Today, the smartphone that's a top contender among Android enthusiasts, the ASUS ZenFone 6, finally went on sale in the United States. ASUS first announced its latest ZenFone flagship back in mid-May, but for unspecified reasons, the smartphone's U.S. launch is finally happening nearly 3 months later in early August. Since the initial launch, ASUS has already released a bootloader unlock tool, uploaded the kernel source code, started a limited developer program, and issued multiple software updates. Now that customers in India and Europe have already had a crack at the latest ZenFone, those of you in the U.S. get to see what real-world reviews are like before making a purchasing decision. Apart from the Red Magic 3, none of the other decent "2019 value flagships" are available in the U.S., so your options are fairly limited in this price segment anyway.
What does the ZenFone 6 bring to the table? At a starting price of $499 for the base model, you get a smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6GB RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 6.4-inch notchless LCD panel, dual 48MP primary and 13MP ultra wide-angle cameras in a flip module, a 5,000mAh battery, and a fairly clean software build in ZenUI 6 based on Android 9 Pie. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles from the ROG Phone II, but its features are incredibly compelling for its price point.
Starting today, you can purchase the base 6/64 model for $499, but we're told the 6/128 in Midnight Black, the 8/256 in Midnight Black or Twilight Silver, and the Special Edition 12/512 in Matte Black will become available in 2-3 weeks. ASUS says the ZenFone 6 is compatible with GSM network carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T, and the LTE band support is a bit different than the international model since the "C" variant is being sold in the U.S. Interestingly, the phone's SIM card tray supports dual nano SIMs and a microSD card, a combination which is exceptionally rare in the U.S.
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If you're interested in modding the ASUS ZenFone 6, then you should check out our forums for the device. A decent Google Camera port is already available, and official LineageOS 16 support should be announced fairly soon. Other custom ROMs and kernels are also in development, so keep an eye out on the forums for more details. Android Q beta testing is also in progress, so we should see an official build drop sometime later this year.
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Specifications |
ASUS ZenFone 6 |
|---|---|
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Dimensions and Weight |
6.3" x 3.0" x 0.4";0.4lbs |
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Display |
6.4-inch FHD+ (19.5:9, 1080×2340) LCD, full-screen design;92% screen-to-body ratio, Gorilla Glass 6 |
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SoC |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 7nm processOcta-core (1 x 2.84GHz, 3 x 2.41GHz, 4 x 1.78GHz) |
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RAM and Storage |
6GB + 64GB, 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB |
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MicroSD expandability |
Yes, dedicated microSD slot |
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Connectivity |
GPS, WiFi 2.4G/5G 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, BT 5.0DC-HSPA+ (DL/UL): 42/5.76 Mbps ; up to LTE DL 5CA (DL/UL) 1200/150 Mbps; 4CA (DL/UL) 800/150 Mbps, LTE 3CA (DL/UL) 600/150 Mbps; LTE 2CA (DL/UL): 400/75 Mbps 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Band 5/8/3/2)3G: UMTS(WCDMA) Band 1/2/3/4/5/6/8/194G: FDD-LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/26/28TD-LTE Band 38/39/41(2535 ~2655MHz)/46 |
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Battery |
5000 mAh with 18W Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 fast charging, OTG battery charging |
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USB |
Type-C |
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3.5mm headphone jack |
Yes |
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Fingerprint Scanner |
Rear-mounted |
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Rear Camera |
|
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Front Camera |
No (rear camera flips to the front) |
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Android Version |
Near-stock Android 9 Pie |
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Colors |
Midnight Black, Twilight Silver, Matte Edition 30 |