Amazing price for a phone with its specs. Great choice for those who are on a budget.
Same price as non deluxe however only difference in specs I can find is that this one has expandable storage up to 128gb instead of 64gb
Also it is definitely more worth to get the ZE551ML(this) than the ZE550ML posted here
Also available in Illusion Blue Colour
Original CWEDDING20 20% off deal
4% cashback with Cashrewards brings down to $272.84
No way.
Quite simply, this is budget aimed, while the G Flex 2 was aimed at the flagship market
Not sure why you're getting negged, because you're right - the G Flex 2 has a better screen and significantly faster processor.
This is still a bloody bargain for $280ish though.
I have the 64GB variant and can attest to it's value for money. However, the software is very bloated. I wiped it and flashed CyanogenMod.
Could you please share me the process to root and flash?
I can't remember it exactly, it might have been this process over @ XDA
BootLoader Unlock (both ZE551ML and ZE550ML)
Otherwise, you can check out Asus Zenfone 2 | Resources all in one thread
Once you have root, you can unlock bootloader and flash custom recovery. When that's all done, you can head over to the CyanogenMod thread.
[ROM] [5.1.x] Unofficial CyanogenMod 12.1 Nightly Builds (Z00A/Z008) @ XDA
ROM Downloads
Edit: I think ASUS have released an official way to unlock the bootloader, but your warranty is still void.
AFAIK they cant by consumer laws in Australia, if you bought it locally, UNLESS they can show that the fault is caused by something you did after unlocking it.
@Hellman109: source??
Apple and Sammy Stores check this first on a working phone. They even have a flag in firmware whether the device has an official ROM
FYI ASUS released and offical bootloader unlocker yesterday, so most doco will be using third party bootloader unlockers when thats not needed.
So if ASUS has officially released the bootloader unlocker, can it really void your warranty to use it?
bloated? - must be that time of the month !
I bought one for myself (64GB) but conveniently the mrs broke her old phone when this arrived. Really tempted to jump on this tho, especially that Asus has made it easy to root it.
Having said that, my current phone feels a heap snappier (Lumia 930)
Lumia 950 was just annouced as well, so if you're a happy windows phone user it might be worth seeing if that suits your needs as well
Would this be any better then my current galaxy note 3?
Depends on what you're looking for really, this phone definitely lags less than your Note 3.
Is this speculation or based on experience?
The GSMArena review shows it faster in some benchmarks and slower in others…
http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_2_ze551ml-review-1240p5…
Yes, while zenfone does come with a lot of bloatware, it is still relatively smooth. Note 3 isn't too bad but I personally don't consider it as smooth.
@clse945111: Switched to CM 12.1, which isn't final/official yet, got rid of all bloat and is running VERY nicely.
@turbodude: from my experience with note1 and note4: yes, the s-pen works, however you loose all of the Samsung apps so need to find suitable substitutes. I've never really used the S-pen so i'm not sure how good the alternates are.
I'd say no.
Camera, video would be miles better on the GN3. Also you have Multi Window if you care to have 2 apps running on that big screen.
The Zenfone 2 might trump it on the software updates though, since the GN3 is an old phone that's probably not supported by Samsung anymore.
To be fair the Zenfone 2 is still on 5.0, they will release 5.1 but no dates given
Side by side comparison for those interested… though it is pretty much what the OP said.
Really tempted by this… I want to upgrade my Z3 to the moto x style… but currently there isn't moto maker in Aus and the moto x style cost so much more…
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-ASUS-ZenFone-2-ZE551ML-4G-LTE…
Also available in a more "conventional" colour.
I would like to point out the one linked isn't the DELUXE version.
SoC, and all specs seem the same (except maybe the 128 vs 64GB expansion of memory?)
Seems like it.
But it's not so shiny :)
Bought one for my wife. Great price. Thanks.
Is this model ok for all telstra and optus bands?
I might be wrong, but it lists Band 28 which is good for 4G Plus (and 4GX) - neg away if I'm wrong.
Yes for telstra, missing Optus TDD2300 which isn't as important as 700MHz anyway.
Not sure about Telstra but I think Optus is bands 1,3,7,28 and 40.
So this only has 1 and 28. Not for me thanks.
Correct me if I'm wrong please.
EDIT: PhoneArena doesn't even show a model with these bands, so their info could be wrong… or PhoneArena could be wrong.
What are you talking about, it has band 3 which is the most important 1800Mhz. (a 4G phone without 1800 is not a 4G phone) and Band 7 is pretty useless for Optus atm.
Doesn't look like it has band 3 from the specification
@clse945111: Thanks for your reply clse94511. My understanding is this one has all the bands for Telstra?
Actually I found this one has 1800MHz listed at the bottom of the page: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ASUS-Zenfone-2-ZE551ML-Dual-SIM-4…
I am going by what the ad says. "4G bands LTE B1 / B2 / B4 / B5 / B8 / B9 / B28"
As I mentioned in my edit, the bands listed were inconsistent with PhoneArena.
I would just be hesitant buying a phone off eBay that could potentially be missing that band.
EDIT: Also, why is Band 7 useless for Optus? http://oztowers.com/Home/Bands suggests there are 1346 Optus towers across the country using Band 7.. ?
@toughen:
The websites showing towers aren't always accurate, there's supposed to be a few towers with 2600MHz enabled around me, but when I switch my phone to only use B7 there's simply no signal (in Sydney CBD), only B3 and B28 have. Obviously the sample size is a bit small, but just out of curiosity I'll go around and test in other nearby areas.
When it comes to Optus though, 700 and 1800 will cover most of the areas you go ATM, TDD 2300 is a nice bonus but not many phones support it. 2100 and 2600 are simply the forgotten ones. Not to mention if in case you call a lot, 4G coverage is not going to help one bit without VoLTE.
Now, this or the G4?…
G4, 100%
If you have the budget, g4 obviously.
G4
er where can I get a G4 for close to this price?
He was responding to above question
This or the xiaomi note 2 prime?
Xiaomi Note 2 Prime.
Only if these phones were a bit smaller… Sigh
I prefer jiayu s3 advanced for $aud 280 after conversion including leather case, tempered glass and DHL ship. Camera is better and the apps good. I don't see any funny Chinese app. But only 3gb and 16gb ram, replaceable battery. Comes rooted already. I think display also better.
Seller said the phone more stable than Asus - out of the box.
Note : I compare it with my friend who own Asus
For the same price I would choose the Asus, i don't even need to think about it. If the Jiayu was $180 then maybe i'd think about it.
Jiayu S3 is good but no 700mhz B28 is a deal breaker for many
I own a zf2 and it flies.
Does S3 have proper fast charging aswell? That's an underrated feature which I now will never be able to live without.
Wtf is a jiayu? Another no name from China?
China no-names are generic phones. JiaYu is a well known brand in Asia and parts of Europe.
I have one of these, it's a nice phone. BUT the screen is very weak, first drop and it already has glass break streaks. I have dropped my Nokia Lumia many times, and worse too, no issues with screen. It seems it's common with this Asus.
I've had the Zenfone 6 for 18 months now, never had a case on it, and it's had no problem. The construction isn't much different. I think some people are just really hard on their phones somehow.
The lower spec one comes down to $223.20
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-ASUS-ZenFone-2-ZE550ML-4G-LTE…
what do you think of this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-HTC-One-E9-A53ML-Dual-SIM-16G…
and
this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/131553135524?
Really need an advice,I don't do gaming I just need a reliable device with a good battery life ,fast browsing and very good reception.Budget's not a problem but I really don't like to spend more than 300 bucks for a phone.Thanks dudes!
You go for the HTC? Can't find any reviews anywhere!
This, or Xiaomi mi4c or Xiaomi note 2 prime?
Confused!
Same boat. Having been eying off the note 2 prime. Would love a good comparison video review of the models.
Good deal here, but 5.5" is just a bit too big for me. 5" Xiaomi Mi4c 3GB/32GB looks awesome value: http://www.androidpit.com/xiaomi-mi-4c-review
The Xiaomi Note 2 hasn't been announced yet (expected launch early next year). The Redmi Note 2 Prime is a different phone, as is the Xiaomi Note Pro.
What's the difference between deluxe and the old zenfone 2?
See comparison above, old ZE550ML has 2gb ram but ZE551ML has 4gb ram and slightly faster CPU. Screen resolution is higher on the new model.
If you are asking about the deluxe and non-deluxe ZE551ML they are basically the same except for the deluxe can take 128gb card when the other only 64gb card.
Should I get another g4 for my wife or give this asus a go? Only $150 between them.
If you think $150 is ONLY then go for the G4
How does this phone compare to the Google Nexus 5?
In terms of software, nexus 5 is definitely better. But other than that, i think this phone has better performance, camera, etc
In terms of software? Sorry I'm a total noob with phones. I thought they both just run Android? I don't even use/know of any native apps I really use on my Nexus 5?
The Nexus devices are Google's 'official' android devices, so they run vanilla android (which mean it has no carrier/distributor apps pre-installed, runs cleanly, the way android meant to be since Google is also the developer of Android.)
It also means that software updates come directly from Google, so whenever you hear new android versions released, Nexus devices will be the first to get it - usually many months before everyone else.
Having said that, if you really don't mind/care about the pre-installed apps, and don't chase the latest android updates, then I don't see the Nexus being more advantaged.
Would anyone know how this phone's camera/video compare with a Samsung Alpha?, so over the alpha, thou it does take good quality pics from my experience.
I want to upgrade my phone, but not downgrade the screen res or pics/vids quality.
Also, what would be the best choice for great pics/vids, LG G4 or ????
T.I.A
definitely get the g4 for pics/vids. from searching around the camera on the phone dosnt seem that great (small sensor size), especially when taking videos - no ois
So the G4 has ois? and the Alpha has a smaller sensor?, sorry I'm a bit out of it, atm.
And the LG Flex 2 has a lower spec cam?
cheers
sorry my second sentence was referring to the asus zenfone. so yeah g4 has ois
Just a heads up, the regular 551 works with 128gb cards.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/zenfone2/help/128gb-micro-sd…
For anyone who doesn't like that disgusting 'faceted' backplate.
great deal, but I am a bit confused. Will this phone work fine with Optus and Vodafone networks? I have an Optus and a Vodafone sim that I intend to use with the phone. Will they both work? If someone can confirm then I am getting this baby right away. thanks
The deluxe and non deluxe version of this phone ZE551ML should work with Optus, Telstra and Vodafone as all use band 3 (1800MHz). Checked Asus website specs
http://www.asus.com/Phone/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/specifications/
Looks like all versions use band 3, item location is Taiwan, so these should all be TW version. I bought the non deluxe version as I prefer smooth conventional colours and not the illusion effect of the deluxe. Don't forget cashrewards for the 4% cashback as well.
thanks mate, just got the Illusion blue! can't wait to get my hands on it! cheers
Deluxe has faster CPU and double the RAM though? Edit: Nevermind Deluxe is just the backing lol
what is a good case for this phone? May be under $10?
Beware of the revised term and condition by e-Bay on this code ending TONIGHT 16 October instead of 20 October.
http://pages2.ebay.com.au/Buyer_coupons/wedding20
This offer commences at 14.00 (AEDT) on 15 October 2015 and ends at 23.59 (AEDT) on 16 October 2015 (“Offer Period”).
$50 for exp shipping to the Philippines? :(
I just read terms and conditions. Do you think that as per their terms and conditions, they can reverse a sale for these mobile phones. I can imagine hundreds have been bought because of this sale. I can imagine the chaos it would cause if they chose to reverse all the discounts?
What do you guys think?
It's unlikely. You can also see how many people have placed an order on the ebay link.
It's also "expedited" shipping from Taiwan so you can just ask for shipping tracking number.
I mean, they wont stop the sale, but they will just reverse the discount they gave you in the first place meaning you pay full price.
No way. The budget for these promos is massive (That 15% off errything deal must have cost millions), at worst they might take some action against sellers blatantly abusing the categories.
Well I don't know. As some others have said here, how does a mobile phone fit in the wedding category. Especially when you search under what they list, there is no mention of mobile phones.
well, you can just apply the code and see if it works on checkout? or am I missing something with reversed sales
You guys are missing the point. I applied the code and it works, however when you search their sales under wedding on their link, no phone is listed at all. So the point being, there might be a chance of them saying that it was never originally under their sale items and they could reverse the discount they gave you originally.
@Zaychri:
They simply don't care. There have been things deliberately mislisted in every one of these sales with no action taken.
My gut feeling is, that they must have stuffed up the listing process and all these other things such as phones were included when they werent supposed to be. So they are ending the sale early so that it wont cost them a shedload more.
Could be wrong I dont know.
Oh I get what you mean. Well I might buy one tonight anyway and see how that goes. The most WE as consumers have to lose is maybe a week's worth of interest on $287 on waiting for refund if they don't honor the discount. We're covered by Ebay / Paypal.
Also, the second SIM slot is 2G only if people are buying the device for dual-SIM capabilities…
Has anyone got dispatch notification or received the phone yet?
Still waiting, sent them a message this morning. Still no reply.
Finally got a reply from them.
"I'm sorry to inform you that ASUS had collected all of our Blue stock back as they informed us there might be manufacturing defect for this color. We tried to source this phone from the market but it seems ASUS had paused all new stock releasing at the moment. We were informed ASUS will only release the new batch after fixing the manufacturing issue and may update us again next week. We sincerely apologise for the delay and wonder if you like to change the colour to WHITE?"
If your still waiting on your order you might want to message them.
Last time I bought from them (few weeks ago) took them 3 working days before dispatch.
No dispatch here. Others in my Sony thread have said they've received their phones.
This looks like an awesome deal..
Would it be better then the LG G Flex 2 ? Feel like a different phone..