MANILA, Philippines – ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih revealed details of the company’s latest innovations in mobile, wearable and home computing technology, plus the latest gaming innovations from ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG), in a pre-IFA 2015 press event held at the Bolle Meierei, in Berlin, Germany.
New products announced included RT-AC5300, the world’s fastest Wi-Fi router, and VivoStick PC, a slim and stylish ultra-miniature Windows 10 ‘stick’ PC. The latest ZenFone lineup, including the new ZenFone Zoom model, was introduced to Europe, along with the announcement of pricing and availability for ZenWatch 2 and the latest models in the ZenPad and Zen AiO families.
Featuring in the incredible lineup were the G752 gaming laptop, ROG Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly, ROG Matrix 980Ti, ROG Swift PG348Q, ROG 7.1 headset, and ROG G20 Special Edition. The 165Hz ROG Swift PG279Q gaming monitor was also showcased. Before leaving the stage, Mr. Shih surprised the audience with a sneak preview of GX700, the world’s first water-cooled gaming laptop.
“We are incredibly proud to offer our customers the incredible Zen experience by achieving the perfect balance between beauty and strength,” said Mr. Shih. “Today’s lineup of Zen-inspired products not only provide the most intuitive user experiences, but also deliver empowering luxury for everyone to enjoy.”
Joining Mr. Shih on stage, Intel’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Client Computing Group, Kirk Skaugen, spoke about the successful collaboration between ASUS and Intel® on these brand new mobile and computing devices. “ASUS and Intel have been working closely together for almost three decades to bring the best experience possible to consumers with the latest technology innovation,” said Mr. Skaugen. “We are excited to have worked with ASUS on their incredible new products – from all-in-ones and gaming laptops based on the new 6th-generation Intel Core processor to compute sticks, tablets and smartphones based on the Intel Atom processor. Intel technologies bring great performance, immersive experiences, long battery life and slim form factors across a range of beautiful ASUS devices.”
The revolutionary VivoStick PC is an ultra-miniature PC that turns any HDMI-enabled TV or monitor into a fully-functional Windows 10 PC, and which can be controlled remotely from a smartphone.
ZenFone Zoom: The world’s thinnest 3X optical zoom smartphone
The groundbreaking ZenFone Zoom is the world’s thinnest smartphone to feature a 13MP camera with a 3X optical zoom. ZenFone Zoom’s rear camera features a precision-engineered 10-element lens with up to a 12X zoom for even finer close-up detail. ZenFone Zoom also has an optical image stabilizer (OIS) for shake-free photos and professional Panasonic SmartSFI® sensor for optimized image, combined with a revolutionary lightning-fast laser auto-focus for incredibly-sharp images every time.
Powered by a high-performance 2.5GHz Intel Atom™ Z3590 quad-core processor with 4GB RAM for ultra-fast performance, ZenFone Zoom redefines expectations for smartphone photography — packing DSLR-style shooting experiences into a metal unibody that tapers to a mere 5mm, so it slides comfortably into a pocket.
Advanced users will appreciate the flexibility of ZenFone Zoom’s Manual mode, which allows professional-grade manual control of ISO settings, shutter speed and more.
ZenWatch 2: Time-honored craftsmanship, infinite style
ZenWatch 2 is a stylish and personalized wearable device powered by Android Wear and produced in partnership with Google. Crafted with absolute attention to detail using high-quality materials, ZenWatch 2 is a precision watch that serves as a smart assistant to Android and iOS smartphones, providing wearers with timely information at a glance and letting them get things done with a simple touch or voice command.
ZenWatch 2 is designed to be a truly personal device that wearers can customize even further to express their unique sense of style. Available in two sizes and three case colors, with 18 different strap material and color combinations, ZenWatch 2 also includes over 50 professionally-designed and instantly-changeable watch faces, along with a FaceDesigner app that lets wearers design their own, so there is truly a ZenWatch 2 for everyone.
ZenWatch 2 builds upon the original ZenWatch, offering an even more refined design, an improved user experience, a full-featured activity tracker with industry-leading accuracy, and a workout coach. ZenWatch 2 now includes a metal watch crown, enhancing the user experience by a providing new way to interact with the watch. It also comes with an all-new magnetic charger that features effortless attachment, and which can charge ZenWatch 2’s battery to 50% capacity in just 36 minutes..
ZenPad: World-leading innovations with premium style
ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580CA) is an 8-inch tablet offering users a premium Android™ experience, and delivering ultimate style and beauty along with extreme performance. Powered by an Intel® Atom™ Z3580 processor, ZenPad S 8.0 is the world’s first[1] tablet with 4GB RAM. It has a beautifully-crisp and clear QXGA IPS screen with a stunning 324ppi pixel density and ASUS Tru2Life+ display technology, which performs intelligent contrast and sharpness adjustments to boost dynamic range. ZenPad S 8.0 supports the optional Z Stylus for intuitive writing and drawing input, and features DTS-HD Premium Sound™ — another world-first on a tablet — for the ultimate audio experience..
ZenPad 8.0 (Z380C) combines refined styling, incredible entertainment capabilities, and customizable functionality with interchangeable covers to redefine the tablet experience and bring true luxury to consumers. It also features integrated DTS-HD Premium Sound, and the innovative Audio Cover option brings immersive 5.1-channel surround-sound to a tablet for the first time, with 6 powerful speakers for a totally-immersive entertainment experience. Audio Cover is also included in ZenPad Theater, an entertainment-focused ZenPad 8.0 bundle.
ZenPad 10 (Z300) combines refined styling, incredible entertainment capabilities and blazingly-fast performance with optional accessories that enhance functionality to redefine the tablet experience and bring true luxury to consumers. Available in three models with LTE/Wi-Fi (Z300CL), 3G/Wi-Fi (Z300CG), and Wi-Fi (Z300C) connectivity, there is a ZenPad 10 to suit any kind of user.
ASUS Audio Dock is a detachable keyboard with Bluetooth stereo speakers that provides enhanced entertainment and productivity for ZenPad 10. ZenPad 10 also supports the optional Z Stylus for intuitive writing and drawing input.
Zen AiO S: The Art of Performance in Stunning 4K/UHD Detail
Zen AiO S is a family of premium all-in-one Windows 10 PCs that fuse art with industry-leading technology. Zen AiO S provides a perfect balance of beauty and superb performance, providing the ultimate computing experience for discerning home and professional users.
For truly-immersive family entertainment, Zen AiO S is equipped with up to an ultra-detailed 4K/UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS display with a 185ppi pixel density and 178-degree viewing angles, plus a powerful six-speaker ASUS SonicMaster Premium sound system that delivers 16W of incredibly rich and clear stereo sound.
Featuring a stunningly-elegant all-aluminum unibody design with a seamless integral stand, Zen AiO S looks amazing. The anodized Icicle Gold finish is enhanced with a finely-brushed texture at the rear, and the front fascia features our iconic spun-metal detailing. Superb performance is delivered by 6th-generation Intel Core™ up to i7 processors and gaming-grade NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX™ 960M graphics with up to 4GB of video memory. Other leading-edge technology showcased in the Zen AiO Series includes the latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, up to PCIe® 3.0 x4 M.2 SSD storage, and up to an Intel RealSense™ camera that enables futuristic capabilities such as biometric login and accurate motion-sensing.
RT-AC5300: The world’s fastest Wi-Fi router
RT-AC5300 is an innovative AC5300-class tri-band wireless router that delivers the world’s fastest Wi-Fi — with Broadcom® NitroQAM™ RT-AC5300 delivers up to 1000Mbit/s on the 2.4GHz band and up to 2167Mbit/s on each of the two 5GHz bands, for a combined total of up to 5334Mbit/s. This gives users a low-latency gaming experience and ultra-fast 4K/UHD video streaming anywhere in the home.
With eight powerful external antennas in a four-transmit, four-receive (4T4R) configuration, both Wi-Fi range and signal stability are dramatically improved, giving our widest-ever coverage up to 500 square meters. AiRadar beamforming focuses the Wi-Fi signal, giving faster, clearer and stronger Wi-Fi performance for each device.
RT-AC5300 incorporates many advanced technologies to enhance performance, ease of use and stability. Tri-Band Smart Connect ensures that each device is assigned automatically to the most appropriate band for maximum speed and stability. Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) enables multiple devices to connect at their maximum speeds without slowing down the network, and Link Aggregation (802.11ad) can combine two LAN ports into one superfast 2Gbit/s wired connection using two network cables.
AiProtection with Trend Micro™ security provides three-pronged state-of-the-art home network protection, and AiCloud 2.0 is a personal cloud storage service that lets users access, share and stream their files from anywhere.
VivoStick PC: The PC that breaks the boundaries
ASUS VivoStick PC heralds a new and convenient way of computing. This remarkable ultra-miniature Windows 10 ‘stick’ PC is incredibly slim, compact and light with a modern, elegant pen-inspired design, and a stylish cap to protect the HDMI connector. VivoStick PC is designed for everyday enjoyment, turning any HDMI-enabled TV or monitor into a fully-functional PC, and allowing users to stream and share content anywhere, anytime. It can even be remotely controlled from a mobile device using a special ASUS app.
Measuring just 137.9 x 34.0 x 14.9mm, weighing only 68g, VivoStick PC can also be used for essential daily computing, with full connectivity including fast 802.11n Wi-Fi, two convenient USB ports, an audio output jack, plus Bluetooth® 4.0 for connecting a keyboard and mouse. VivoStick PC comes with 2GB of RAM for smooth performance.
ROG G752
ROG G752 is the new generation of ROG gaming laptop featuring our latest gaming-centric design. With the new Windows 10 Xbox app, gamers can play their Xbox games on G752 directly, simultaneously play a game on G752 while streaming it to any room, or enjoy cross-platform Xbox gameplay with friends who are using the Xbox One via Xbox Live. G752 features backlit anti-ghosting 30-key rollover, and also has an innovative dust-release thermal solution that that efficiently captures dust and channels it out of G752, eliminating dust buildup for increased system stability and longevity. It has a 6th-generation Intel® CPU and the latest NVIDIA® GTX 900M Series graphics for supreme gaming performance. The G752 features the new ROG color scheme with Armor Titanium and Plasma Copper accents.
ROG Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly
ROG Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly sports the new Plasma Copper ROG color scheme and is based on the Intel Z170 Express chipset. It features several exclusive technologies to maximize the overclocking potential of the Intel 6th-generation processors and DDR4 memory. Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly includes the ROG 10Gb/s Ethernet card. With its low-latency design, this Ethernet card is backwards-compatible with all Ethernet standards and supports speeds of 100Mbit/s, 1Gbit/s, 2.5Gbit/s, 5Gbit/s, and 10Gbit/s. It is suitable for any PCIe® 2.0 x4 connection.
ROG Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly also features the ROG SupremeFX Hi-Fi headphone amplifier. This uses an ESS® ES9018K2M digital-to-audio converter (DAC) for lower audio jitter, with two Texas Instruments LM4562 operational amplifiers for superior audio signal amplification, plus a TPA6120A2 headphone amplifier to drive high-fidelity headphones.
ROG Matrix GTX 980Ti Platinum
ROG Matrix GTX 980Ti Platinum gaming graphics card features DirectCU II with 10mm heat pipes for 25% cooler performance and three-times (3X) less noise than reference cards. Patented Wing-blade Fan technology maximizes airflow by delivering 105% more air pressure for more efficient cooling.
Auto-Extreme technology with Super Alloy Power II components ensures that each ROG Matrix GTX 980Ti Platinum graphics card is of the highest quality and is able to withstand the graphical demands of today’s gamers.
Memory Defroster is an ASUS-exclusive technology that takes overclocking to extremes – it defrosts the Matrix card’s memory during subzero overclocking to ensure sustained stability. ROG Matrix GTX 980Ti Platinum has a one-click Safe Mode that restores VBIOS to its original settings; while the color-coded ROG load indicator lets users check GPU load levels at a glance. It features GPU Tweak II, an intuitive user interface, which makes gaming and overclocking easier and more visual than ever. It also comes with a 1‑year XSplit Gamecaster premium license — a $99 value — so gamers can easily stream or record their gameplay via a convenient, in-game overlay.
ROG Swift PG348Q
ROG Swift PG348Q is a 34-inch gaming display with a curved 3440 x 1440 resolution IPS panel for immersive gaming visuals. This 21:9 aspect display has built-in NVIDIA G-SYNC technology and a 100Hz rapid refresh rate for ultra-smooth gaming visuals with no screen tearing or lag. ASUS GamePlus gives users four different crosshair options, an in-game timer and an FPS counter for an added advantage in first-person-shooter and real-time-strategy games; while ASUS GameVisual technology provides six preset display modes for optimized gaming visuals. ROG Swift has a frameless curved design that is perfect for an immersive gaming experience, and is ergonomically-designed with tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
In addition to ROG Swift PG348Q, the exciting new 165Hz ROG PG279Q with built-in NVIDIA G-SYNC technology was shown in the product demonstration area.
ROG 7.1 surround gaming headset
The ROG 7.1 surround gaming headset features 10 discrete neodymium-magnet drivers to deliver incredibly-realistic surround-sound that dramatically enhances any gaming experience, more immersive and engaging than almost any dedicated stereo headset with virtual surround on the market. An audiophile-grade headphone amplifier ensures richly detailed and dynamic sound for all channels. A dedicated plug-and-play USB audio station works as a USB soundcard and provides useful in-game audio controls. The audio station provides up to 90% cancellation of environmental noise, so gamers can enjoy clear in-game communication free from distracting background noises such as keyboard clicking and nearby conversations. It also features Sonic Studio, a tuning suite that gives users full control over audio settings, including Reverb, Bass Boost, Equalizer, Voice Clarity and Smart EQ settings, for truly amazing sound.
ROG G20 Special Edition
ROG G20 Special Edition is designed to dominate the field of small-form-factor gaming desktops. ROG G20 features a 9.5-liter chassis and is powered by a 6th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan X graphics for smooth gameplay in 4K/UHD resolution. It has a bold design with a matte-black finish, aggressive lines, and Mayan-inspired markings. The chassis takes advantage of natural convection for efficient heat management, and utilizes hidden airflow channels and two internal fans to cool its internal components. The chassis has customizable LED effects that showcase up to 8 million colors which can be tailored to suit the feel of the game currently being played, or configured to light up in tempo with the currently-playing audio.
ROG GX700
ROG GX700 is the world’s first water-cooled gaming laptop and delivers stable, super-fast performance. Like the G752, GX700 features the new ROG color scheme with Armor Titanium and Plasma Copper accents. It is powered by a superior overclockable 6th-generation Intel® K-SKU processor, with the latest NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU) for incredible gaming performance. Gamers can enjoy real 4K/UHD laptop gaming in exceptional quality on the 17-inch 4K/UHD in-plane switching (IPS) display.