It’s rare that a company launches a smartphone with a base storage capacity that we’re actually impressed by.
That’s why we’re seriously excited by a new version of the Asus ZenFone 2.
It’s called the ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition – a stupid name, we know – and it comes with a whopping 256GB of internal storage.
Yes, we’re not talking about maximum microSD support. The 256GB is entirely built-in flash memory.
Compare that to the iPhone 6, for which Apple offers just 16GB storage for the entry-level model, and a maximum capacity of 128GB – paltry, by comparison.
The ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition is an otherwise capable phone too, with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 13/5-megapixel cameras, a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom processor, 4GB of RAM, and 4G/LTE connectivity.
It also comes bundled with popular racing game Asphalt 8 pre-installed, with an unspecified amount of pre-paid credit included.
Unfortunately, there’s a huge caveat to this news:
“We are very excited to bring our latest ZenFone models to the Latin American market,” explains Jason Shen, Asus CEO.
Shen continues: “They offer Latin American consumers empowering luxury with perfectly-balanced beauty, functionality and performance, together with a premium user experience that can be tailored to the individual needs of mobile users.”
That means the Asus ZenFone 2 is only launching in Latin America for now.
There’s been no word from Asus on if we’ll ever see a wider release for the handset either.
Related: Best Android Smartphones 2015
Fortunately, the IFA 2015 Berlin tradeshow is right around the corner, and we’re expecting Asus to make some announcements at the event in early Septemer.
Perhaps we’ll see a European/US version of this file-hoarder phone at the tradeshow.
Do you think manufacturers should be more generous with the amount of storage we get in smartphones? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Check out our smartphone group test video below:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
