ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition Unboxing and Initial Review

ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition Unboxing and Initial Review

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ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition: Overkill at 256GB Storage?

Yesterday ASUS Philippines unveiled their last offering for the year, the ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition. Why is it “special”? It comes with two stunning back covers, a more polished design, and thanks to a bundled 128GB microSD card, has 256GB of storage. Yes folks, this is pretty much an external hard drive already that also happens to be a phone!

Here’s a quick refresher on the specifications.

ASUS Zenfone Deluxe special edition spec sheet

  • 64-bit Intel Atom 2.5GHz Z3590 quad-core processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 5.5-inch full HD IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3, 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • 128GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 128GB, comes with free 128GB microSD card
  • 13-megapixel rear camera, f/2.0-aperture, 5-element, autofocus with dual-color Real Tone flash
  • 5-megapixel front camera, f/2.0-aperture, wide-angle 85-degree lens with Selfie Panorama
  • Dual SIM
  • 3G, LTE
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, NFC
  • Android 5.0 Lollipop with ZenUI
  • 3000mAh battery

ASUS also threw in 25,000 worth of in-game credit for the pre-installed Asphalt 8, just in case you’re into racing games. It has an SRP of Php20,995 so it’s definitely playing already in the premium “almost luxury” category of smartphones.

We just got our hands on a unit and we’d like to share with you guys our initial thoughts and unboxing experience.

Best Packaged ASUS Product To-date

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ASUS pulled out all the stops when it came to the packaging of the Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition. It came in a black faux carbon fiber box which is a big departure from ASUS’ usual rectangular shaped boxes.

We popped open the box and the first thing that greeted us was the phone. All the other peripherals and manuals were neatly stored away so that the focus of your eye would be the device.

Beautiful!
Beautiful!

We found all the extras and accessories in the two compartments of the box. The headphones (which look nice), micro USB to USB cable, extra silicone tips, and the fast charger were on the right small box. The extra back case (black carbon fiber design) and the manuals were in the compartment underneath the phone.

Everything in the box
Everything in the box

When it came to packaging and the unboxing experience, the ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition delivers a better one compared to smartphones priced 10-20k more.

It’s Not Just About the Storage

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While the focus is on the 256GB of storage, what really caught our eye with this phone is the design. It’s without a doubt the most beautiful mobile device that ASUS has ever made. It goes to show that they’re really embracing their philosophy of “affordable luxury” or “empowering luxury”. This phone, at Php20,995, looks much better than a lot of other more expensive devices. Heck, this one is more of an eye magnet than the latest flagships of other global brands.

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It’s the little details that makes the phone so appealing. The red trim along the sides blending beautifully with the silver back case. The same red accent along the rear keys and camera lenses. From whatever angle you look at it, the ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition is simply beautiful.

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In terms of user experience, we already wrote a full review of the Zenfone 2 and the Zenfone 2 Deluxe. To make a long story short, it’s a fast monster but the battery life could use improvement (probably why ASUS pushed out the Zen Power Banks fast, hehe). Oh what’s interesting to note is that ASUS ships this device with a new theme that matches the design of the phone itself.

Initial Verdict

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We live in the age already when all Android phones are starting to offer the same things. This is why price and design are now becoming much more important than ever. ASUS is on the right track because they’re keeping the prices very competitive while making sure their phones look amazing and unique. If they keep this up we won’t be surprised if they continue to climb the charts of the top smartphone vendors in the world.

The ASUS Zenfone 2 Deluxe Special Edition is already available at Php20,995.

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