12GB + 512GB

MicroSD expandability

Yes, dedicated microSD slot

Connectivity

GPS, WiFi 2.4G/5G 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, BT 5.0

Battery

5000 mAh w/ 18W fast charging

USB

Type-C

3.5mm headphone jack

Yes

Fingerprint Scanner

Rear-mounted

Rear Camera

48MP, autofocus + 13MP, ultrawide

Front Camera

No (rear camera flips to the front)

Android Version

Near-stock Android 9 Pie

Colors

Matte Black (Special Edition)

The ASUS ZenFone 6 30th Anniversary edition's main improvements over the regular ZenFone 6 comes down to the internals. While the standard ZenFone 6 comes in 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB configurations - the standard for most flagships nowadays - this special edition doubles down on storage/RAM configurations with a whopping 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. That's way more than you'll probably ever realistically need, but if you need more then the SD card slot is still there so you can add up to 1TB of additional storage space if you wish.

The other change you'll find is the color. The ZenFone 6 is available in plain glass-backed black and silver color options, while this special edition comes with a special matte black color option with a concentric-circle pattern on the back and a distinctly embossed, 30th-anniversary logo. It doesn't look that much different from a regular ZenFone 6, but the differences are subtly but markedly there.

As for the rest of the specifications, they're the same as the regular model. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform. The cameras are still the same 48MP main + 13MP wide-angle dual-lens module which flips to the front to replace the need for a dedicated front-facing camera. Hence, there's no notch on the display. Software-wise, don't expect any special features as it is running the same Android 9 Pie-based software build with minimal ZenUI additions. ASUS has trimmed down ZenUI a lot as it's now basically just stock Android.

We don't know when this special edition model will go on sale or its price but expect it to be at least a tad more expensive than a regular ZenFone 6. The current model is already an interesting package, and this special edition just makes things even better.

How do you like it? Let us know down below.