The ASUS ROG Phone 5 was launched earlier this year and it is the ultimate gaming smartphone with not just the most powerful smartphone processor you can find in a modern smartphone. We are talking about Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G platform here. But they squeeze up to 18GB of RAM into a smartphone. You are essentially getting the performance of a modern PC in the palm of your hands, and it still fits in your pockets.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 packed a fast display too. At 144Hz, it is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, smartphone display you can get in a modern smartphone. It also came with one of the fastest responding displays you can find in a modern smartphone as well at 240Hz of touch sampling rate.
While all of that made the ASUS ROG Phone 5 series one of the most powerful and desirable smartphones in the market, the recipe is not unique to ASUS’ ROG Phone 5 series. Other flagship smartphones started using the same recipe in their smartphones. You still will not get RAM sizes as big as 18GB in most flagships from major manufacturers. But you will get the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G platform and even up to 512GB of storage onboard. You also get up to 240Hz touch sampling rate with displays that refreshes at up to 120Hz in most cases.
Source: ASUS
The ASUS ROG Phone 5s series takes things up a notch in power though. It now packs a specially tuned Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset. They call it the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ platform and it is marginally more powerful that its Plain Jane counterpart.
That is not all they improved though. They also made the 144Hz display a little faster to the touch. Instead of 240Hz in touch sampling, it now responds at 360Hz for an even faster 24ms latency from touch to action. It is still a Full HD+ display that measures at 6.78-inc though.
You also get mostly the same hardware as the current ASUS ROG Phone 5. The behemoth 6,000 mAh battery is still present to ensure you can work with it the entire day. You still get the high-resolution 64-Megapixel shooter supported by a 5-Megapixel macro camera and 13-Megapixel ultra-wide camera. Out front is a 24-megapixel shooter still.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
We said that there is a series in the new line-up. That is because there will be two devices from the series – a regular ROG Phone 5s and an extreme ROG Phone 5s Pro. The difference between the two devices, at least in terms of visual, is found at the backplate. The regular ROG Phone 5s only packs the dot matrix RGB graphics at the back. The ROG Phone 5s Pro has the small OLED display that trickle down from the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Of course, the Pro also gets the 18GB RAM + 512GB storage treatment that was signature to the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Because the new ROG Phone 5s series shares similar dimensions with the original ROG Phone 5, you can use accessories that you have from the older ROG Phone 5 series.
ASUS says that the devices will launch on the 30th of September 2021 in Taiwan. The ASUS ROG Phone 5s (16GB + 256GB) starts at NTD 29,990 (MYR 4,559*). You can get the ROG Phone 5s in 512GB storage flavour too at NTD 33,390 (MYR 5,167*). The ROG Phone 5s Pro will set you back NTD 37,990 (MYR 5,773*) at launch. There are no specific dates for an international launch at this time. Considering that the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate just arrived in Malaysian shores, we think the ROG Phone 5s series might not come all that soon.
* Approximately based on exchange rate of NTD 100 = MYR 15.20 on xe.com as of 17/08/2021
ASUS’ ultimate smartphone that is over-engineered for gaming, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 actually launched earlier in the year. The device specifically launched in Malaysia in the month of March 2021. If you consider the ROG Phone 5 selling first in the beginning of March 2021, that was six months ago. We understand your confusion in this case.
While the ROG Phone 5 series did launch in March 2021 (even we wrote about it), there is one device in the series that has not been really on sale. That device is the ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, the ultimate iteration of ASUS’ ROG mobile gaming powerhouse. For months as well, there were no mentions of the device ever coming to Malaysia to the point that some thought that it was only a myth.
We now can assure you that the ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is real and will be reaching your hands very soon in August 2021. Like the launch in March 2021, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate will also be an online exclusive. It might as well be with the current condition in Malaysia.
Source: ASUS
Before we go into the pre-order details though, we have to talk about the device just to remind ourselves what the ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is, and why you might want one still.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 series is known to push smartphone hardware to absolute limit on paper. While all of them comes with Qualcomm’s most powerful System on a Chip (SoC) to date; the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, the most budget friendly variant of the device comes only with an 8GB RAM.
We say only, because one step up from that is a 16GB RAM option. 16GB RAM is a lot of memory for a smartphone, more than even Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra at its best. The Ultimate variant of the ASUS ROG Phone 5 comes with an even bigger memory module at 18GB. Why do you need 18GB of RAM for a smartphone? At this time, we do not know yet.
Its storage module is not as crazy though at 512GB in built-in storage for the Ultimate variant. The ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate also features something called ROG Vision, a customizable LED display embedded in the back plate of the device. As far as we can tell as well, everything else about the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is similar to the other devices in the range. They are still the most extreme on a modern smartphone though.
Source: ASUS
It has a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with the highest possible colour accuracy in a smartphone display that boasts Full HD+ in resolution. While that may not sound like a lot, the display refreshes at up to 144Hz, comparable to modern PC gaming monitors today. It also samples at 300Hz for a super-fast 1ms response on the display itself for near instant interaction with the interface and games.
It is also one of the only flagship spec devices that comes with a super large battery. It packs a 6,000mAh battery pack. That is as large as a small to medium sized powerbank today and is nearly double what regular smartphones pack today. You can charge other flagship smartphones with this mobile ROG powerhouse.
You could not get the ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate anywhere though, when the other ROG Phone 5 devices launched. Even Malaysia’s website says that the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is “Coming Soon” at the time of writing. It will not be “Coming Soon” for much longer though.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate will finally be available to buy in Malaysia from the 8th of August 2021 onward. Well, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate starts its pre-orders from that day all the way to the 21st of August 2021, to be specific. It will ship out toward the end of the month of August 2021 too. It will be priced at the anticipated price of MYR 4,999, which is no small amount of money for a smartphone that only comes in Matte White colour option.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Of course, you are not just buying the smartphone though, at that price. If you choose to wait this long and pre-order your ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, you are getting a treat from ASUS. You are eligible for an ROG Strix Go Core headphone in Moonlight White to match your ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate for free. You also get the Ultimate Fan Gift Box alongside your device. All in all, you are getting a total of MYR 1,099 worth of goods on top of your Ultimate gaming smartphone.
You can pre-order your ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate from ASUS’ official stores on Shopee and Lazada. Again, the device is exclusively available online at this time. As mentioned, the MYR 4,999 device will be available for pre-order from the 8th to 21st of August 2021. More information on the ASUS ROG Phone 5 is available from their website.
Businesses today are not conducted in the office anymore. Business deals are also not sealed in a meeting room most of the time these days. Instead, if you consider the 2020/2021 pandemic situation, businesses and deals are conducted and sealed at home. But even before that, businesses and deals are done outside of the office environment like coffee shops and even restaurants, public spaces.
Portable computing solutions like notebook PCs play a big role in the rising trend in moving out of the office to get your work done though. At the same time, laptops are also getting more sophisticated, especially when they start becoming more function specific. For example, the ASUS ExpertBook line-up that ASUS just launched are built specifically for the modern road warrior.
ASUS ExpertBook B1
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
A thin and light notebook PC does not need have to come with a heavy price tag. The prime example of an affordable thin and light notebook that is also versatile is the ASUS ExpertBook B1 (B1400 & B1500). They are thin (19.2mm for B1400, 19.4mm for B1500), and they are not exactly back breaking (1.45kg for B1400, 1.73kg for B1500). While they may not be the lightest laptops available today, you do have to remember that the B1400 ExpertBook B1 is a 14-inch notebook, while the B1500 ExpertBook B1 is a 15.6-inch notebook.
The display size is the only thing that separates the two notebooks in the series though. The ExpertBook B1 notebooks come with up to the 11th Generation Intel Core i7 1165G7, a powerful CPU with Integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. Alongside up to 8GB of RAM, the ExpertBook B1 makes short work of any sort of documents you need to get through for the day anywhere.
It is truly a laptop you can take anywhere with you with little worry that it will work in any condition. ASUS built the ExpertBook B1 to MIL—STD 810H military standards to ensure that it can withstand all the kinds of drops and bumps it will go through in its lifetime. At the same time, it has versatility like no other with a slew of I/O ports that could prove useful in a lot of conditions. It has a full HDMI port, an RJ45 LAN port, a USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port, three USB Type-A ports (2 x USB 3.2, 1 x USB 2.0) one MicroSD card reader, a VGA D-SUB port, and an Audio combo 3.5mm AUX jack.
Physical connection, while much appreciated is secondary these days when it comes to networking today. The ExpertBook B1 comes with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. These things mean that the ExpertBook B1 will have a stable and fast connection to any wireless internet line, or when you need to transfer data between two Bluetooth devices.
Of course, security is a big concern in the corporate world. To ensure only the right people gets access to the ExpertBook B1, ASUS includes a fingerprint sensor that integrates to the power button for Windows Hello’s biometric security measures. It is seamless too, with users only needing to turn on the device with the power button to simply log in. At the same time, Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) ensures that the ExpertBook B1 is more secure than ever. As a bonus, it is Windows 11 ready with TPM 2.0.
ASUS ExpertBook B5
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Next up is the new standard in convertible notebook PCs, the ExpertBook B5. To be fair, there are two flavours in the ASUS ExpertBook B5 line-up – a convertible flip variant, and regular clamshell variant. They are basically the same notebooks though, on paper at least, with the flip convertible ExpertBook B5 Flip being the heavier one of the two (1.11kg vs 1kg).
The MIL-STD 810H aluminium and magnesium-alloy constructed body is light while containing a lot of power. It packs a lot of punch with up to an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU with the proven integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. 8GB of RAM ensures that the ExpertBook B5 maintains its speed and power through any sort of work you can throw at it.
The 16.9mm ExpertBook 5 series still packs up to 512GB of SSD that gives you ample storage for all kinds of documents you need for work. SSD speeds also allows you to quickly access any files you need at any time. Dual-band WiFi 6 should also supply the ExpertBook B5 with enough networking speeds when needed.
Of course, security and privacy are not forgotten with the ExpertBook B5 series. The 720p HD webcam comes with a physical shield to cover the webcam when not in use. The power button also doubles as a fingerprint sensor for super quick log in to Windows 10 Pro. At the same time, you can get the ExpertBook B5 with TPM 2.0 which also means that it would be compatible with Windows 11 when it is available.
At up to 1.11kg, the ExpertBook B5 series is made to be travelling with you to all corners of the world. This is also while providing you the power to get any sort of work done anywhere and anytime with up to 14-hours of battery life from its 66Wh battery. When you run out of battery, charge quickly via USB Type-C using the provided 65W charger that you can also use to charge your smartphone, if needed.
ASUS ExpertBook B9
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The start of the show is none other than the ExpertBook B9. The most premium device in the ExpertBook line-up offers the world’s lightest 14-inch business laptop experience at 880 grams. At 14.9mm, it is not exactly thick either.
ASUS managed the weight and also achieve MIL-STD 810H military build standards with a unique magnesium-lithium-alloy chassis mix. They still manage to fit a 33Wh battery in the 880g variant of the notebook for an impressive battery life. For a full day of battery life though, there is the 1005g variant that packs double the battery size at 66Wh. Both of which are still contained in a 14.9mm thick body.
The 14-inch display is an LED-bakclit, IPS panel that projects 1080p Full HD resolution at up to 400nits in brightness and up to 1005 of sRGB colour gamut. To keep Windows 10 Pro and all its applications running happy on the ASUS ExpertBook B9 is a powerful 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU with integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. With up to 16GB of RAM too, the new standard in thin and light can multitask like a champ.
You get WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 as standard in the ASUS ExpertBook B9 notebook for high-speed and stable networking. The only way to extract more speed for the ExpertBook B9 is to connect the notebook to an RJ45 line, which is possible with the laptop via the micro HDMI port (adapter included). At the same time, you have up to 1TB in SSD to store all your important files and documents while maintaining the speed to access needed files.
Instead of writing off the 3.5mm AUX combo jack though, ASUS manages to keep the headphone jack in the ExpertBook B9. Alongside the AUX jack are two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, and a single standard HDMI port alongside a micro HDMI port. This also means that the ExpertBook B9 can handle up to two 4K displays at the same time.
Security is handled by a combination of hardware and software implementations on the ASUS ExpertBook B9 to make it the most secure business notebook you can find in their line-up. There is the fingerprint sensor that is integrated with the power button. At the same time, the 720p HD webcam also comes with an IR sensor for Windows Hello’s biometric facial recognition feature. TPM 2.0 comes standard in the platform for encryption. ASUS Business Manager and ASUS Control Center apps allows you to monitor and control all the security features and even drive access on the ExpertBook B9.
Price and Availability
All ASUS ExpertBook laptops come pre-installed with Windows 10 Pro. There are no colour options on the new notebook PCs unfortunately, but they all come in a shade of grey that could blend into any workspace easily.
The ASUS ExpertBook B1 will be available in 14-inch and 15.6-inch trip equipped with either an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 or Intel Core i5. Prices start from 3,599 (B1400 with Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) and tops out at MYR 4,399 (B1400 with Core i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB). The 15.6-inch trip only comes in an 11th Generation Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, and 512Gb storage option at MYR 3,759.
The ASUS regular clamshell ExpertBook B5 will be available in either an Intel Core i5 (256GB) trim or an Intel Core i7 (512GB) trim. It will be priced at MYR 4,299 and MYR 5,199 respectively. The convertible variant of the ASUS ExpertBook B5 comes with a sylus too. It will be priced at MYR 4,999 (Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB) and MYR 5,599 (Core i7, 8GB, 512GB).
The ASUS ExpertBook B9 in Malaysia will only be available in the slightly heavier 1,005g option that comes with 66Wh battery that could last you a full working day. You get 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage as standard too with the top-of-the-line business notebook from ASUS. All these will set you back MYR 7,989. More information on ASUS’ ExpertBook series can be found on their website.
ASUS has been on a roll lately with smaller form factors, new features and augmented experiences making their way to their laptop lineup. Not too long ago, the company announced a slew of new laptops which would define their offerings for the coming year. One of their new offerings announced was the new Zephyrus M16, the latest entry into the Zephyrus M series which comes under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand.
The new Zephyrus M16 is the first laptop in the series that offers a larger, 16-inch display in what is typically a body for a 15-inch laptop. In addition to the larger display size, the Zephyrus M16 comes with a chassis that is 5% smaller than the previous Zephyrus M15. In addition, it’s also more powerful than before with the 11th generation Intel Core i9 processor paired with NVIDIA’s latest RTX 30-series graphics cards.
Coming in at slightly under 2kgs, it’s also one of the lightest gaming laptops – barring the ROG Flow – currently available. It also comes with 1TB of SSD storage with an extra slot for added memory. This paired with up to 32GB of RAM out of the box will definitely give you an edge over your gaming competition.
You can get the full details in our detailed write up of the international announcement.
Pricing & Availability
The new Zephyrus M16 is now available for the Malaysian market. The configuration sporting the RTX3060 is already available for purchase with official price set at MYR8,999 (USD$2,133.40*). The more powerful configuration with the RTX3070 will be available in August for MYR11,999 (USD$2,844.72*).
*Conversion rate taken from Xe.com on 19 July 2021 at 1 USD = 4.21799 MYR
Qualcomm has made a name for themselves pushing the boundaries of mobile processing with their successful Snapdragon processors. However, the company has – until now – left commercial hardware to their many partners. The company is changing things up with their latest announcement: a Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders.
Source: Qualcomm
The company seems to be taking a page out of Google’s book and is introducing a concept smartphone built from the ground up to highlight their processors. Designed by ASUS, the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders brings the full potential of the Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform. The smartphone comes with compatibility for the latest connectivity standards: WiFi 6E, 5G support for both mmWave and sub 6 bandwidths and Bluetooth 5.2. Together with the connectivity, Qualcomm is removing any bottlenecks in performance by equipping the smartphone with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard UFS 3.1 memory. The processor and top of the line storage promises some of the best read and write speeds.
Cameras Augmented by Qualcomm’s Triple ISP Technology & AI
The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders comes with Qualcomm’s vision for the best camera experience on its platform. It comes with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor with quad bayer technology; an aperture of f/1.8 and a effective focal length of 26.6mm with a 78.3° field of view; and four axis optical image stabilization. The triple sensor setup comes complemented with a secondary 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor. This sensor has a f/2.2 aperture and an effective focal length of 14.3mm with support for macro shots. An 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom and upto 12x hybrid zoom completes the triplet of cameras. On the front is a 24-megapixel sensor.
Source: Qualcomm
Qualcomm is touting the camera setup as a professional grade camera featuring AI augmentations that allow the camera to take good low light shots and intelligently focus and identify the best shot. Additionally, AI auto zoom allows your subject to be the focus of the shot while bringing you closer to the action. You can even shoot video in 4k and 8K resolutions. This is made possible by the Qualcomm Spectra 580 ISP which has gigapixel processing speeds.
Audiophile Experience Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology
The new Qualcomm smartphone is also one of the first to feature Snapdragon Sound technology. The new optimizations allow users to wirelessly stream high quality, 24-bit audio with bitrates of up to 96KHz. Snapdragon Sound also enhances audio from end to end for a more robust sound with clear highs and boomy bass. It also enables super wideband voice for clear, true to life audio when making calls.
Source: Qualcomm
Of course, since Snapdragon Sound is focused on wireless audio, Qualcomm is including a set of wireless earphones by Master & Dynamic in the box with the Smartphone. The MW08SI comes with active noise cancelling and is powered by Qualcomm’s QCC5141 low power Bluetooth Audio SoC. It is able to do ultra low latency bluetooth streaming with true high resolution audio quality. It even has augmentations for better connectivity in environments with dense RF interference.
Desktop Gaming Experience on the Go
The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders comes with the Adreno 660 GPU which is touted to bring 35% faster graphics rendering. Variable Rate Shading brings an additional 30% boost in performance as well. This experience is augmented by the 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED display. It comes with a Full HD+ resolution of 2448×1080 pixels with a response rate of 1ms and 144Hz refresh rate. The display comes with HDR10+ certification and has a ΔE of less than 1. It also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection and support for always on display. Qualcomm is also touting up to 20% increased responsiveness thanks to Qualcomm Game Quick Touch.
Source: Qualcomm
Dual stereo speaker augmented with Smart AMP up the ante when it comes to audio experience. Snapdragon Sound also works it magic in delivering high quality audio over these speakers. It also comes with multiple profiles optimized for content type. With the large, Quick Charge 5.0 enabled 4,000mAh battery, you should be gaming for hours on end.
Pricing & Availability
The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders will be available starting on August. It will be available first in the U.S., China, Denmark, U.K., Japan, South Korea followed by India. No indication if the smartphone will be available outside these regions just yet.
Source: Qualcomm
ASUS will be distributing the smartphone. It will be retailing for USD$1,499 (MYR 6,268.31*). It will be available only in Midnight Blue.
*exchange rate taken from xe.com on 9 July 2021 at USD$ 1 = MYR4.18
AMD announced a slew of items at their COMPUTEX 2021 keynote. One of the many things that they announced was the AMD Advantage Design framework. In this framework, AMD has outlined certain criteria which they believe will provide gamers with the best experience. One of the hallmark criteria is the utilisation of AMD’s Ryzen Mobile processors together with their newly announced Radeon RX6000M graphics processors. The new combination allows the new laptops to take advantage of smart access memory and smart shift among other optimisations that come with using a complete AMD setup.
ASUS is one of the first partners that are jumping on the AMD Advantage bandwagon with two new editions of its popular ROG Strix G line up. The new ROG Strix G15 and G17 come with AMD’s most powerful Ryzen 9 5900HX processor paired with the newly announced Radeon RX 6800M. The new GPU brings along with it AMD’s new RDNA 2 architecture which has been packing performance. It also brings AMD’s newly announced FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) which allows light to be simulated more realistically allowing for more immersive gaming.
The laptops come with up to 32GB of high performance DDR4-3200 RAM and up to 1TB NVMe SSD memory. The Strix G Advantage edition also comes with an additional M.2 slot that allows users to add more memory should the need arise. Their performance is matched with ASUS’s implementation of Liquid Metal thermal compound and the new Intelligent Cooling. The cooling system allows for better airflow without the increased noise.
Like other Strix G laptops, the ROG Strix G Advantage Edition laptops come display options for any gamer. Users can choose from options with 300Hz refresh rate, WQHD resolution with high colour accuracy. To complete the package, it comes with twin Smart Amp speakers that fire sound directly from behind the keyboard. These speakers are Dolby Atmos certified and can produce 5.1.2 channel surround sound.
Pricing & Availability
The ASUS ROG Strix G Advantage edition will be making its way to the market in the third quarter of 2021. No pricing has been announced just yet.
ASUS has no plans at this time to bring the ROG Strix G Advantage edition to Malaysia.
It’s been quite a while since Malaysia saw a Zenfone. The last Zenfone officially launched in Malaysia was the Zenfone 5 – which, to be honest, was a stellar device. However, since then, ASUS hasn’t brought any of their smartphones – aside from the ROG Phone – to Malaysia. This year, it seems like ASUS will be kicking into gear bringing in not one but both of their Zenfone 8 offerings to Malaysia.
The Zenfone 8 series launched internationally earlier this month. The series brings two new Zenfones into ASUS’s portfolio – the Zenfone 8 and the Zenfone 8 Flip. The Zenfone 8 marks a new approach for ASUS when it comes to smartphones. The company is committing to creating smaller, palmable devices with killer specifications. Of course, to do this, they leave behind some of the defining features of the Zenfone including the flipping camera. That’s where the Zenfone 8 Flip comes in. With a larger body, it brings along the now signature flip camera of the Zenfone series.
Palmable Performance with the Zenfone 8
The Zenfone 8 still carries the honour of being the ASUS flagship. ASUS is packing a top of the line Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor into the smartphone with the Adreno 660 GPU. IT’s coming with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. The Zenfone 8 also packs a 5.9-inch, Samsung AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120HZ refresh rate.
Of course, being equipped with a flagship processor, it comes with support for WiFi 6 connectivity and Tri-band WiFi support on 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz. It also supports Bluetooth 5.2 and Qualcomm’s aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and NFC. It is also 5G ready.
On the camera front, the smartphone comes with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor with 1/1.7-inch sensor size and 0.8μm pixel size equipped with Quad Bayer technology. The sensor has an f/1.8 aperture, with a 78.3° field of view and a 26.6mm focal length. This sensor is complemented by a Sony IMX363 12-megapixel ultra-wide, dual pixel sensor. It comes with 1/2.55-inch sensor size and 1.4 μm pixel size and f/2.2 aperture. This sensor supports dual phase detection autofocus and has real-time distortion correction. It also supports 4cm macro shots. On the front is a Sony IMX663 12-megapixel sensor with a 1/2.93-inch sensor with 1.22μm pixel size and 76.5° field of view. It supports Dual Phase Detection autofocus.
The smartphone also comes with an under-display fingerprint sensor. It runs on Android 11 with ZenUI 8. All of this runs on the Zenfone 8’s 4,000 mAh battery which is charged via a USB-C port. The hallmark is that all of these specifications and features are housed within a compact body measuring only 148mm x 68.5mm x8.9mm.
Zenfone 8 Flip – Flipping Bigger than its Flagship
The Zenfone 8 Flip shares most of the same specifications as its flagship brother. However, it comes with a larger 6.67-inch FHD+, AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It comes with only 8GB of RAM and only 256GB of internal storage. It’s also powered by a larger 5,000mAh battery.
The biggest difference comes in the form of the flipping camera. ASUS has imbued the Flip with a triple camera setup which functions as both the main and selfie cameras. The setup comes with the same sensors as the back camera on the Zenfone 8 but is further complemented by an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom and 12x hybrid zoom.
Pricing & Availability
The Zenfone 8 will be available starting from 28th May 2021 at all authorized dealers and ASUS Digital Stores. It will come in two configurations; one with 8GB RAM and 128GB onboard memory which retails for MYR2,699 and a 16GB RAM with 256GB onboard memory retailing for MYR3,299. The latter will be available exclusively on Shopee. It comes in Obsidian Black or Horizon Silver.
The Zenfone 8 Flip will retail for MYR2,999 for the 8GB and 256GB version in Malaysia. It will be available in Galactic Black and Glacier Silver.
Purchases made on ASUS’s Shopee Mall front will be entitled to early bird promos from 28 May to 11 June 2021. Purchases made within this period will be entitled to a SolidSuit Case. ASUS is also offering a trade-in deal where customers are able to trade in their old Zenfones for an MYR200 rebate on the Zenfone 8 series. However, this trade-in offer is only available at physical retail stores from 28 May until 25 June 2021.
The introduction of Intel’s new Tiger Lake 11th Generation Intel Core processor is actually more significant than you think. While the desktop variants may not have seen that much in terms of progress, the mobile variants have. The most powerful mobile processor Intel houses now is the Intel Core i9 instead of the good ol’ Intel Core i7.
In that case, if you want the ultimate gaming notebook, you might want to look for that golden number ‘9’ on your notebook. There is not that many manufacturers out there that would offer you that kind of power though, mostly because they cost so much. But ASUS, they are a little different, especially when it comes to their in-house skunk works gaming department that is the ROG.
While ROG already makes some compelling choices for gamers in the ASUS ROG STRIX series and ROG Zephyrus G series line-up, those are not really the ultimate tools for the modern gamer. Above the Zephyrus G line-up there are even thinner and even more powerful stuff. These are the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
At the higher end of the gaming spectrum is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 gaming notebook. Like the previous high-end gaming notebook, there is liquid metal technology in this one too. While it doesn’t pack the innovative keyboard hinge that S17 has, this one is still a highly powerful machine that you can game with and work with at anytime, anywhere.
The ROG Zephyrus M16 packs the new Intel Core i9-11900H processor. The range-topping Intel processor is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU for an amazing gaming experience and also seamless content creation. This combination also powers an industry-first, fast 16-inch 165Hz refresh rate 3ms display that pushes WQXGA (16:10) resolution. You even get 100% of DCI-P3 for great colour accuracy, important when you are creating content on-the-go.
With up to 2TB in SSD storage, you should not be wanting more in terms of storage for all your games and even content creation needs. You also get up to 32GB of RAM, which is sort of an overkill for gaming, but perfect for content creation. What makes the whole package more interesting is that it comes with a USB Type-C charger that charges at 100W, so you do not have to lug around a heavy package to get the notebook working. They say also you can get about eight hours in battery life with the Zephyrus M16.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is said to be available in Malaysia at the end of June 2021 onward, barring any shipping delays (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD). There is no official pricing just yet at this time but ASUS says that pricing should be announced June onward.
ASUs ROG Zephyrus S17
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
At the top of the ladder you get the very innovative, very powerful ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 with Intel’s Core i9-11900H processor. The powerful CPU is paired with a very powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. The very powerful GPU can power up to a 17.3-inch QHD display at up to 165Hz in refresh rate.
The ample 16GB (up to) of RAM should help the notebook trundle along nicely even when you render 4K videos. With up to 2TB of storage with up to 2 extra NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 slots, there should be no worries with storing all your games alongside your contents. On top of that, a 100W USB Type-C charger should keep the notebook running happy and fast while remained plugged in. The charger can also charge the notebook to 50% in just 30 minutes.
The notebook also features an innovative hinge that lifts the keyboard for a larger opening for increased airflow. The newly designed fan also helps airflow for the notebook. The lifted keyboard also allows for a better and more comfortable typing experience.
The availability ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 has yet to be announced at this time. That also means there is no official pricing for the device at this time. We are keeping our ears close to the ground for any sings of availability of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 though.
Last year NVIDIA announced their next generation GPUs, the GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs that they claim to have the largest generational gap over the older series. It is inevitable then for fans to be asking for the mobile variant of the GPUs to be put in the ever popular and growing gaming notebook market. They are also asking for more budget friendly variants like the RTX 3060 Ti and updated variant of the GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 Ti.
That is not all though, new CPUs are also introduced in 2020 and early 2021. AMD came swinging hard with the new AMD Ryzen 5000 series CPUs with Zen 3 architecture making them the most powerful consumer level CPU overall currently on sale. Intel pushed their own boundaries with their 10nm architecture 11th Generation CPUs early in 2021 too. To be fair though Intel came with the mobile variant of the 11th Generation Core processors early in 2020 before the desktop variants were introduced in 2021.
TUF Gaming F15 and F17 (FX506H-CHN021T, FX706H-CHX065T, FX506H-MHN103T)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
ASUS kicks of with the new TUF Gaming notebooks, both in 15-inch and 17-inch flavours. You get to choose between an Intel Core i5-11400H and an Intel Core i7-11800H for the ASUS TUF Gaming F15’s (FX506H) processor. That powerful GPU also comes paired with either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 RAM.
To ensure that you get a smooth gaming performance too, RAM is at up to 16GB for the top-of-the-line TUF Gaming F15 with room to spare. For storage you get a single SSD with 512GB in capacity. The storage is also expandable still with free extra NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot.
The 15-inch and 17-inch variants both get a 144Hz IPS display that pushes Full HD in resolution. For even more immersive gaming, the TUF Gaming F15 and F17 packs DTS Audio and speaker calibration. Of course, a great gaming experience today also means stable internet connection, and the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 and F17 packs WiFi 6 capabilities alongside Bluetooth 5.2 for extra stable wireless peripheral connection. With 90WHrs 4-cell battery, the TUF Gaming F15 and F17 may not last a whole day, but at least a few hours of use away from the wall socket should be enough for you to get your emails and whatever else done.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 with 11th Generation Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 will be available mid of June 2021 onward at MYR 4,199. The TUF Gaming F17 with 11th Generation Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 will be available at the end of June 2021 at MYR 4,299. The TUF Gaming F15 with 11th Generation Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 will be available at the end of this month (May 2021) onward at MYR 5,599.
For extra portability, you might want to look at the ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15, a thinner and lighter TUF gaming notebook like no other. At 2kg, it is no ultrabook. Still, it is a light gaming device with the power to match.
You get the 11th Generation Core i7-11370H processor that also has an Intel Iris Xe Graphics integrated GPU for general usage at lower power draw. For all the high-performance stuff though, this thing packs a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. Thanks to the integrated GPU, the notebook draws minimal power from the 76WHrs battery and ensures that the notebook can last longer than your average gaming notebooks.
The powerful NVIDIA GPU though powers the 15.6-inch IPS display to push Full HD into your face. You even get fast 144Hz refresh rate to ensure you still have the necessary competitive advantage in any gaming situation. With up to 8GB of RAM, you can be sure that gaming is a smooth and snappy experience.
The ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15 will be available in two colour options – Eclipse Grey and Moonlight White. The new gaming laptop will be available this month (May 2021) onward. The thinner and lighter TUF Gaming notebook will set you back MYR 4,799.
ASUS ROG Strix G15 and G17 (G513Q-CHN019T, G512Q-CHN020T, G712Q-CHX022T, G512Q-CHN096T)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The new ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17 packs up to the highly acclaimed AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor. With AMD’s processor, the ROG STRIX G15 and G17 is also a powerful creator class GPU. Pair that with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 and you get a capable video editor and gaming notebook that you can take with you anywhere you want.
You get up to 8GB in RAM and up to 512GB in SSD storage. If those are not enough though there is an extra available slot for you to expand your RAM and SSD storage still. An extra 8GB and an extra 512GB of SSD storage would do you nicely for the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17.
You get to choose up between 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch display sizes for the new ASUS ROG STRIX series. Both sizes are IPS displays that churns out Full HD in resolution too. Of course, for the extra smooth feel and edge in competitive gaming, the displays refreshes at 144Hz.
For all your connectivity needs there is the usual WiFi 6 that should be standard today. It also packs Bluetooth 5.1 for an extra stable wireless peripherals experience. You can find a USB Type-C port, but unfortunately Thunderbolt is not supported on the AMD based notebook.
The ROG STRIX G15 and G17 notebooks with either an AMD Ryzen 5-5600H or the AMD Ryzen 7-5800H will be available this month (May 2021) onward. The AMD Ryzen 5 variant of the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 will set you back MYR 4,199. The AMD Ryzen 7 variant of the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17 will sell for MYR 4,499 and MYR 4,599 respectively. There is also an Elctro Punk special edition ASUS ROG STRIX G15 with AMD Ryzen 7-5800H that comes with its own set of colour matching accessories like a mousepad, a gaming mouse, and a backpack for MYR 4,799.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401Q-HHZ078TS, GA401Q-CHZ083TS, GA401Q-EK2023TS)
Source: ASUS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, in our books, is one of the notebooks that put AMD’s Ryzen processors name in the gaming laptop map. The first Zephyrus G14 was a brilliant product that received many accolades. That packed the older generation AMD Ryzen 3000 series mind you.
The new one of course packs the new AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS processor to boot. You get to work with up to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU for all of your gaming and content creation needs. Both the CPU and GPU are supported by an 8GB RAM that you can easily expand with an extra RAM slot in the thin and sturdy body with the very recognisable Matrix LED shell. Storage wise, you get 512GB in SSD with an extra expansion slot too.
The powerful CPU and GPU combination pushes games to up to 144Hz (120Hz for WQHD variant) on the 14-inch IPS display that comes with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. You get to spec your Zephyrus G14 with up to WQHD display too if you need the extra resolution for content creation purposes. On both the Full HD and WQHD displays, you get 100% coverage of DCI-P3 for a super deep colour accuracy and Pantone validation as the cherry topping.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 will be available in Eclipse Grey and Moonlight variants. The ROG Zephyrus G14 with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1650 GPU will come with a non AniMe Matrix shell while the rest of the variants get the AniMe Matrix panel on the shell of the notebook for extra personalisation. The new AMD Ryzen 7 powered ROG Zephyrus G14 notebook is available this month (May 2021) onward and will start at MYR 4,799 and tops out MYR 6,499.
The ASUS ZenBook name is one of icon. We say that because the ASUS ZenBook name goes back to 2011. You can trace the ZenBook at the birth of Windows UltraBooks as well. In fact, the ASUS ZenBook of 2011 was the first Windows PC UltraBook that is introduced to the world.
The ASUS ZenBook line-up has expanded to not just ultra-portable notebook PCs. It now covers ASUS’ premium line-up of lightweight notebooks that are made at the highest standards possible, it covers their convertible notebooks too. There are even dual-display notebooks within the line-up now.
For 2021, ASUS’ is bringing another innovation to their new ZenBooks – the power of OLED displays. They start with the ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED (UX371), ZenBook Flip 13 (UX 363), and ZenBook Duo 14.
ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 Flip OLED (UX363)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
True to its name, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED comes with an OLED display measuring 13.3-inch to be precise. It boasts Full HD in resolution. Thanks to OLED technology, colours pop on the glossy display with 100% coverage on DCI-P3 colour gamut. Because it is OLED also, it is bright at 400nits. Of course, because this is a convertible, the 13-inch display is a touch sensitive display.
The Flip 13 packs some punch as well though to keep the OLED display happy. There is an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to) to boot within the svelte all-metal body. The processor is supported by Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics integrated GPU as well, to ensure that you still can edit videos on the go. You get up to 8GB of RAM as well to work with and up to 512GB of SSD for speedy data reads and transfers. SSD also means that Windows can boot up near instantly. It also comes with ASUS’ innovative and compelling ASUS NumberPad 2.0 technology which allows for a full-sized edge-to-edge keyboard without squeezing the keys to fit the number keys (not like there are any extra spaces for it anyway).
Small and light does not mean limited though with the ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED. You still get full I/O ports like the USB Type-A power and a standard HDMI port alongside two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB Type-C ports. You get big audio too with Harman Kardon certified audio system on ASUS’ SonicMaster stereo speakers. Of course, you get the latest networking technology in the WiFi 6 connectivity and dual-band Bluetooth 5.0.
ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED (UX371)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Full HD may not be enough for you. You can get your hands on 4K in that case with the ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED. You still get OLED on the 13.3-inch display convertible. Only this one is a 4K UHD display with up to 100% DCI-P3 coverage and up to 400nits in brightness too.
The internals are just as impressive as the ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 too. You get the latest Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor as well with Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics to power the 4K UHD display. On top of that though you get 16GB of RAM, twice more than the regular ZenBook Flip. You also get up to 1TB in SSD storage space.
You still get full connectivity with a full-sized USB Type-A and standard HDMI ports as well besides the two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB Type-C ports with charging capabilities. Of course, you also get Harman-Kardon certified ASUS SonicMaster stereo dual speakers to work with. On top of all of that, ASUS claims a battery life of 15 hours, which is impressive if you can actually get that much battery life.
ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 (UX482)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
For even more flexibility in work, you need two displays. Rather than buying a notebook and a high-resolution external monitor, you could get yourself a notebook with two displays. That is the ASUS ZenBook Duo 14. The main display pushes 1080p Full HD resolution at 14-inch. You get 100% sRGB colour gamut as well as Pantone validation on the IPS display for the highest level of colour accuracy on the display. Of course, it is also a touch sensitive display like the secondary display that tilts to you. The secondary display is also a high-resolution Full HD 12.6-inch display. Obviously, you are not getting full height on the display, it covers the usual spot for the keyboard.
To keep the two displays running happily is an Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to) 11th Generation processor and a powerful NVIDIA GeForce MX450 discrete GPU. You also get u to 16GB of RAM to keep the two screens happy with multiple windows running at the same time. For all your storage needs, there is a 512GB SSD storage to keep things trundling along smoothly and quickly. Of course, in the interest of speed and stability you also get WiFi 6 connectivity as standard alongside Bluetooh 5.0.
In terms of utility, this workhorse needs to offer maximum flexibility in working ports. There are two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB Type-C ports accompanied by one USB 3.2 Type-A port, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, a standard HDMI port and a microSD card slot. Its speakers are Harman Kardon certified units too, so you can rely on the notebook’s speakers to edit your videos and audios. This one is a content creator’s dream tool.
Availability and Pricing
The ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED (UX363) will be available today onward from ASUS authorised dealers and all ASUS official online stores retailing at MYR 6,799 onward. The ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED (UX371) will be available today onward as well from ASUS authorised dealers and all official online stores retailing at MYR 4699 (Core i5) and MYR 5,199 (Core i7) onward. The ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 will also be available today onward from ASUS authorised stores and all online stores for MYR 5,499 (Core i5 + 8GB RAM) and MYR 6,499 (Core i7 + 16GB RAM) onward. For more information on the new 2021 ZenBook line-up you can head over to ASUS’ website.
