Asus ZenFone 2 5-Inch Variant Leaks Online; Specs, Release & Price Rumours

Asus clearly has some bigger plans for 2015 after it sold 8.5 million phones last year. The aim is to push more smartphones off the shelves this year. To do so, Asus needs an appealing smartphone line-up and the company seems to be already working on it.

Although unofficial, the ZenFone 2 is expected to arrive in two variants. The high-end ZenFone 2 with 5.5-inch display was already shown at the CES 2015 last month, but the new model will sport slightly downgraded specs to target the mid-range smartphone market.

As per the leaked images on the unofficial Asus blog, the Zenfone 2 appears to feature a 5-inch HD display compared to the 5.5-inch Full HD model. Besides the screen size, the smaller variant is expected to pack an Intel Atom Z3560 processor with Android 5.0 Lollipop and ZenUI interface. The handset will reportedly support 4G LTE networks for high-speed data connections. Other specs include an 8mp rear-facing shooter and a 2mp front snapper with a 2,500mAh battery, Android Soul reported. 

The original ZenFone 2 already is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor. There's a 13mp rear-facing camera, a 5mp front snapper and 16GB, 32GB, 64GB storage options. The ZenFone packs a 3,000mAh battery and has room for expandable storage up to 64GB via microSD slot.

Asus has already revealed that the base price for its ZenFone 2 will be $199. But the high-end specs of the 5.5-inch Zenfone 2 did not match the low price tag. After the leaked specs for the 5-inch Zenfone 2, it is more clear that the $199 price tag will adorn the yet-to-be-announced mid ranger, the report added.

When released, the 5-inch ZenFone 2 will compete against the affordable Yu Yureka, Moto G and other budget smartphones.