A decade ago there was a big market for "MyPhone"s in China that cost a tiny fraction of what Apple charged for people who wanted to pretend they were rich enough to afford one.
At my previous job I spent a bit of time with one crippled with a resistive touch screen and windows phone 6. (Don't ask.) It was cosmetically Apple and functionally a burning garbage dump.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's still a demand from people who want to pretend without spending a months pay on a phone. OTOH even Asus's cheapest model looks too expensive for them.
I agree there will always be a market for fake knockoffs. Fake rolex, fake glasses. But these are the no-name, cheap chinese brands. What does Apple have to win in this market?
I don't doubt their customers SAID "We want your phones to be more like Apple's", but the company is supposed to deploy critical thinking and figure out the difference between what their customers SAY and what their customers MEAN.
Apple used to sue Samsung over shameless copying like this, until finally Samsung learned their lesson. Looks like Asus is next. They have zero defense when their marketing reps are literally saying "we made our device look as much like Apple as possible". Not exactly brilliant minds at work there.
Probably not, Asus share market is so small compared to Samsung's. Another example is OnePlus or OPPO with their blatant design copy and we don't have any news of suing. IMO, unless they have more than 10-15% market share (excluding nation without IP protection like China), the suing war is unlikely to happen.
I guess a minor defense is that LG had a type of notch first, was it the V20? Sure, it wasn't in the centre, and is was a separate display in terms of implementation, but otherwise it was a status bar besides the cameras, etc.
"ASUS has supposedly implemented AI here, as part of its AI strategy, such that the system can use an onboard RGB sensor and apply screen color/brightness adjustments to react to ambient lighting."
AYFKM? Anandtech is supposed to be better than this. Auto color/brightness adjustment is not goddamn AI. Don't regurgitate nonsense talking points.
All those your usual sensors with some tweaks and behaviour analysis are hyped as AI for the sake of marketing now, just get on with it.
Just like hoverboard still has wheels and most 'bezel less phones' still has bezel after all unlike TV or monitor definition of bezel less which I think more appropriate.
Both bezel and notch is insane. The notch creates more problems than it solves. If there is a bezel, put the front cam there, if there is no bezel or you want the cam on top, use pop-up or flip, no need for dumb solutions. Let's copy every mistake others make...
The bezel is at the bottom, which is much harder to avoid than the top. But sure, they could put the front cam there and just ask people to flip their phone over to take a selfie.
The table looks a bit messed up. Why are there two rows for Front Camera? And if they are the same in the first row why aren't they merged into a single cell? If the second front camera row is true, why does the Zen5 Lite get a 20MP front camera?
Table aside, I'm in the market for a mid-range phone with a big screen and it seems like ASUS is one of the few companies who will do this. Not only that but it comes with Oreo. My main concern is how quick is ASUS with OS updates?
From news.com The incorporation of a notch into the top of the phone's screen was a practical decision based on the criteria Shen gave his team. "We wanted to achieve a more than 90 percent screen-to-body ratio," he said. "I asked the team to give me the most beautiful device."
Asus needed to include a light sensor and forward-facing camera on the front of the phone. But if it removed the top bezel, these would have to be squeezed in at the bottom of the screen. Shen explained that this would leave the front camera pointing squarely at his chin, demonstrating his selfie pose for us.
From the beauty decision, from the user experience decision, the team decided to use it this way and I agree," said Shen about the notch. "We do not want to copy, and actually they told me we are thinner, we are nano."
A couple of other manufacturers at the show, including French phone maker Wiko, have also built notches into their device screens, and there might be more to come. The next version of Android is rumored to accommodate notches, according a Bloomberg report earlier this month, in which case Asus may be one of the first Android phone makers to follow in Apple's footsteps.
Looking at the Zenfone 5 from the front, it might not immediately scream "Asus" to you, but the back of the phone is where the design steers away from familiar territory. It features Asus' patented concentric circle design that also appears on products in the ZenBook laptop series.
It's like the whole industry forgot that its possible to make a full display design without a notch. Just look back to the original Mi Mix that used a vibrating diaphragm under the display for calls. The downside is that you got earwax and hair oil all over the display but I'll take that over an ugly notch any day. Either that or keep a slim top bezel for sensors and the headset speaker.
"The downside is that you got earwax and hair oil all over the display but I'll take that over an ugly notch any day."
That's disgusting. I got ears the size of a Ferengi and I don't have that issue. Use the money you saved on the cheaper phone for some Q-tips, shampoo, and some wipes. Clean your damn ears, wash your hair, and keep your phone clean.
I'm not fond of the screen notch design at all, but the scene detection can automatically pick out a cat which is awesome! Cats are really the best pets and they're more popular than dogs in the US so features like that are important for most Americans. (It looks like the phone can identify dogs too for the people that own them anyhow.)
I'm holding out for "peak notch" where the phone looks like a daisy or sunflower. Heck how about "post notch" where the screen can be shaped like the outline of Hello Kitty or Mickey Mouse!
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osamabinrobot - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
Apparently this is what the company says that its customers want: the ability to look as if you have an iPhone X, but have something else.great googly moogly
fred666 - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
WTF Asus? Never met a single person who wants that from a phone.DanNeely - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
A decade ago there was a big market for "MyPhone"s in China that cost a tiny fraction of what Apple charged for people who wanted to pretend they were rich enough to afford one.At my previous job I spent a bit of time with one crippled with a resistive touch screen and windows phone 6. (Don't ask.) It was cosmetically Apple and functionally a burning garbage dump.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's still a demand from people who want to pretend without spending a months pay on a phone. OTOH even Asus's cheapest model looks too expensive for them.
fred666 - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
I agree there will always be a market for fake knockoffs. Fake rolex, fake glasses. But these are the no-name, cheap chinese brands.What does Apple have to win in this market?
fred666 - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
uh, I meant Asus ;-)Jimmy C - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
I know it! Only genuine knockoffs for me, as I have taste.Byte - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
Great, they took one of the few flaws of the iphone and intentionally added it in...Lord of the Bored - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
I don't doubt their customers SAID "We want your phones to be more like Apple's", but the company is supposed to deploy critical thinking and figure out the difference between what their customers SAY and what their customers MEAN.FullmetalTitan - Thursday, March 1, 2018 - link
On the list of reasons to get sued by Apple for product imitation, completely missing your target market's actual interests is a doozyschizoide - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
Apple used to sue Samsung over shameless copying like this, until finally Samsung learned their lesson. Looks like Asus is next. They have zero defense when their marketing reps are literally saying "we made our device look as much like Apple as possible". Not exactly brilliant minds at work there.schizoide - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
Also, they didn't copy Apple's non-FaceID innovation in the X-- the lack of a bottom bezel, coming from wrapping the OLED screen around in the Z axis.WorldWithoutMadness - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
Probably not, Asus share market is so small compared to Samsung's. Another example is OnePlus or OPPO with their blatant design copy and we don't have any news of suing. IMO, unless they have more than 10-15% market share (excluding nation without IP protection like China), the suing war is unlikely to happen.The number 10-15% is taken from https://www.androidpit.com/huawei-ceo-only-three-t...
psychobriggsy - Friday, March 2, 2018 - link
I guess a minor defense is that LG had a type of notch first, was it the V20? Sure, it wasn't in the centre, and is was a separate display in terms of implementation, but otherwise it was a status bar besides the cameras, etc.webdoctors - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
I had a zenfone 2, it was great for awhile as it was only $200 but 1080p screen.The battery started to bulge and the phone would reboot or become unresponsive almost every other day. Its difficult to get warranty service in USA.
The mid-range phone segment is very crowded and competitive.
GreenMeters - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
"ASUS has supposedly implemented AI here, as part of its AI strategy, such that the system can use an onboard RGB sensor and apply screen color/brightness adjustments to react to ambient lighting."AYFKM? Anandtech is supposed to be better than this. Auto color/brightness adjustment is not goddamn AI. Don't regurgitate nonsense talking points.
osxandwindows - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
Its a buzz word now. Get used to it.You can thank google for it later.
WorldWithoutMadness - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
All those your usual sensors with some tweaks and behaviour analysis are hyped as AI for the sake of marketing now, just get on with it.Just like hoverboard still has wheels and most 'bezel less phones' still has bezel after all unlike TV or monitor definition of bezel less which I think more appropriate.
Jimmy C - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
I read the article as if they were making fun of the AI claims. That word "supposedly," for example.jjj - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
Both bezel and notch is insane. The notch creates more problems than it solves.If there is a bezel, put the front cam there, if there is no bezel or you want the cam on top, use pop-up or flip, no need for dumb solutions. Let's copy every mistake others make...
schizoide - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
The bezel is at the bottom, which is much harder to avoid than the top. But sure, they could put the front cam there and just ask people to flip their phone over to take a selfie.Amoro - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
The table looks a bit messed up. Why are there two rows for Front Camera? And if they are the same in the first row why aren't they merged into a single cell? If the second front camera row is true, why does the Zen5 Lite get a 20MP front camera?Table aside, I'm in the market for a mid-range phone with a big screen and it seems like ASUS is one of the few companies who will do this. Not only that but it comes with Oreo. My main concern is how quick is ASUS with OS updates?
How bad is the bloat on ASUS phones typically?
Ryan Smith - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
The 5 Lite has 2 front cameras and is being positioned as a selfie phone.The other models have a single front camera.
Brilliantminds - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
From news.comThe incorporation of a notch into the top of the phone's screen was a practical decision based on the criteria Shen gave his team. "We wanted to achieve a more than 90 percent screen-to-body ratio," he said. "I asked the team to give me the most beautiful device."
Asus needed to include a light sensor and forward-facing camera on the front of the phone. But if it removed the top bezel, these would have to be squeezed in at the bottom of the screen. Shen explained that this would leave the front camera pointing squarely at his chin, demonstrating his selfie pose for us.
From the beauty decision, from the user experience decision, the team decided to use it this way and I agree," said Shen about the notch. "We do not want to copy, and actually they told me we are thinner, we are nano."
A couple of other manufacturers at the show, including French phone maker Wiko, have also built notches into their device screens, and there might be more to come. The next version of Android is rumored to accommodate notches, according a Bloomberg report earlier this month, in which case Asus may be one of the first Android phone makers to follow in Apple's footsteps.
Looking at the Zenfone 5 from the front, it might not immediately scream "Asus" to you, but the back of the phone is where the design steers away from familiar territory. It features Asus' patented concentric circle design that also appears on products in the ZenBook laptop series.
Brilliantminds - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
We need to embody our design language and the concentric circle is iconic," said Shen. "This is the way we try to identify our phones."So there you have it. If you aren't sure if it's a ZenFone or an iPhone, all you need to do is flip it over -- or just check the price tag
serendip - Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - link
It's like the whole industry forgot that its possible to make a full display design without a notch. Just look back to the original Mi Mix that used a vibrating diaphragm under the display for calls. The downside is that you got earwax and hair oil all over the display but I'll take that over an ugly notch any day. Either that or keep a slim top bezel for sensors and the headset speaker.Manch - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
"The downside is that you got earwax and hair oil all over the display but I'll take that over an ugly notch any day."That's disgusting. I got ears the size of a Ferengi and I don't have that issue. Use the money you saved on the cheaper phone for some Q-tips, shampoo, and some wipes. Clean your damn ears, wash your hair, and keep your phone clean.
PeachNCream - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
I'm not fond of the screen notch design at all, but the scene detection can automatically pick out a cat which is awesome! Cats are really the best pets and they're more popular than dogs in the US so features like that are important for most Americans. (It looks like the phone can identify dogs too for the people that own them anyhow.)Lord of the Bored - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
Don't foist your feliocentric propaganda on me! Cats are disgusting monsters that don't care if you live or die.PeachNCream - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
=^..^=But they're so cute and thank goodness that phones are at least starting to recognize that fact.
Lord of the Bored - Thursday, March 1, 2018 - link
I dunno, they just look like weirdly-shaped pomeranians to me. Weirdly-shaped pomeranians that carry toxoplasmosis.tl;dr: Woofwoof! Bark!
Gunbuster - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
I'm holding out for "peak notch" where the phone looks like a daisy or sunflower. Heck how about "post notch" where the screen can be shaped like the outline of Hello Kitty or Mickey Mouse!mkozakewich - Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - link
Ouch, complete with massive bezels. And if instead you wanted to look like you've got an S8, just hold it upside-down.ASUS has had their AI Suite for many, many years. I've never liked the name, and it's only going to get worse, but it's not new.
psychobriggsy - Friday, March 2, 2018 - link
That 'Tripod' object detection AI will come in useful when I'm sending sexts.