At MWC this year, Asus presented the new ZenFone 5 family. Along with ZenFone 5 series comes the new features to keep up with competition and current smartphone trends. Some of them are so similar to iPhone X’s that it seems that they have outright copied Apple’s ideas. Notwithstanding that these new devices do have their strengths and their designs are eye-pleasing.

One of these new features is the ZeniMoji. Well do not let this whimsical name fool you into believing it is something you have not seen or heard before; it is essentially the iPhone X’s Animoji. ZeniMoji is basically a ZenFone 5 feature that lets users animate cute avatars with their own voice, facial expressions and head motions. These avatars can be used in video chats, live-streaming as well as in text chats.

The ZenFone 5Z is the flagship of the group. It sports the slick design – a slim, bezel-less 6.2” screen with a small notch at the top. 5Z is armed with the Snapdragon 845 that features a 3^rd-gen AI platform. Compounded with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the ZenFone 5Z delivers accelerated AI experiences.

The 3300 mAh battery with in ZenFone 5Z allows quick charging and has an AI charging that dynamically adjusts the charging rate based on the user’s charging habits. AI charging is said to slow down the aging process of the battery.

5Z’s new intelligent dual-camera system features the flagship Sony® IMX363 image sensor with large 1.4µm pixels and f/1.8 wide-aperture six-element lens which allows it to take great HDR pictures in low-light conditions. The 120° wide-angle secondary camera enables user to capture more expansive landscapes with ease. Besides the aforementioned points, the 5Z can also record video in 4K UHD resolution, with smooth and steady videos assured by electronic image stabilization (EIS).

With two five-magnet stereo speakers that deliver deep, rich and expansive stereo sound, the ZenFone 5Z is able to provide an enhanced listening experience right out of the box. It also supports 7.1-channel virtual surround-sound over headphones for an immersive sound experience and comes with a set of premium earbuds.

Here are the specs for the Asus ZenFone 5 series.

Asus Zenfone 5Z
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with an Adreno 630 GPU

RAM: 6/8GB LPDDR4x

Storage: 64/128GB, expandable via micro SD up to 2TB

Display: 6.2-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD with a resolution of 2264×1080, (19:9 aspect ratio)

Camera: 12+12MP Sony IMX363 image sensor with f/1.8 aperture with a 120° wide-angle lens

Audio: Dual 5-magnet speakers with dual NXP smart amplifiers, PMIC internal dual amplifier, Triple internal microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction, Hi-Res Audio 192kHz/24-bit standard output with HRA-certified earbuds, DTS Headphone:X™ support, Audio CODEC integrated into PMIC, AudioWizard+ with listening profile and FM radio

Battery: Non-removable 3300mAh unit with ASUS BoostMaster & AI Charging

Software: Android 8.0 Oreo customized with ZenUI 5.0

Asus Zenfone 5
Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 with an Adreno 509 GPU

RAM: 4 GB/6 GB LPDDR4x

Storage: 64 GB, expandable via micro SD

Display: 6.2-inch Full HD+ Super IPS panel with a 2,246 x 1,080 resolution (19:9 aspect ratio), 401 ppi pixel density. Protected by a layer of 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass

Cameras: 12+12 MP dual cameras with standard angle sensor with ƒ/1.8 aperture, 83-degree FOV, 24 mm focal length, and wide angle 120-degree FOV. 8 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture front camera

Audio: Dual speakers, NXP Smart AMP, hi-res audio, DTS Headphone:X for 7,1 surround, AudioWizard with 3.5 mm headphone jack

Battery: Non-removable 3,300 mAh

Software: Android 8.0 Oreo customized with ZenUI 5.0

Asus ZenFone 5 Lite (5Q)
Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 with an Adreno 508 GPU

RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4x

Storage: 64 GB, expandable via micro SD

Display: 6.0-inch Full HD Super IPS panel with a 2160×1080 resolution (18:9 aspect ratio). Protected by a layer of 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass

Cameras: 16+16 MP dual cameras with standard angle sensor with ƒ/2.2 aperture, 80-degree FOV, and wide angle 120-degree FOV. 20+20 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture camera with a wide angle, 120-degree FOV lens

Audio: Audio codec integrated into PMIC

Battery: Non-removable 3,300 mAh

Software: Android 8.0 Oreo customized with ZenUI 5.0

All the three models come with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and dual SIM capabilities. Zenfone 5Z as the most promising flagship model is the priciest of the lot at around the $499 mark and is available in Midnight Blue and Meteor Silver colours. The pricing for Zenfone 5 and 5 Lite is undecided at this point of time but the former will be available in Midnight Blue and Meteor Silver like 5Z while the latter in red, white and black. Release date for the devices is yet to be announced, but it would likely be sometime later in the year.