by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Sales, SMEs, Technology
ASUS ROG Phone
By Vivek Singh Chauhan,
New Delhi : As demands for high-end mobile games continue to rise in the country, Taiwanese electronics major ASUS recently launched its first gaming-centric smartphone under its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand in India.
The company’s flagship device ROG Phone is designed for high-performance mobile gaming and smartphone experience. It was first unveiled globally at the Computex 2018 in June this year.
ROG Phone was launched on November 29 in the country for Rs 69,999.
One of the major highlights of this gaming device is its 3D vapour-chamber cooling system. As per the company, it is the world’s first smartphone to be clubbed with this technology.
Let’s see how it fared during the time we used the smartphone.
Looking at the design language of the device, we found it to be big, and yet stylish and aggressive that gave a perfect “powerful” look to the device.
The gaming smartphone comes with a six-inch fullHD+ (18:9 aspect ratio), AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 6. It has a refresh rate of 90Hz.
The device comes with a metal-glass body that has a plastic cooling panel on the back with copper-coloured grills. To give the gaming device some flashy lighting effects, there’s a customisable RGB-lit ROG logo, that can change colours, on the back.
Of all the gaming phones available in the market, this device seems to have the best screen so far.
The volume and power buttons are placed on the right side and the primary USB Type-C port and 3.5-mm headphone jack on the bottom. It also has a regular USB Type-C port for charging the device.
The device is powered by the speed-binned 2.96GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip with gaming-optimised Qualcomm Adreno 630 GPU.
It is coupled with 8GB RAM and internal storage up to 128GB. It runs Android 8.1 operating system (OS) and has ROG Gaming user interface (UI).
No lag was found even after running multiple apps in the background which also included heavy games such as Asphalt 9 and PUBG.
The device performed quite well in the battery department. It houses a 4,000mAh battery and supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 fast charging.
The phone has a unique “GameCool” vapour chamber cooling system, with detachable “AeroActive” cooler for an extra cooling boost.
It features 3D vapour-chamber cooling inside that provides larger surface area for heat dissipation than a standard heat-pipe cooling system.
This cooling system is enhanced with a copper heat spreader and carbon cooling pads on the circuit board for maximum cooling performance.
The gaming device delivered performance without overheating, which was quite overwhelming.
The AirTrigger buttons — that uses ultrasonic technology — on the left edge acts like shoulder buttons seen on actual game consoles.
The device’s stereo speakers worked quite well.
The gaming smartphone also comes with a 12MP f/1.7 lens with Sony’s IMX363 sensor and a 120-degree wide-angle camera and an 8MP shooter with f/2.0 aperture for selfies.
What doesn’t work?
Not a major disappointment but this device does not have “Face Unlock” feature. A fingerprint sensor is there, but we found its slower than expected.
And nobody would mind a bigger battery as it is a gaming-centric smartphone.
Conclusion: ASUS’ ROG Phone, with its rough look and powerful hardware, is here to stay until some other beast of a gaming phone overpowers it.
(Vivek Singh Chauhan can be contacted at vivek.c@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Interviews, Markets, Sales, SMEs, Technology
By Vivek Singh Chauhan,
New Delhi : With PC and laptop gaming gaining momentum in India, Taiwanese electronics major ASUS aims to garner 10 per cent market share next year with launching innovative products in the thin and light segment, a top company executive said on Saturday.
“In 2019, we are targeting that we should reach around 4 lakh units (laptops) with 10 per cent market share. You will see gaming and consumer laptops in the thin and light segment from us at an affordable price range next year,” Arnold Su, PC and Gaming Head ASUS India, told IANS in an interview.
According to the company, ASUS would end up at around 2.6 lakh units, with around 7-8 per cent market share, in the Indian market.
“We are sure that with the new strategy, our business will capture even greater market share next year,” Su added.
With gaming picking up as a profession in India, the executive said the country has great potential ahead.
“Republic of Gamers (ROG) is the most searched gaming brand in India and in terms of our gaming market share, we are currently at 20-22 per cent and aim to reach 30 per cent next year,” Su said.
The PC market has become stagnant but the gaming market is growing aggressively and ASUS is among the fastest growing brand in the laptop segment.
“We started the year with 4.9 per cent market share but in the third quarter (Q3), we reached 9.4 per cent. So our growth has been close to almost 90 per cent,” Su told IANS.
The company has recently launched two gaming laptops in India that feature AMD Ryzen 5 processor with up to 8GB DDR4 memory and AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics.
“The reason for entering into such a partnership with AMD is because of the growing demand among gamers for better and advanced solutions. The RYZEN series provides just that for our end users,” Su said while elaborating about the company’s collaboration with the US-based chip maker.
“We are confident of the positive contribution AMD would make to our growth story,” the executive added.
The company currently is not into making software as it is working closely with game developers to focus more on the hardware front.
“We are not ready to jump to the software, whatever the design we have in our laptops, we ensure that our laptops are compatible with different games. This is our goal,” said the executive.
“For us, we will not be able to design the games right now. We need to ensure that our hardware is compatible and perfect to meet the requirements of different games. So, we are working with them (game developers) very closely,” Su informed.
(Vivek Singh Chauhan can be contacted at vivek.c@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Medium Enterprise, Online Marketing, Technology
Mumbai : Taiwan-based electronics major ASUS on Friday said it entered into a partnership with Quantumcloud, a start-up with a software solution that allows gamers to use their idle graphics cards to mine cryptocurrency and receive a digital cash payout through PayPal or WeChat.
Quantum Cloud uses some of the user’s graphics processing unit’s (GPU) power to run powerful Cloud-based applications. These applications generate profit for the platform, and the users earn a cut based on the amount of GPU power provided.
As a leading player in the world-wide graphics card market, ASUS said it was uniquely poised as a distribution partner for the Quantumcloud app, which delivers cash to customers depending on how efficiently their system mines cryptocurrencies.
ASUS brings many high-end graphics cards to the market every year and has a large user base that can potentially earn a “passive” income by installing Quantumcloud’s software.
Quantumcloud said it does not require customers to create a unique login, and keeps customer data safe.
Instead, customers can use their existing PayPal or WeChat account to log in and collect their earnings.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Large Enterprise, Markets, SMEs, Technology
By Nirmal Anshu Ranjan,
Kuala Lumpur : Global computer hardware and consumer electronics company ASUS on Thursday showcased a new lineup of motherboards, graphics cards, displays, networking devices, mini PCs and peripherals, and launched products for home, business and gaming.
Among the products launched at “Incredible Intelligence 2018 Asia-Pacific” event here were an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-guided second generation of its successful Zenbo robotics platform – “Zenbo Junior”, “ROG Maximus XI Apex” motherboard and “ROG Strix XG49VQ” gaming monitor.
Zenbo Junior enables developers, system integrators and business partners to create and deploy robotic solutions for various business applications and to engage with customers seamlessly, said a company spokesman.
“It (Zenbo Junior) provides comprehensive development tools, including the Zenbo SDK and Dialogue Development Editor, that offer APIs for multiple sensors and allows developers and system integrators to create specialised robotic applications faster and easier,” explained Jackie Hsu, ASUS Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Worldwide Sales – Open Platform Business Group.
It is also equipped with a remote management system that can easily be customised to suit various scenarios.
For educational use, Zenbo Junior provides multiple programmable sensors and tools that enable students to develop a solid foundational understanding of robotics and AI concepts while creating fun, and for teachers, it comes with Classroom Management Console that enables distribution and submission of teaching materials and assignments.
“For businesses, Zenbo Junior offers the Zenbo Management Console and App Builder Pro tools to make it easier to create and deploy robotic business solutions.
“Zenbo Management Console enables easy and efficient remote management of multiple robot devices, and App Builder Pro lets business users create menu-driven interfaces for interaction with customers,” said Hsu.
ROG Maximus XI Apex is a premier motherboard with extreme overclocking capabilities, including enhanced Extreme Engine Digi+ with dual ProCool 8-pin power connectors and Overclocker’s Toolkit, which offers a condensation detection circuit, Probelt and additional hardware-level controls.
Talking about ROG Strix XG49VQ, the ASUS official said it is a 49-inch 1800R curved HDR gaming monitor featuring Double Full HD (3840 x 1080) resolution, a 32:9 aspect ratio and a 144Hz refresh rate that envelops viewers with true-to-life visuals and provides super-smooth gaming experiences.
“ASUS began with motherboards almost three decades ago, and now we are a multinational company with an expansive portfolio of incredible products that are consistently recognized by top-rated global organizations,” said Hsu.
Addressing the gathering, Steve Long, Intel VP and GM – Client Computing Group Sales, said: “For nearly 30 years, Intel and ASUS have been collaborating to bring innovations to market. We are excited to continue that collaboration on ASUS’ new solutions for business, home, and gaming powered by Intel’s leadership technologies.”
ASUS provides total solutions for businesses and professionals, offering innovative products designed for office, retail and education environments as well as content creation to support businesses with their current and future needs.
ASUS has developed the Corporate Stable Model (CSM) programme – an enhanced aftersales support service that provides corporate customers with stable motherboards and mini PCs.
For professional content creators, the powerful duo of the Mini PC ProArt PA90 featuring the 9th Generation Intel Core processor with support for Intel Optane technology, and the ProArt PA34VC monitor provides a capable and compelling platform for video editing, photography and computer-aided design (CAD).
For business travellers and mobile creatives, ZenScreen Go MB16AP, touted as the “world’s thinnest and lightest” Full HD USB monitor, provides extra screen space for working or giving presentations while on the go, said a statement from the company.
The RT-AX88U and AiMesh AX6100 Wi-Fi System are designed for next-generation Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for ultrafast and stable wireless connections.
These new router solutions are designed to provide improved connectivity to let users enjoy smooth media streaming, online gaming and Internet browsing in every part of the home.
ASUS routers received in 2018 the PC Magazine Readers’ Choice Award for seven straight years, an indication of their quality, performance and ease of use.
During the event, the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) debuted the ROG XG49VQ, a 49-inch curved HDR gaming monitor, as well as ROG Maximus XI Apex, an ATX gaming motherboard featuring the Intel Z390 chipset.
(Nirmal Anshu Ranjan is attending the event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the invitation of ASUS. He can be reached at nirmal.r@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Medium Enterprise, Technology
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : Taiwanese smartphone maker ASUS debuted in India in 2014 with its Zenfone 4, Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 6 devices which were essentially low-cost phones that catapulted the otherwise not-so-popular brand to recognition.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), the Indian smartphone market is poised to grow in double digits in 2018 on the back of the popularity of budget devices and vendors increasing their focus to make phones, as well as high-value components in the country.
The Taiwan-based handset maker now seems to be following a similar sentiment and has launched ZenFone Max Pro M1 in India at Rs 10,999 for the 3GB RAM+32GB onboard storage variant and Rs 12,999 for the 4GB RAM+64GB internal storage variant to primarily compete with the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro.
According to the company, the smartphone has been made specifically for India — which is a key market for it — and its launching price and specifications have intrigued us. Let us find out if the smartphone is worth your time and money.
What works?
Unlike most smartphones in the market today, this smartphone is not a typical glass sandwich design. The device was quite pleasant to look at and has an ergonomic rear.
Despite a taller-than-wider frame and an 18:9 aspect ratio screen for immersive viewing and gaming experience, the smartphone was easy to operate with one hand.
A 5.99-inch FHD+ “Full View” display takes up most of the front along with rounded corners and narrow borders on both the sides.
The power and volume keys sit on the right and are easy to reach.
A fingerprint sensor is placed at the back below which sits the minimalistic ASUS logo. The scanner was quick to unlock the device.
We were impressed to see the almost 6-inch display sans a “notch” which was popularised by Apple iPhone X.
The display is bright with accurate colours under normal daylight conditions with decent sunlight legibility.
The viewing angles of the device were also good and we particularly liked the inclusion of “night mode” and a manual colour temperature adjustment under “settings”.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset, which is essentially designed for premium mid-range devices, powers the smartphone. This is a major high point considering the price of the device.
Notably, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 Pro is also fuelled by the same processor.
We were impressed by the company ditching its own ZenUI interface in favour of a near-stock interface which offered smooth experience.
We got close to two days of battery life on a single charge with 4G running on one SIM slot.
The device has 13MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor that can take decent photos in normal lighting conditions.
The front camera is an 8MP shooter which took some good self-portraits.
What does not work?
Despite accommodating a hefty 5,000mAh battery inside the phone, the company did not include fast-charging technology alongside which can be a bummer.
Charging the battery was painfully slow and it took us more than two hours to completely charge the device.
Conclusion: ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 is a capable all-rounder in this price segment. We would recommend the device to those looking for great battery life and near-stock Android experience.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at Krishna.s@ians.in)
—IANS
