Previous rumors have said that the successor to the successful ZenFone 2 lineup will launch by mid-2016. It turns out that this is partly true as it is revealed that the ZenFone 3 series will most likely arrive later in the year worldwide after the unveiling scheduled next month.
According to China-based industry follower DigiTimes, Asus CEO Jerry Shen revealed this detail recently. Reportedly, the new ZenFone 3 lineup will be unveiled mid-June and may become available in at least six countries by August.
Meanwhile, the Asus CEO added that ZenFone 3 series phones will have a different processor. The ZenFone series, particularly the ZenFone 2, is known to be one of the few smartphone lineups that use an Intel chipset. However, with the ZenFone 3, Shen announced that Asus will be switching to Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets. This means that fans will see Snapdragon and maybe Helio processors in the ZenFone 3. Additionally, it is noted that among the planned releases of the ZenFone 2 follow-up, almost 90 percent will carry a Qualcomm chipset, and the remaining 10 percent will have MediaTek chipsets.
Although the ZenFone 3 is expected to be a flagship lineup, the premium iteration will most probably be a specialized edition, rather than having top-tier internals. Asus has already done this with the ZenFone 2, releasing special editions like the Laser, Selfie and Max variants. Meanwhile, should the ZenFone 3 carry a top-tier edition, it will most likely be a Deluxe version.
Previous supposed leaks have circulated online, pointing out that the ZenFone 3 will have at least two variants. These versions match Shen's statement that Asus will target the ZenFone 3 as a mid-range device but it will also try to compete with others in the above-average lineups.
