CES 2017: ASUS Zennovation Press Event Live Blog (11:30am PT)

02:28PM EST - We're here at ASUS' Press Event, Zennovation

02:28PM EST - Expect to see Jonney Shih on stage

02:29PM EST - Last year, ASUS didn't have a CES event because everything was being launched after Computex

02:29PM EST - But given the recent launch of Kaby Lake, I suspect we'll see some KBL enabled systems

02:30PM EST - Ian on text, Ryan on photos. TeAm AnandTech in the house

02:33PM EST - We're starting

02:33PM EST - 'ASUS is changing the mobile industry'

02:33PM EST - 'AN event to go above and beyond expectations'

02:34PM EST - playing the intro video

02:34PM EST - very movie-esque

02:35PM EST - Jonney Shih to the stage

02:35PM EST - Jonney is always a character on stage

02:36PM EST - '2016 was an incredible year for ASUS - the success of our Zenbook 3 enabled us to embark on a journey that dares for more'

02:36PM EST - Demo video

02:38PM EST - Looks like a smartphone in the video

02:38PM EST - 'stay forever young'

02:39PM EST - Announcing the Zenfone 3 Zoom

02:39PM EST - built for photography

02:39PM EST - Uses Qualcomm Snapdragon

02:39PM EST - 2x12MP, 1x13MP

02:39PM EST - 2.3x optical zoom, 59mm focal on first 12MP

02:40PM EST - 12MP main camera, Sony IMX362

02:40PM EST - 13MP front camera, f/2.0

02:40PM EST - '59mm focal length is golden ratio for perfect portrait'

02:41PM EST - Main camera (Sony IMX362) f/1.7 and uses SuperPixel

02:41PM EST - 'more light capture and longer exposure time'

02:42PM EST - 'Our technology thrives on making a dramatic difference in image quality'

02:42PM EST - SuperPixel: 2.5x light sensitivity, 10x to industry standard

02:43PM EST - SuperPixel Engine: Multi-frame, multi-stage noise reduction algorithm

02:43PM EST - ASUS TriTech+ 0.03s auto-focus

02:43PM EST - 2nd Gen Laser AF, Subject tracking AF, Dual Pixel PDAF

02:43PM EST - 100% pixels for phase detection auto focus

02:44PM EST - traditional phone uses only 5% of pixels

02:45PM EST - Front Camera: Sony IMX213, f/2.0, SuperPixel, 13MP Wide Angle, 2x light sensitivity

02:45PM EST - Professional manual mode, RAW support, Manual Lens Selection

02:45PM EST - 59mm or 25mm lens selection

02:45PM EST - Pro Mode allows selection for shutter speed, EV, ISO, White Balance

02:46PM EST - Snapdragon 625, 5000mAh batery

02:46PM EST - 6.4hr 4K UHD recording, 32day standby, 8.5hr social media livestreaming

02:46PM EST - 5000mAh is quite good

02:47PM EST - I'm all for that

02:47PM EST - 5.5-inch, 7.99mm at slimmest edge, 170g

02:47PM EST - Gorilla Glass 5, 500 nits, AMOLED

02:48PM EST - Rose Gold, Glacier Silver, Navy Black

02:48PM EST - 4-axis OIS, 3-axis EIS

02:48PM EST - so, price? DRAM/Storage? UFS or eMMC

02:49PM EST - Available February

02:49PM EST - Next product

02:49PM EST - focus on creators

02:50PM EST - Zenfone AR

02:50PM EST - Tango-enabled and Daydream ready

02:50PM EST - Built for Augmented Reality

02:50PM EST - TriCam system

02:51PM EST - 23MP Motion tracking and depth sensing

02:51PM EST - Motion Tracking, Area Learning, Depth Perception

02:51PM EST - Mobile Augmented Reality

02:52PM EST - From online shopping, to home improvement projects

02:52PM EST - 'Games that go beyond the screen'

02:52PM EST - I assume this eats battery like no tomorrow

02:52PM EST - WQHD 2560x1440, 5.7-inch SuperAMOLED, 79% screen to Body Ratio

02:54PM EST - Exclusive ZenUI VR 360

02:54PM EST - Create, view and share 360 content without 3rd party apps

02:54PM EST - Erik Hermanson on stage, Head of Content and Brand Marketing

02:55PM EST - 'This is the next wave in tech that will get consumers excited in smartphones'

02:55PM EST - 'Consumers are also looking for a good app ecosystem'

02:55PM EST - Previewing some of the apps on Zenfone

02:56PM EST - Johnny Lee, Director of Engineering for Tango on stage too

02:56PM EST - 'We think smartphones can do much more'

02:57PM EST - '35+ Tango enabled apps coming out in the next few months'

02:58PM EST - Jeff Kirwan, Global President of Gap on stage

02:58PM EST - stage is getting crowded

02:59PM EST - Discussing GAP's key mantras

03:00PM EST - 'Our product has to fit you just perfect, and we have to provide a rich customer experience that is effortless and inspirational'

03:00PM EST - 'A dramatic shift in retail'

03:01PM EST - 'We have to be there whenever a customer needs us, wherever they are'

03:01PM EST - 'Allowing a customer to see if the product fits on a body shape'

03:02PM EST - Dressing Room from GAP

03:04PM EST - Moving 2D images on the app to the display to load a 3D manniquin with a selected body type

03:04PM EST - Can look at the garment from full 360-degree

03:04PM EST - Switching between X and XL to see the garment length and fit

03:05PM EST - Womens clothing, to see how the clothing looks with folds and creases

03:05PM EST - Takes GAPs CAD images for clothing and does physics simulations to see how clothing will look

03:06PM EST - 'Ensures the customer buys the product they really want'

03:07PM EST - Ability to compare multiple sizes at once

03:08PM EST - Now demoing a Hot Wheels game

03:09PM EST - The app allows to have a virtual playset, and a set of challenges to get a car to the start to finish

03:10PM EST - More intuitive than just a controller

03:12PM EST - Hot Wheels app already in the play store

03:13PM EST - Dedicated inertial motion unit

03:13PM EST - 2.5ms detection

03:15PM EST - Jonney Shih back on stage

03:16PM EST - Zenfone AR with Snapdragon 821, 8GB DRAM, Vapor cooling system (so a heatpipe)

03:16PM EST - Cristiano Amon, EVP of Qualcomm Technologies on stage

03:17PM EST - 'Zenfone AR is first Tango-enabled S821, ZF3 Zoom is first dual-camera S625'

03:17PM EST - 'ASUS is Qualcomm for all their smartphones'

03:19PM EST - 'We believe S821 is a perfect fit for Tango'

03:20PM EST - 'no need for external coprocessors'

03:20PM EST - Always-on sensor core

03:22PM EST - Android 7, obviously

03:22PM EST - Zenfone AR Available in Q2

03:23PM EST - Stage photo

03:24PM EST - That's a wrap!