THE next ASUS camera phone will hit stores in the Philippines from April 7th, according to the Taiwanese OEM. Specifically, we’re referring to the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (click for complete specs), which incidentally is now available for preorder through a microsite (customers will have to fill out this reservation form) and will launch locally on April 6.

Besides bringing home a new ZenFone, those who sign up are getting a swag of free stuff worth more than P5,000 combined. Freebies include a JBL Bluetooth speaker, a pair of ZenEar earphones, a mini tripod, and a clear case. And for those wondering about payment terms, cash and credit card will be accepted.

To recap, the ZenFone 3 Zoom is the first dual-cam phone from ASUS, featuring two 12-megapixel shooters round the back, one of which can be used to zoom into a subject from a respectable distance — farther than what the Apple iPhone 7 Plus is capable of — without losing out on image quality.

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom is the first dual-cam phone from the company, featuring two 12-megapixel shooters round the back, one of which can be used to zoom into a subject from a respectable distance without losing out on image quality.

The regular back-facing camera, meanwhile, sits behind an f/1.7 aperture lens and is said to be more light-sensitive than the big iPhone’s. So yeah, on paper, this ZenFone should be able to outshoot its elite competition regardless of lighting, and we’ll be waiting to see if it can live up to expectations.

As for the rest of the hardware, we’re basically getting a more iPhone-inspired ZenFone 3 powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor inside last year’s standard ZenFone variant.

ASUS ZenFone 3 official unboxing

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom also comes with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of expandable internal storage. A 5,000mAh battery keeps the lights on, and it can even be used to charge other devices. It will ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow onboard. All these at a price that shouldn’t exceed P20,000 or around $400, or at least that’s what we’re meant to believe based on earlier reports.

We’re assuming that’s the 32GB variant, not the 64GB or 128GB model, which goes for as much as 3,699 yuan (approximately $530 or P26,500) in China.

Time will tell if the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom is indeed a must-consider option in the midrange category. Of course, a reasonable price tag will help greatly.

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