Asus ZenFone 3 5.2-inch ZE520KL Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, Actual Unit Photos, Full Specs

Donning an official price tag of only $249 USD or roughly Php 11,000 to Php 12,000, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL is the most affordable of all the ZenFone models that the Taiwanese electronics giant unveiled at #Zenvolution international media event held in Taipei last May 30, 2016.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

Despite being the most budget-friendly of the bunch, however, it is hardly the least interesting.

In fact, this year's ZenFone 3 comes with a handful of notable enhancements that should be enough to make current ZenFone 2 and ZenFone 2 Laser owners want to upgrade to it.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

The most obvious enhancement implemented on this model could be seen in the design department.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

Whereas last year's ZenFone releases had shells made predominantly of plastic, ZenFone 3 5.2-inch ZE520KL and its larger sibling ZE550KL sport exteriors constructed using sand-blasted aluminum alloy and scratch-resistant contoured Gorilla Glass panels.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

The combination of these materials complemented by the visually-arresting concentric design pattern at the back make ZenFone 3 downright gorgeous and opulent. Having played with the handset, I'd have to say that it is a definite headturner.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

Now, let's talk about its technical specifications.

On the outside, the device is equipped with a 5.2 inch HD IPS+ screen that looks great in various viewing angles. On top of the screen, you'll find the phone's more powerful 8 MegaPixel front-facing cam for selfies with f/2.0 aperture and Beauty Mode boost -- a level-up from the 5MP front-shooter on 2015 ZenFone releases. And at the back, there's the 16 MegaPixel autofocus camera with Dual Tone LED flash.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

The snapper at the rear represents a tremendous upgrade coming from last year as it now features the powerful Sony IMX298 sensor for enhanced low-light performance and image brilliance, 4-axis Optical Image Stabilization for crisp shots even when your hand is slightly moving while taking photos, and Asus' new Tri-Tech autofocus technology that combines laser, phase-detection, and continuous autofocus that makes it possible for the user to lock-in on a subject faster and more accurately even while it's in motion or in low light settings.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

At its heart, the most affordable Asus ZenFone 3 5.2-inch version runs its ZenUI3.0-skinned Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system with the powerhouse 64-Bit Octa Core 2.0 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 chipset incorporating ARM Cortex A53 CPUs and an Adreno 506 GPU, has 3GB of RAM, and comes with 32GB of internal storage that you can easily beef up using the secondary hybrid SIM slot, which supports microSD card memory expansion.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

Available in four colors - namely, Sapphire Black, Moonlight White, Shimmer Gold, and Aqua Blue - Asus ZenFone 3 5.2-inch ZE520KL will be up for purchase at Asus outlets in key markets across the globe come late-July or early-August 2016.

Given all of its main selling points as well as its budget-friendly SRP, this model - I believe - could very well become one of the best-selling Android smartphones this year. And as a tech blogger who has seen it in the flesh and has given the device a test run, I'm totally inclined to recommend it to all my readers, followers, and friends.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category Midrange
DimensionsTBC, 7.69 mm thin
Weight 150 grams (est)
Available Colors Shimmer Gold, Aqua Blue, Sapphire Black, Moonlight White
Operating System Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Zen UI 3.0
Display 5.2 inches (~424 ppi pixel density), 1080 x 1920 pixels, Super IPS+, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 2.5D Contoured Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Processor 64-Bit Octa Core 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex A53, Adreno 506 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 chipset
RAM 3GB/4GB RAM options
Internal Storage 32GB/64GB ROM options, expandable via hybrid SIM slot
Camera Main: 16 MegaPixels, f/2.0 aperture, Sony IMX298 sensor, Laser/Phase Detection Autofocus, Tri-Tech, 4-Axis Optical Image Stabilization, Dual Tone LED Flash
Front: 8 MegaPixels, f/2.0 aperture
Video Capture Full HD 1080p 30 frames per second for main camera, Full HD for front camera
Audio and Video Playback MP3, WAV, eAAC+, FLAC, MP4, H.264
Ports USB Type C, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.2 with A2DP, EDR, 3G HSPA+; LTE Cat6
GPS Yes, with GLONASS and A-GPS
FM Radio Yes
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity, Fingerprint Scanner
Network 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2,
3G HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100,
4G LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800)
SIM Card Type Dual = nanoSIM + microSIM
Battery Non-removable 2,650 mAh Li-Ion battery
Uptime TBD
Value-Added Features Premium Design, Improved Imaging Capabilities, Good Internal Hardware
Announcement May 30, 2016 ~ Taipei, Taiwan
Availability Late July to August 2016
Price Official: $249 USD (5.2-inch, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of ROM)
Price Guesstimate (Philippines): Starts at Php 11,000 to Php 12,000