Taiwan’s Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) launched a successor to its ZenFone series in Japan yesterday, part of its strategy to triple its global smartphone shipments this year.
The bigger-screened ZenFone 2 was launched at a news event in Japan hosted by Asustek chairman Jonney Shih (施崇堂) and was touted by the company as the world’s first smartphone with 4GB of memory.
The 5.5-inch smartphone, unveiled globally in January at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, features a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 3,000mAh battery and 4G LTE connectivity.
The handset is to hit stores in Japan on May 16 at a starting price of ¥50,800 (US$426.80) for a model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, ¥45,800 for a model with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and ¥35,800 for a model with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
The 5-inch model of Asustek’s first-generation ZenFone has been the top-selling phone in Japan’s SIM-free segment for five consecutive months since making its debut in November last year, according to data compiled by Tokyo-based market research firm BCN Inc.
However, Asustek’s SIM-free market share dropped from 43 percent in November to 24.5 percent last month, with LG Electronics Inc taking second place last month with a 19.5 percent share, BCN’s data showed.
After rolling out the ZenFone 2 in Taiwan, China and France last month, Asustek plans to launch the product in several more markets this month, including Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and India.
Asustek said it plans to hold a joint press event tomorrow to launch the ZenFone 2 in Southeast Asia, followed by the phone’s India launch on Thursday.
That means the ZenFone 2 is to be sold in 13 markets by the end of this month after making its debut in January, a faster rollout than its predecessor, which took nine months to reach the same number of markets.
In an interview with Chinese media outlet Sohu.com Inc published on March 31, Shih revealed that Asustek had raised its annual shipment target for smartphones this year to 30 million units.
The revision came less than a month after Shih told Taiwanese media at the ZenFone 2 launch in Taipei on March 9 that his company plans to ship 25 million smartphones this year, up from a prior target of 17 million units set in February.
Asustek shares fell 0.78 percent to close at NT$319 yesterday, compared with a 0.19 percent drop in the Taiwan stock exchange’s benchmark index.
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