Preview: ASUS Zenfone 5, a less-than-P10,000 phone

Specs of the ASUS Zenfone 5 (Price: Less than P10,000 - to be updated on July 17):
Dual SIM
1.6GHz dual-core Intel Z2560 chipset
PowerVR SGX544 MP2 GPU
2GB RAM
8GB internal storage
microSD card slot (up to 64GB)
5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (720 x 1,280 resolution)
8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
2-megapixel front camera
2,010mAh battery
Android Jelly Bean 4.3

At the International CES 2014 in Las Vegas, Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS took the wraps off what may very well be its most compelling smartphone yet. That is, if we're strictly talking about features and price point. The ASUS Zenfone 5, after all, bears a sophisticated design, a high-def 5-inch IPS display fronted by third-gen Gorilla Glass, and an Intel processor with 2GB of RAM. All these at a price that should make hero phones from both local and international brands blush.

According to ASUS Philippines, the Zenfone 5 won't cost more than P10,000, hinting that it will be cheaper than the bang-for-the-money Xiaomi Mi 3 when it eventually hits stores on July 17. It will come in black, white, red, and gold variants.

The device has a removable plastic back cover, accentuated by a glossy, brushed-metal finish and company logos from ASUS and Intel. Tucked underneath the panel are dual micro-SIM slots, microSD expansion for cards up to 64GB in capacity, and a sealed 2,010mAh lithium-polymer battery, which will likely give you a day of average usage.

The subtle semi-circular pattern on the chin below the capacitive buttons is borrowed from the ASUS Zenbook notebook line.

From an aesthetic standpoint, don't expect the Zenfone 5 to give the Apple iPhone 5s, the HTC One, or eventhe plastic-clad LG G3 a run for its money, though the Zenfone certainly looks more expensive than what its price tag suggests. If only it were a tad shorter and had smaller bezels.

The rear-facing camera can capture up to 8-megapixel shots and is accompanied by an LED flash, while the front-facer is rated at 2 megapixels. No fireworks here, obviously. ASUS does make up for the garden-variety optics by including a wide selection of shooting modes and options in the native camera app. In our brief hands-on time with the ASUS Zenfone 5, the software spree does make it easier to take quality photos without the need to alter them afterwards.

The Intel silicon inside the device is a dual-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz. Based on the Atom architecture, it supports the chip giant's Hyper-Threading technology, allowing multiple threads to run on a single core.

ASUS Philippines says the Intel Z2560 processor inside the Zenfone 5 performs on a par with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 chip. Considering how powerful the quad-core Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One (M7) are, that's a bold claim—something we can neither confirm nor deny until we put the phone through its paces.

Still, based on specs and price alone, the ASUS Zenfone 5 is shaping up to be something we can look forward to with great anticipation.

On a side note, the Zenfone line features two other Android Jelly Bean phones that are landing on Philippine shores soon: 4- and 6-inch versions, both of which are rocking Intel chips, too. The ASUS Zenfone 4 and 6 will be available at the same time as their 5-inch sibling for still-undisclosed SRPs. (With report from Ramon Lopez)