One of the surprising sleeper Android phones that generated lots of interest at CES 2015 was the Asus ZenFone 2, a flagship phablet that could be a winner in a few boring but certainly important areas – including specs that could, at least on paper, compete with many laptops and a starting price of just $199 unlocked.
The ZenFone 2 is on sale now on Amazon (although the site currently says it will take two to four weeks to ship), with a model packing 2 GB of RAM and a 64-bit 1.8 GHz quad core Intel processor selling for $199 in black, silver, gold or red. For $299, you get a more future proof device with a whopping 4 GB of RAM, something few phones out now can claim, 64 GB of storage and a 2.3 GHz processor.
Rounding out this impressive specs package is a 5.5-inch 1080p display (which is starting to become mid-ranged next to today's Quad HD flagships) under Gorilla Glass 3, back and front cameras capable of capture 13 megapixel and 5 MP images, respectively, Android Lollipop and a fast-charging battery.
The ZenFone 2 feels both light and sturdy in the hand, reminding us of an HTC One M8 or M9 with its metal-like body. And it does have one nifty unique feature - a rear button for taking selfies.
There is a catch, though, with what is otherwise a great specs to price ratio: it's currently GSM only, which means it won't work with CDMA networks like Verizon or Sprint in the U.S.
Get more details from our original hands-on and watch a highly detailed promotional tour of the ZenFone 2 in the video below: