Asus ZenFone 3 5.5-inch ZE552KL vs 5.2-inch ZE520KL Specs Comparison, Side by Side Actual Unit Photos

"Sir Mark, I heard that Asus will be releasing two sizes of the regular Asus ZenFone 3. Can you confirm this?"

That's one of the many ZenFone-related questions that I've been getting from Pinoy Asus fans ever since I returned to Manila from my recent Computex 2016 and Asus HQ Tour with our friends from the electronics company.

I can tell that a lot of my readers are very excited about this year's ZenFone models so I've decided to dedicate a few more TP posts to this topic.

To answer the question: Yes. Come August 2016, you will able to get the Asus ZenFone 3 regular model in two sizes. One has a 5.2-inch display while the other has a 5.5-inch screen.

The smaller Asus ZenFone 3 5.2-inch ZE520KL is more affordable; Donning an official price tag starting at $249. On the other hand, the larger Asus ZenFone 3 5.5-inch ZE552KL is expected to be slightly more expensive with a TP Price Guesstimate in the range of $300 to $350 USD.

The two versions share the exact same design identity, construction, and set of color options.

Here are some exclusive photos of Asus ZenFone 3 5.2-inch ZE520KL and 5.5-inch ZE552KL beside each other for design comparison:

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

Both devices have the same IPS+ display type that looks great when viewed from various angles. They also have similar Full HD or 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, which makes the 5.2-inch model's screen more pixel dense.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
Both screens at lowest brightness setting.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
It appears that ZE520KL and ZE552KL's screens have the same nits of brightness.

Scratch-resistant 2.5D Contoured Gorilla Glass 4 protect the front and back panels of the two models.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
You get the exact same features and design elements at the back; The concentric pattern, fingerprint scanner, the protruding camera module.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
Notice the different proximity sensor location on the two phones right above their screens.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

ZE552KL and ZE520KL's identical mid-frame is crafted from sand-blasted, diamond-cut aluminum alloy that gives both devices an air of elegance and durability.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
You'll find the power button and volume rocker of both smartphones on their right panel.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
On both devices, the Dual SIM card tray is found on the left panel.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
The size difference between the two variants is most obvious when we view them side-by-side from this angle.

Asus ZenFone 3 ZE552KL, Asus ZenFone 3 ZE520KL
This angle shows two things I love about these new ZenFone models. First, they now have a USB Type C port. Second, Asus placed the loud speaker at the rear as opposed to at the back on previous releases.

Update:

Both Asus ZenFone 3 5.5-inch and 5.2-inch were officially announced in the Philippines via #ZenvolutionPH, which happened earlier today - August 14, 2016 - at Sofitel Luxury Hotel in Manila.

Asus ZenFone 3 Price in the Philippines

The smaller ZF3 dons an SRP of Php 16,995 while the larger one will sell for Php 18,995 when the duo become available at Asus stores within this month, August 2016.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
NameAsus ZenFone 3 5.5
ZE552KL
Asus ZenFone 3 5.2
ZE520KL
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category Midrange
Dimensions152.6 x 77.4 x 7.7 mmTBD
Weight 155 gramsTBD
Available Colors Shimmer Gold, Aqua Blue, Sapphire Black, Moonlight White
Operating System Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Zen UI 3.0
Display 5.5 inches (~401 ppi pixel density), 1080 x 1920 pixels, Super IPS+, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 2.5D Contoured Corning Gorilla Glass 45.2 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 3,000 mAh
Li-Ion 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 TP Guesstimate: $300 USD (3GB of RAM, 32GB of ROM)

Official SRP in the Philippines:
Php 18,995 for 64GB model
Official: $249 USD (3GB of RAM, 32GB of ROM)
Price Guesstimate (Philippines): Starts at Php 11,000 to Php 12,000

Official SRP in the Philippines:
Php 16,995 for 64GB model

Apart from their difference in screen and battery size, Asus ZenFone 3 5.5-inch ZE552KL and Asus ZenFone 3 5.2-inch ZE520KL are practically one and the same in terms of technical specifications including imaging capabilities and connectivity options.