MANILA, Philippines – ASUS has started rolling out Android 9.0 (Pie) on the ZenFone 5 as an OTA (over-the-air) system update! According to a press release provided by ASUS, the rest of the ZenFone 5 series (ZenFone 5Z and ZenFone 5Q) will also receive the update in the very near future.
READ: Zenfone 5: The most refined ZenFone yet [review]
The update includes major improvements in the ZenUI user experience, as well as several new features that have been introduced by Google in Android Pie, including a contextual pop-up volume bar, a new magnifier feature for easier copy-paste, and the improved gesture-based navigation system.
Users can also expect improvements in system performance, as well support for the latest OpenGL and Vulkan APIs for a better gaming experience.
Since it first came out in April 2018, the ZenFone 5 series received international recognition, including the prestigious COMPUTEX 2018’s Best Choice Golden award.
Scoring 93 points in DXOMark’s photo tests, the ZenFone 5 is a decent choice for mobile photography in its price range, and it shows. Our team managed to capture amazing beach, sunset, and night mode photos on the ZenFone 5 when Boracay re-opened last year.
The new software will be distributed automatically via a firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) update according to the schedule listed below.
| MODEL | MODEL NO. | ANDROID 9.0 PIE RELEASE SCHEDULE |
|---|---|---|
| ZenFone 5 | ZE620KL | Roll-out ongoing |
| ZenFone 5Z | ZS620KL | End-January 2019 |
| ZenFone 5Q | ZC600KL | End-January 2019 |
How do you update the ZenFone 5 to Android 9 (Pie)?
Automatic update via OTA
Once the update is available, a notification will automatically appear on the phone’s status bar. The user just needs to tap on the notification to download the update.
Once download is completed, a pop-up notification to install the update will appear: tapping ‘Install’ will then start the installation.
The device will reboot twice during the installation of the update. Users should not turn off the device until the home screen appears.
Manual download / install procedure
It may take about one week for the system to complete the auto push. If the update notification/prompt is not received, it can be checked and initiated manually via the Settings > System > System Updates menu path.