Asus ZenFone 2 Update to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop Might Come Sooner than Expected

The current flagship of Taiwanese smartphone maker Asus, the Asus ZenFone 2 is the next device expected to get hold of  Google’s Android’s 5.1.1 Lollipop firmware update along with other smartphones and gadgets. According to reports, the Asus ZenFone 2 is already in its final stages of testing before the official release date for the firmware update is announced. Asus claims that it can happen anytime soon.

The software update coming to the smartphone has been confirmed by an Asus representative as an answer to an Asus Support app user. The user eagerly asked when the ZenFone 2 will receive the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop upgrade, to which the representative confirmed that they will be rolling it for the smartphone very soon. The screenshot of the conversation has been posted countless times on Zentalk forum online, validating that the device will indeed have the latest OS update soon.

Asus ZenFone 2 was announced in January and was sold to the market beginning in May. It is one of the mid-range smartphones in the market today. It has a retail price of only $299 and it already comes equipped with everything a techie user will definitely like at an easy-on-the-pocket budget. It came out with three variants namely ZE551ML, ZE550ML, and the ZE500CL – all running on Android 5.0 Lollipop straight out of the box and features a customized Zen user interface and a Gorilla Glass 3 display.

The flagship model, the ZE551ML, is powered by Intel Atom Moorefield SoCs with up to 4GB of RAM, a first for smartphones. It also features a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, a 3,000 mAH non-removable battery, and dual MicroSIM card slots.

The phone’s internal storage is also one of its best-selling features since it can go as high as 128 GB expandable through the MicroSD card slot. It can also capture great photos with its 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front snapper, great for taking selfies.

According to Tech Times, the phone manufacturer earlier announced that its devices from the ZenFone series such as ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6 have already received the latest OS fix from Google and ZenFone 2 ZE2551ML will be the next one to get the latest version of the software.

To users’ surprise, there is still no official word yet if the other two models — ZenFone 2 ZE500CL and ZE550ML will also be receiving the OS update. However, it is possible that Asus will also bring it to the device once the update to the ZE2551ML becomes a success. Currently, the two smartphones run on Android 5.0 Lollipop.

In addition, Asus has also released another update for its ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6 series. As per the International Business Times, the update brings in the latest over-the-air software v3.23.40.60 to fix bugs and address other issues from the previous release. A word of caution though as once users download the latest update for their smartphones, some pre-installed apps might be removed without notice after the update is complete.

Aside from the Full HD IPS display, ZenFone 2 ZE550ML shares almost the same features with the flagship model, ZE551ML. Even though it sports a plastic body with a metallic finish, it still boasts of great quality of the material. The ZenFone 2 ZE500CL is the low-cost variant among the three. It features a 5-inch HD display, 2 GB RAM, single MicroSIM slot, a 2500 mAH battery, and an Intel Atom Cloverview CPU. The budget smartphone still produces quality images with its 8-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front snapper.

Asus has really done a great job with its continuous development of the ZenFone series. The latest achievement with ZenFone 2 is that the device can also run on the Windows 7 platform. According to Tech Times, a certain senior XDA Developers forum member under the moniker “ycavan” has uploaded a video that shows ZenFone 2 running on the Microsoft operating system.