Chairman Jonney Shih unveils flagship smartphone brand and other innovative products that exemplify how ASUS weaves technology into everyday life

Las Vegas, USA (6th January, 2014) — ASUS chairman Jonney Shih today celebrated the company’s In Search of Incredible brand spirit in his CES 2014 keynote address to show how ASUS weaves technology into the fabric of our everyday lives. The first of these ground-breaking innovations is ZenFone, a range of 4 to 6-inch smartphones that embodies the ASUS commitment to creating incredible experiences that transform expectations.

Mr. Shih revealed other innovative products, including Transformer Book Duet (TD 300), the world’s first quad-mode dual-operating-system (OS) laptop and tablet in one, and PadFone mini, a 4-inch smartphone that transforms effortlessly into a 7-inch tablet. ZenUI, an ASUS-exclusive user interface, also makes its debut in the PadFone mini and ZenFone.

Other new offerings include ROG Swift PG278Q, a stunning premium gaming monitor that carries the Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand DNA.

Restating the ASUS brand promise, Mr Shih said: “ASUS is passionate about technology and driven by innovation. We dream, we dare and we strive to create an effortless and joyful digital life for everyone. We’re always in search of incredible ideas and experiences — and we aspire to deliver the incredible in everything we do.”

Invited to take the stage by Mr. Shih, Intel President Renee James said: “We are thrilled to help Asus unveil its newest array of Intel-powered 2-in-1 with dual OS and mobile device designs.  Our collaboration dates back to motherboards and has evolved to span PCs, 2-in-1 devices, tablets, phablets and more. The new Transformer Book Duet, PadFone mini and the ZenFone series further extend our history of bringing exciting computing experiences to market.”

ZenFone and PadFone mini — incredible experience through incredible connectivity

ZenFone is the new flagship smartphone brand from ASUS. With screen sizes that range from 4 to 6-inch and available in an array of striking colors, ZenFone is the incredible smartphone for everyone.

ZenFone 4 has a gorgeous 4-inch display and a powerful dual-core 1.2GHz Intel® Atom™ Z2520 processor with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology that delivers two threads per core — making this a smartphone that never leaves the user waiting for a response. With two built-in cameras, a weight of just 115g and available in five vibrant colors — Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Cherry Red, Sky Blue, Solar Yellow — ZenFone 4 is the great-value handset for young people who want the perfect companion for their mobile lifestyles.

ZenFone 5 has a beautiful 5-inch IPS panel that delivers HD 1280x720 resolution, the same energy-efficient, fast dual-core processor and brilliant 8-megapixel PixelMaster main camera — for high-speed burst photography and brightness that’s enhanced by up to 400% when taking pictures in poor lighting conditions. GloveTouch and PenTouch technologies increases the display’s sensitivity, making it possible to use the device even with a gloved hand or any stylus.

ZenFone 6 also offers a HD display, measuring a fantastic six inches across the diagonal — so users see more of what they want. Like ZenFone 5, the ZenFone 6 display features GloveTouch and PenTouch technologies. ZenFone 6 also includes a 13-megapixel PixelMaster main camera. ZenFone 5 and 6 are available in four statement colors — Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Cherry Red, and Champagne Gold.

All ZenFone models offer an incredible experience through incredible connectivity — and so too does the brand-new PadFone mini. The latest addition to the hugely popular ASUS PadFone family, PadFone mini is a beautiful 4-inch smartphone that docks seamlessly with 7-inch tablet that comfortably fits one hand — allowing users to expand their view in an instant without compromising on comfort.

With a powerful dual-core Intel® Atom™ Z2560 processor with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology that enables two threads per core, 8GB of internal storage, and up to 64GB micro SD card support, PadFone mini has all the power and resources needed for both phone and tablet apps. It even supports dual SIMs, so users are the freedom to maintain two distinct phone numbers, or separate data and phone lines, without requiring two handsets — incredible connectivity.

ZenFone and PadFone mini both benefit from ZenUI — a sublime new user interface that’s exclusive to ASUS smart devices. With simplified icons and menus, five different color themes that match the device colors, and a clever What’s Next feature that helps users keep track of their lives, ZenUI is the irresistible front end of these irresistible new devices — and proof that fantastic functionality can have a friendly face. ZenUI is also designed to be social, thanks to Omlet Chat, powered by the Omlet Open Messaging Platform. With Omlet Chat, users can share anything – such as text, photos, video or audio - at any time, with anyone, and on any phone.

Transformer Book Duet — dual-OS innovation that transforms consumers' expectations

With Transformer Book Duet (TD 300) ASUS has created an innovation to transform consumers’ expectations by creating the world’s first quad-mode laptop and tablet convertible, with Instant Switch technology that allows users to switch between Windows and Android in either laptop or tablet modes in just four seconds — and with just a single push of a button or a virtual key on the tablet.

With a powerful Intel Core™ i7 processor at its heart, Transformer Book Duet runs up to twice as fast as existing tablets with ARM® processors. With ASUS SonicMaster technology built in and dual speakers on both sides of the tablet, Transformer Book Duet delivers incredible audio for immersive entertainment.

Transformer Book Duet is also an extremely capable Windows laptop, with a 13-inch Full HD touchscreen that’s just perfect for navigating Windows 8.1.

ROG Swift PG278Q — enabling effortless gaming and joyful digital lives

Also in the spotlight is ROG Swift PG278Q, a brand-new 27-inch gaming monitor that is the first and fastest in the world to support NVIDIA® G-SYNC™ technology for stunning smoothness, and crisp 2560×1440-pixel (WQHD) resolution visuals.

ROG Swift PG278Q is able to synchronize with the GPU’s render rate to provide stunning smoothness and ultra-fast response — for incredible images today and ready for the next generation of gaming. Tearing, graphics stutter and latency will be a thing of the past, and a smooth visual experience is ensured by a rapid refresh rate of over 120Hz and a fast 1ms response time.

ROG Swift PG278Q is also designed for comfort and simplicity, with ergonomic tilt, swivel, pivot and height-adjustment features. It also features an exclusive and intuitive five-way on-screen display (OSD) joystick-like navigation key, plus a built-in smart cable-management system. ROG Swift PG278Q’s ultra-thin 6mm bezel makes it ideal for multi-display gaming setups.

AVAILABILITY, PRICING & SPECIFICATIONS

Product availability varies by country. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

Specifications and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. For more details about the products mentioned in this press release, please visit press.asus.com .

NOTES TO EDITORS

30-word summary

ASUS chairman Jonney Shih today announced a range of ground-breaking and innovative products, including the ZenFone smartphone family, Transformer Book Duet (TD 300), PadFone mini, ZenUI and ROG Swift PG278Q gaming monitor.

60-word summary

ASUS chairman Jonney Shih today announced a range of ground-breaking and innovative products, including the ZenFone smartphone family, the Transformer Book Duet (TD 300), the world’s first quad-mode dual-OS laptop and tablet in one, and PadFone mini, a new more compact version of PadFone. ZenUI, an ASUS-exclusive user smartphone interface, makes its debut, and ROG Swift PG278Q, a 27-inch premium gaming monitor, was also announced.

100-word summary

ASUS chairman Jonney Shih today celebrated the company’s In Search of Incredible brand spirit in his CES 2014 keynote address. The ground-breaking innovations announced include the ZenFone, a range of 4 to 6-inch smartphones, plus the Transformer Book Duet (TD 300), the world’s first quad-mode dual-operating-system (OS) laptop and tablet in one, and PadFone mini, a 4-inch smartphone that transforms effortlessly into a 7-inch tablet. ZenUI, an ASUS-exclusive user interface, also makes its debut in the PadFone mini and ZenFone.

Another new offering is ROG Swift PG278Q, a stunning premium gaming monitor that carries the Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand DNA.

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ABOUT ASUS

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning, motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,168 awards in 2012 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 12,500 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 3,800 engineers. Company revenue for 2012 was approximately US$14 billion.