Asus Zenfone 2 series hands-on: Second encounter

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML and Zenfone 2 ZE550CL hands-on

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML

The Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML has the same screen size as the flagship model, but the resolution is just 720p, and the chipset is different too - in this case an Intel Atom Z3560 with a 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, PowerVR G6430 and 2GB of RAM. This model comes with 16GB of expandable storage, and costs €249.

The phone looks a lot like the flagship ZE551ML model, but lacks the premium editions, which enhance the rear panel with different colors and textures.

Zenfone 2 ZE550ML

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML rear cover is made of plastic, but you can't tell it at first, which means Asus did a good job with the choice of material and texture pattern.

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550CL

Finally, the lowest-end of the bunch is the Zenfone 2 ZE500CL, which is also the cheapest Zenfone 2, as you'd expect, at €179.

For that amount of cash you get a smaller 5-inch 720p display, an 8 MP rear camera, a 2 MP front-facing unit, an Intel Atom Z2560 chip with 1.6 GHz dual-core CPU, PowerVR SGX544MP2, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, and a 2,500 mAh battery. Like its siblings, it too runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

Zenfone 2 ZE550CL

While it does have LTE support, the ZE500CL tops out at Cat.3, which means theoretical peak download speeds of up to 100Mbps, whereas the 5.5-inch versions both enjoy Cat.4 LTE, going up to 150Mbps.

It looks a lot like the 5.5" Zenfone 2 with the HD display, but its screen bezels aren't as impressive as on the bigger models. It has the same rear controls and plastic rear cover as the Zenfone 2 ZE550ML.