News

ASUS ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe details, images leaked by design website

Published

April 4, 2016

Monch Lopez

If you’re a fan of ASUS’ budget ZenFone smartphone series, 2016 hasn’t been too kind to you so far. Two major tech conferences have passed, and yet the Internet still hasn’t gotten a solid clue as to what the ZenFone 3 might look like.

The situation is particularly worrisome because it’s already April, and the next-generation ZenFone has been tipped for a launch event at Computex 2016 in June.

Will it have two rear cameras like the LG G5? A curved screen like the Samsung Galaxy S7? A smaller screen to match the trajectory of Apple’s recent product announcements? Or will ASUS surprise the bejeezus out of the industry by unveiling a flip phone, or today’s equivalent of a joke goldmine?

At this point, you might be asking yourself: “When will someone throw a bone to us fans who have been waiting for that bloody phone to show up?”

Wish granted. Meet a couple of leaked — albeit convincing — images of ASUS’ upcoming ZenFone 3 and ZenFone 3 Deluxe. And we’re not using the term “convincing” loosely here. Let us count the ways.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe leaked image

For starters, the images come from Red Dot 21’s design directory. If the name rings a bell, it should, especially in the context of ASUS phones: In 2014, the original ZenFone series bagged the Red Dot design award for mobile devices; the year after that, ASUS won a bunch of other awards for products, including, but not limited to, tablets and notebooks.

So, yes, the connection between Red Dot and the Taiwanese manufacturers is, if nothing else, strong.

A paragraph to describe the ZenFone 3 also appears on the Red Dot website. It reads:

ASUS Zenfone 3 Series is a mainstream smartphone that displays the beauty of craftsmanship and engineering. With 2.5D glass on both front and back sides, we intend to bring the meticulous glass artistry used in watches to smartphone. Beneath those glass lays a thin layer of decoration film with metallic spin texture, portraying the ASUS identity in a new form. A curved aluminum frame offers a robust architecture and a comfortable grip. Zenfone 3 consist of type C USB for speedy charging and file transfer, front flash for selfie in low light situation, laser focus for instant snapshot and finger print recognition for spontaneous ID check.

Going by that description, it sounds like the next ZenFone will have a curved-edge glass on both panels held together by a metal frame, a USB-Type C port with fast-charging capability, front-facing flash, laser autofocus, and a now-ubiquitous fingerprint sensor. It will also support some sort of smart flip cover that lights up to indicate different things.

Meanwhile, the description for the all-metal ZenFone 3 Deluxe reveals far less details.

Metal is the best material to enhance and present the craftsmanship of creating the best smartphone. However, it is also the obstacle to the antenna signal. As the result, the designers and engineers always challenge each other to balance the aesthetic of smartphone appearance design and the possibility of the engineering. Look back to every metallic smartphone, without exception, has some necessary aesthetic flawsfor antenna on the back. These flaws could be the plastic lines, decorations, etc. By absolutely breaking down the principles of radio transmission, combining the design creative thinking and overcoming the limitation of manufacturing, ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe no longer needs to compromise and presents the first full-metallic smartphone in the world.

And then there’s the alleged design of the ZenFone 3: It looks a bit like the outcome of ZenFone Zoom and ZenBook engineers reaching a compromise after months of trying to brainstorm for a smartphone. We’ll let you guys handle the front and sides of the phone — but only if you let us do what we want with the back.

That ASUS would rather take a lot of inspiration from previous ASUS products than go back to the drawing board in an effort to get people excited about the ZenFone 3 seems likely. ASUS isn’t the most adventurous when it comes to designing handsets, after all. And if you need proof, look no further than past ZenFone models.

As always, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for more details about the ZenFone 3 as they come. For now, feel free to speculate wildly over the authenticity of the images and information from Red Dot’s website.

[irp posts=”3880″ name=”ASUS ZenFone 3 review”]

Source: Red Dot 21, Android Police

Related Topics:ASUS smartphones ZenFone 3 ZenFone 3 Deluxe

News

Budget smartphone realme C100 Series launches

Long battery life, ruggedness, more

Published

June 18, 2026

GadgetMatch

The realme C100 Series, the brand’s latest rugged essential smartphone in the budget segment, has officially launched in the Philippines.

The series introduces up to an 8,000mAh Titan Battery on the realme C100 model, as well as IP69 Pro certification.

This means the handset has IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K dust and water resistance ratings to handle high-pressure water exposure and submersion for up to six meters and 30 minutes.

The C100 also supports 45W SUPERVOOC charging for quick battery top-ups. It even has a 10W reverse charging support to power other small devices.

On the other hand, the realme C100i comes with a 7,000mAh Titan Battery to likewise power all-day use. This model supports a steady 15W charging and 6W reverse charging. It is also rated IP64 for dust and water resistance.

In addition, both models support Rain Touch Mode, making the 6.8-inch 120Hz display optimized for touches even when it is wet. This panel also comes with ArmorShell Glass protection.

Powering the C100 is the MediaTek Helio G92 Max processor while the C100i has as Unisoc T7250 processor. The devices run on realme UI 7.0 (Android 16).

Price, availability

In the Philippines, the realme C100 Series comes in various storage configurations:

C100i (4GB+64GB): PhP 6,313 (SRP: PhP 8,999)
C100i (4GB+128GB): PhP 7,379 (SRP: PhP 11,999)
C100i (4GB+256GB): PhP 8,199 (SRP: PhP 13,999)
C100 (4GB+256GB): PhP 11,195 (SRP: PhP 16,999)
C100 (8GB+256GB): PhP 14,000 (SRP: PhP 19,999)

Limited-time launch offers are available through Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok from June 18 to June 30.

The phones are also available at realme concept stores, kiosks, and partner retailers nationwide. Potential freebies include a TechLife Smart band, extended warranty and screen damage protection, privilege card, or additional cash discount.

News

Did Tim Cook just confirm that iPhone prices are going up?

Once again, it might be because of the RAM crisis.

Published

June 18, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If there’s one thing you can count on in the smartphone world, it’s the high price of an iPhone. Unfortunately, with the ongoing RAM shortages, things might get worse. Apple’s Tim Cook has essentially confirmed that the brand is about to raise its prices.

Via an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cook said, “Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable.” As with other companies, the outgoing CEO is talking about the RAM crisis. With a lot of chips going to AI, consumer-ready silicon is getting scarcer and scarcer. Thankfully, some brands are shielding its users from the increases, but it’s reaching levels that aren’t sustainable for business.

“We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable,” he said.

Cook did not explain how much prices will go up or when. However, with the iPhone 18 series (and a potential iPhone Fold) just on the horizon, it seems nigh.

Apple isn’t the first brand to react to the shortages (nor will it be the last). Now, regardless of whether or not Apple has the capabilities to tank the crisis, the biggest culprit is still AI. Companies today are more than willing to use AI as a scapegoat, real or otherwise, for shady cost-cutting or profit-enhancing practices.

News

Apple might launch an iPhone Air 2 next year

This is despite the iPhone Air’s reportedly low demand.

Published

June 18, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Is this the most varied that an iPhone lineup has ever been? With an iPhone Fold supposedly coming out later this year, the current lineup includes a base model, two Pro models, an ultra-thin Air model, and the affordable 17e. There’s now an iPhone for everyone. According to a new report, next year won’t be any different. Apple is reportedly launching the iPhone Air 2 early next year.

Among all the current models in the lineup, the iPhone Air does seem like the oddest of the bunch. Whereas the other models already have established niches, the Air is positioned simply as a thinner iPhone, riding on the short-lived ultra-thin phone trend. In fact, recent reports suggest that the Air isn’t as popular as its contemporaries.

Apparently, Apple doesn’t see it that way. According to Bloomberg, the brand is still surging forward with an iPhone Air 2. The upcoming version might even add a second camera and an improved processor.

Despite reports that it isn’t that popular, Apple might still believe in the model’s future. At this point, they should; Apple has always had a problem with the base model’s partner. Years of flip-flopping around what it should be, Apple wants to stay a little bit longer on the Air.